Power Generation Industry Overview

In a power plant, the most used piece of equipment to drive the generator is a turbine. Outside of turbine blade failures, the most common reliability related issues are bearing and control systems failures. These are generally lubrication-related, and most are due to either entrained air and/or foam, loss of demulsibility, and the formation of sludge and varnish. Unscheduled shutdowns are incredibly expensive, often causing millions of dollars in lost equipment, time and plant output. Proper maintenance is critical, and it is imperative the machinery be kept at a very high reliability level to avoid as many unnecessary shutdowns as possible.