Power Plant Life Management And Performance Improvement

Coal- and gas-based power plants currently supply the largest proportion of the world’s power generation capacity, and are required to operate to increasingly stringent environmental standards. Higher temperature combustion is therefore being adopted to improve plant efficiency and to maintain net power output given the energy penalty that integration of advanced emissions control systems cause. However, such operating regimes also serve to intensify degradation mechanisms within power plant systems, potentially affecting their reliability and lifespan. Power plant life management and performance improvement critically reviews the fundamental degradation mechanisms that affect conventional power plant systems and components, as well as examining the operation and maintenance approaches and advanced plant rejuvenation and retrofit options that the industry are applying to ensure overall plant performance improvement and life management. Part one initially reviews plant operation issues, including fuel flexibility, condition monitoring and performance assessment. Parts two, three and four focus on coal boiler plant, gas turbine plant, and steam boiler and turbine plant respectively, reviewing environmental degradation mechanisms affecting plant components and their mitigation via advances in materials selection and life management approaches, such as repair, refurbishment and upgrade. Finally, part five reviews issues relevant to the performance management and improvement of advanced heat exchangers and power plant welds. With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Power plant life management and performance improvement is an essential reference for power plant operators, industrial engineers and metallurgists, and researchers interested in this important field. Provides an overview of the improvements to plant efficiency in coal- and gas-based power plants Critically reviews the fundamental degradation mechanisms that affect conventional power plant systems and components, noting mitigation routes alongside monitoring and assessment methods Addresses plant operation issues including fuel flexibility, condition monitoring and performance assessment

Probabilistic safety assessment methods are used to calculate nuclear power plant durability and resource lifetime. Successful calculation of the reliability and ageing of components is critical for forecasting safety and directing preventative maintenance, and Probabilistic safety assessment for optimum nuclear power plant life management provides a comprehensive review of the theory and application of these methods. Part one reviews probabilistic methods for predicting the reliability of equipment. Following an introduction to key terminology, concepts and definitions, formal-statistical and various physico–statistical approaches are discussed. Approaches based on the use of defect-free models are considered, along with those using binomial distribution and models based on the residual defectiveness of structural materials. The practical applications of probabilistic methods for strength reliability are subsequently explored in part two. Probabilistic methods for increasing the reliability and safety of nuclear power plant components are investigated, as are the use of such methods for optimising non-destructive tests, hydraulic tests, technical certification and planned-preventative maintenance. Finally, the book concludes with information on the use of probabilistic methods in ensuring leak tightness of nuclear power plant steam generator heat exchanger pipes. With its distinguished authors, Probabilistic safety assessment for optimum nuclear power plant life management is a valuable reference for all nuclear plant designers, operators, nuclear safety engineers and managers, as well as academics and researchers in this field. Discusses the theory and application of probabilistic safety assessment methods used to calculate nuclear power plant (NPP) durability and lifetime Reviews probabilistic methods in their application to NPP components and ageing pipelines for the forecasting of NPP resource lifetime and safety Addresses the key areas of probabilistic safety analysis, optimization of the operations through in-service inspection (ISI) utilising non-destructive testing, and maintenance, service and repair approaches

Since first AC current high-power hydropower plant was put in operation, built by Nikola Tesla and George Westinghouse in 1895 on Niagara Falls, electrification of the world has dramatically changed. The growing power demand and energy consumption in the last decades require fundamental changes in the process, power production, and services. These requirements tend to use both conventional and nonconventional energy generation in order to have power plants economically useful and environmentally friendly to the society. The goal of this textbook is to provide an up-to-date review of this important topic with specific emphasis on the current guidelines for improving overall efficiency, lowering emissions, and using large share of renewable energy.

Current fleets of conventional and nuclear power plants face increasing hostile environmental conditions due to increasingly high temperature operation for improved capacity and efficiency, and the need for long term service. Additional challenges are presented by the requirement to cycle plants to meet peak-load operation. This book presents a comprehensive review of structural materials in conventional and nuclear energy applications. Opening chapters address operational challenges and structural alloy requirements in different types of power plants. The following sections review power plant structural alloys and methods to mitigate critical materials degradation in power plants.

Due to their continuing role in electricity generation, it is important that coal power plants operate as efficiently and cleanly as possible. Coal Power Plant Materials and Life Assessment reviews the materials used in coal plants, and how they can be assessed and managed to optimize plant operation. Part I considers the structural alloys used in coal plants. Part II then reviews performance modelling and life assessment techniques, explains the inspection and life-management approaches that can be adopted to optimize long term plant operation, and considers the technical and economic issues involved in meeting variable energy demands. Summarizes key research on coal-fired power plant materials, their behavior under operational loads, and approaches to life assessment and defect management Details the range of structural alloys used in coal power plants, and the life assessment techniques applicable to defect-free components under operational loads Reviews the life assessment techniques applicable to components containing defects and the approaches that can be adopted to optimize plant operation and new plant and component design

The analysis of the reliability and availability of power plants is frequently based on simple indexes that do not take into account the criticality of some failures used for availability analysis. This criticality should be evaluated based on concepts of reliability which consider the effect of a component failure on the performance of the entire plant. System reliability analysis tools provide a root-cause analysis leading to the improvement of the plant maintenance plan. Taking in view that the power plant performance can be evaluated not only based on thermodynamic related indexes, such as heat-rate, Thermal Power Plant Performance Analysis focuses on the presentation of reliability-based tools used to define performance of complex systems and introduces the basic concepts of reliability, maintainability and risk analysis aiming at their application as tools for power plant performance improvement, including: · selection of critical equipment and components, · definition of maintenance plans, mainly for auxiliary systems, and · execution of decision analysis based on risk concepts. The comprehensive presentation of each analysis allows future application of the methodology making Thermal Power Plant Performance Analysis a key resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students in mechanical and nuclear engineering.

This publication provides an overview of the various plant life management (PLiM) methodologies, technologies and processes to ensure long term operation of heavy water reactors (HWRs). Implementation of a systematic and comprehensive PLiM programme, such as that outlined in the publication, goes a long way towards meeting the overall goal of HWR owners and operators to successfully achieve design life and continued operation. Included in this publication are technical aspects of HWR PLiM, component specific technology considerations for condition assessment, an example of a proactive ageing management programme, and Ontario power generation experiences. Country reports from Argentina, Canada, India, the Republic of Korea and Romania are attached in an annex in order to share practices and experiences of PLiM programmes.

"When nuclear power plants reach the end of their nominal design life, they undergo a special safety review and an ageing assessment of their essential structures, systems and components for the purpose of validating or renewing their licence to operate for terms beyond the service period originally intended. Three different plant life management models have been used to qualify these nuclear power plants to operate beyond their original design life. This publication presents a collection of sample licensing practices for long term operation among IAEA Member States. The various plant life management models used to obtain long term operation authorizations are described and comparisons drawn against the standard periodic safety review model. Lessons learned and warnings about possible complications and pitfalls are also described to minimize the licensing risk during operation and future long term operation applications. The main intention of this publication is to support nuclear power plant owners and operators planning an extension of plant operation beyond its original design life, but it also serves as a useful guide for those interested in procuring, from the beginning, the necessary tools to implement ageing management in their future plant with long term operation in mind."--Publisher's description.