pwr_february-2025 - 20

TURBINE MRO
Turbine MRO Best Practices:
Expert Guide to Maintenance,
Repair, and Overhaul
Effective maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) practices are vital for reliable turbine
operation. Innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence and 3D scanning are
transforming MRO processes. Proactive planning and using systematic problem-solving
approaches can also help reduce downtime and ensure reliable performance.
Aaron Larson
T
urbine MRO (maintenance, repair,
and overhaul) operations refer to the
comprehensive maintenance
processes
for both gas and steam turbines,
and their associated generators, typically
found in power generation plants and industrial
applications. Implementing sound
MRO practices is vital to maximizing turbine-generator
reliability and performance
while minimizing downtime.
The main components of turbine MRO
include regular inspections and diagnostics
to assess items such as blade wear
and damage, bearing conditions, combustion
system integrity, control system
functionality, and alignment and vibration
readings. Among major maintenance activities
involved in the process are hotgas-path
inspections, rotor removal and
refurbishment, blade replacement or repair,
stationary component repair, bearing
maintenance, control system updates,
and component balancing. Modern MRO
practices increasingly incorporate predictive
maintenance using sensors and
data analytics, digital twin technology for
performance modeling, advanced nondestructive
testing techniques, and automated
inspection systems.
Managing a robust turbine MRO program
involves significant
planning. A
strict maintenance schedule based on
operating hours and starts must be adhered
to, with good historical data being
vital to success. The program not only
requires reliable operating data, but also
detailed documentation of all previous
maintenance activities and inspection
findings. Meanwhile, a comprehensive
parts inventory management system is
also important in the process.
" The most effective maintenance strategies
for reducing turbine downtime are
those that prioritize proactive planning,
advanced diagnostics, and unit opera20
tional
duty understanding, " Jay Eldridge,
vice president of Sales and Marketing
with Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis
(MD&A), told POWER. " At MD&A, we've
found that a combination of predictive
maintenance, quality repairs, and comprehensive
overhauls delivers the greatest
results in minimizing downtime and
ensuring consistent unit performance. "
Vibration Analysis: A Key
Diagnostic Tool
When it comes to advanced diagnostics
tools, few are more valuable than vibration
analysis. At a high level, vibration
analysis involves measuring the vibration
levels and frequencies found in machinery,
and using that information to gauge
the health of components. In the past, vibration
analysis has primarily been used
to identify mechanical faults in rotating
equipment and measure their severity,
allowing repairs to be made in a planned
and scheduled manner, thus reducing
unplanned downtime. There's definitely
value in that, but in today's world, online
and wireless monitoring are making it
possible to identify problems before they
lead to faults, which allows engineers to
be proactive rather than reactive.
Many providers now incorporate artificial
intelligence (AI) and machine
learning (ML) into the process. Rather
than waiting for a fault to be identified
through a route-based methodology using
a hand-held portable analyzer, permanently
installed sensors can feed data to
programs featuring AI and ML algorithms
that continuously look for anomalies. The
greatest value comes from identifying
those times during operation when the
equipment is operated outside its steady
state parameters, such as during startup
or some other upset condition, and
modifying procedures to minimize those
hard-on-equipment periods.
www.powermag.com
MD&A uses vibration diagnostics as
one of the tools to get a clear understanding
of the state of equipment in
power facilities. Its team of diagnostic/
balance engineers can comprehensively
analyze the mechanical condition of rotating
equipment assets, and then offer
the best and most cost-effective solutions
for maintaining machine integrity.
Additionally, MD&A has a High-Speed
Balance Facility in St. Louis, Missouri,
which it uses to ensure vibrations are
kept to a minimum in equipment it has
repaired. The facility was designed with
both vacuum capability and the ability to
excite generator rotors at high speed, allowing
the testing and balancing of both
steam turbine and generator rotors (Figure
1). High-speed balancing has proven
to be very effective in validating the repairs,
ensuring effective operation when
returned to service.
More Game-Changing Technologies
Beyond vibration analysis, MD&A said
3D scanning has revolutionized repair
and parts replacement. " Using 3D scanning
technology for reverse engineering,
we can create precise digital models of
1. A generator rotor is shown here in Mechanical
Dynamics & Analysis' (MD&A's) HighSpeed
Balance Facility in St. Louis, Missouri.
Courtesy: MD&A
POWER | February 2025

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pwr_february-2025

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