One of the largest generators in the U.S., Vistra, tapped McKinsey & Company to develop a machine-learning model to improve the efficiency and emissions of the coal-fired Martin Lake Power Plant in Rusk County, Texas.

The effort began when Vistra wanted to build and deploy a heat-rate optimizer (HRO) for the plant. The company worked with McKinsey data scientists and machine learning engineers from QuantumBlack AI to build a “multilayered neural-network model,” or an AI-powered algorithm that learns about the effects of complex nonlinear relationships.

The team fed the model two years of plant data to see which combination of external factors and internal decisions could produce the optimal HRO for any given time. External factors included temperature and humidity, and internal decisions included variables that operators can control.

It wasn’t a “one-and-done” solution, though. Vistra’s team continued to provide guidance on how the plant worked and identified data sources from sensors, which McKinsey said helped its engineers refine the model by adding and removing variables to see how the heat rate changed.

Through the training process and “introducing better data,” the models eventually made predictions with 99% accuracy or higher. After running the model through a series of real-world tests, the engineers turned the model into an “AI-powered engine.” After implementing the engine, the plant’s operators received recommendations every 30 minutes on how to improve the plant’s heat-rate efficiency.

“There are things that took me 20 years to learn about these power plants,” said Lloyd Hughes, Vistra’s operations manager. “This model learned them in an afternoon.”

With higher efficiency came more carbon reduction. Martin Lake was running more than 2% more efficiently after three months of operating with the machine-learning tool, which McKinsey said resulted in savings of $4.5 million per year and 340,000 tons of abated carbon.

Following the success at the Martin Lake Power Plant, Vistra distributed the AI-enabled HRO to another 67 generation units across 26 plants, which resulted in an average of 1% improvement in efficiency, McKinsey said, in addition to more than $23 million in savings.

Overall, Vistra’s AI initiatives have helped the company avoid around 1.6 million tons of carbon per year, McKinsey said.

Read the full case study here.

Problem: Steam turbines generate most of the world’s electricity, and approximately 42% in the US_[1]. Keeping them in operation is vital. Condensation in the low-pressure stage can result in corrosion pitting and corrosion fatigue. These failure mechanisms are two of the most common factors impacting repair and operating expenses. When cracks begin forming at the site of these mechanisms, the component, often a blade, must be replaced. Between the actual component replacement cost and the downtime required, the replacement process can cost millions of dollars. Sometimes replacement blades are new, but they’re often refurbished blades that have been weld-repaired and returned to service. This leads to the recurrence of many failures as condensation and resulting corrosion damage usually form in the same areas_[2].  

The primary way to address corrosion damage is by minimizing the chance of it forming. Martensitic stainless steels are often utilized in the production of parts because of the mild corrosion resistance offered by chromium_[3]. Coatings are commonly applied to provide further resistance. Shallow compression is provided by shot peening. Operators attempt to control the chemistry of the vapors entering the steam turbines to minimize impurities_[4]. All of these efforts offer protection, albeit with some disadvantages. Resistance through material selection is mild. Coatings wear over time and eventually require re-application. Surface damage can easily penetrate the relatively shallow layer of compression provided by shot peening. Ridding the vapors of impurities is challenging and offers no guarantee that corrosion will not still form.

Solution: Engineered compression has been proven to significantly improve the damage tolerance of many materials and components. This study examines the use of deep-engineered compression to combat corrosion pitting and corrosion fatigue in Alloy 450, a martensitic stainless steel widely employed in steam turbine blade manufacturing.

Specimen Design

Fatigue specimens were specially designed to test the benefits of compressive residual stress in 4-point bending. Samples were finished machined using low stress grinding (LSG). To simulate surface damage from any source (handling, FOD, corrosion pitting, or erosion), a semi-elliptical surface notch with a depth of a_o = 0.01 in. (0.25 mm) and surface length of 2c_o = 0.06 in. (1.5 mm) was introduced by electrical discharge machining (EDM). EDM produces a pre-cracked recast layer that is in residual tension at the bottom of the notch, producing a large fatigue debit with a high k_f.

Processing

Low plasticity burnishing (LPB®) was selected to impart the engineered compression due to the depth and stability of compression, as well as the ease of application. Process parameters were developed to impart a depth and magnitude of compression on the order of 0.04 in. (1 mm), sufficient to mitigate the simulated damage. Figure 1 shows a set of eight fatigue specimens in the process of being low plasticity burnished on the four-axis manipulator in a CNC milling machine.

Testing

Active corrosion fatigue tests were conducted in an acidic salt solution containing 3.5 wt% NaCl (pH = 3.5). At the start of cyclic loading, filter papers soaked with the solution were wrapped around the gauge section of the fatigue test specimen and sealed with a polyethylene film to avoid evaporation. There was no exposure to the corrosive solution before the fatigue tests. LPB and LSG baseline samples were tested with and without EDM damage. A few LPB samples were tested with increased damage levels of 2x to analyze the treatment’s effectiveness with deeper damage.

X-ray diffraction residual stress measurements were made to characterize the residual stress distribution from LPB. The results of these measurements are shown in Figure 2. Maximum compression is nominally -140 ksi (-965 MPa) at the surface, decreasing to zero over a depth of about 0.035 in. (0.89 mm). The corrosion fatigue performance in acidic NaCl solution is shown in Figure 3. The LSG baseline condition is compared with LPB with and without the EDM notch. With no notch, the baseline fatigue strength at 10⁷ cycles is nominally 100 ksi (689 MPa). The 0.01 in. (0.25 mm) deep EDM notch decreases the baseline fatigue strength to approximately 10% of its original value. The fatigue lives at higher stresses show a corresponding decrease of over an order of magnitude resulting from the notch. Unnotched LPB processed samples have a fatigue strength of about 160 ksi (1100 MPa). The notch had a marginal effect on the LPB fatigue strength, reducing it to 125 ksi (862 MPa), well above the fatigue strength of the undamaged baseline specimens. LPB-treated samples containing the 2x damage depth had fatigue lives comparable to undamaged LSG specimens within the limits of experimental scatter.

Conclusion

LPB imparted highly beneficial compressive residual stresses on the surface, sufficient to withstand pitting and/or surface damage up to a depth of nominally 0.02 in. (0.51 mm). LPB resulted in more than a 50% increase in corrosion fatigue strength without surface damage and a 12x increase in strength with 0.01 in. (0.25 mm) deep damage. The depth and magnitude of surface compression are responsible for improving fatigue strength.

The application of LPB effectively enhances corrosion damage tolerance, as shown by the improved fatigue strength even in the presence of simulated damage. The process has been used successfully in many power applications since the early 2000s. Implementing engineered compression with LPB significantly improves the durability and performance of steam turbine components, ultimately reducing costs associated with maintenance and downtime.

