Combined Cycle Journal provides complete listing of Presenters at 2021 AOG Conference

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AOG invites participation by ALL owner/operators in its annual meeting, starting March 1

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Team CCJ

March 1-5. Open to all powerplant owner/operators. Register today!

The steering committee for the fourth annual Alstom Owners Group (AOG) Users Conference welcomes participation by all owner/operators of gas and steam turbines in this year’s event, March 1 – 5. The majority of sessions from Tuesday (March 2) to Friday feature content pertaining to most types of turbines (see agenda below).

First step in securing your invitation is to register at www.aogusers.com; this only takes a couple of minutes. There is no registration fee. Questions? Contact conference coordinator Ashley Potts by email.

This year’s conference will be live-streamed globally from PSM’s headquarters in Jupiter, Fla. This location facilitates a virtual tour of PSM’s 105,000-ft² workshop and repair facility, complete with demonstrations at work stations of interest to owner/operators—including blade and vane repairs, additive manufacturing, flow testing, brazing of cobalt and nickel alloys, welding, and machining.

Conference agenda

Monday, March 1. The meeting opens at 8 a.m. (Eastern) with a two-hour user-only session focusing on the repair, service, and maintenance of GT8, GT11, GT13, and GT24/26 engines, with the underlying goal of increasing reliability and controlling costs. The program features formal presentation on the liberation of a GT26 high-pressure compressor blade and instrument failures between C cycles, followed by open discussion.

2021 AOG Steering Committee

    • Brian Vokal, Midland Cogeneration Venture
    • Robert Bell, Tenaska Berkshire Power
    • Chris Hutson, Southern Company
    • Pierre Ansmann, Arnold Group
    • Jeff Chapin, Liburdi Turbine Services

Discussion topics submitted by users include the following at this time:

    • Recommendations related to the installation and operation of dehumidification systems, plus lessons learned.
    • Experience in the 11N1 fleet with the hardwired pressure switch for starting the emergency dc lube-oil pump. User seeking guidance says he is not getting sufficient pressure drop across the manifold while simulating this low-pressure event to perform an emergency dc lube-oil function test.
    • Rotor life management—repair or replace?
    • Operating experience with replacement rotors manufactured by a third party (photo).
    • Sharing of experiences with third-party vendors, especially in component repair (delivery issues, lag time, lack of availability, etc).
    • Review of recent Technical Information Letters and other OEM notifications.
    • Inspection methodology.
    • Maintenance challenges.
    • Inspection experiences (bearings, SB burners, EV combustor, etc).
    • Re-commissioning challenges—cold and hot.

OEM participation following the user discussion session includes a formal presentation on generator maintenance and recommendations followed by Q&A.

Tuesday, March 2. A keynote presentation on cybersecurity by Mark Liggett of IGI kicks off the day at 7 a.m. Eastern. The topic: Evolving attacks threaten electric-system reliability. MD&A follows at 8 with a 30-min presentation of its generator capabilities. Half-hour sessions hosted by Pioneer Motor Bearing, TRS Global, Camfil, Doosan, and Power Services Group (PSG) follow. A vendor fair for the day’s presenters from 11 to 1 p.m. closes out the Tuesday program.

Wednesday, March 3. Presentations by solutions providers begin at 7 a.m. and conclude at 10, when the two-hour vendor fair for Wednesday presenters begins. The lineup of 30-min presentations: Liburdi Turbine, EPRI, Emerson, Rochem, Hughes Technical Services, and AGTServices.

Thursday, March 4 features the same program arrangement as Wednesday, with the following companies participating: PSM, Arnold Group, Major Tool and Machine, National Electric Coil, GCMS, and Noxco. 

Friday, March 5, training day, begins at 7 a.m. with a 90-min shop tour of PSM’s facilities. Six concurrent two-hour training sessions follow. The hosts are Liburdi on gas-turbine condition assessment, Camfil on GT inlet filtration, Pioneer Motor Bearing on bearings, Emerson on control systems, AIM Power Consulting on long-term service agreements, and Hughes Technical Services on P13/blueline control system training.  

