Diagnosticsforcondition-based maintenanceon steam turbinesandgenerators

摘要

Due to current market conditions we see a growing demand for flexibility in operating andrnmaintaining power plants. Units originally designed for base-load operations now have torncycle, and this has an enormous effect on their availability and reliability, in particular for thernturbo generator. To reduce risks, it is of utmost importance to know the actual condition ofrnthe machines. Another important aspect is the necessity for availability to react to pricernchanges on the electricity markets. During high price periods, shutdowns must be avoidedrnand it may be meaningful to use all the engineering reserves of the machine and to operate itrnbeyond its nominal design limits for a limited period of time. These goals can only bernachieved if the condition of the power plant and its major components is assessable duringrnnormal operation by using online diagnostic systems.rnBut online diagnostics does not mean relying exclusively on software solutions. It is therncombination of skilled OEM personnel (including specialists in the back offices), thernoperation experience of an entire fleet and the application of advanced diagnostic tools thatrnmake for success.rnSiemens Power Diagnostics~? is therefore designed as a remote expert center with closerncontacts to specialists within the entire company, which offers engineering support on a long-termrncontractual basis. Dedicated diagnostic measurement tools deliver important data onlinernfor observation, protection and evaluation. An automated software solution, which is capablernof learning normal behavior of the plant, takes over much of the routine work, enabling thernengineers to concentrate on the real issues, I.e. the avoidance of forced outages. Additionalrnbenefits are, for example, fact-based decisions, whether a turbo generator running outside ofrnits normal operating limits with regard to vibration can be operated until the next plannedrnoutage by evaluating the risks at hand.rnConclusion: remote diagnostics provided by the OEM can help to make business more securernand predictable.