References

[1] US Energy Information Administration, “How Electricity is Generated.” https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/electricity/how-electricity-is-generated.php October, 2023.

[2] R. Ravindranath, N. Jayaraman & P. Prevey, “Fatigue life Extension of Steam Turbine Alloys Using Low Plasticity Burnishing (LPB).” Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2010: Power for Land, Sea and Air. Glasgow, UK, June 14-18, 2010.

[3] A. Rivaz, S.H. Mousavi Anijdan, M. Moazami-Goudarzi, “Failure Analysis and Damage Causes of a Steam Turbine Blade of 410 Martensitic Stainless Steel After 165,000 H of Working.” Engineering Failure Analysis, Volume 113, 2020.

[4] Zhou, S, Turnbull, A, “Steam Turbine Operating Conditions, Chemistry of Condensates, and Environment Assisted Cracking – A Critical Review.” NPL Report MATC (A) 95, May, 2002.

About the Author: As Research Engineer for both the Surface Integrity and Process Optimization (SIPO) laboratory and the Corrosion Characterization laboratory at Lambda Research, Kyle Brandenburg is part of a team responsible for providing materials testing solutions to clients. Additionally, the SIPO and Corrosion labs conduct in-house research and testing pertaining to the surface enhancement and optimization of materials and components. Laboratory capabilities include high and low cycle fatigue studies, DC electrochemical corrosion testing, stress corrosion cracking, and supporting capabilities like hardness testing, heat treating, SEM and metallographic analysis, and shot peening.

kbrandenburg@lambdatechs.com

www.lambdatechs.com

Terry Schoenborn has certainly noticed this renewed interest, which he attributes to projected rising electricity demand from data centers and manufacturing.

“In the last 10 years, there hasn’t been as many new greenfield sites going in, but we’re starting to see some of that activity pick up,” said Schoenborn, who is Senior Vice President of Operations and Maintenance (O&M) at EthosEnergy.

This was just one trend discussed in a recent interview with Schoenborn, who highlighted the evolving market dynamics that are shaping plant O&M.

Plants are changing hands

Schoenborn told us there is a lot of Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activity right now in the power generation market, driven by factors like the Inflation Reduction Act and a renewed interest in reliable gas capacity.

“I just think it’s a dynamic market right now,” he said, “and there are opportunities for investors to take advantage.”

As assets flip, adaptation is important for EthosEnergy, which has operated more than 100 generation facilities (mostly gas) dating back to its inception in 2014.

For example, the company was recently awarded O&M contracts for six natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) plants in Mexico. This was shortly after the Iberdrola-owned facilities were sold to private equity firm Mexico Infrastructure Partners (MIP).

When EthosEnergy takes over O&M for multiple, let alone six plants at once, the process of scaling up manpower and training can be challenging. The work starts with assessing the condition and staffing levels of those facilities.

Schoenborn said some plants EthosEnergy takes on are in good condition and others require more care and effort.

“We may have to have more resources, spend time at that plant to get it up to speed or the level that our customers expect,” said Schoenborn.

A plant’s condition often depends on where it is in its lifecycle and how much a customer thinks it can extract out of it, he said.

“It could be just as simple as, if the customer knew they were selling the asset, they are probably not going to invest as much into it,” he said. “So it just gets into disrepair.”

While EthosEnergy has close to 800 employees in its O&M division, the company has brought in approximately 100-150 just in the last two years as it has taken on new contracts.

The importance of peaking power

Gas turbines are taking an increasingly important role as peaking power sources, since they can be ramped up and down quickly to meet demand spikes, filling in gaps when renewable resources are not generating electricity.

For that reason EthosEnergy earlier this year launched its Houston-based Performance Center, where the company monitors generators in 20 different countries.

The center combines 24/7 remote start-stop capabilities with monitoring and diagnostics. EthosEnergy operators control start-stop operations through encrypted cyber-secure VPN technology. They can use video surveillance to monitor a customer’s assets using real-time thermal imaging.

Schoenborn noted a lot of peaking plants with low capacity factors are fully-staffed and operate almost on-call. He said using the performance center is a good solution to optimize the reliability of these assets that sit idle most of the time, and from a cost perspective.

“We felt like it was a something we needed to have to play in this market,” Schoenborn told us.

Schoenborn said the capabilities of the performance center have opened up new discussions with customers, particularly as the energy transition may run slower than anticipated.

As customers target aggressive net-zero goals, EthosEnergy works with them to develop realistic maintenance strategies. Schoenborn emphasized the importance of maintaining reliability without overinvesting in assets that could be repurposed or shut down in the near-future.

“How we’re working with them is saying, ‘Let’s really sit down and talk about what maintenance you need to have to make sure you maintain the same level of reliability,’” he said.

Watch the full interview with Terry Schoenborn above.

The Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop was organized in the early 1980s as a conference to provide solid, practical information about steam generation chemistry, makeup water and cooling water treatment, air emissions control, environmental regulations and other topics to power plant personnel in the Great Lakes region.

Direct utility participation and abundant networking opportunities were key features of the EUCW. These benefits attracted personnel from other parts of the country, and now, as the workshop emerges from the disruption of the pandemic, we are seeing more national and international participation, including this year from Power Engineering’s/POWERGEN International’s Kevin Clark. A heretofore somewhat overlooked benefit of this conference is its potential value for those employed at cogeneration and large industrial plants, as water/steam treatment issues cut across many industries.

The following discussion highlights several important topics from this year’s event. The positive response to the diversity of topics has the committee considering a rename of the conference to the Electric Utility and Cogeneration Chemistry Workshop (EUC²W).

Cooling water

Virtually all large industrial plants have multiple cooling water systems. While some large heat exchangers such as power plant steam surface condensers may be on once-through cooling, many cooling systems are of the open-recirculating design that have a cooling tower as the core heat discharge process.

A universal feature of cooling towers is that evaporation increases the dissolved and suspended solids concentration of the recirculating water, which requires a combination of blowdown and precise chemistry control to minimize scale formation and corrosion. (Sidestream filtration is a common, but not always employed method for suspended solids removal.¹) Furthermore, cooling systems provide an excellent environment for microbiological fouling that can cause extreme problems.

