Maintenance systems of Ahuachapan power plant, El Salvador and Svartsengi power plant, Iceland : comparison and optimization porposal for the Ahuachapan maintenance system

Abstract

Maintenance processes of Svartsengi power plant (Iceland) and Ahuachapan power plant (El Salvador) are compared with the aim of proposing alternative practices in order to reduce the time required for maintenance in Ahuachapan power plant (El Salvador). In Svartsengi, much of the mechanical equipment is controlled by a predictive system and, thus, not considered part of the overhaul process, while in Ahuachapan all the mechanical equipment is overhauled. This difference between the two systems means that less time is needed for an overhaul in Svartsengi power plant. The activity which gives the greatest time difference is that of cleaning parts of the turbine; in Svartsengi, this is done by an external company which uses a water blasting procedure that reduces by half the time required in Ahuachapan, where the procedure is done manually. According to the comparison to reduce the time needed for overhauls in Ahuachapan the following activities are most important: evaluate the possibility of using the Svartsengi method for cleaning the turbine, and installing equipment available to prevent the risk of solid particles damaging bearings and servomotors and hence eliminating oil flushing. Thus, it would be possible to reduce the time required for an overhaul in Ahuachapan by five days.