Scheduled Maintenance and Overhaul Practices

1.A U.S. Maintenance Practices There are no regulatory maintenance practices or intervals specified for non-nuclear steam turbines regardless of the industry or application. As such, the frequencies and tasks are defined by the turbine manufacturers, consultants, industry organizations such as EP !, plant personnel, plant process requirements, or insurers based on past e"perience. Tables # and $ indicate %hat is considered to be the minimum recommended practice for achieving high levels of reliability and availability, based on attempting to mitigate the risk of high probability and high consequence type failures.
Table 1 U.S. Annual Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks Frequenc Daily or Less Weekly or Less Maintenance Task #. &onduct visual inspection of the unit for leaks 'oil and steam(, unusual noise)vibration, plugged filters or abnormal operation $. &ycle non-return valves #. Trend unit performance and health. *and-held vibration readings should be taken from the steam turbine and gearbo" if permanent vibration monitoring system is not installed $. Test emergency backup and au"iliary lube oil pumps for proper operation +. Test the main lube oil tank and oil lo% pressure alarms ,. Test the simulated overspeed trip if present -. &ycle the main steam stop or throttle valve .. &ycle control valves if steam loads are unchanging /. &ycle e"traction)admission valves if steam loads are unchanging. #. 0ample and analyze lube oil and hydraulic fluid for %ater, particulates, and contaminants $. 1eferred %eekly tests or valve cycling that e"perience has indicated sufficient reliability to defer them to a one month interval. #. &onduct visual inspection and functional testing of all stop, throttle, control, e"traction and non-return valves including cams, rollers, bearings, rack and pinions, servomotors, and any other pertinent valves or devices for %ear, damage, and)or leakage. $. &onduct visual !nspection of seals, bearings, seal and lubrication systems 'oil and hydraulic(, and drain system piping and components for %ear, leaks, vibration damage, plugged filters, and any other kinds of thermal or mechanical distress. +. &onduct visual, mechanical, and electrical inspection of all instrumentation, protection, and control systems. !ncludes checking alarms, trips, filters, and backup lubrication and %ater cooling systems ,. Test the mechanical overspeed for proper operation annually unless the primary system is electronic and has an 20 test s%itch. 3or that system, electronic overspeed simulations should be conducted %eekly %hile mechanical and electrical overspeed tests should be conducted every + years. 3or electronic systems %ithout an 20 test s%itch, an overspeed test should be conducted annually. -. &onduct visual inspection of gearbo" 'if installed( teeth for unusual %ear or damage, and gearbo" seals and bearings for damage. .. !nternally inspect non-return valve actuators for %ear

Monthly or Less

Annually

Table ! U.S. Multiple"#ear Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks

Frequenc Minor Outages Every 2-4 Years

Maintenance Task #. &onduct visual inspection or borescope of turbine nozzle block)inlet stages '*P and !P( and e"haust stages for 321, corrosion, mechanical damage, and other damage. The inspections may be conducted more or less frequently, based on the condition of the parts. $. !nternally inspect main stop)T4T, control, admission, e"traction, and 5 6 valve internals for %ear, seat leakage, and damage. 3or large machines, it may be advantageous to do valves on the right side of the turbine during one minor outage and the left side during a subsequent minor outage. +. 2pen, inspect, and check alignment of gearbo"es %ith turbine)generator ,. &alibrate all alarms, trips and protective system sensors)instrumentation -. !nspect foundations, slides, and anchoring hard%are for %ear. #. &onduct ma7or overhauls of line shaft turbines and gearbo"es every + years $. &onduct ma7or overhauls of steam turbines installed in reliability-critical and process-critical applications every --. years +. &onduct ma7or overhauls of steam turbines in general service %ith no specific service or risk factors every --8 years ,. &onduct ma7or overhauls of combined cycle steam turbines every .-9 years in con7unction %ith combustion turbine hot gas inspections or complete overhauls, providing there are no risk factors or design issues %ith the specific model turbine. &onduct ma7or overhauls for large fossil steam turbines every 9-#$ years on a case-by-case basis based on the follo%ing factors of influence: #. Past history of problems $. ;eneric problems based on industry e"perience %ith specific or similar models +. 2perational incidents since the last ma7or overhaul ,. &onditions found and e"tent of 51E and repairs conducted 'or not conducted( at the last ma7or overhaul -. <nit performance and condition monitoring capability '0ection +.A.#),( .. =ater and steam purity monitoring capability '0ection +.A.$( /. Turbine %ater induction protection provided '0ection +.A.+( 8. >uality of operations and maintenance practices, procedures, and personnel '0ection +.?( 9. !nspections and testing conducted bet%een ma7or dismantles 'Table , and Table - annual and minor outage maintenance tasks( #@. 0ervice duty starts)hours per year, load duty 'baseload, cycling, s%ing, etc.( ##. Age and remaining)end of life issues There are different approaches, methodologies, and)or criteria utilizing the factors of influence above to determine acceptable ma7or overhaul intervals %hen large size turbines are involved and large overhaul intervals are desired. The various approaches are discussed in detail in 0ection .. &onduct special inspection outages or %orkscopes in con7unction %ith ma7or overhauls to assess the remaining life of rotors)shells %ith very high operating hours, rotors manufactured %ith older materials)processes, and rotors)shells sub7ected to e"tended periods of operation %ith high steam temperatures and pressures. The purpose of the life assessments are to determine the suitability of continued operation and remaining life of units sub7ected to long term creep,

