Main menu
In Service Inspections
Turbine Diagnostic Service engineers and technicians provide the basis for the Turbine Diagnostic Services in Service Inspection Program (ISI). Turbine Diagnostic Services provides competent and knowledgeable engineers specializing in turbine generator equipment. Our specialized in depth knowledge of the design parameters and normal operating conditions of turbine generators is applied to our ISI inspection to recognize nonconforming conditions with the machine in service.
Steady State vibration data is collected on the turbine generator bearing vibration probes or temporary probes (if necessary) and a vibration analysis conducted. Vibration, three phase motor currents, and operating conditions will be monitored on all the subsystem motors, pumps and blowers and the data trended for degrading conditions. All of the automatic pump start tests will be initiated to verify the proper start sequence of backup pumps. All valve tests and normal on line testing will be conducted to verify proper action of the tests. Gas turbine ISI inspections are available and performance models have been developed by our gas turbine start up engineer.
The startup engineering and operational background of the TDS engineers and technicians provides the basis for the TDS in Service Inspection Program (ISI). TDS provides competent and knowledgeable engineers specializing in turbine generator equipment. Our specialized in depth knowledge of the design parameters and normal operating conditions of turbine generators, is applied to our ISI inspection to recognize nonconforming conditions with the machine in service.
The TDS In Service Inspections (ISI) are conducted at normal high load steady state operation to evaluate the condition of the turbine generator, subsystems and conduct a thermodynamic performance analysis with long term tracking of the operational parameters. ISI Inspections are intended to improve unit reliability by identification of impending problems and with useful recommendations for immediate and planned maintenance activities. Correction of impending problems before they become a forced outage, improves the reliability and availability of the unit.
Most of the insurance carriers and OEM recognizes the importance of such an inspection. The documentation of the ISI program is sufficient justification to the insurance carriers to promote extended operating intervals between outages, based on favorable operating conditions. While the ISI program cannot predict component failure in the steam path, it can certainly document and analyze the changes associated with the symptoms of a failure or change in steam path conditions. The advantage of this program is to document the performance of each turbine section and the generator and justify only sectionalized maintenance based on the degradation of operating conditions. This program provides an experienced start up engineer and a turbine technician to inspect the unit in service. The entire turbine generator's available operation information is documented. The subsystem operation is evaluated for proper operation. All functional tests that can be conducted without interruption of the unit operation is conducted and verified to operate properly. Operational data is collected on the turbine, generator and subsystems and monitored for improper operating and degrading conditions. A four hour performance test, at a repeatable high load, is conducted on the turbine. If desired and allowable, the four hour testing is broken up into separate shorter tests of multiple conditions (such as straight condensing only, or with admission in service, or variations with the extractions). The test data is averaged and evaluated to monitor the unit efficiency and the turbine performance long term trends. Unit section efficiency, Flow vs. Stage pressure relationships, and Flow vs. Unit Output conditions are evaluated. The performance is evaluated against available design data and design performance curves for deviation of the machine performance from the design intent of the machine. Often start up data is available to compare the unit to as new conditions.