HEAT-RECOVERY STEAM GENERATORS

Attention to detail early in

the lifecycle sets the tone for
long-term reliable service
By Engineering Staff, HRST Inc

T
he first five years of HRSG for covered piping systems (CPS). This
commissioning and operation primarily constitutes pipe 4 in. diam
are critical to establishing and greater between the HRSG and
unit reliability and a satisfac- steam turbine or user. The program
tory service life. In these early years, calls for a very comprehensive list of
control and organization of supplier documents. A detailed list, as of the
documentation will help to improve date of this publication, can be found
current and future decision-making. in ASME B31.1, Article 141 under
Inspections and analysis can help ward “Operation and Maintenance.”
off potentially damaging conditions or With everything organized, it is
identify items to allow contract closure wise to confirm that the documents
with suppliers. themselves are complete. Look for
As time goes on, analysis also can drawings that say later or preliminary
determine the effects of any current or and have them replaced with the final
impending changes to operations that revision. If as-built drawings are a con- 1. Condensate trap on baffle-style
were not planned when original speci- tract requirement, be sure to pursue (chevron) steam separator
fications were prepared. Finally, there completion, particularly with piping
are commissioning and early operating and pipe supports.
practices and conditions that can harm The second step is to protect the doc-
the HRSG. There are many examples, umentation, keeping complete sets in
several provided below. multiple locations. Hurricanes can wipe
them out in hours (that happened), and
Year 1 information collectors can pillage them
slowly over the years (almost guaran-
Gather, organize, protect docu- teed to happen). Whether documents
mentation. Managing maintenance exist in electronic format or as physi-
or operations is not an easy task cal manuals, or both, one set should be
without complete and comprehensive available for ongoing use and one set
documentation. The first step is to should remain protected and secured.
gather and organize the documents,
confirming that all suppliers have Inspection, testing,
submitted complete design packages.
A reconciled list of documents with analysis
the latest revisions and dates is very A pre-fire inspection is similar to
helpful. Obtaining copies of the ASME a standard inspection but, because
Manufacturer’s Data Report forms can of construction and commissioning
verify component design pressures and sequences, may be extended over a 2. Perforated plate incorrectly
materials of construction, and aid in longer period. Documenting the con- installed under the mesh pad (should
future repairs. Data reports can be ditions with abundant photographs be above pad)
purchased from the National Board of will help answer future questions.
Boiler and Pressure Vessel Inspectors. This inspection should focus on design and duct liner systems.
ASME B31.1 requires that every details, correct materials, and proper It is important to inspect each drum
facility have an inspection program installation. and pay close attention to the final
Inspectors should go through the (secondary) steam separator that cov-
gas-side access and crawl spaces, pay- ers the steam outlet to the superheater.
ing close attention to the inlet duct It limits carryover of water droplets
and firing duct. Violent exhaust flow and impurities that can quench or
is known to take down components in plate out on downstream tube sur-
the inlet duct if not installed properly. faces. Excessive carryover can lead to
Note interferences from restrained loss of superheat and elevated risk of
thermal expansion of tube bundles tube damage from high temperatures.
34 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018
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If enough water carries over, it can typically have different mesh specifi-
quench the tubes, causing fatigue cations. If installed upside down, the 6. T22 tube should have been T91
damage at the header joints. carryover will be higher than intended. material
The final steam separator is typi- A more serious condition occurs
cally an angled array of baffle plates when a perforated plate is placed on
or it may be a box filled with a mesh the bottom side of the mesh (Fig 2).
pad. For the baffle-plate style, a drain The plate should be installed on the
pipe should extend from the housing top of the mesh to boost the pressure
and either have a condensate trap or drop through the separator, which
extend below the normal water level evens out the steam flow through the
(Fig 1). This drain evacuates water mesh box, and lowers local velocities.
