Entries by Mike.Lake

Slips, Trips, and Falls

Falls are one of the leading causes of unintentional injuries in the United States, accounting for nearly 8.6 million visits to the emergency room. Adults 55 and older are more prone to being victims of falls, and the resulting injuries can diminish the ability to lead active, independent lives. The number of fall deaths among […]

Casing Repair – Part 3: Distortion & Erosion

The final Turbine Generator Tip in this series discusses two common steam turbine casing problems – Distortion and Erosion. The repair methods employed – grinding, mechanical repair, welding and stress relief – have their own set of considerations which were covered in previous portions of the series. Casing Distortion Casing Distortion becomes a strong likelihood […]

Casing Repair – Part 2: Welding Considerations

Welding is a common method to repair turbine casing cracks, but it must be applied with consideration. Most turbine casing alloys can be welded using either of two distinct procedures: stress relieved and non-stress relieved. The procedure selected is often dictated by time and cost restraints. Non-stress relieved welds have the advantage of lower cost […]

Knife Safety

Statistics indicate that knives cause more disabling injuries than any other hand tool. People in all occupations are injured by knives – a stock boy in a supermarket produce department or a mechanic opening a box or cutting rubber. We are all exposed to knife injuries only because a knife is a very handy and […]

Forklift Safety

According to OSHA, forklift overturns are the leading cause of fatalities related to the use of forklifts and result in 25% of all forklift deaths. Other incidents that are associated with using forklifts include falling from a forklift, loads falling on workers, not using a seat-belt and being ejected or not following the proper procedures […]

Casing Repairs (Part 1: Cracking)

This three part Turbine Generator Tip discusses the most common steam turbine casing problems: cracking, distortion and erosion. Most units can be repaired by grinding, welding or by pre-stressed mechanical methods. Finite element calculations show that in many cases, repairs can overcome some of the original design weaknesses and extend useful life by up to […]

Crane Safety Revisited

Just when you think you have all the bases covered, the “impossible” happens. During a lift on one of our recent outages, the idler pulley and mounting bracket for the drive on the overhead crane fell approximately 25 feet. Fortunately no one was injured. We have discussed the need for pre-outage crane inspections in previous […]

AC & DC High Potential Testing Fact & Fiction

Which is better: AC or DC Testing? Will these tests hurt my generator? Here are the facts: DC high potential test equipment is relatively small and easy to transport. AC equipment is comparatively difficult to transport (large and heavy). DC testing stresses the dielectric in a different manner than AC. DC tends to stress the […]

Hose Connector Failures

Once again we are inviting comments on a recent safety concern and TGM’s efforts to remedy it.  A 1” air hose came loose from the connector fitting.  The hose whipped across the floor, narrowly missing two mechanics, before a quick thinking mechanic shut off the supply. Our hoses were equipped with the fitting shown on […]

Direct Current High Voltage (Potential) Testing

Direct current high voltage testing can be divided into two categories: Proof testing and Controlled Over-Voltage testing. Proof testing qualifies an insulation system to hold a specific voltage. By definition, it is a pass-or-fail evaluation – there is no diagnostic value. Acceptance proof testing is performed on new stator winding as part of in-process and […]