Risk-based asset life management for steam turbines and generators

ABSTRACT To ensure a good return on investment, it is important for power plant operators to set up an asset management program that will ensure reliable operation over the commercial life of the plant. General Electric (GE) has been applying a variety of asset management technologies to improve power plant life and performance for our customers. These methods consider various inputs including equipment design knowledge; asset condition assessed from real-time monitoring and inspection data; and lessons learned from repairing, operating and maintaining thousands of assets globally. In this paper, a subset of that information is applied to develop a methodology to perform risk-based health and life assessments for steam turbines and generators. The method has been used on several steam power plants around the world, to help operators of ageing steam plants make the right decisions related to end-of-life management or life extension.