from the casing while preventing If installed on the bottom it does
steam from bypassing the baffles. just the opposite. The orifice holes
For separators that appear as a shoot high-velocity steam and water
mesh pad in a box, the top and bottom particles through the mesh, making 7. Ferritic and austenitic liner mix
36 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018
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it less effective and preventing any Some cracks and twists can be expect- of wear on the upstream and down-
accumulated water from draining. ed and are often self-limiting. Oth- stream sides of the first tube bank (as
The result is high carryover of water ers are signs of imminent or future a minimum inspection).
and impurities into the superheater. trouble. Improper material selection or Tubes should not be allowed to
All pipe and pipe supports exter- the occasional installation of the wrong vibrate more than 0.125 in., assuming
nal to the HRSG must be in the cor- material will often be revealed as a there are sufficient tube-tie restraints
rect position and any hydro-stops difference in oxide color or scale for- and that there is no sign of excessive or
removed before fired operation. This mation. If damage is found, this is the ongoing fin wear. Severe wear has been
is a good time to document the hot time to address the mechanisms that observed in early operations. Owners
and cold marks, before they fade or will cause future component failures. have contemplated removal and modi-
fall off. If low points in steam pipe Typical problems include the fol- fication of tube panels to correct this
cannot be drained, consult the OEM lowing: issue or even purchased new panels if
or contractor. Stressed tubes. Warped tubes are the wear exists on many tubes.
Some foundation base plates are not necessarily a liability, but they are Overheated materials are those that
intended to move as the duct expands. signs that the tube has been stressed have been subjected to a sufficiently
If so, the anchor bolt washers should and has yielded (Fig 3). Additional high temperature for a length of time
be free to move if kicked. fatigue may cause failure. Cracking to cause changes in microstructure, or
might be apparent in tube joints. excessive scale formation (Fig 6). The
Years 1 and 2 Stress is common in the superheat- materials are perhaps mismatched to
ers, reheaters, and economizers (Fig the location in the HRSG.
Post-fire inspection and testing. 4). Failures have been known to occur In some cases, an entire group of
Near the end of the first year or just shortly after commissioning. components is mismatched, but more
before expiration of warranty peri- External tube wear. Tubes are often, one or more individual pieces get
ods, post-fire inspection and testing susceptible to oscillation from forced mixed in with the correct materials.
will set excellent baselines for future vibration caused by exhaust flow. A This is common almost exclusively to
inspections. By this time, hopefully, tube-tie support lattice typically is the inlet duct and firing duct (Fig 7).
most operational kinks will have been installed at multiple points along the Inspectors may find one liner sheet,
worked out. Again, taking an ample height of the tube bank to limit this gas baffle, or tube that looks out of
number of photos allows comparison oscillation. If the tube ties are spaced place. If not corrected, early failures
to pre-fire conditions, and provides too far apart or if they are loose, tube can be expected.
clear references for future conditions. vibration causes fin wear, and eventu- Duct burners. Look for signs of flame
Within the gas path, inspectors ally wear on the tube wall. Fig 5 was impingement on the walls or down-
should look for signs of restrained taken during a first post-fire inspec- stream tubes (Fig 8). Long flames or
expansion, interferences, and wear. tion. It is wise to inspect tubes for signs excessive localized heat can be caused
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018 37
 by failed burner nozzles, inadequate attention to the roof, doors, and pipe
fuel distribution, inadequate exhaust seals of the first three modules (HP
distribution, or improper controls. evaporator and forward toward the
Failure of one threaded burner combustion turbine).
nozzle can shoot flames far into the The steam separators have been
downstream tube bank. There could inspected, but their operation must
be hundreds of nozzles, and tube dam- be monitored. Testing of steam purity
age only requires one nozzle to fail. leaving the drums will ensure that
(One owner/operator looks for this downstream equipment is properly
condition by monitoring stack exhaust protected from carryover.
for elevated CO emissions.) Examining flames through the
Online inspections. With the burner viewports can verify that flame
unit in operation, several checks can lengths are not excessive. OEM docu-
confirm both healthy and unhealthy mentation will provide guidance, but
conditions for some equipment, con- a rule of thumb is that flames should
trols, and operations. be less than 10 ft long and not exceed
Infrared imaging inspections of the two-thirds of the distance from the
ducts can detect issues that could lead burner to the downstream tube face.
to excessive casing temperatures (Fig Shorter is acceptable.
