Results of power sector materials investigations: The Albany Research Center's power sector improvement program

The USDOE's Albany Research Center has successfully applied a low-cost approach to power plant performance improvement that integrates several proven operating and maintenance principles with off-line computer modeling techniques. This integral approach provides the opportunity to identify low-cost activities to improve processes and/or operational procedures while improving long-term prospects for performance improvement through enhanced training and root cause analysis. In the case of more expensive equipment changes, the modeling also gives a rapid estimation of the improvement to be expected in the system based on the simulated component changes. These combined tools and techniques have led to improved failure analysis; a reduction in the number of forced outages, reduced operating costs, and improved heat rates.