Want to learn more about Power Services Group? Schedule a Virtual Meeting today!

/in , /by

If you’ve ever wanted to learn more about the capabilities Power Services Group can provide your facility we can conduct a Virtual Meeting at a time of your choosing, on the platform of your choosing (Zoom, GoToMeeting, Webex, Skype, etc.).  Whether it be our Steam Turbine Valve Repair Facility and capabilities, or our Running Condition Assessment program for extending your major to major cycle, we can tailor a virtual meeting to suit your needs and provide you with alternatives to servicing your turbine.  If there are any turbine maintenance topics that you would like to learn more about please contact us by clicking the link HERE to send an email to us, or call us at 800-226-7557.  If you prefer to simply have our brochures emailed or sent in a hard copy folder we can do that as well.  Simply add “Email Brochures” or “Mail Brochures” in the body of the message.  We look forward to providing you with turbine maintenance alternatives for your facility.

 

Running Condition Assessment

/in , , , /by

We performed a running condition assessment (RCA) inspection on an industrial GE Steam Turbine, in which we performed a variety of inspection processes to determine the overall running condition of the steam turbine generator and its auxiliary equipment at a facility located on the East Coast, USA. This RCA was completed as an annual inspection to determine the condition of the turbine and generator and to better prepare and schedule the next major inspection for this unit.

We met with the customer and discussed the goals of the Running Condition Assessment, how the unit was operating, and the plan to inspect and evaluate the unit to help determine a time frame for the next major inspection of this unit.

A walk down of the turbine and the visual survey portion of the RCA was completed. The detailed findings were included in a comprehensive 400 page final report. A vibration survey, thermal imaging survey and ultrasonic survey of the unit was performed while on site. The underside of the turbine was surveyed for the condition of the thermal insulation and other visual defects. The auxiliary equipment which included the generator and coolers, lube oil tank, pumps, gland exhaust system, steam traps, and pipe hangers was also surveyed.  Running readings were obtained from local instrumentation as well as from the units control system.

The end result provided the customer with an assessment of how their turbine generator set was currently operating, as well as the trending data from previous years’ assessments.  This data was analyzed and discussed at the customer meeting, allowing the customer to budget and tentatively schedule their next Major Inspection based on the year over year trends and recent assessment findings.  The goal of the RCA program is to help customers extend the duration between Major Inspections, while assessing and correcting minor issues on an annual basis.

 

 

 

ABB Steam Turbine Inspections

/in , , /by

 

We have performed a number of inspections on ABB Steam Turbines over the years.  We’ve worked on various size ranges, from Industrial to Utility units.  Our Technical Field Advisors are very knowledgeable on the details of the ABB Steam Turbines and the specific procedures to be used for successful disassembly and reassembly of these units.

We attribute our success to our people.  We keep our project teams together as they travel to different job sites around the country.  Our Project Management teams consist of Technical Field Advisors, a Project Coordinator, and Turbine Mechanic Foreman.  The Turbine Mechanic Foreman all have a core group of Turbine Mechanics that travel with them to each job site.   These project teams work together on a regular basis, getting to know one another’s strengths and weaknesses, and look out for each other’s safety.  This continuity of personnel is reflected by our excellent quality and safety record, and is the reason for us being able to deliver successful outages to our customers.

This project team philosophy translates well to inspections of all turbine types, but particularly to the smaller fleets where expertise and continuity can be hard to find.  If you have an inspection coming up on your ABB Steam Turbine please contact us today and learn more about how we will provide you with a successful outage performance.

  Click Here to contact us today.

Shaft Machining

/in , , , /by

Our Field Machining Division was dispatched to repair an inboard fan shaft for a Utility customer in the Midwest.  We mobilized a total of 4 specialty field machining personnel, and began the process of machining the inboard fan shaft which had severe shaft damage and hard spots.  We cleaned up 100% of the shaft, had hardness checks performed, and then proceeded to final hone and polish.

The total duration of the project was 3 days from start to finish, and the end result was another satisfied customer.  The photos below will give you an idea of the severity of the original shaft damage, as well as the final condition upon completion.  Another great project by our Field Machining Division!

