World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Tower System Takes Unique Approach to Predictive Maintenance Implementation in an Effort to Protect Against Unplanned Downtime.
Azima DLI, the leader and premier provider of Predictive Maintenance (PdM) analytical services and products, today announced the details of its predictive maintenance agreement with NRG Energy Services, Operator of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station (ISEGS), the world’s largest solar thermal power plant, owned by NRG Energy, Google and BrightSource Energy. Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN Analysis Program™ will be implemented to ensure reliability of more than 700 of Ivanpah’s rotating equipment pieces, located across 3,500 acres of California’s Mojave Desert.
Ivanpah will be running a 392 megawatt solar power facility, using mirrors (heliostats), to focus sunlight on solar receivers atop power towers. Solar generated power from all three plants will produce clean, reliable energy to more than 140,000 California homes. Using electricity generated at Ivanpah means displacing more than 400,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year and decreasing water use by 95 percent when compared with wet-cooled solar plants.
The Azima DLI WATCHMAN Analysis Program will be fully integrated as soon as the plant reaches commercial operation. In most scenarios, plants take preventative measures with PdM technologies when experiencing machine failure and downtime. Ivanpah is currently utilizing Azima DLI technology in acceptance testing and benchmarking of rotating equipment during the project’s commissioning phase. Ivanpah currently has an internal maintenance team augmented with the WATCHMAN Analysis Program. This team has been trained on using TRIO™ data collectors and in 2013 will be utilizing Azima DLI’s eLearning modules to ensure understanding and interpretation of vibration analysis and the actionable information provided. Azima DLI analysts will make quarterly visits to assess more than 700 machines being monitored within the WATCHMAN Analysis Program.
“Our management team understands the value of predictive maintenance technologies and vibration analysis,” said Jim Smith, Engineering Manager of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating Station. “For this plant to run optimally with as few outages as possible, it is imperative to invest in new technologies from the beginning to help us accomplish this goal.”
Azima DLI has guaranteed exceptional responsiveness, flexible solutions and strategies, and a strong commitment to Ivanpah’s employee training. The company’s "fix it before it breaks” mentality will allow Azima DLI to provide Ivanpah with advanced predictive reporting that reflects valuable ROI information, driving increased productivity, reduced downtime and overall equipment health improvement.
“We are enthusiastic about the implementation of Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN Analysis Program with Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System. They have taken an exceptional approach in executing their PdM program from the beginning,” said Azima DLI CEO, Burt Hurlock. “It is essential to take these preventative measures before a failure occurs and in this situation the WATCHMAN Analysis Program will be able to properly assess their equipment’s condition to provide timely, accurate recommendations before unexpected downtime occurs.”
The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System utilizes proven solar thermal technology and a low environmental impact design to power California’s clean energy economy with cost-competitive and reliable solar power. Located in Ivanpah Dry Lake, California, the three-unit power system will be built on approximately 3,500 acres of public desert land. The $2.2 billion project represents a durable model for far-reaching employment and economic benefit both locally and nationally. For more information, visit http://ivanpahsolar.com/
Azima DLI is the leader and premier provider of predictive maintenance analytical services and products that align with customers’ high standards for reliability, availability and uptime. Azima DLI’s WATCHMAN™ Reliability Services utilize flexible deployment models, proven diagnostic software and unmatched analytical expertise to deliver sustainable, scalable and cost-effective condition-based maintenance programs. The company delivers machine health reliability solutions with global reach that reduce risk, improve safety, increase production and optimize efficiency. Azima DLI is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts with offices across the U.S. and international representation in Asia-Pacific, Central America, Europe and South America. For more information, call +1 (800) 482-2290 or visit http://www.azimadli.com.
