Abstract: A process of evaluating and reducing outages in a power plant comprises acquiring analytical data for a power plant and its components, acquiring failure modes regarding power plants, identifying and categorizing the acquired failure modes in association with the components of the power plant at various levels, evaluating and ranking the significance of each of the identified failure modes based on the analytical data, evaluating and ranking the analytical coverages of the identified failure modes based on the analytical data, and ranking and evaluating the components based on the significance and the analytical coverages of their associated failure modes. Based upon the determined significance and analytical coverages of identified failure modes, a power plant owner is able to evaluate the performance of a power plant at various levels, identify analytical gaps in reducing outages of the power plant, and enhance the performance of the power plant.

Abstract: Systems and methods to evaluate and reduce outages in a power plant including components and at least one sensor. The process of evaluating and reducing outages in a power plant comprises acquiring analytical data for a power plant and its components, acquiring failure modes regarding power plants, identifying and categorizing the acquired failure modes in association with the components of the power plant at various levels, evaluating and ranking the significance of each of the identified failure modes based on the analytical data, evaluating and ranking the analytical coverages of the identified failure modes based on the analytical data, and ranking and evaluating the components based on the significance and the analytical coverages of their associated failure modes.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure can relate to predicting valve performance in power plants. In one embodiment, a method for predicting valve performance in power plants can include receiving at least one signal from a valve associated with a power plant. The method may further include receiving operational data from one or more power plants. The method may further include determining a confidence value associated with operation of the valve, based at least in part on the at least one signal from the valve and the operational data from one or more power plants. The method can further include comparing the confidence value to a threshold level, and comparing a time during which the confidence value persists to a threshold duration. When the confidence value exceeds the threshold level, and when the time exceeds the threshold duration, the method may include generating an alert for a probability of misoperation of the valve.

Abstract: A unified data acquisition system (UDAS) includes a portable computer configured to monitor data from a system installation. The system installation may be a gas turbine, steam turbine, combined cycle, or power generation system installation. The UDAS is also configured to log both raw and processed data from a plurality of data sources at the system installation, and to permit relocation and reconfiguration of the UDAS at a different system installation for monitoring and logging of data at the different system installation.

Abstract: A method of determining performance impact of individual components of a power plant on overall thermal performance of the power plant, the method including (a) designing a first thermal model of the power plant using original specification data of the power plant; (b) developing a second thermal model of the power plant from measured performance data of each component of the power plant; and (c) determining the performance impact of a selected component of the power plant on the overall thermal performance of the power plant by substituting design performance data of the selected component in the first thermal model with its measured performance data.

Abstract: A method of determining performance impact of individual components of a power plant on overall thermal performance of the power plant, the method including (a) designing a first thermal model of the power plant using original specification data of the power plant; (b) developing a second thermal model of the power plant from measured performance data of each component of the power plant; and (c) determining the performance impact of a selected component of the power plant on the overall thermal performance of the power plant by substituting design performance data of the selected component in the first thermal model with its measured performance data.