Power Plant Saves $5 Million with Preventative Maintenance

A peak power plant experienced multiple unit trips and fails-to-start. These were caused by electrohydraulic control (EHC) servo valve failure. The valves were being affected by several contaminants including water, acid, particulate, gels and dissolved metals, coupled with low resistivity.

Keeping fluids clear of contaminants is crucial to the operational readiness of power plants. Fail-to-start or unit trip can cause unexpected outages, which hinders productivity, leads to fines and loss of profit.

Using offline acid remediation and particulate filtration skid with a dehydrator, contaminates were removed from the reservoir. A desiccant breather was also added to the reservoir, and filter elements upgraded to high-efficiency micro-glass.

This Total Systems Cleanliness approach yielded impressive results. It took less than four months for the contaminants and resistivity to return to normal ranges. This approach led to zero fail-to-starts and trips, an additional 26 years of expected fluid life, and saved the company over $5 Million. You can read the original case study here.

At Reliable Industrial Group, we approach each project individually and work with you to find the best, most efficient and cost effective solution that meets your needs. Understanding those needs is crucial in targeting the problem and formulating the appropriate plan of attack.