9). Inspections should pay particular A review of operational instrument
8. Flame impingement on tubes data can reveal troubling patterns
with controls or equipment conditions.
Excessive cycling of valves, valve leak-
age, excessive desuperheater spray
water, and other harmful conditions
can be determined from organization,
trending, and examination of process
and equipment data.
When piping is hot, movement may
be more or less than calculated. If a
pipe-support position indicator is sig-
nificantly past the hot mark or short of
the hot mark, stresses may be higher
9. Infrared image of door at left; standard photo of same door at right than anticipated. Support position
38 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018
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indicators that reach the maximum failures (Fig 10). Localized damage An FAC risk assessment will look
travel constraint are a serious concern. from FAC often occurs in major compo- at each component of the HRSG and
nents or all components of evaporators feedwater systems that has potential
Years 2 through 5 and economizers. An external release for either single- or two-phase FAC.
of water and steam from FAC dam- Many HRSGs are now constructed
Regular inspections. Every year or age can be fatal to personnel. Highly using FAC-resistant materials in
two after the first post-fire inspection, dependent on water chemistry, dam- high-risk areas and in those cases, the
a standard inspection is recommended age from FAC can develop rapidly with scope or frequency of inspection can
to look for wear issues throughout the visual wear occurring in less than one perhaps be reduced but should never
HRSG. As conditions develop, they year. Some HRSG designs are more be neglected.
can be identified and the underlying susceptible than others, and OEMs Operational changes. Several
cause corrected before large-expense typically do not consider the owner’s years into operation, the owner may
outlays are required. These inspections water-chemistry programs. need an operating profile different
normally take 10 to 20 hours and focus The HRSG should be evaluated for from that specified for the original
on the gas path, header crawl spaces, risk of FAC before the third year of design. This could include cycling fre-
steam drums, and exterior surfaces. operation. A follow-on FAC inspection quency, low-load operation, or perhaps
After four years’ time, issues that plan can then begin. However, your a gas-turbine modification.
tend to be more time-dependent get FAC mitigation program should begin Some changes may be out of the
more focused attention–including cor- earlier if there are telltale signs on owner/operator’s control. Power pur-
rosion, expansion-joint failures, pipe FAC in the LP or IP drum in Year One. chase agreements, changed market
seal failures, and fatigue cracking conditions, or new regulations could
of pressure parts and liner systems. influence the number of starts, hours
Inspections can be enhanced with of operation, ramp rate, or combustion
aerial drones, borescopes, thermal turbine output. Innovations in engine
imaging, magnetic particle or dye pen- design may bring financial incentives
etrant NDE, and online assessments to modify the gas turbine, and that
as needed. invariably affects the HRSG and other
equipment.
Analysis for changes All should be evaluated for any new
operating parameters contemplated.
and vulnerabilities Examples include the following:
FAC risk assessment. Flow-acceler- Cycling study. Many owner/opera-
ated corrosion may be the most detri- tor specifications will require the
mental and expensive of tube and pipe 10. FAC on tube but not alloy header HRSG be designed for a certain num-
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018 39
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causes wear and tear on the unit. spray demand as well as superheater energy in the steam to evaporate the
Inspectors generally find that HRSGs and reheater tube metal temperatures spray water. This causes restrained
operated at base load look much better above the design temperature. thermal expansion and potentially
than those that cycle often. high stresses in components that are
A cycling study will look at those Avoid ongoing operations quenched by the water droplets.