With the substantial aid of expert colleagues, this author has discussed cooling water treatment methods and program evolution numerous times during the last 15 years of the EUCW. Key points include:

• The very popular acid/chromate programs of the middle of the last century have disappeared due to concerns over the toxicity of hexavalent chromium (Cr⁶⁺).
• The primary replacement programs relied on inorganic and organic phosphates, with perhaps a small dosage of zinc, for scale and corrosion protection. However, calcium phosphate deposition became a major problem with these programs, requiring development of polymers to control this deposition. In recent years, concerns have dramatically grown about phosphate in cooling tower blowdown and its influence on receiving water bodies such as lakes and rivers. Phosphorus is a primary nutrient for algae growth in surface waters.
• The major water treatment companies have developed non-phosphorus (non-P) programs that rely on specialized organic compounds and additives to establish a direct barrier on metal surfaces to minimize corrosion. The formulations typically include advanced polymeric compounds for scale control.
• Microbiological fouling control continues to be of paramount importance. However, the higher pH (typically near or slightly above 8) of modern scale/corrosion control programs can reduce the efficacy of chlorine (usually fed as bleach) treatment. Alternative oxidizers such as chlorine dioxide and monochloramine may be more effective in these moderately alkaline environments. Periodic treatment with non-oxidizing biocides can also be beneficial. Careful evaluation is necessary for selection of the best treatment method. And, changes to a biocide feed program are not allowed without approval of the proper regulatory authorities.

Makeup water treatment

Makeup water treatment technology has evolved substantially in the last several decades. This section provides an overview of important developments, starting with a fundamental requirement for new projects and finishing with discussion directly related to co-generation and industrial applications.

Importance of comprehensive raw water analyses

One of this author’s important tasks for several years was review of proposed makeup water treatment configurations for new combined cycle power plants and other industrial facilities. Comprehensive, and ideally historical, raw water chemistry data is very important to correctly size and select treatment systems and treatment programs, but only on rare occasions did the design specs for new projects contain complete analyses. Even when a report offered comprehensive data, it was usually based on a single “snapshot” analysis. The chemistry of many supplies can change significantly over seasons and often after heavy precipitation, necessitating the need for more than a single analysis. Cases are known in which the original treatment system had to be replaced because it could not process the makeup water per improper design based on faulty or missing raw water quality data. Understandably, replacement costs were quite large.

Pretreatment system evolution

In the last century, clarification/sand filtration was a standard method for raw water suspended solids removal. Clarifiers were typically circular in shape and had a large footprint to allow the particles produced by coagulation and flocculation to settle into a sludge blanket within the outer clarifier zone. A common metric for clarifier operation is the rise rate, which is the ratio in gallons-per-minute of effluent divided by the surface area at the top of the clarifier. A reasonable rise rate for large circular clarifiers was around 1 gpm/ft². Periodic sludge blowdown is important to maintain the blanket at a proper depth.

Detailed discussion of clarifier evolution is beyond the scope of this article, but a modern clarifier technology, which utilizes microsand ballast that is recycled to the process, is shown in Figure 3.

An immediate observation is the rectangular nature of the unit and the inclined plates (lamella style) to improve floc settling. A key feature is the use of microsand to enhance floc formation, with sand recovery and recycle in hydrocyclones. Rise rates of 25 gpm/ft² or greater may be possible in such units, greatly reducing the footprint.

It should be noted that other similar systems have appeared. A prime example is Xylem’s CoMag® process with a ballast material of the iron oxide, magnetite (Fe₃O₄). This process has emerged as a treatment method for some industrial wastewaters containing heavy metals, where some metals co-precipitate with magnetite and are directly removed from solution.

Yet another twist to makeup water treatment is the increasing use of alternative sources, most notably municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent, for industrial plant makeup. These waters may require additional treatment equipment such as membrane bioreactors (MBR) or moving-bed bioreactors (MBBR) to reduce the concentrations of microbiological nutrients and food.^{1, 3}

Advancements in high-purity water production for utility boilers

When this author began his career in the early 1980s, a very common method for high-purity makeup production for utility boilers was pretreatment by clarification/filtration followed by ion exchange (IX) for dissolved solids reduction to part-per-billion (ppb) concentrations. The typical but by no means exclusive IX arrangement was strong acid cation (SAC)-strong base anion (SBA)-mixed bed (MB). This process proved effective, but service runs were relatively short, especially with feed water having high dissolved solids concentrations. An outcome was frequent IX resin regenerations that consumed significant quantities of acid and caustic.

Within the last four decades, the membrane technology of reverse osmosis (RO) has evolved and become quite mature. RO membranes can remove 99% of dissolved solids, which made them ideal for retrofit at plants with IX units and excellent as the core demineralization process in new makeup systems. Also emerging during this time period was membrane-based micro- and ultrafiltration (MF and UF, respectively) pretreatment technology.

In many cases, these units can replace clarifiers/filters for suspended solids removal of RO feed water. (The author once initiated a project to replace an aging clarifier with MF at a former power plant, and the unit performed superbly.) Accordingly, a common makeup water configuration for modern combined cycle power plants is MF (or UF) / RO / MB polishing. Popular is an arrangement that includes mixed-bed portable units, aka “bottles,” that an outside vendor swaps out and regenerates at their facility.

Paradoxically, makeup water treatment for low pressure boilers (<600 psig) may be more troublesome than for high-pressure units, but the difficulties can be mindset- rather than technology-based. Because low-pressure boilers have reduced heat fluxes as compared to utility boilers, makeup quality requirements are more relaxed.⁴ Critical, however, is hardness removal to minimize the potential for scale formation. Ion exchange sodium softening, sometimes with downstream dealkalization, has been a popular technique for decades. Sodium softeners are straightforward to operate, and resin regeneration only requires simple brine solutions.

Unfortunately, way too many cases are known where plant management has focused on process chemistry and engineering to the neglect of water treatment support, both from an infrastructure and staffing perspective. Periodic softener upsets (and sometimes complete unit failure) allow hardness excursions. Figure 4 illustrates one outcome.

One of the first items a consultant often examines when called in to investigate boiler tube failures is softener operating history. Further information is available in references 3 and 5.

Cogeneration presents a wild card with condensate return

One other major issue exists when comparing cogeneration/industrial boiler operation to utility units. The water/steam path for fossil-fired power boilers is usually straightforward. Steam produced in the boiler and superheater/reheater drives a turbine to generate electricity. The turbine exhaust steam is condensed in a water-cooled (or perhaps air-cooled) condenser, with the condensate returning directly to the boiler. The condensate and steam typically remain pure unless a condenser cooling water leak, or, more rarely, a makeup water system upset, introduces contaminants. The situation is often quite different at co-generation and large industrial plants, where condensate may come from a variety of heat exchangers and processes. Impurities can potentially include inorganic ions, suspended solids, acids and alkalis, and organic compounds.

Depending on the intermediate and final products that circulate through process heat exchangers and reaction vessels, a wide variety of compounds can potentially enter the condensate. These impurities include inorganic ions, acids and bases, suspended solids, and organics. The author once visited a chemical plant where organic contamination of the condensate return caused foaming in four, 550 psig package boilers, which in turn required frequent and costly superheater replacements.