Access www.aogusers.com for program updates and other announcements.

Posted in Alstom Owners Group 

Alstom Owners Group Virtual Conference

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The 2021 Alstom Owners Group Virtual Conference schedule is posted.  It will be a great week of technical knowledge sharing on the Alstom Gas and Steam Turbine fleet.  Please register today to reserve your spot.  The sessions are free for any Alstom equipment owners/operators.

For registration and schedule details please visit aogusers.com

7EA Combustion Inspections

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We recently completed back-to-back Combustion Inspections on two Frame 7EA Combustion Turbines for a major U.S. Utility.  The crew finished the project with zero safety incidents, no quality issues, on-budget, and ahead of schedule.  The customer was extremely satisfied with the results.  Great job by the team that was on-site, and everyone who contributed to the project.  Nice work everybody!

 

Customer Satisfaction Survey Result

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Receiving excellent feedback after a completed project is what makes all the effort worthwhile.  We work hard and continually interact with new and previous customers at facilities around the globe.  The personal aspect of our business is what gives us that determination to make each project a complete success.  There’s nothing better than receiving an excellent customer satisfaction survey at the end of a project.  Here are the results of a survey we received this month, and it really puts into perspective why we strive to be great.  Another excellent job by our project teams!

Quote Responsiveness:     Exceeded Expectations

“Responded with pricing and a very qualified crew on short notice”

Job Execution – Safety:     Exceeded Expectations

“Crew maintained a safety first culture from start to finish”

Job Execution – Communication:     Exceeded Expectations

“Project Lead maintained open and frequent communication throughout”

Job Execution – Schedule:     Exceeded Expectations

“Crew finished ahead of schedule while maintaining safe work practices”

Job Execution – Quality:     Exceeded Expectations

“Machine came up without issue and has been running perfectly since”

Job Execution – Documentation:     Exceeded Expectations

“Reports are always thorough and extensive.  More is better in my eyes”

Sales Support:     Exceeded Expectations

“Very responsive on short notice.  Much appreciated on our end.”

Accounting Support:     Exceeded Expectations

Overall Satisfaction:     Great – Definitely will consider you for future work

“You have been a top performer for us many times.”

Happy Independence Day!

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Beat the Heat!

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In our industry, working outdoors in all sorts of weather is part of the job.  Because you can’t stop working when it gets hot, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from heat and what to do if someone on your crew gets overheated.

There are two main kinds of heat illness – heat stroke and heat exhaustion.  Because they require different treatments learn to tell the difference between the two.

A victim of heat stroke has flushed, dry skin; a rapid heartbeat; loud, rapid breathing; and a high body temperature – 105F or more.  The victim may complain of dizziness and headache or may suffer from confusion, convulsions, delirium, or unconsciousness.  This is a medical emergency calling for quick action.  While one person calls for emergency services, others should get the victim cooled off.  Place the victim in a tub of cool water or use a hose or wet cloths to bring the temperature down.  Massage the victims hands and feet toward the heart to stimulate circulation of the cooler blood of the limbs.  Dry the victim off when the temperature returns to normal.  Repeat the cooling process if the body temperature rises again.

A victim of heat exhaustion looks very different from a heat stroke victim.  This person sweats profusely and has pale, clammy skin.  Body temperature is normal.  The victim may feel giddy and nervous, or may vomit or faint.  First aid for heat exhaustion is to get the victim to lie in a cool place and sip cool water.  Loosen the victim’s clothes and call a doctor.  A victim who is unconscious or vomiting will need to be taken to a hospital to be treated intravenously.

Heat exhaustion sometimes includes heat cramps.  This is caused by a lack of salt.  You can relieve the cramps by massaging the cramped muscles or pressing firmly on them with your hands.  If the victim has no other medical condition, you can give half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in 8 ounces of cool water or fruit juice.