Major Overhaul Outages Every 3-9 Years

Major Overhaul Outages Every 912 Years

!e"ial Outages

1.$ %uropean Maintenance Practices <tilities and other operators normally adhere to their equipment manufacturerAs recommendations and complement them %ith their o%n kno%-ho% and operational e"perience and %ith 6;? or local recommendations 'the latter ones usually are either based on 6;? or are very similar to 6;?(. As such, most of the items in &hapter -.A, Table ,, for the <.0. are equally valid for Europe. There might be some slight differences in the e"tent and possibly in the frequencies of the annual maintenance programs, but these are mainly due to the different approaches %hich the different operators take 'and the money they have available( %hen it comes to maintenance. There are no regulatory maintenance practices or intervals specified for non-nuclear steam turbines regardless of the industry or application. As such, the frequencies and tasks are defined by the turbine manufacturers, consultants, industry organizations such as 6;?, plant personnel, plant process requirements, or insurers based on past e"perience. Tables . and 8 indicate %hat is considered to be the minimum recommended practice for achieving high levels of reliability and availability, based on attempting to mitigate the risk of high probability and high consequence type failures.
Table & %uropean Annual Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks Frequenc Daily or Less Weekly or Less Maintenance Task #. &onduct visual inspection of the unit for leaks 'oil and steam(, unusual noise)vibration, plugged filters or abnormal operation $. &ycle non-return valves #. Trend unit performance and health. *and-held vibration readings should be taken from the steam turbine and gearbo" if permanent vibration monitoring system is not installed $. Test emergency backup and au"iliary lube oil pumps for proper operation +. Test the main lube oil tank and oil lo% pressure alarms ,. Test the simulated overspeed trip if present -. &ycle the main steam stop or throttle valve .. &ycle control valves if steam loads are unchanging /. &ycle e"traction)admission valves if steam loads are unchanging. #. 0ample and analyze lube oil and hydraulic fluid for %ater, particulates, and contaminants $. 1eferred %eekly tests or valve cycling that e"perience has indicated sufficient reliability to defer them to a one month interval. #. &onduct visual inspection and functional testing of all stop, throttle, control, e"traction and non-return valves including cams, rollers, bearings, rack and pinions, servomotors, and any other pertinent valves or devices for %ear, damage, and)or leakage. $. &onduct visual !nspection of seals, bearings, seal and lubrication systems 'oil and hydraulic(, and drain system piping and components for %ear, leaks, vibration damage, plugged filters, and any other kinds of thermal or mechanical distress. +. &onduct visual, mechanical, and electrical inspection of all instrumentation, protection, and control systems. !ncludes checking alarms, trips, filters, and backup lubrication and %ater cooling systems ,. Test the mechanical overspeed for proper operation annually unless the primary system is electronic and has an 20 test s%itch. 3or that system, electronic overspeed simulations should be conducted %eekly %hile mechanical and electrical overspeed tests should be conducted every + years. 3or electronic systems %ithout an 20 test s%itch, an overspeed test should be conducted