Several possibilities may be available to minimize impurity transport from condensate to steam generators. The root cause solution is to repair heat exchanger leaks and eliminate problems at the source. This may be easier said than done given that large plants can have dozens if not hundreds of heat exchangers with complicated configurations.

Condensate polishing is a viable option in some cases. For example, ion exchange is a mature technology for removing inorganic ions from condensate (it is an absolute requirement for protecting supercritical power boilers). Activated carbon may perhaps be effective for some organic compounds, but molecular size, presence of active groups, and other factors can influence the reactivity of the organics towards carbon. Laboratory and pilot testing are often needed to determine the viability of activated carbon polishing.

Sometimes necessary (and as Figure 4 includes) are automatic dump valves that, as the name implies, dump the condensate to drain if on-line instrumentation detects contaminant ingress. Of course, condensate dumping requires increased makeup water production and it adds to the load on a plant’s wastewater treatment system.

A key takeaway from this section is that while several solutions may be available to protect boilers from condensate contamination, careful analysis and testing is necessary to determine the proper solution. But the investment can pay for itself many times over.

Conclusion

Many industries face water/steam treatment issues that are well known in the power industry. The EUCW is a place to hear presentations and participate in valuable discussions about these issues and modern technologies to address them. Because I am also actively involved with POWERGEN International, I hope to address several of these topics at PGI 2025 next January.

References

1. Water Essentials Handbook (Tech. Ed.: B. Buecker). ChemTreat, Inc., Glen Allen, VA, 2023.  Currently being released in digital format at https://www.chemtreat.com/.
2. R. Post, B. Buecker, and S. Shulder, “Power Plant Cooling Water Fundamentals”; pre-conference seminar for the 37^th Annual Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop, June 6, 2017, Champaign, Ill.
3. B. Buecker and E. Sylvester, “Foundational and Modern Concepts in Makeup Water Treatment”; pre-conference seminar for the 42^nd Annual Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop, June 4, 2024, Champaign, Ill.
4. Consensus on Operating Practices for the Control of Feedwater and Boiler Water Chemistry in Modern Industrial Boilers, The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, New York, NY, 2021.
5. E. Sylvester, “Makeup Water Treatment Processes – Ignore at Your Peril”; presentation at the 42^nd Annual Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop, June 4-6, 2024, Champaign, Ill.

About the Author: Brad Buecker is president of Buecker & Associates, LLC, consulting and technical writing/marketing. Most recently he served as a senior technical publicist with ChemTreat, Inc. He has many years of experience in or supporting the power industry, much of it in steam generation chemistry, water treatment, air quality control, and results engineering positions with City Water, Light & Power (Springfield, Ill.) and Kansas City Power & Light Company’s (now Evergy) La Cygne, Kan., station. His work has also included eleven years with two engineering firms, Burns & McDonnell and Kiewit, and he spent two years as acting water/wastewater supervisor at a chemical plant. Buecker has a B.S. in chemistry from Iowa State University with additional course work in fluid mechanics, energy and materials balances, and advanced inorganic chemistry. He has authored or co-authored over 250 articles for various technical trade magazines, and he has written three books on power plant chemistry and air pollution control. He is a member of the ACS, AIChE, AIST, ASME, AWT, CTI, the Electric Utility Chemistry Workshop planning committee, and he is active with the International Water Conference and POWERGEN International.

The utility sector is undergoing a significant transformation driven by technological advancements. Traditional inspection methods, characterized by manual labor-intensive processes, are not only time-consuming but also fraught with risks due to the dangerous environments they often involve.

The integration of drone technology is emerging as a pivotal innovation, offering a safer, faster, and more cost-effective alternative for inspecting critical infrastructure. This shift is not just about replacing old methods but revolutionizing the approach to utility maintenance and management, setting a new standard for operational efficiency and worker safety. 

The challenge of traditional utility inspections

Traditionally, utility inspections involved direct, manual interaction with infrastructure, often requiring physical climbing and direct contact with high-voltage equipment. This method exposed workers to significant risks and was highly dependent on human skill and experience in the field, which varied greatly. The advent of drone technology has transformed this scenario.

Drones eliminate the need for physical presence in dangerous areas, thereby reducing risk and increasing the safety of the inspection process. Furthermore, the historical evolution from manual checks to remote inspections illustrates a broader trend of digital transformation in the utility industry, highlighting a shift towards embracing innovative technologies to enhance safety and efficiency. 

How aerial robotics enhance safety and efficiency

Drones have revolutionized utility inspections by providing advanced aerial surveillance capabilities. Today’s drones are equipped with thermal imaging, high-resolution cameras, and advanced sensors that can detect issues beyond human capability. These technological enhancements allow for the detailed analysis of infrastructures such as power lines, dams, substations, and pipelines from safe distances, drastically reducing the risk to human inspectors and increasing the accuracy and scope of data collected. 

1. Reducing Risk: Drones decrease the need for workers to physically access dangerous or difficult-to-reach areas. By conducting aerial inspections, drones keep workers safely on the ground, significantly reducing the risk of accidents and injuries associated with elevated or hazardous area work. 

2. Comprehensive Data Collection: Skydio drones are equipped with advanced sensors and cameras that capture high-resolution images and data from multiple angles. This capability allows for a more thorough inspection of infrastructure than what is typically possible with manual inspections. The detailed imagery helps identify potential issues before they become critical, ensuring timely maintenance and preventing costly outages. 

3. Operational Efficiency: Deploying drones for inspections drastically reduces the time required to assess utility assets. What used to take several days and multiple crew members can now be accomplished in a few hours with just one drone operator. This efficiency not only cuts down operational costs but also speeds up the decision-making process, allowing utility companies to act swiftly on maintenance needs. 

The user-friendly nature of modern drone technology

One of the standout features of modern drone technology is its user-friendliness. Designed with autonomy and ease-of-use in mind, these drones can be operated by personnel with minimal training, thanks to: 

1. Autonomous Navigation: Autonomous drones are equipped with AI-driven autonomous navigation systems that can avoid obstacles and adapt to new environments in real-time. This reduces the operator’s workload and minimizes the risk of human error during flights, while giving peace of mind to reduce the learning curve. 

2. Pre-programmed Flight Paths: Operators can pre-define flight paths, allowing drones to conduct routine inspections without constant manual control. This feature is particularly beneficial for regular maintenance checks of widespread utility networks. 

3. Remote Operations: Drones can also be operated remotely, which is crucial for inspecting areas that are either too risky or remote for human access. Remote operation allows utility companies to manage inspections from a central location, enhancing the safety and efficiency of their field operations. PG&E operates one of the largest and most advanced drone-based equipment inspection programs in the world and recently became the first utility in California to begin conducting fully remote drone operations for electric system inspections – they recently released a 3 minute video showcasing their remote operations.  