components vulnerable to thermal
transients, high temperatures, and low
that damage the HRSG The steam temperature down-
stream of the spray nozzle should be
flow rates that often accompany start- Desuperheater leakage and exces- more than 50 deg F above the satura-
up and shutdown conditions. Cycles sive spray. The desuperheater is tion temperature. A review of oper-
affect the allowable HP steam-drum responsible for a significant share of ating data will reveal this potential
ramp rate, so if startup time must be damage to superheaters, reheaters, problem. Installation of thermocouples
reduced or is in question, the cycling and steam pipes. In some cases, very on the exterior of the downstream pipe
study will reveal the balance between few fatigue events are needed to ini- can reveal damaging conditions.
cycle frequency and ramp rate. tiate tube failures and cracks in the Second, damage to pipes and tubes
Low-load operation. Operation of steam piping. There are two underly- often occurs when water flows through
the gas turbine at low loads affects ing causes: the spray nozzle without proper atomi-
steam and water flow rates. This zation. This is caused by a leaking
can lead to unstable flows in econo- block valve during periods of no
mizers and poor flow distribution spray water demand or from a
in superheaters and reheaters, broken spray nozzle. Water then
all affecting tube reliability. High can flow upstream or downstream
exhaust temperatures from some through the steam pipe.
turbines require excessive desu- A drain pot with automatic
perheater spray that damages detection and drainage is required
downstream pipes and tubes. on all new HRSGs with a desuper-
Gas turbine modifications. Tur- heater. In such cases it is impor-
bine modifications primarily affect tant to verify that the drain pot
the HRSG through a change in will collect any leakage (sometimes
exhaust mass flow and tempera- it does not) and is functioning
ture. This changes the ratio of HP/ properly. Operators must be very
IP/LP steam generation as well careful if using manual operation
as overall heat recovery. Many of the pot drain valves or spray-
components must be examined water control and isolation valves.
for suitable operation. Modifications 11. Effects of water hammer on cold Burner operation. Excessive
with high exhaust temperatures may reheat line heat can damage downstream tubes
40 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018
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and duct-wall liner systems. Burner points in the steam pipe and tube droplets up tubes or water can restrict
failures result in high localized heat circuits are properly drained and that steam flow. These conditions cause
input while faulty control logic can there is no water leakage through high stress resulting in tube failures.
cause a wall of flame pushing through steam conditioning systems. HP-drum pressure ramp rate.
the tube banks. Undrained pipe can lead to water HP steam drums in cycling service are
Burner system controls must be hammer with damage to pipe supports susceptible to fatigue cracking of nozzles,
checked as well. Burner output should (Fig 11). The cold reheat system has particularly the downcomers. Inspec-
be controlled to the limitations of the been particularly susceptible to such tions have revealed cracks that extend
HRSG, not to the burner design maxi- events. over half of the lower shell-to-head weld,
mum. This is especially important when If water hammer does occur, it is and up to half the thickness of the weld.
multiple HRSGs have burners controlled important to inspect the damage and Exceeding the maximum ramp rate will
to provide a minimum steam generation the position of the pipe. Water ham- increase the risk of such cracking.
rate in a common header. If one unit goes mer could create a low point that did A complete understanding of the
offline or if some of the burner elements not previously exist. The reheat system basis for the ramp-rate calculation also
are isolated, how is the additional heat can cause extremely expensive pres- is needed. If the purchase specifica-
distributed among remaining units? sure-part damage if not maintained tions required a specific ramp rate, it
It is important to verify that controls and operated properly (including siz- likely was based on a specified num-
distribute heat as intended. Burner ing, location, and control). ber of cycles. A future increase in the
management system permissives and After shutdown of the HRSG, steam number of yearly cycles would yield
fuel-skid set points must prevent exces- will condense and flow to the lower lower recommended ramp rates. If
sive fuel flow to any one HRSG. headers of the HP superheater and the the number of yearly cycles increases
Piping and header drain con- reheater. If this water is not removed beyond what was specified, cycling
trol. It is critical to verify that low prior to startup, steam can push water analysis along with additional FEA
analysis of the drum can produce new
ramp curves (Fig 12).