Monthly or Less

Annually

annually. -. &onduct visual inspection of gearbo" 'if installed( teeth for unusual %ear or damage, and gearbo" seals and bearings for damage. .. !nternally inspect non-return valve actuators for %ear

Past 2EB recommendations for one manufacturer for their medium-sized and large steam turbine sets are sho%n belo% in Table /. The table and subsequent paragraphs indicate the typical pattern for the sequence and timing of turbine overhauls as %ell as the overhaul %orkscope. 0ome industry e"perience indicated that operators do inspections)overhauls a little more frequently than recommended by 6;? in Table 8.
Table ' T pical %uropean Man(acturer)s Multiple"#ear Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks

%O* #@,@@@ $-,@@@ -@,@@@ /-,@@@ #@@,@@@

#ears A(ter +ommissionin, Ba"imum of , Ba"imum of 8 Ba"imum of #Ba"imum of $@ Ba"imum of $-

T pe o( Overhaul Binor Binor Ba7or Binor Ba7or

A minor overhaulAs duration %ould typically be about $-, %eeks and %ould comprise the follo%ing %orkscope:
2pening of turbine casings, only if necessary 6isual inspection of the CP last stage blades Endoscopic e"amination of accessible parts of the turbine and the generator !nspection of the bearings &heck of coupling concentricity &heck and recalibration of the safety devices for turbine and generator &heck and read7ustment) recalibration of the turbine control system

&heck of lube and control oil pumps and systems !nspection of the steam valves E"amination of the condensing and feed-heating systems 6isual inspection of the stator end %indings, their bus bars and terminals, if this is possible %ithout e"tensive disassembly %ork. The generator rotor is not dismantled &hecking of e"citation equipment 'e"citer, brush gear and slip ring brushes( Additional checks according to the particularities of the unit and individual operational observations

A ma7or overhaulAs duration %ould typically be about ,-8 %eeks and %ould comprise the follo%ing %orkscope:
All checks and e"aminations made during a minor overhaul 2pening of the turbine casing 'or all casings if consisting of several cylinders( E"amination of the blading &omplete e"amination of the couplings, including a"ial run-out test 1ismantling and e"amination of the generator rotor

 lnspections of the entire stator %inding 'end %inding support, slot %edging, banding, bus bars, terminals( E"amination of the entire stator core for strength and damage 1isassembly and inspection of the e"citation equipment 'e"citer, brush gear and slip ring brushes( Additional checks according to the particularities of the unit and individual operational observations

After reaching #@@,@@@ E2* the 2EBAs typically recommend performance of an assessment of the remaining lifetime for some critical components as e.g. rotor, some highly stressed regions of the *P casing, *P inlet valves, etc. These recommendations correlate %ell %ith the 6;? recommendations sho%n in Table 8 belo%.
Table - ./$ Multiple"#ear Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks Frequenc Maintenance Task #. &heck spacer bolts at bearing housings and casing brackets Minor Overhaul Outages $. E"amine shutoff valves of e"haust steam pipes and of automatic and nonEvery automatic e"tractions on their actuator and steam sides 2#$%%% EO& +. 6isually e"amine last stage of condensing turbine for erosion 'A!!ro(i)ately ,. E"amine earthing brushes for %ear)function Every 2-4 Years* -. E"amine control and protective equipment including automatic test facility, giving attention to parts sub7ect to %ear, tear and contamination .. Perform functional testing of supervisory equipment, overhaul and calibrate equipment as necessary /. !nspect filters and fluid pipes for damage 8. !nspect fluid vapor e"traction and conditioning systems #. 0ame tasks as Binor 2verhauls $. &heck couplings 'bolts, torque, alignment, runout, clearances( +. 1isassemble bearings - check clearances, %ear, seal ring condition ,. &heck foundation slide condition -. &heck anchor bolt preloads .. &heck emergency stop, control, and bypass valves on the actuator and steam sides D replace %earing parts /. emove and inspect steam strainers 8. !nspect drain system pipes, fittings and traps 9. !nspect condenser interior #@.&heck evacuation system ##.!nspect spray %ater systems '*P, CP bypass, gland and e"haust steam desuperheaters( The 6;? criteria are discussed in 0ection .. The 6;? criteria are discussed in 0ection ..