4. Automated Inspections and Emergency Response: Automated dock-based systems enable automated drone inspections and rapid deployment during emergencies. Drones housed in these docks can launch automatically when needed, perform predetermined inspection routes, and return for charging without human intervention. This capability is particularly useful for continuous monitoring and immediate response following incidents like storms or equipment failures. 

Real-world application and impact

Drones are not just theoretical enhancements; they have proven their value in real-world applications across the utility sector. For example, after adopting drone technology for regular inspections, a leading power company in California noted a 55% reduction in inspection time and a significant decrease in labor costs. The drones equipped with thermal imaging identified potential failure points in high-voltage cables that were previously undetected by manual inspections, allowing for preemptive maintenance and avoiding costly outages. 

The integration of easy-to-use AI-enabled drones is setting a new standard for safety and efficiency in utility inspections. As this technology continues to evolve, it promises to further enhance the way utilities manage their infrastructure, prioritize maintenance tasks, and safeguard their employees. The future of utility inspections is here, and it flies—safely and efficiently. 

Regulatory and safety considerations

The use of drones in utility inspections also involves navigating a complex regulatory landscape. In the United States, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) provides guidelines that govern drone flights, particularly around critical infrastructure. Compliance with these regulations ensures that drone operations do not interfere with manned aircraft and are conducted safely. Additionally, drones help utility companies adhere to stringent safety standards by minimizing the need for human presence in potentially hazardous situations, thereby reducing accident rates and enhancing overall workplace safety. 

Future trends and predictions

The future of drone technology in utility inspections is poised for significant advancements. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) is enhancing the autonomous capabilities of drones, enabling both the drone and the data end users to make real-time decisions during inspections. Furthermore, the adoption of 5G technology will likely improve data transmission speeds, allowing for real-time data analysis. Predictive analytics will play a crucial role, using data collected by drones to forecast potential issues and schedule maintenance, thus shifting from a reactive to a proactive maintenance strategy. 

Economic impact of drone adoption

The adoption of drones significantly impacts the economic landscape of utility operations. By reducing the need for manual labor, drones decrease operational costs and minimize the risk of costly accidents and insurance claims. Moreover, the efficiency brought by drones allows for more frequent and thorough inspections, which helps prevent major failures and extends the lifespan of utility assets. This shift not only saves money in terms of immediate costs but also optimizes long-term investment in infrastructure maintenance. 

Interviews and expert opinions

Industry experts emphasize the transformative impact of drones. “The adoption of drones has not only increased our operational efficiency but also significantly enhanced our ability to maintain our infrastructure proactively,” notes the CEO of a regional power company. Such testimonials underscore the strategic value of drones, highlighting their role in not just maintaining but actively improving utility infrastructure management. 

Comparison with traditional methods

Comparing drones to traditional methods illuminates their benefits. Where manual inspections often entail significant downtime, risk, and inconsistency, drones offer a reliable alternative that provides consistent data quality, enhances safety, and reduces operational costs. However, the transition to drone technology also presents challenges, such as the need for specialized training and integration into existing technological ecosystems, which utility companies must navigate to fully leverage drone capabilities. 

The integration of aerial robotics in utility inspections marks a critical step towards a safer, more efficient future. This technology not only enhances the capabilities of utility companies in maintaining their infrastructure but also aligns with broader industry trends towards automation and data-driven management. As drones continue to evolve, incorporating advanced AI, longer flight times, and greater data processing capabilities, their role in the utility sector is set to expand. This shift promises not just incremental improvements, but a fundamental transformation of utility maintenance practices—ushering in an era of unprecedented efficiency and safety. 

About Skydio 

Skydio is the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology. Founded with the mission to make the world more productive, creative, and safe with autonomous flight, Skydio leverages breakthrough AI to create drones that are incredibly capable and easy to use. Trusted by consumers, enterprises, and government agencies, Skydio drones provide robust, innovative solutions across a wide range of applications, from emergency response to asset inspection, ensuring safety and efficiency in operations. To learn more about Skydio’s solutions for utility inspection, click here.  

Carbon is the key to sustained success in many businesses nowadays. According to the Ember climate organization, Europe’s gas-fired power stations emitted some 236 million [metric tons] of emissions in 2020. Currently, emissions allowance prices in the EU are hovering around the EUR80/[metric ton] mark suggesting an overhead of nearly a quarter of a billion euros every year in Europe alone.

Furthermore, similar emissions schemes also operate or are under development in Canada, China, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Switzerland and the United States. But not only is there a financial cost to emissions, there are shareholder and customer expectations to consider too. Today there are countless examples of shareholder resolutions that hold company boards to account on climate action, while increasingly companies are looking right down the supply chain for carbon savings too.

For the owners and operators of gas turbine-based power plants, under these circumstances, any measures that can save carbon emissions are clearly to be welcomed. Apart from anything else, a reduction in carbon emissions is typically also translated as an improvement in system efficiency. This is a factor that will often dwarf the cost of emissions allowance purchases, even while those are a significant cost burden.

Getting the best out of gas

Modern advanced gas turbines are of course a marvel of optimization and overall system efficiency can exceed 60% in combined cycle. However, other such assets may still be operating after many decades and as such many do not necessarily benefit from the latest technology advances. An example comes from the air inlet filtration system.

Turbines can be located in heavily polluted industrial or urban areas but even in more rural districts agricultural processes can result in a substantial loading of airborne materials.

These materials and contaminants within the air stream include dust and other particulates, water, salts, hydrocarbons or even insects, and can have a surprisingly big impact on turbine efficiency. If such materials enter the turbine, they impinge on the compressor section or possibly deeper internals where they can be deposited on the blades or even cause erosion. This has a dramatic and negative effect on aerodynamic efficiency, which is directly recorded in the turbine’s output. Avoiding this outcome is the primary role of the air inlet filtration system.

Even so, some of these airborne materials inevitably do find their way through into the machine, especially smaller particulates. Given this normal outcome of running the machine, it is typical for operators to conduct periodic off-line washes of the compressor section. Such service washes allow operators to clean the surface and restore aerodynamic performance. Of course, this mode of operation does result in downtime and lost production as the washing process is executed but is also characterized by a drop-off in compressor performance in between washdown cycles. Any performance reduction is associated with increased fuel production and lower output and therefore a fouled compressor is equivalent to an increase in the specific mass of CO₂ produced per MWh of output.

For older machines with less efficient filtration systems, materials build up on the blades far more quickly when compared with more advanced filtration systems. This in turn means that the anticipated performance drop-off occurs more frequently than might be expected for the modern generation of machines. The reasons behind this difference are simply related to the design of the filtration system.

