Digital Technology to Increase Planned Maintenance Productivity and Quality

Avoid unplanned shutdowns when starting a power plant after planned maintenance

O&M Optimization applications from the TOMONI_® suite of intelligent solutions support the planned maintenance of power plants. It is important to prevent unplanned shutdowns when starting a power plant after planned maintenance. Mitsubishi Power has developed a site management system that utilizes digital technology to manage key maintenance tasks and control the isolation and restoration of systems.

PTW (Permit To Work) Management for centralized management of the open/closed status of manual valves in the systems subject to isolation and restoration control
GT Fuel Piping Installation Guidance for checking and recording installation positions of gas turbine fuel branch pipes
AI FME (Foreign Material Exclusion) Management for image-based checking and controlling of tools brought into and out of work areas

The use of these apps can prevent startup trips and damage to equipment resulting from errors during the isolation and restoration of systems or foreign objects being left within gas turbines. High-quality computer-based O&M Optimization tools take advantage of our accumulated expertise in maintenance planning and will contribute to more reliable power generation.

FEATURES

PTW Management: Avoid restart problems by preventing errors and omissions during system isolation and restoration

PTW (Permit To Work) Management is an app that enables centralized management of the opening and closing of manual valves and power supplies that are subject to isolation and restoration. Plans and instructions are prepared on the controlling computer for the isolation and restoration tasks of systems connected to the pieces of equipment that are subject to planned maintenance. These plans and instructions are then registered in the system. The instructions can be checked on the app at the work site using mobile devices, and once the tasks have been carried out, they can be registered as completed in the app. Outage Managers and maintenance personnel can stay abreast of work progress and the open/closed status of each manual valve in real time. It is also possible to display and register the valve positions with text.

These features enable system-based control of the isolation and restoration tasks, reducing the risk of unplanned shutdowns when the power plant is restarted. Furthermore, the app reduces the risk of hazardous material leaks such as gas and oil resulting from errors and omissions in the isolation tasks and can save time in locating manual valves.

GT Fuel Piping Installation Guidance: Avoid problems during restart by preventing mistakes in the installation of fuel branch pipes for gas turbines

GT Fuel Piping Installation Guidance is an app that checks the fuel branch pipes in the fuel gas systems of gas turbine machinery to see where they have been installed during the restoration work and whether any mistakes were made during installation. The fuel branch pipes connect the combustor nozzle to the fuel manifold piping. The app uses 3D CAD data to visualize in three dimensions where the fuel branch pipes have been installed, making it possible to check and record (QC check) that they have been installed correctly.

These features of the app prevent startup problems resulting from installation errors. When a problem occurs, identifying the cause takes time due to the large number of pipes, potentially leading to a loss of power generation. The GT Fuel Piping Installation Guidance app contributes to improving the reliability of work management and documentation.

AI FME Management: Avoiding shutdowns at restart and serious equipment damage through highly accurate control of foreign objects

AI FME (Foreign Material Exclusion) Management is an app that uses AI and image processing to document the entry and exit of tools from areas in enclosures and casings designated for the control of foreign objects during turbine disassembly and reassembly. Digital images of tools are created when they are brought into a controlled area. When such tools are taken out, AI and image processing are used to check whether the tools are the same as the tools that were brought in, preventing tools from being left behind in the foreign object control area. The image-based matching makes it possible to control not only standard but also specialized tools, reducing the risk of restart problems and potentially serious damage to turbine components. Switching from paper-based to digital control improves the quality of foreign object control. Skilled manpower can be redirected to other tasks and labor costs reduced by eliminating the need for manual checks.