Transcript Application of GEN Results

Gas Turbine Overhaul Plan (GTOP) Software
Working with Iberdrola’s Center for Monitoring, Diagnosis and Simulation
(CMDS), EPRI developed GTOP software to fully document a hot section
inspection for a 9FA frame combustion turbine. CMDS and EPRI validated
application of GTOP Castellon Station and documenting the hundreds of tasks
related to machine disassembly, inspection, reassembly, and start-up. With
GTOP, Iberdrola was better able to plan, manage, and document this major
overhaul. In addition, use of the software created a foundation for Iberdrola to
increasingly take direct responsibility for maintaining its own large fleet of
advanced gas turbines.
– Dr. José A. Tagle, María Martín,
Antonio Caruana, José Miguel Berrio
Iberdrola
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
PlantView Automated Training Manager
“Our company continually strives for operational excellence and [Operational
Excellence Program] OEP is fundamental to our continued success. This
initiative saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars in development
costs due of the creativity, skill, and determination of the people involved, and it
has created a legacy that ensures Progress Energy will have future generations
of highly skilled operators.”
– Charlie Gates, Progress Energy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Coal Flow Measurement
Luminant hosted a field test program to assess coal distribution to burners at its
Martin Lake Power Station. The test program adopted concepts learned from
studies conducted at EPRI’s Coal Flow Measurement and Control Laboratory.
By employing an advanced coal flow meter, which enables real-time
assessment of coal distribution from one mill, the results of the field test
program allowed plant personnel to gain insights as to how the system is
currently operating and to devise a strategy for improving coal distribution to
specific burners.
– Pete Ulvog, Luminant
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Field Evaluation of Continuous Mercury Monitors (CMMs)
E.ON U.S. hosted a field evaluation of CMMs at its Trimble County Power Plant
to resolve a number of specific technical issues related to sample acquisition,
calibration, operation, instrument certification, and reliability. The field
evaluations offered the utility first-hand experience with CMM technology. The
test results will help enable E.ON to make informed purchase decisions that
result in reduced technical and economic risk and ensure cost-effective
compliance with the EPA reporting requirements.
– John Moffett, Tom Crutcher, Jeff Slocum,
Trent Henderson, Nick Payne
E.ON U.S.
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Integrated Boiler Tube Failure Reduction/Cycle Chemistry
Improvement Program
TNB implemented EPRI’s Integrated Boiler Tube Failure Reduction/Cycle
Chemistry Improvement Program (BTFR/CCIP) and produced plant-specific
Guidelines for implementation at their plants. Through improvements in the
overall boiler operational and maintenance program, TNB has significantly
reduced the rate of boiler tube failures to less than 1% of the plant availability
loss over the past few years. This has contributed to TNB’s world-class
performance in achieving the overall unplanned outage rate of less than 3%.
– Shahrir Abdul Latiff, Tenaga Nasional Berhad, Malaysia
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Combustion Turbine Repair and Coating Guidelines
Taiwan Power applied EPRI’s Combustion Turbine Repair and Coating
Guidelines to assess the condition and suitable repair approach for their fleet of
Siemens V84.2 model combustion turbines. By developing an in-house
technical competency on repair processes and their application to the specific
design features of the V84.2 hot section, Taiwan Power extended the economic
useful life of expensive super alloy gas turbine components and continue to run
the components as is over an extended service interval or perform
repair/recoating in-house.
– Tsung-Hsiao Wu, Taiwan Power
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Crack Growth Analysis
DTE Energy utilized crack growth analysis methods developed by EPRI to
demonstrate that crack accumulation in boiler drums at the utility’s St. Clair
Power Plant could be addressed through monitoring and inspection rather than
costly weld repairs. By utilizing the continuing inspections of the boiler drums,
DTE Energy was able to avoid weld repairs estimated at $40K to $50K per
drum. The unit was able to return to service without extending the outage time.
In addition, future repairs of the welds that often re-crack will be avoided.
– Dr. Richard Lynch, DTE Energy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Quick Silver Emission Monitor (Quick-SEM)
AEP supported development of Quick-SEM, a sorbent trap sampling
methodology for measuring mercury in power plant stacks. The Quick-SEM
approach became the basis for both the EPA Appendix K method for routine
compliance monitoring for mercury as well as the EPA Reference Method 30B
for certification of continuous mercury monitors in the Clean Air Mercury Rule
(CAMR). “The EPA Method 30B and the sorbent trap sampling methodology
have proven to be workable and accurate,” says AEP’s Manojit Sukul. Although
CAMR, including the App. K method, has been vacated, EPA is expected to
promulgate a new rule in the near future. Industry experts believe that new rule
will include some form of mercury monitoring. “For many utilities, the sorbent
trap sampling methodology will provide an alternate low-capital-cost approach,
as compared to the installation of continuous mercury monitors.”