Older filtration technology typically delivers efficiency levels of around M6/F7, which will filter out particulates from about 1.0µm up to 3.0µm in diameter. However, the earlier M6/F7 rated filters have long been superseded and the latest generation of filtration units have efficiency ratings as high as E10-12. Such systems filter out particles down to 0.3µm without impacting other performance parameters such as the pressure loss through the filter house. In addition to advancements in filtration efficiency, technological of media, such as hydrophobic/oleophobic treatments, offer additional gains that would not have been possible during earlier iterations of filtration media. This big step up in filtration efficiency and media technology essentially leaves compressor blades cleaner for much longer and thus aerodynamic performance is sustained for extended periods compared with earlier filter designs. This then reduces the frequency of offline wash treatments and supports higher efficiency of the overall system.

While older M6/F7 rated filters might be considered to deliver a medium level of protection by modern standards, even a step up to F8-9 rated filters, which can remove particles between 0.3µm and 1.0µm, or the addition of hydrophobic/oleophobic treatments will result in a noticeable uptick in performance. For a 350 MW machine that is running for 8,000 hours or more every year even a few percentage points gained in efficiency can represent a significant reduction in emissions. 

Retrofitting uprated filtration systems

While some gas turbine units have been installed for many years and are not currently benefiting from the advances in filtration technology that can improve performance, upgrades are possible. Indeed, switching to a higher efficiency filtration has been proven to dramatically arrest the rate at which performance declines. With sufficient care, such systems can typically be retrofitted to existing installations.

Parker Hannifin’s clearcurrent® gas turbine inlet systems have been tailored for specific environmental conditions, such as damp coastal regions, or dry and dusty deserts. They are also more suitable to maintain performance in the face of the growing challenges of climate change.

A recent example, from spring 2023, was found in North America where extensive forest fires in Canada resulted in a big increase in airborne particulates from the smoke that blew south into the United States. One utility with multiple generations of gas turbine technology operated a range of filtration technologies. Operators noticed that at various older plants, they lost 5-8 MW of output during this event due to compressor fouling. The older plants were using traditional non-hydrophobic nano-fiber filtration that has been on the market for 20+ years. The end result was additional downtime to perform an offline water wash, but this was after an extensive period of time running below optimal performance until the forest fires subsided. Overall, the result was multiple penalties both in terms of a dollar cost and CO₂ emissions to the atmosphere.

Within the same fleet the utility had a newer 1,500 MW plant using advanced gas turbines which fared much better. This plant was using a modern filtration technology with a higher efficiency and hydrophobic/oleophobic treatment. The utility noted this plant was untouched from the smoke of the fires and compressor cleanliness was great.  Even a small loss on a 1,500 MW plant would have a big impact and recognizing this the utility is now investigating a filtration upgrade for its other plants. In spring 2024, a plant with 600 MW capacity will make an upgrade to the modern filtration standard which is a great win for the cleaner more efficient world of gas power.

The future of frontline filtration

By offering better protection from compressor fouling, machines have better efficiency and increased power. This all adds up to lower carbon emissions, as well as lower operations and maintenance costs, with fewer wash cycles, for example.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports that in 2021, power generation from natural gas resulted in 1.6 million [metric tons] of CO₂ emissions across the nation. Improving this by even a few percentage points would add up to a substantial contribution to net-zero targets. An upgraded filtration system has been proven to result in up to a 0.7% improvement in CO₂ emissions on an annual basis.

Then, there are financial impacts given the scale of the opportunity, but perhaps more important are the shareholder and customer expectations of robust action on climate damaging emissions. For the owners and operators of gas turbines, this is a growing risk – the pressure is on for better climate performance where possible.

Enlit on the Road visited Principle Power at WindFloat Atlantic Project’s base in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, to learn why the O&M phase of a floating offshore wind project is one of the most important elements of ensuring project success.

“The operational maintenance phase of the project is the most exciting phase of the lifetime of the project. This is the phase where we ensure that the lifetime of the project is achieved with the most successful energetic output,” says Clara de Moura Santos, VP of operations and maintenance at Principle Power.

“These [floating] platforms will sit offshore for ~25 years. Ensuring that the lifetime of the project is achieved is to a large extent connected with the success of the operational phase of the project.”

De Moura Santos shares the lessons learned from WindFloat Atlantic, a project that has been operating since 2019 and is owned by the WindPlus consortium, formed by Ocean Winds (85%), Repsol and Principle Power.

The project currently provides green energy to about 25,000 homes annually.

WindFloat Atlantic is a first-of-its-kind

According to Principle Power, which provides all O&M-related support for WindFloat Atlantic, this innovative 25MW project is the first full-scale project using semi-submersible patented WindFloat technology and is also the first floating wind farm in continental Europe.

It is located ~18km off the coast of Viana do Castelo in water approximately 100m deep. It features three 8.4MW Vestas turbines installed on top of three semi-submersible WindFloat platforms. The platforms are anchored to the seabed with a catenary mooring line system.

Each triangular floating platform consists of three interconnected vertical columns, with one attached to the base of the wind turbine tower. According to Principle Power, the platforms are further stabilized with Water-Entrapment Plates (WEP) at the bottom of the three pillars. A Hull Trim System, consisting of a system of tanks filled with water, also keeps the wind turbine tower upright to optimize its performance.

O&M at WindFloat Atlantic floating offshore wind project

De Moura Santos emphasizes that all O&M-related activities, which begin once the project is commissioned, are geared toward ensuring uptime.

“We need to ensure that the turbines are spinning and generating power to the biggest extent possible.”

What makes operating and maintaining a floating offshore wind farm unique, states de Moura Santos, is that there are more parts to be maintained than a bottom-fixed offshore project, but less downtime can be afforded.

“…We need to ensure that we are efficient in planning and executing the operations in a way that no further downtime is added…Despite having a floating platform to be maintained.”

Maximizing uptime results from an effective maintenance plan that accounts for the unique constraints of performing activities offshore, in terms of quality, health and safety and complexity, de Moura Santos adds.

Pillars of operational maintenance

All maintenance activities can be split between the three pillars of maintenance, explains to de Moura Santos.

The first pillar is preventive maintenance activities that need to be conducted to ensure that equipment does not fail.

The second pillar is corrective maintenance, which needs to be conducted because, at some point, equipment is prone to failure and needs to be corrected.

The third pillar is inspections, activities that are undertaken to ensure that the structural integrity of the platform is never compromised.

Of course, all maintenance phases of the project are supported by remote monitoring, states de Moura Santos: “Remote monitoring enables us to have a look at key parameters and key aspects of the operation.”

Gathering information about how the asset is performing is critical, de Moura Santos explains, as it allows for comparing how the asset is performing and how it was designed to perform. That information enables the team to plan interventions offshore in a way that minimizes project downtime.

Exploring digitalisation

Principle Power has been actively exploring advancements like digital twin solutions. De Moura Santos suggests that implementing and these solutions will introduce great benefits to the operational phase of the projects, enabling a shift from schedule-based to risk-based inspections..

