Steam turbine risk assessment project : Inspection and overhaul optimization of steam turbines

The pulp and paper industry wants to increase time between overhauls of steam turbines to reduce direct overhauling and inspection costs. Machinery engineers sometimes express the basis for justifying additional ovehaul and inspection work as a risk of failure. The aim of the Steam Turbine Risk Assessment Project (STRAP) was to develop a methodology and model to address optimization of overhauls by identifying and quantifying the risk of failure associated with maintenance, operation, and engineering practices applied to steam turbines. This paper details model development, demonstrates model application to evaluate a turbine, and displays the results achieved through testing of the analysis. Application : a STRAP model is part of a computer program that allowss what if scenarios for evaluating individual trubines an a cost-risk-benefit basis. The results are useful to optimize an overhaul and inspection process for steam turbines, recommend spares, and help with run-repair-replace decisions.