– Manojit Sukul, AEP
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Intelligent Sootblowing (ISB)
A demonstration of ISB technology at NRG Energy’s W.A. Parish Plant,
conducted as part of an EPRI-sponsored project, provided a unique opportunity
to identify and quantify all of the technology’s benefits. Total plant-wide annual
savings attributable to ISB amounted to more than $15 million. These savings
resulted from extended tube life, improved boiler efficiency, and reduced O&M
costs. Numerous other benefits were documented qualitatively. The analysis
concluded that a return on investment of less than a year can be expected in
deploying ISB technology.
– Robert Osco, NRG Energy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Mercury Control Technology
Using EPRI information and data from other test sites, Xcel Energy selected
the mercury controls that held most promise at their power plants for costeffectively meeting emission limits while preserving ash sales. To evaluate their
performance at full scale, they conducted demonstrations at Harrington and
Tolk Stations. These demonstrations evaluated the performance of sorbent
injection and boiler bromide addition (marketed as KNXTM by Alstom) with and
without activated carbon injection. “Results of these tests will help Xcel Energy
compare the mercury removal effectiveness of several sorbents and KNXTM to
determine the best approach for reaching 70% mercury removal while still
maintaining fly ash sales.”
– Ron Dutton, Xcel Energy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Geologic Storage of Carbon Dioxide
Southern Company led this first-of-its-kind pilot demonstration to explore the
potential for geologic storage of CO2. The project, was managed by EPRI, the
Southern States Energy Board, and Advanced Resources International. The
project injected CO2 into a saline reservoir near Mississippi Power’s Victor J.
Daniel Plant in order to demonstrate the technology for permanent
underground sequestration of CO2. “These tests have already helped to
validate and refine the effectiveness of CO2 sequestration in geologic
formations and have demonstrated the effectiveness of monitoring technologies
to measure CO2 movement through a formation.”
– Keith Harrison, Richard Esposito
Southern Company
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Plant Managers Forum
As part if its O&M Excellence (OMX) Initiative, EPRI conducted series of Plant
Manager Workshops to bring together utility plant managers. The goal of this
forum is to utilize the group’s shared wisdom and experience in order to
formulate actionable solutions for improving plant performance. In August 2007,
the first in the planned series of workshops provided a unique opportunity for
20 utility plant managers from 12 utilities to meet together to share experiences
and best practices related to operations and maintenance (O&M). “I’ve
attended a number of utility conferences over the past 25 years, and I must say
the EPRI Plant Managers Workshop provided the most practical approach to
how business is conducted at a power plant.”
– Frank Wszelaki, DTE Energy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Valve Packing Demonstration Unit (VPDU)
Hands-on training with the VPDU ensured that ESB Power Generation plant
personnel employ proper packing assembly and loading techniques in the field.
Proper practices, in turn, contribute to improved plant safety, operability, and
availability. In addition, VPDU training can aid plant engineers in working with
valve packing suppliers to select the best products for each application, update
plant maintenance procedures to reflect the latest knowledge, and assess the
root cause of leaks from valve packing.
– Richard Sheehan, David Willis, Pat Fogarty
ESB Electricity Supply Board of Ireland
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
Fossil Maintenance Application Center Guides
FirstEnergy initiated a program that requires newly hired maintenance
mechanics who lack prior experience with coal generating station equipment to
self-train using the FMAC guides. By using these guides, new hires can train
themselves at their own pace on some of the operation and maintenance
processes and procedures specific to power plant equipment and operations.
Using the FMAC guides as a training tool helps newly hired employees learn a
great deal about power plant operations in a relatively short period of time.
–FirstEnergy
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.
CHECUPweb™
New Brunswick Power Generation incorporated EPRI’s CHECUPweb 1.1
software into their flow-accelerated corrosion program during scheduled
outages in 2007 to calculate the wall loss of single-phase piping segments and
components since plant startup. Application of the software enabled them to
compile a clear, prioritized inspection sample. It is estimated that at least two
in-service failures in heater drains were avoided on each of the two units at
NBPG’s Dalhousie Plant. A conservative estimate of the value of lost revenue
that was avoided based on today’s fuel prices is $900,000.
– Robert Griffin, New Brunswick Power Generation
© 2009 Electric Power Research Institute, Inc. All rights reserved.