“If instead of going offshore because we have a schedule to fulfil we’re going offshore because we understand the real status of components and structure, then we will be able to plan operations in the most efficient way, ensuring the most uptime.”

Principle Power is also exploring other solutions that rely on the robotization of day-to-day activities. The large-scale pilot Atlantis Test Center in Viana do Castelo is working to increase efficiency and decrease the risk of offshore operations by demonstrating key enabling robotic technologies for the inspection and maintenance of offshore wind farms.

Originally published in Enlit World.

The power generation landscape is at a pivotal juncture, with the integration of AI-powered technology marking a significant leap towards operational excellence fueled by the necessity to address expanding scope amid dwindling resources. Technology is paving the path toward condition-based maintenance (CBM), offering tools that set the stage for a truly modern approach to improving grid resiliency.

Decision-making challenges in utility asset management

Utilities must navigate a labyrinth of internal and external pressures:

• Aging infrastructure: Legacy systems teeter on the brink of failure
• Budget constraints: Every dollar spent on operations and maintenance (O&M) is under scrutiny
• Resource constraints: Increasing demands clash with decreasing workforce numbers
• Aging workforce: A generation of experts nears retirement, requiring knowledge transfer to a younger generation that is less inclined to stay at a utility for their entire career
• Stakeholder expectations: The customer demand for safe, reliable, and affordable power meets the reality of investor ROI expectations
• Regulatory pressure: Compliance is not optional in a world of mandatory audits
• Climate impact: Increasing extreme weather events threaten grid reliability
• Digital transformation: The push for tech adoption comes with its ambiguities

A paradigm shift in utility asset management

The compounding pressures both internally and externally mean every decision counts for utility leadership. While once the goal was only to provide safe, reliable, and affordable power, it seems every year mandates increase along with the pressure to do more with less… But how?

WATCH: The Journey to Condition Based Maintenance

Multiply your workforce

AI-powered drone solutions extend the capabilities of utility workforces, enabling easy access to hazardous or hard-to-reach areas – either because of location, like a remote solar farm, or the asset itself, such as a hydro dam – and providing real-time data for informed decision-making. From pilot-assisted flights to fully autonomous operations from docks, drones are reshaping how utilities approach asset health assessment.

By leveraging the comprehensive data collection capabilities of drones, utilities can now tailor maintenance to the actual condition of assets, allowing for more precise interventions and resource allocation. This approach not only extends the capabilities of the utility workforce but also ensures a more effective use of resources, addressing the critical challenge of an aging workforce and the need for knowledge transfer to a new generation.

AI-powered drone technology

Advanced drone technology solutions tailored for asset monitoring have emerged as a key solution among utility organizations investing in innovative technology. Autonomous drones are enabling remote/off-site inspections at the click of a mouse, providing a way to navigate the challenges of both data capture and digital asset management in a single, easy-to-use, and intuitive platform.

Highlighting real-world impact

The profound impact of drone technology on the energy sector is best illustrated through concrete examples:

• Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (PG&E) became the first utility company in California to use remote drones for operations. PG&E’s remote drone program is focused on reliability and efficiency, utilizing drones to examine equipment and quickly identify issues​​.
• Southern Company has obtained an FAA waiver allowing for drone inspections at its facilities without onsite personnel, enhancing efficiency and safety by enabling remote inspections from a control center and reducing the need for hazardous on-site evaluations.
• American Electric Power (AEP) has demonstrated the value of drones in initial damage assessments, uncovering an imminent failure that could have led to significant downtime and costs. This proactive identification of issues underscores the potential of drones to enhance grid resilience.
• ComEd Secured waivers from the FAA to conduct beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)  from drone docks, enabling safe, cost-effective on-site and on-demand surveillance capabilities, supporting grid performance and proactive problem identification to prevent power outages​​.
• Dominion Energy uses drones across its operations for electric transmission operations, power generation inspections, and supporting operations at solar farms and construction sites.
• New York Power Authority (NYPA): Approved the first phase of funding for a $37.2 million drone program aimed at improving safety, and efficiency, and advancing NYPA’s role in leading efforts to realize New York’s clean energy future.

From toys to tools: Drones reshaping the future

The evolution of drones from perceived toys to essential operational tools highlights their growing role in addressing utility challenges. These innovative solutions tackle issues from aging infrastructure to regulatory compliance, while also paving the way for a more proactive asset management approach. Drone technology powered by software offers tailored solutions to the complex decision-making challenges of today, while mitigating the challenges of tomorrow by providing utilities with the comprehensive data they need to make informed decisions about asset health in real-time.

Watch live: real-time substation inspection from 2,800 miles away. 

Embracing technological innovation

The integration of remotely operated or fully automated drones into the power generation sector’s maintenance and inspection routines is more than an incremental change; it represents a leap toward future-ready operational excellence. As utilities continue to embrace drone technology, the path toward enhanced efficiency, safety, and reliability becomes clearer, heralding a new era of utility asset management.

About Skydio

Skydio develops innovative drone technologies that are helping transform and modernize the grid of the future. Through a deep partnership and understanding of the challenges faced by utilities, Skydio’s solutions facilitate a shift to condition-based maintenance, enabling utilities to make informed decisions about asset health in real time. Skydio empowers utilities to enhance operational efficiency, reduce risks, and achieve remarkable cost savings. By providing real-time, accurate data collection and analysis, Skydio is not just a technology provider but a partner in driving utility innovation and operational excellence.

Learn more about drone solutions for utility asset management or register for a LIVE virtual demonstration of Skydio Dock & Remote Ops.

EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) reports that 7FA gas turbines have a rotor life of about 144,000 hours, or 5,000 starts. The primary life-limiting factor is high cycle fatigue cracks propagating from erosion damage at the leading edge of the R0 compressor blade. The erosion reportedly initiates from a number of factors, including fogging and compressor washing, foreign object damage, and corrosion.

Significant operation and maintenance costs are associated with preventing these fatigue failures. Blending of the blade edge is required once erosion damage reaches 0.008in. (0.2mm). This occurs approximately every 500 starts and necessitates blade replacement, requiring extended equipment downtime.^[i]

Initial efforts to decrease the frequency of blending and blade replacement have included 1) thickening the leading edge of the blade to provide more material for removal 2) changing the material of the blade to improve resistance 3) and laser shock peening to apply residual compressive stress to the leading edge. All of these solutions provide some improvement, but have limitations. Material changes and thickening of the blade provided a moderate improvement in fatigue life while degrading engine performance. Laser peening effectively imparts compressive stress to the blade, but is damaging to the surface, producing nearly four times the roughness of LPB at the critical boundary layer. It is only applied to new blades and doesn’t allow for further repair once the blending threshold is met.

