Maintenance is how you keep things working in the long-term. You can apply this logic to your health, your car, and most certainly your job.
Turbines are one of the hidden blessings of today’s fast-paced world, powering several forms of equipment across multiple industries. They’re a natural evolution from the steam turbine and have since been adapted to transportation, manufacturing, and heating. To keep these turning correctly you need to regularly take advantage of borescope services. Even the most experienced eye is bound to miss a few details…and just one detail is all it takes to render your equipment obsolete. Have you had your gas turbines looked at lately?
If not, here are a few things you should know before putting your time and money anywhere else.
The Growth Of Turbines In The United States
Technology has moved at an almost breakneck pace these past few centuries. Steam turbines have been in use since the late 1800’s for electricity production — they’ve since been adopted in several sectors of the economy to the point they’re entirely mundane. You can see wind turbines used to provide more renewable energy sources in windy locations. You can find combustion turbines used in various manufacturing plants. One way or another, the turbine is synonymous with an efficient, powerful economy.
Different Types Of Turbines To Be Aware Of
Just like you wouldn’t expect all cars to use the exact same engine, so too do turbines come in different varieties. The two types of land based gas turbines include the heavy frame engines and the aeroderivative engines. The former is preferred among flight, transportation, and various space related industries for its reliability — not only does it use more working parts, it also requires a larger amount of energy to use. The latter, however, is still highly useful for flight and the commercial airline industry wouldn’t be the same without it. Turbines have changed how we look at things…and even this is expected to change.
How Gas Usage Is Changing Across The World
More and more countries are becoming critical with how energy is being consumed. With global warming a very real issue and too many companies struggling to keep up with energy demand, it’s not hard to see why. Natural gas remains the second most heavily consumed energy source in the United States today — according to recently collected data the United States was determined to be the largest producer of natural gas in 2016. This country has extracted nearly 750 billion cubic meters of natural gas resources. Getting the most out of your turbines means becoming comfortable with borescope services.
Common Elements That Erode Turbines
Maintenance is essential to keep various elements from eroding the efficiency of your machine. This can be simple age — in which a new installation is more prudent — and this can be environmental debris. Salt particles are extremely damaging to a turbine due to their stickiness and ability to push back moisture. Once salt particles attach themselves to turbine blades they’ll even attract other particles like dirt, decreasing the turbine’s power output by up to 15% or more. Gas turbines operate at much higher temperature than steam turbines, as high as 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
Signs You Should Call Borescope Services
You’re considering parts removal or energy conservation. You’ve been monitoring your turbines regularly, but aren’t sure you’re getting the most out of your equipment. It’s time to call for turbine support services and ask them some important questions. A Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (or CCGT) plant has the potential to achieve a thermal efficiency of around 60% in base-load operation — contrast this with a single cycle steam power plant, which is limited to the efficiency of 35%. Inspecting turbines can catch wind of any small issues before they become major ones.
Take good care of your turbine. Let borescope services catch what’s slipped through the cracks.