Training. To tie in all that is
learned from the inspections, indus-
try practices, OEM design consider-
ations, current operations and lessons
learned, it is beneficial to bring the
operators and stakeholders together
in one place for operator training.
Information can be shared among all
to improve consistency in operation
and to achieve common ground on
12. Stress analysis of steam-drum downcomer nozzle is at left; crack at down- those practices, concerns, and goals
comer is 1.65 in. deep in right photo that are most important. ccj
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018 41
LESSONS LEARNED

Would you like

a little sea salt
on that?
Hungary’s Insti-
tute for Atmo-
By Brian Hulse, spheric Physics
BDHulse Consulting Services LLC (by L Horvath, E
Mfiszaros, and E Antal)
and Central Institute for
Meteorology (by A Simon), that marine
air basically contains two kinds of
strict limits on aerosol particles: Those with radii larg-
its ingestion. er than about 0.5 microns composed of

S
Just a few parts-per-million can sea salt (NaCl), and smaller particles
eems like a simple enough quickly lead to a multi-million-dollar of mostly sulfur species formed in
question. It gets asked thou- repair bill. the air by gas-to-particle conversion
sands of times a day in res- That’s all good to know, but the (excess sulfate). These particles are
taurants around the world. fact of the matter is that our plants found in the atmosphere up to 11 miles
But in generating plants powered by get sited where they make functional from the seashore.
gas turbines, it takes on a whole dif- and fiscal sense, not on the druthers OEMs frown on sodium (Na) and
ferent meaning. These engines are of equipment manufacturers. sulfur (S) entering their engines, but
very sensitive to salt,and the are We have learned from work done in just how much sodium are we really

TURBınE ınSULATıOn AT ıTS FınEST

 LESSONS LEARNED
talking about here? Sure, you can taste option, but others have multiple condition and sufficiently robust to
the salt in the air when you’re at the options that are designed for specific withstand the corrosive effects of a
beach, but how dense can it really be environments (desert, marine, etc). marine environment.
11 miles inland? If options are available, ticking the n Check the man-doors to be sure
So, let’s take the mid-point—5.5 appropriate box is a great first step. they are hung straight and square
miles—from the shore for illustrative If options are not available, consider to promote good sealing.
purposes. Assume the gas turbine at asking for a customized unit, or n Inspect door gaskets for proper
that location is an unfiltered LM2500 deleting the inappropriate unit and attachment; also, that latches are
(base model with a single annular seeking options in the aftermarket adjusted for firm closure. Same
combustor). Based on the work of (they are available). for inspection hatches—straight,
the Hungarian researchers and the Installation. When the construc- square, and good tight gaskets.
amount of air the example engine tion team is assembling the combus- Operations. Make regular checks
swallows during an 8200-fired-hour tion-air intake, some oversight/sign- on all possible ingress points during
baseloaded year, the GT would ingest off hold points are a good idea. Pay routine rounds. Monitor differential
a little more than 5 lb of salt. particular attention to the following: pressures (DPs) throughout the duc-
Even if you don’t add the sodium n Make sure the structure’s bolted twork. Make sure all of the transmit-
that enters the engine through other flanges are made up tight, and that ters and gauges are in good working
vectors (fuel, steam, water injection), the gasketing is centered up on the order. The DPs should be going pro-
you are way over the limit GE recom- bolt line as it should be. gressively up as you get further into
mends for this machine. n Check the structural alignment and the duct—never down. The only time
Managing salts and sulfur in the grouting of the support legs to ensure you should see a reduction is follow-
non-air vectors can—and usually is— that there isn’t going to be any ing a maintenance activity (filters
done through a combination of contrac- sagging or tweaking of the struc- replaced, etc).
