Lost availability in power boilers today is characteristically caused by boiler tube failures. These tubes failures are largely a result of a handful of damage mechanisms that can ultimately affect the integrity of the tubing.  Many utilities have begun looking for ways to proactively track and prevent these failures from occurring by developing a boiler management program. Unfortunately, identifying where and how to begin such a program can be viewed as an insurmountable obstacle for many utility operators and owners. In many cases, instituting a generalized approach to preventing tube failures becomes the only answer that boiler owners and operators rely on. This “cookie-cutter” approach to preventing tube failures results in poor reliability improvement due to specific operating and design conditions not being identified and evaluated.

The solution to reducing the forced outage rate of a unit involves taking a comprehensive approach to boiler management utilizing unit specific operational training, advanced data management and strategic inspection, maintenance, and replacement prioritization. Based on over 18,000 custom inspections and reports, Thielsch Engineering, Inc. has developed a proven 3-Step process to improve overall boiler reliability and each unit’s life expectancy that ultimately reduces costs associated with scheduled and unscheduled outages.

This paper will break down each of the three steps involved in this unit specific approach and will discuss some of the individual unit specific conditions that must be ultimately considered when developing a strategic plan of action to reduce the unit’s EFOR. Click here to view full paper

To learn about how you can manage the Reliability & Safety of your boiler with Thielsch’s 4-SYTE Boiler Reliability and Piping Integrity Programs watch this 6 minute video:

Contact Pamela Hamblin-Smoske at 561-353-5804 or phamblin-smoske@thielsch.com for more information.