Life assessment for cyclic operation

Plant:

  • A 250MW combined-cycle plant in the UK

Objective:

  • Assess the effects of changing from base load to cyclic operation
  • Optimise plant operation
  • Identify any necessary engineering or operational changes, with particular attention to condensate problems

Solution:

  • Identification of critical components
  • Inspection and condition assessment
  • On-line monitoring of operational conditions, with periodic off-line analysis
  • Inverse design stress, creep and fatigue analysis, refined by finite element stress analysis where necessary

Benefits:

  • Critical components identified, and monitoring programmes established
  • Particular trouble spots identified
  • Current condition of critical components demonstrated to be satisfactory
  • Typical operational transients identified and analysed
  • Component lives calculated, and refined by FEA as appropriate
  • Design and operational factors relating to vent and drain function, condensate formation during purge cycles and start-up/shut-down procedures identified and modifications proposed

Plant Integrity