Analysis of management methods and application to maintenance of geothermal power plants

Abstract

The unit cost of geothermal energy depends on the capital investment, operations and maintenance (O&M) costs. The capital costs are substantial but are incurred only at the inception of the power plant and can be optimized at the inception stage. The O&M costs are incurred throughout the life of the plant and determine the economic operation of the power plant. The greatest part of O&M costs goes to maintenance cost. To make geothermal power plants (GPPs) economical, the maintenance functions should be optimized by carefully selecting and planning the maintenance strategies that will address the maintenance needs of the plant at the least cost. This research was carried out to obtain a clear understanding of the modern management concepts and to assess their suitability to management of maintenance in geothermal power plants. The objective of the study was to propose a methodology that can be used to compare the management methods and determine a method that can optimize maintenance of GPPs to make the plants operate economically. The research involved literature review of maintenance and management methods. The maintenance methods analysed were preventive maintenance (PM), condition based maintenance (CBM) and corrective maintenance (CM). The management methods analysed were Six Sigma, Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) and Lean method. To understand the maintenance needs of GPPs, a failure mode and effect analysis was performed. The methods were assessed to determine their suitability in management of maintenance of geothermal power plants. The management methods were then compared by using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and cost model ...