2014 CTOTF Fall Turbine Forum: Issue #3


Replacing gas-turbine insulation promotes safety, speeds maintenance
Insulation can wear out faster than you think, particularly that installed on gas turbines with issues dictating frequent removal of their upper casings. If your unit was purchased during the bubble of 1999 to 2004 and still has the original turbine insulation, consider conducting a thermal survey to evaluate its effectiveness. Benefits to replacement typically include less heat loss, a reduction in insulation removal/replacement time during outages, greater flexibility in maintenance scheduling, and longer lifetimes for in-package equipment-especially heat-sensitive motors, wiring, and instrumentation sometimes associated with unit trips. more

Regular inspections can help reduce forced outages, cost of HRSG maintenance 

It's no secret: Turbine/generators-gas and steam-are the combined-cycle components that get the most attention from O&M personnel. Seemingly indestructible "big iron"-heat-recovery steam generators (HRSGs) and steam piping-often is an afterthought. Another observation: Plant owners normally don't hesitate calling a service provider to keep turbines reliable and available, but they often hold the purse strings tight on other equipment vital to plant operation-sometimes until it fails. more 

New third-party repair techniques, hot parts for V84.2 and V84.3A gas turbines

The CTOTF V-Class Roundtable, chaired by Olaf Barth of Dominion Energy, is the only annual forum for owner/operators of Siemens V machines in North America known to the editors that encourages non-OEM presentations. Because the V84.2 (SGT6-2000E) and V84.3A (SGT6-4000F) fleets in the US are relatively small-numbering about six-dozen and three-dozen engines, respectively-there are no "big" third-party names associated with overhaul services and turbine parts for these machines. That makes tiny Eta Technologies LLC and its alliance partners major players in the shallow pool. more  

Important to respect cycle chemistry and to not underestimate the complexities of ZLD

There aren't many people capable of making presentations/discussions on water treatment entertaining, but Jim Moen, PE, senior plant engineer of PG&E's Colusa Generating Station, and Dan Sampson, principal technical consultant on power, water, and wastewater for WorleyParsons, certainly proved they could. The long-term colleagues in power generation and water management were well prepared to share with users their extensive knowledge on cycle chemistry, cooling-water treatment, makeup treatment, corrosion control, clarifier problems, ZLD systems, and RO/EDI maintenance. more 

Industry, education partner to develop technicians, engineers for long-term employment

You probably recall the quotation, "Everyone complains about the weather, but nobody does anything about it." Might the same be said for public education? Jim Wood sounded an alarm on the sorry state of math, science, and engineering curricula in K-12 education with an opinion piece in the 1Q/2006 issue of CCJ. At that time, the then president of Babcock Power Inc was one of very few in the electric power industry to speak out on the rapid erosion of the nation's technical leadership. more   

  
  

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