Heat-related illness is no fun.  And it’s usually preventable.  Here’s what to do to keep healthy in hot weather:

If you’re not used to working in heat, start out slowly.  Drink plenty of water – at least eight ounces (one glass) every 20 – 30 minutes while on the job.  Drink a nutrient replenishing sports drink with electrolytes.  Avoid alcohol and carbonated drinks, which can cause dehydration and cramps.  Cut heavy, high-fat foods out of your diet and get plenty of rest.  Pay attention to warning signs – if you don’t feel good take a break.

One more thing – pay attention to each other!  You may notice a coworker with flushed skin and rapid breathing before he or she does.  And if he or she must go to the hospital, guess who gets to do his work?

Remember: Hazard Awareness + Hazard Mitigation + Focus = Zero Injuries

Turbine Services Tool Containers

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We’ve recently re-painted some of our tool containers – and they are looking good.  Nice work by our team at our Knoxville, Tennessee Logistics Center.

PSG maintains fully configured containerized tool sets, ready to be shipped to your location at a moment’s notice. The entire tool set fits on a single truck bed for ease in transport. Our logistics team is ready to ship these tools to meet your need – using best available rates for pre-planned outages, or expedited using 24- hour driving teams for emergencies.

Once we arrive at your site, we can quickly mobilize to efficiently begin work on your outage. If space and crane capacity is available, we can lift a container to your turbine deck and roll­ out our tool cabinets. If space is tight, we can lift the individual cabinets into place or transport them by forklift.

Our Project-Specific Planning allows us to customize the tool set for the job. We have what we need on-site, even planning for contingencies. The more organized we are, the more efficient our project teams can be, and that means less downtime for you.  Our fully-equipped trailers focus on safety and reduce labor costs so we can get your unit back online efficiently.

Specialized for Specific Needs

Besides Major Inspection tool sets we have developed many other customized sets including:

SAE/Metric

Steam/Combustion

Major/Minor/Valve & Bearing

Emergency Response

Organized for Efficiency

Our tools are organized for efficiency. Small tools are organized in movable heavy duty cabinets, with each drawer labeled in large letters. Tools are organized in foam cutouts within the drawer to make it easier to locate and replace a tool – a specific place for a specific tool. Large tools are organized in Gang Boxes, with hooks or pegs labeled for every tool.

We have a standardized arrangement for all our tool sets, so if a mechanic is familiar with one, he is familiar with all. Our mechanics take pride in our tool sets and retrieve and replace their own tools, as required, so there is no need for a tool attendant. This increases productivity and makes sure the right tool is used for every task.

Office Facilities

We bring a dedicated office trailer to facilitate project planning and communications. The trailer contains lights, power outlets and printers for management support, and is fully supplied with materials for lockout, badging, reporting and other support services.

After the tool boxes are removed from our separate tool container, it is used as a break room for our mechanics.

On-Site Repairs

If turnaround time is a critical factor in your outage, then we can perform most all machining and rotor repair using specialized portable equipment delivered to your remote facility. We will work with you during pre-outage planning to determine if this option is right for you.

On-site tooling is available for Rotor/ Seal Turning

Low Speed Balance

Broken Bolt/Stud Removal

Generator Rotor Rewind Collector Ring Grinding

Bearing Saddle Machining

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We were recently called into a power plant to machine out damage present in a bearing saddle.  This required the use of specialized machining equipment (photo of equipment being set up shown below), as well as highly skilled Field Machinists to operate the equipment, and maintain extremely critical tolerances in final machining.  Very nice job by our Field Machinists, and another example of our critical machining capabilities.

Flange Facing

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We have a full range of flange facing equipment to clean up any surfaces that may need work.  After machining you will have smooth surfaces to allow for a much better seal.  Please contact us today for all of your flange facing needs!

Customer Satisfaction

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We’ve been doing excellent work all over the World – but don’t take it from us, just ask our customers.  We take pride in our excellent overall customer satisfaction rating, and appreciate every opportunity our customers provide.  This is a people business, and we understand that our existence depends on our ability to meet and exceed expectations on each and every project we perform.  If you haven’t tried us yet, please give us a call and find out why so many customers consider PSG their preferred turbine service provider.