2015 CTOTF Spring Turbine Forum, Issue 1

The new electricity casino: Preparing your GT assets 

 Editor's note: This article is based on an in-depth conversation with managers of a large gas turbine (GT) fleet in an area with heavy wind penetration. 

Over a long period of time, if you are "in" the stock market on the best days, and avoid the stock market on the worst days, your overall returns are astronomically higher than if you just put you money in and go away for a few decades. This truism of playing the market has many variations but here's one: If you missed the best 40 performing days between 1993 and 2013, a $10,000 investment in the S&P 500 shrunk to $8149; if you avoided the worst-performing days during that period, your $10,000 investment would have been almost 900% higher. more   

Issues identified during recent borescope inspections on GE and Siemens frames 

The GE E/EA Roundtable at CTOTF™ meetings always is well attended by owner/operators. Fleet size is one reason: There are more than 1000 of these frames in service today. Another is the deep knowledge of the session's leadership: Pierre Boehler and Ed Wong of NRG Energy Inc, Dan Giel of Duke Energy, and Dave Hollandsworth of GRU have decades of O&M experience with these engines. This assures a top-notch program and meaningful discussion. more  

HOT TOPIC at CTOTF: Turbine lubrication
Many variables impact the condition and performance of turbine lubricants. On the subject of varnish, for example, discussion seemingly can be endless as to why a given petroleum oil operates varnish-free in one unit and wreaks havoc in another. The type of turbine, its age and service duty, the oil's formulation and its additives package, type of filtration equipment, and experience of O&M personnel are just a few of the most obvious variables that can come into play. more
Editors in the field: Notes from plant visits, user discussions in 1Q/2015

The ongoing retirement of many coal plants and the influx of renewables has presented new challenges to the gas turbine fleet. Hear what users are saying about this and other prevalent topics like safety, predictive analytics, and reliability-centered maintenance. more 

Guided-wave radar gets attention for more level measurements

A common observation about today's automation practices is that we're all dazzled by the digital and computer advances but the technology behind the primary sensors and final control devices doesn't change, or at least not nearly at the same pace. more 

WEBINAR: Getting to Know Your Turbine Generator

Avoid Forced Outages from Common Failure Modes and Operational Stress   

Presented by Mike Thawley, EthosEnergy Group   

Thursday, May 28 @ 2pm Eastern/11am Pacific

 

Our old friend Ben Franklin once said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." Generator fleets are ageing, a large percentage of units currently in service are operating well past life expectancy. Generators are often overlooked during planned outages on the driver. Many failure mechanisms can be mitigated and extend unit life if detected early. Sign up for the webinar today to find out more about generator reliability and potential costs applied to your unit. more