A new white paper published by IMI calls on the power generation sector to take steps to improve valve efficiency as part of efforts to support the energy transition.
Net zero ambitions and increasingly stringent regulations mean that there is considerable pressure on plant managers to improve energy efficiency combined cycle power plants (CCPPs), with the International Energy Association (IEA) having described it as the ‘first fuel’.
Moreover, the white paper also comes against the background of CCPPs shifting towards a pattern of frequently powering up and down to fill the supply gaps left by the intermittent nature of renewables. With most CCPPs not designed for rapid cycling, this mode of operation places greater stresses on equipment, including pipework and control valves, and increases the risk of unplanned downtime.
The IMI white paper Powering the Future: How to Optimise Your Valves for the Energy Transition, examines the promise of planned predictive maintenance using cloud computing such as IMI’s Insyt tool to optimise plant operations and minimise costly and unexpected downtime.
Next, it considers the role of technologies that can help eliminate wet steam damage to extend a valve’s working life, such as IMI’s EroSolve Wet Steam, which uses specially engineered sealing surfaces and a cage to optimise the impingement angle of droplets, as well as a special erosion-resistant hard facing to extend trim life.
Finally, the white paper considers the use of innovative valve trim upgrades which substantially reduces the cost, downtime, and emissions involved in full valve replacements.