Balancing Facility of Power Plant Turbo Generator Rotors : Economic effects of balancing facility dependability

Abstract

An existing balancing facility has been in operation for decades and it needs to be modernized. High level of dependability is required to enable proficient project delivery. Valuating dependability is one of the ways to evaluate the need for modernization of software and components. The main objective of this thesis is to investigate how the dependability of the balancing facility could be increased and what is the economic effect of these changes. In the beginning of the project, the objective was to do benchmarking of other balancing facilities and balancing software, but this was not possible due to current travel restrictions by the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the updating requirements for the software are discussed, and other recommendations for improving dependability are given. The balancing facility consists of two balancing machines. The smaller one is used for rotors weighting under 30 tons and the larger one is for rotors up to 110 tons. The balancing software was previously updated in 2008. Evaluation of the dependability is done by inspecting spare part availability for the machines, condition monitoring and critical requirements of the software. Investigations are done by interviewing and literature survey. According to the research, the dependability of the balancing facility can be increased by preferring preventive maintenance to corrective maintenance. To move towards preventive maintenance, it is recommended to start measuring vibrations of rotating machinery periodically. Another action to increase dependability is to provide for a backup computer for the balancing machine to decrease the downtime significantly, if the currently used computers would malfunction. Finally, an internal standard and documentation for the balancing procedure would summarize the important requirements, limits, and work phases in one document. Therefore, it is recommended to compile an internal standard for balancing procedures. In conclusion, this thesis analyses the different components for the modernization of the balancing facility. There is no need for updating the balancing software based on the current needs. Benchmarking of other balancing facilities is highly recommended after the traveling restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic are discharged.