STEAM TURBINE RISK ASSESSMENT PROJECT: Inspection and Overhauls Optimization of Steam Turbines

John W. Biggs Senior Project Manager Stone Container Corporation 1979 Lakeside Pkwy, Suite 300 Tucker, GA 30084 U.S.A. G. Mark Tanner, P.E. Senior Engineer Radian International LLC 8501 N. Mopac Blvd Austin, TX 78759 U.S.A. ABSTRACT There is a trend in the pulp and paper industry, as well as in other heavy industries, to increase the time between overhauls of machinery, particularly steam turbines. The primary driving force behind this tendency is the desire to reduce direct overhauling and inspection costs. The basis for justifying additional overhaul and inspection work is sometimes expressed by machinery engineers as a risk of failure. This risk is not easily quantified and may not be understood by managers responsible for these budgets. The Steam Turbine Risk Assessment Project (STRAP) was initiated to develop a methodology and model for addressing the optimization of overhauls by identifying and quantifying the risk of failure associated with maintenance, operation, and engineering practices applied to steam turbines. The process is an adaptation of the ASME Risk-Based Inspection Guidelines and has been used previously on a project for utility steam turbine/generators. This paper details development of the STRAP model, demonstrates the application of this model in evaluating a turbine, and displays the results achieved through testing of the analysis. The STRAP model is incorporated into a computer program that allows what if scenarios for individual turbines to be evaluated on a cost-risk-benefit basis. These results are then used to optimize the overhaul and inspection process. John A. Latcovich, Jr. Fleet Mgr - Rot. Equip. Hartford Steam Boiler Insp. & Insurance Co. One State Street Hartford, CT 06102 U.S.A.

the pulp and paper industry have also had to become used to working in an industry that experiences large swings in the market that over the past few years has become even faster and more severe. Business and accounting factors are now a major part of the machinery operation and maintenance business as a result of the need to reduce the costs of operating manufacturing facilities while, maximizing production and minimizing production interruptions (increasing availability). All of these factors coupled with the capital intensity of the pulp and paper industry, demand that the industrys manufacturing capital assets be managed using the best engineering and management practices. Planning and justification of maintenance overhauls of steam turbines in the pulp and paper industry is a good example of these new concerns. An overhaul of a large turbine (greater than 20,000 horsepower) may cost several hundred thousand dollars. There is also a considerable cost in lost paper production since most mills must shut down at least a portion of the manufacturing process during a typical 15-to-20-day turbine turnaround. The alternative of maintaining full production during a major turbine overhaul requires purchased power. Many mills, however, do not have an adequate utility tie to offset the lost power; even if they do have the utility tie, the purchased power cost is considerably higher than self-generated power. On the other hand, failure to perform a scheduled inspection and overhaul in time, it can lead to unexpected deterioration of the turbine and the need to extend the duration of the turbines planned overhaul to complete repairs or even to turbine failure and an unexpected outage. Both of these scenarios present the possibility of greatly increased expenses, running from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. Thus, regardless of whether a turbine is driving a powerhouse generator, a paper machine line shaft or other pieces of critical equipment, the maintenance engineer must employ the best available practices in prioritizing, scheduling and justifying turbine maintenance requirements. PROBLEM There are currently no, or at best very limited, industry guidelines on which to base turbine inspection and overhaul intervals. Vendor recommendations are available but are often very conservative because they fail to fully consider the economic consequences of an inspection and overhaul. There is a trend to extend the intervals based on cost considerations.

INTRODUCTION Most engineers in manufacturing are now used to hearing phrases like profit and loss statement, stockholders demand for return, time value of money, data driven, just in time, return on investment, etc. Engineers in

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