No matter how much you take care of a machine, it is bound to have some problems. Machines break down, they need help to get back to working at their optimum. That is why gas turbine services make things easier for the manager. However, it is not always possible to encounter professionals, especially when you need them urgently. In those cases, you need to have some tricks up your sleeve to quickly manage something for the time being.
If you are looking for something like that, then it is about time you stop looking. As you keep on reading, you will find some troubleshooting tips. These tips, when followed religiously, will ensure that your machine is working properly and you do not have to worry too much.
What are gas turbines?
Gas turbines work under the mechanism of Brayton’s law. They have a huge advantage over steam turbines because they use fossil fuels which produce a lot of energy. Gas turbines come with some important components which comprehensively work together to produce energy.
The mechanism is such that heat energy and pressure would convert steam and chemical energy into mechanical energy. This energy then gets converted into electrical energy with the help of a generator.
Importance of gas turbines
Gas turbines have changed the face of generating power in power plants. They have come a long way from steam turbines to make the field even more eminent. Gas turbines are more preferred in the power plant industry because of their ability to make better changes in the world.
For example, a very popular yet amazing aspect of these turbines is that the resources do not go to waste. Unlike steam turbines, these machines can recycle the by-product that comes out during the process. The by-product will go through the same process and generate whatever output it can. Hence, the entire fuel is getting used, increasing its efficiency to a maximum.
Troubleshooting tips for gas turbines
Regardless of how amazing a turbine is, you can encounter some problems when it comes to gas turbines. This can severely impact the output, which may lessen your revenue. Thus, before even getting into the services and the solutions, here are some troubleshooting tips that you may need to make the best out of the worst until the professionals arrive.
- Never ignore alarms even if you think they are not applicable. There are diagnostic alarms in the machine that is there to let you know that something is wrong. If you hear, one does not assume that it is rudimentary, even if it is for something less important. When you do realize the importance, do not just fix the one that went off. Inspect other places of the machine and ensure that the entire turbine is in optimum condition.
- Monitoring and controlling the platform is very important. Anything goes wrong, keep a keen eye on it and ensure that you provide effective solutions. If not, simply turn off the engine and wait for the professionals to arrive.
- When the startup of the turbine is considered, there are a number of steps that need to be followed. This is when most of the issues occur. This is why troubleshooting them is very important. It is important to keep track of the sequence and operate it properly to understand how the system is working. Starting up the engine properly by following steps is something that will take you a long way.
- Making safety checks is another thing that you should ensure when you want to troubleshoot the issue. Gas turbines work with chemicals, and they can get really dangerous without proper care and in bigger amounts. That is when ensuring that all valves are closed, and there is no oil or fuel leakage. Do all of this before starting the engine and checking through the temperature and pressure.
- When the process starts, there are primarily two gases that are released. One is carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide. They have different heating ranges, and that is when tuning comes into the picture. This is another troubleshooting tip wherein you can adjust the flame and balance the amount of heat that you are leading on.
Conclusion
Hence to conclude, hopefully, these tips will help you in the future. However, you usually need them when you do not have a properly maintained turbine. Therefore it is best to maintain your machine and conduct regular inspections. This way, you have a better operating machine for the longest time. Regardless, sometimes or the other things are bound to go south, and you may end up with a poorly functioning turbine. Well, in those cases, you can always rely on professionals for your help.