tual obligations and plant processes. tures that could lead to cracking of Do not run the DPs past OEM-
Managing the air is really down to one welds or flange separations. established alarm limits. When the
tool: filtration. The design, installa- n Verify the proper alignment of any unit is down and it is safe (an inlet
tion, operation, and maintenance of the expansion joints or bellows in the entry protocol should be in place and
combustion-air filtration system is the ductwork; no binding allowed. And adhered to at all times), go inside,
sole line of defense. What about them make sure there are no gaps or tears close the door and look for light. If
should we be concerned with if we find in these components that would allow light can get in, air (and contami-
ourselves in a plant sited within 11 air (and contaminants) to enter. nants) can get in too. Make sure any
miles of a saltwater coastline? Well, n Check the interior materials and deterioration noted is captured in
here are a few thoughts: coatings—especially downstream work orders for the maintenance team
Design. Some packagers only of the high-efficiency filter ele- to follow up on.
have one combustion-air filtration ments—to ensure they are in good Maintenance. Obviously, keeping

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 all of the instrumentation working and more and more needy in terms of

LM2500
Owner/operators
calibrated is a must. Filters must be
changed as needed. All surfaces must
be preserved with appropriate prep
work and coatings. Your packager will
maintenance. Make sure those needs
are accounted for in your budgets and
manpower planning.
Finally, there are a lot of resources
have coating specifications available. out there in the aftermarket that can
When spot-priming areas between provide guidance in filter applica-
Come up to speed on the coating refurbishments, make sure tion, system modifications (such as
you don’t use something that could adding demister pads or torturous-
latest O&M and design harm the gas turbine (like a primer path particulate pre-filters, etc), and
practices for LM engines in containing zinc). O&M advice on best practices. Take
simple-cycle, cogen, and If the structure’s bolted flanges advantage of them. Listen closely, ask
start opening up, retighten the bolts questions for clarification. Be data-
combined-cycle service to: and consider seal-welding the flanges driven and choose the path forward
IMPROVE reliability, at your next maintenance opportunity. that is best for you and your plant.
As long as you’re not a mobile instal- It’s never a “one-size-fits-all” propo-
availability, heat rate lation, it is a good “final fix” tactic. As sition, and if someone tells you it is,
REDUCE emissions the equipment ages, it will become ask for the data.

Inspect, maintain
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failures
current equipment issues.
Deliverables include a fully illustrated
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and repair-depot personnel, and a
review of current OEM service
bulletins and letters. Technical

I
specification organizations (ASME,
guidance is provided by Air New f we know one thing about hoses, it’s ISO, SAE, etc), and regulatory bod-
Zealand Gas Turbines, GE, IHI, MTU that they’re expensive. So we always ies (FAA, Australian Civil Aviation
Maintenance, and TransCanada try to extract maximum value from Safety Authority, etc) have all written
Turbines. them before they’re replaced. The extensively on shelf life, working life,
◆ User-only open discussion to hoses used on most gas turbines are care, and custody of hose and hose
share experiences and obtain answers manufactured with no published shelf- assemblies. All of this information is
to your questions. life or working-life limitation. available on the internet, and it makes
Each hose on the unit is equipped great resource material.
◆ An exhibition that brings together with a tag at manufacture (Fig 1). It There are several factors that can
nearly 200 providers of products and normally shows the maker, date of limit the life of a hose and, in fact,
services for LM aero engine operating manufacture, order information, part should be driving you to replacement—
plants. Learn about new offerings, get number, intend- such as the following:
product updates, evaluate in-service ed service, test n Chaffing.
experience. pressure, and n Kinking.
◆ Benchmark your units against intended work- n Prolonged exposure to UV.
the fleet with ORAP™ data from ing pressure. n Mechanical abrasion.
Strategic Power Systems Inc. No limitation on n Lying in fluids (water, mud, fuel, oil).