Solution

Lambda Technologies developed a solution to extend the fatigue life and improve the damage tolerance of the R0 blades. Using low plasticity burnishing (LPB®), Lambda Technologies’ engineers applied a deep, stable layer of engineered compression to the leading-edge region of the blades. The goal of this project was to match or exceed the compression of laser-peened blades and improve damage tolerance without damaging the surface.

R0 blades were processed with LPB^® and laser peening, respectively. LPB^® was applied in a single pass, while R0 processing specifications currently require 6 passes for laser peening. Erosion damage was simulated at 0.025in. (0.635mm) to imitate damage well over the threshold allowed in service.

Fatigue testing, surface roughness, and residual stress measurements were performed on the blades to compare the surface enhancement processes. The fatigue setup can be seen in Figure 1, where the leading edge is loaded in cantilever tension. The blades were tested at EPRI estimated maximum operating stresses.^[ii] All measurements and testing were performed by Lambda Research, Inc.

Results

Through-thickness compression was achieved on the LPB-processed R0 blade, effectively providing infinite life for blades with damage <0.025in. (0.635mm), including those that reach the current blending threshold.

Residual stress measurement results are shown in Figure 2. LPB produced residual compression that was nominally 50% higher in magnitude at all depths and locations measured compared to laser peening. Linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) predicts the higher magnitude compressive residual stress will result in better fatigue performance for the blade in service.

Fatigue testing was performed with only LPB processed and baseline blades due to a limited number of laser-peened samples. Damage tolerance was improved by a factor of three compared to the baseline blades. The results of this testing are shown in Figure 3.

In a 2015 report on the use of compressive layer surface treatment on the 7FA R0 blades, EPRI stated, “Low plasticity…burnished blade’s residual stress measurements met or exceeded the compressive layer depth and magnitude of the originally applied laser shock peened compressive patch.”^[iii]

One 7F turbine owner and operator installed several LPB blades in their turbines as part of a field test in 2015 and, “ran the hell out of the units.” The blades performed well and are still in operation today.

Further uses and applications

LPB has been in production on many applications since the early 2000’s. While many of these applications are related to turbines, the process is not limited to turbomachinery applications. To name a few, LPB has also been used to treat stress concentrations in welds, to eliminate stress corrosion cracking in pipes, and to improve the throughput of pumps. Some applications in the power industry include:

• Mitigating erosion damage in compressor blades of 7FA and 9FA gas turbines
• Eliminating the chance of cracking from fretting fatigue damage on rotor through bolts in 501G-class gas turbines
• Improving fatigue resistance to erosion and high-cycle fatigue in low-pressure steam turbine blades
• Mitigating foreign object damage (FOD) initiated cracking in seventh-stage compressor blades of 501F gas turbines
• Alleviating stress concentrations in first-stage compressor blades of Taurus 70 gas turbines

Selecting low plasticity burnishing over laser peening for R0 blades provides a 50% improvement in magnitude of compression. LPB provides a significant decrease in the number of overhauls required in all applications and, as a result, reduces the amount of time a unit needs to be shut down for repairs. The process can be applied to new or existing blades to extend component life while increasing reliability, confidence and margins of safety.

About the Author: Mike Prevéy joined Lambda Technologies in 2010 as a Project Engineer. In 2014, he was appointed to Engineering Supervisor. In 2018 he was promoted to Operations Manager. In 2023, he was promoted to the position of President of Surface Enhancement Technologies, part of the Lambda Technologies Group.

Mike is responsible for overseeing the surface enhancement division of Lambda Technologies Group. His degrees include a BS in Mechanical Engineering from University of Dayton and an MA in Business Administration from Xavier University. He holds four patents related to Lambda’s low plasticity burnishing (LPB^®) process and continually making advancements in Lambda’s surface enhancement efforts.

References

[i] EPRI (2019). Cracking the FA R0 problem. Modern Power Systems. https://www.modernpowersystems.com/features/ featurecracking-the-fa-r0-problem//featurecracking-the-fa-r0- problem-412766.html

[ii] EPRI (2015). Improving compressor airfoil damage tolerance: evaluation of compressive layer surface treatment. Gas Turbine Advanced Components and Technologies https://www.epri.com/ research/products/3002006059

[iii] EPRI (2015). Improving compressor airfoil damage tolerance: evaluation of compressive layer surface treatment. Gas Turbine Advanced Components and Technologies https://www.epri.com/ research/products/3002006059

BOSTON (AP) — Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut received proposals Wednesday for offshore wind projects as the three East Coast states hope to boost their reliance on the renewable energy source.

The three states joined in a historic agreement that allows for potential coordinated selection of offshore wind projects.

Massachusetts received bids from Avangrid Renewables, South Coast Wind Energy, and Vineyard Offshore in response to the region’s largest solicitation to date for offshore wind, seeking up to 3,600 megawatts.

Gov. Maura Healey’s administration “will review bids over the coming months, and coordinate with Connecticut and Rhode Island to evaluate multi-state projects that would increase benefits for the region, lower costs, and enhance project viability,” Massachusetts Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony said in a press release.

Rhode Island announced Wednesday that it will evaluate proposals from Avangrid Renewables, Orsted, SouthCoast Wind Energy, and Vineyard Offshore. It had requested proposals for approximately 1,200 megawatts of power.

Rhode Island acting Energy Commissioner Chris Kearns said the state looks forward to “reviewing the proposals with Rhode Island Energy along with Massachusetts and Connecticut state energy offices over the next few months.”

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection also announced Wednesday that it received proposals from four project developers under the multistate request.

Connecticut is seeking up to 2,000 megawatts of new offshore wind, which would add to the 304 megawatts of offshore wind power it will receive from the Revolution Wind project, which was jointly selected by Connecticut and Rhode Island and is now under development.

“We look forward to evaluating the submitted proposals received under this RFP over the coming months and coordinating review of any multi-state proposals received with Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said.

The agency expects to announce in the third quarter of 2024 whether any projects have been selected.

Vineyard Offshore submitted a proposal for a 1,200-megawatt offshore wind project to the three states in response to their solicitation for up to 6,800 megawatts of offshore wind capacity.

“Vineyard Offshore knows how to deliver offshore wind to New England, and that’s by earning the trust of the communities we work in,” Vineyard Offshore CEO Alicia Barton said.

Ørsted announced it has submitted a proposal for a 1,184-megawatt Starboard Wind project, which would power more than 600,000 homes in Rhode Island.

Avangrid, Inc. submitted multiple proposals to the Massachusetts-Connecticut-Rhode Island solicitation for offshore wind power including New England Wind, representing two projects – the 791-megawatt New England Wind 1 project and 1,080 megawatt New England Wind 2 project.