 

As Found:

 

Upon Completion:

G2 Main Control Valves

/in , /by

 

We recently overhauled the main control valves for a GE G2 Steam Turbine rated approximately 550MWs.  In this instance, we removed the control valves and shipped them to our Gainesville, Georgia Steam Valve Repair facility for disassembly, cleaning, and inspection.  If any of the components are in need of repair we can make them right there at this facility.  We can even reverse engineer and replace worn components if the situation requires it.  Once the inspection (and repairs if necessary) is complete the valves are shipped back to site for reassembly by the outage team.  Continuous communication between the site and shop personnel is critical to maintaining schedule and ensuring all expectations are met or exceeded.   The end result is another satisfied customer with properly maintained valve components.

Turbine Wheel Manufacture

/in , , /by

We recently manufactured a new turbine wheel at our Gainesville, Georgia component reverse engineering and manufacturing facility.  The team does an amazing job at manufacturing components to very strict tolerances, with the final product being to specification and delivered to the customer in a timely manner.

Here is some feedback we received this week from another customer:

“Parts were received on the date (he) indicated they would be”

“Parts were every bit as good in quality as those from OEM”

“I work out of a headquarters function and will recommend Orbital as a supplier of turbine parts, especially when reverse engineering of the parts is required”

Here is a short video of the turbine wheel in production:

G-3 Steam Turbine Major Inspection

/in , /by

We recently executed a Major Inspection on a GE G-3 Steam Turbine rated over 750 MW for a major Utility company in the U.S.  This type of project is long and detail-oriented. The attention to safety each and every day must be at the forefront of every project, but especially one of this magnitude. There are a lot of moving parts on the schedule throughout the outage, so continuous updates and excellent communication and documentation is required to keep the project on-schedule through completion. For this project we had an excellent project management team on-site, including the Technical Field Advisors, Project Coordinator, Turbine Mechanic Foreman, and Turbine Mechanics. The experience of the team on-site can make or break the success of an outage. We are fortunate to have great outage teams, and they did an excellent job completing this project safely, with high-quality, on-schedule, and on-budget. Nice job PSG team!

Turbine Valve Seat Replacement

/in , /by

We recently completed a Control Valve Seat Replacement on a GE Steam Turbine.  In some cases the existing seat can be pulled, in the case shown below it was required to machine out the previous seat.  We also machined out the existing pins, manufactured new pins and seat, and installed the new components during the execution of this project.  We perform many turbine valve seat replacements in the field, and can manufacture the components required at our Gainesville, Georgia Steam Turbine Valve facility.  This type of job requires specialty equipment, as well as highly skilled technicians.  It is a great example of the high quality craftsmanship that our customers have come to expect from all of our valve machining and component manufacturing services.

Thermal Imaging of the Power Island

/in , , , /by

Thermography is a condition-based maintenance technique that is used to monitor the condition of plant machinery, structures, systems, and media (i.e. steam, oil, water, etc.).  By detecting thermal anomalies (i.e. areas that are hotter or colder than they should be), an experienced Thermal Imaging Specialist can locate and define incipient problems within the Power System.  Thermography is just one of the dynamic-state, running-condition assessment tools that can and will detect the presence of issues that may very well disappear during static-state preventive maintenance.  We highly recommend each plant conduct regular thermal imaging assessments of their equipment as part of their standard maintenance practices.

 

 

 

Has your steam turbine outage been postponed?

/in , /by

Many turbine outages this spring have been postponed, and we have a solution to provide peace of mind and mitigate the risk of postponed maintenance.

Your turbine may now be at the point where damage to the internal components could accelerate during this extra runtime. Or perhaps the turbine is operating optimally and the postponed outage was intended to satisfy time-based maintenance requirements. Regardless of how your turbine was operating prior to the postponed inspection, a Running Condition Assessment can provide you (or your insurance company) with the peace of mind that the unit is not nearing a failure point, and provide you with the information needed to properly re-schedule your future outage date.

A Running Condition Assessment allows you to assess the health of your turbine generator while the unit is in operation.

This assessment typically includes one specialized technician and equipment at your facility for 3 – 5 days, minimizing the people and time on-site as compared to a standard turbine inspection.

After completion of the Running Condition Assessment you will receive a detailed report on the current condition of your turbine, providing you with vital information for future decision-making.

To learn more about our Running Condition Assessment program, CLICK HERE.

To request a quote and check availability for a Running Condition Assessment, CLICK HERE.