1. Hose tags do lifespan (shelf or If you have a GE engine, the OEM
Western Turbine not have lifespan
information
working) is given;
the intent is that
provides good information on these
issues in the “general practices” fore-
Users, Inc. limitations.
there are no set word of the maintenance chapter in
your O&M manuals. Other concerns
World’s largest user That said, hose manufacturers driving replacement include these:
organization serving LM (Aeroquip, Penflex, Omega Flex, etc), n Working temperature of the fluid
gas-turbine owner/operators companies that use hose assemblies carried.
in their products (engine OEMs), n Cyclic pressure applications versus
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2, 3. Used hose assembly (left) has oil-soaked Firebraid. If the hose was intact
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the Firebraid likely would be replaced. Otherwise, a new hose (right) would be
513-604-8018 installed
44 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018
 constant pressure.
n System criticality.
n Personnel exposure opportunity.
n Missing/damaged/illegible hose tags
(unable to determine how old the
hose is, or that it is working in its
intended application).
Some hoses are equipped with an
exterior (usually orange) protective
sleeve—usually called “Firebraid” after
the trademarked product. Firebraid
Flame Shield is designed to protect
hoses, wires, and cables from the haz-
ards of high heat and occasional flame.
The silicone coated glass fiber sleeve
protects continuously to 500F and will
withstand a molten splash at 2200F.
Made of knitted fiberglass yarns in
a flexible substrate, it is then coated Empowering the Next Generation of
with a high-grade silicone rubber.
If the Firebraid is torn, chaffed, oil- Power Plant Operators
soaked, or otherwise unable to perform
its intended task, the hose should be
OSUIT students engage in a two-year degree plan that includes a paid
removed from service (Fig 2). Firebraid internship & significant progress towards an initial Plant Operator
and banding systems are available qualification.
commercially as separate pieces. If the
damaged protective sleeve is removed Visit osuit.edu/powerplant for the top ten reasons
and the hose is found in good condition,
the Firebraid can be replaced and the to pursue your degree at OSUIT.
hose returned to service. Alternatively,
the hose can just be replaced (Fig 3).
So, as competent plant personnel,
what approach should we take to Oklahoma’s Only University of APPLIED Technology
ensure safe, reliable, and economical
operation of equipment that uses these
hose assemblies?
n Find them. Become familiar with
where they are in your plant and
what service they’re in. NEBRASKA
n Catalog them in your maintenance
system so that visual inspections
can be performed on a routine basis,
and that none are missed.
n Develop a uniform visual inspec-
tion procedure that makes sense
for your operation. Here’s where Energy
all that resource information on the
internet can come in handy. A lot Generation “LES appreciates the
of the work has been done—there’s
no sense reinventing the wheel. Use Operations foresight at SCC that
drove investing the time
what’s there to craft your inspec- wA.A.S. degree in 18 months.
tion criteria. They have a lot of and resources to bring
wFace-to-face at SCC’s
photographs that illustrate each this program online.
Milford, NE campus. Some
failure mode, and information to go Having a local program
courses online.
along with them. Better to use their that Nebraska utilities
wGraduates are trained to
examples of failures and disasters can help mold to fit
operate Combined Cycle,
than to make your own. their specific needs is a
Do your inspections and mainte- coal, nuclear, and other
valuable resource that
nance faithfully and you should not electrical and fluid fuel
LES is proud to be a
have an issue. Your team should see generating plants.
part of. The desire to
things being done correctly to gain the wFocus areas: Fossil/Biofuels,
source locally-educated
confidence needed to perform their Nuclear and Military.
and skilled operations
jobs properly. wTransfer agreements
staff for our generation
Don’t be afraid to ask questions of with Bismarck (N.D.) State
facilities has been met
your local suppliers if you have them. College and Thomas Edison
They may not know the answer off- (N.J.) State College allow
by SCC.” www.
Brian McReynolds,
hand, but almost all of them will have
access to an applications engineer at the
SCC graduates to pursue a
Generation Operations, southeast.edu/
bachelor’s degree.
hose manufacturer, and they will know Call 800-933-7223 ext. 8394
Lincoln Electric System EnergyAtSCC
the answer or have access to it. ccj
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 58, Third Quarter 2018 45