+nter)e,iate Overhaul Outages Every 2#$%%% EO& 'A!!ro(i)ately Every 2-4 Years*

Major Overhaul Outages Every 1%%$%%% EO& !e"ial Outages

1.+ 0apanese Maintenance Practices !n Eapan, %ith deregulation advancing in various industries, the Electricity ?usiness Ca% 'the Ca%( %as amended in #99- to allo% Periodic 0elf Baintenance in addition to the egulatory Periodic Baintenance 'maintenance mandated by government authorities based on regulatory la%s(, and the egulatory Periodic Baintenance interval %as lengthened to t%ice the previously

required period. This is due to the background of recent advances in technology increasing the reliability of the equipment and an increase in safety levels. 3urther, according to directives for the Ca%, thermal po%er plant o%ners have a duty to strictly manage their daily operations and to fully optimize their independent safety measures and attain the utmost standard of safety. Periodic 0elf Baintenance must be commenced %ithin , years from the most recent egulatory periodic maintenance or the periodic self maintenance, and its records must be kept for - years. The records %ill be inspected during the subsequent egulatory Periodic Baintenance. !n Table 9 the guidelines for the items for periodic self maintenance are indicated. These are nearly similar to the regulatory periodic maintenance. The detailed maintenance items and the schedules of po%er plantsA adherence to the guidelines cannot be reported since these are not disclosed to the public.
Table 1 0apanese Periodic Sel("Maintenance Steam Turbine Maintenance Frequencies and Tasks Frequenc Maintenance Task #. !nspect for unusual noise and vibration Daily $. !nspect for leaking of steam from unit +. !nspect for loose nuts and bolts ,. !nspect vibration or abnormal noise of the bearings as %ell as e"cessive heat-up of lube oil Every 4 Years #. !nspection of shell interior by removing upper casing of *P and !P %ithout removing separators and labyrinth packing $. !nspection of the follo%ing %hile rotating shaft - shaft, bucket, blades and base, shroud lacing %ires +. !nspection of the upper half of *P and !P, and #st ro% e"haust !nspection of separators %ithout removing ,. 6isual inspection of bearings -. 2verhaul of ma7or valves and inspection of strainers, valve shell and valve base .. !nspection of the speed governor systems, emergency speed governor systems and trip mechanisms !nspect shell interior by removing CP casing %ithout removing separators and Every - Years labyrinth packing Ciquid penetrant testing 'PT( inspection of above parts. As A!!ro!riate

The standards for %idening the intervals of periodic maintenance are laid out separately from the guidelines as follo%s: a( 3or plant equipment %ith normal operating hours

E"tension period- <p to one month &onditions for e"tension

#. $. +. 1aily operations are carried out according to the 1irectives of the Ca% 2perating hours e"ceeding -F of the rated pressure is %ithin #$ hours annually. The plant has not been operated at more than $8G& '-@G3( above the rated temperature, total hours operated at 8G& '#,G3( above rated temperature is %ithin ,@@ hours annually, and further the total hours operated above #,G& '$-G3( is %ithin 8@ hours. ,. 1aily inspections are carried out according to the 1irectives of the Ca%. -. 5o abnormalities %ere detected at the previous inspection or that abnormalities or disorders %ere repaired and) or prevention measures appropriately taken.

.. After the previous inspection, if an accident or disorder occurred, the damaged item %as permanently repaired and measures taken to prevent any recurrences, and the same prevention measures taken to any similar items of the plant.

b( 3or plant equipment %ith lo% operating hours 3or plants %ith lo% operating hours subsequent to the last Periodic 0elf Baintenance or egulatory Periodic Baintenance, an application for a change in inspection interval can be submitted %ith a ma"imum of the follo%ing, %hichever comes earlier:
#. 2perating hours: 8,@@@ hours $. 5umber of startups: $,@ times ',8@ times for units that have completed prevention measures for lo% cycle fatigue(

*o%ever, the ma"imum inspection interval allo%able at any one application is ,