PRESENTATION
2016 - Users Conference - San Francisco
Asset Insight: Using Data and Analytics to Effectively Manage a Power Plant’s Capital Equipment
Kindle Energy Lonestar Generation site operates three combined-cycle gas turbine plants in Texas as part of its portfolio and utilizes the PI System in combination with SPS’ ORAP data transformation and analytical capabilities and MapEx Thermal Performance software to optimize plant operations. Prior to the implementation of this system, the work of collecting, analyzing, and reporting data was a “second job” for plant personnel. Each plant had different processes and personnel for this work, and it took a person-week to gather and document the required information for weekly reports. The combination of real-time data collection with industry leading reliability analytics has been transformative. Lonestar Generation passes the data captured from the PI System directly to the ORAP database. When the data points reach ORAP, they are run through a data validation process as well as transformation algorithms to convert the data into asset information, which is then used by several “apps” within the ORAP system to develop actionable intelligence. This arrangement maintains compliance with Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) standards placed on all power plants in the United States. Management, at all levels and across various departments, use the output of this system to ensure “best in class” availability, reliability, and thermal performance relative to corporate pro forma and market expectations. It also allows Lonestar Generation to measure operational readiness and thermal performance, perform compliance reporting, reduce costly unplanned downtime, and maximize parts life and repair capability for capital inventory. Lonestar is now able to respond to requests for data in minutes from any site using the same system, and questions on the validity and quality of the results have virtually disappeared due to standardization of the analytics and data collection process. By combining the real-time data management capability of the PI System with the benchmarking and analytics capabilities of ORAP and MapEx, Lonestar Generation is able to make informed, data-driven decisions that both contribute to the bottom line and provide a distinct advantage in the marketplace."
Company
Kindle Energy
Speaker
Ed Fuselier
Ed Fuselier joined Kindle Energy as Director in 2016 as part of the Lonestar team that transferred from the previous asset management team. Under the previous owner, Direct Energy, Ed was Head of Asset Maintenance and Director of Engineering for the Lonestar Assets from 2004-2014. He served as acting Plant Director for all three plants, supported acquisition efforts, negotiated major maintenance contracts, and supervised a central engineering support team. He also managed the $20 Million project to add inlet chilling to Frontera Energy Center. Prior to joining Direct Energy, Ed served in management and engineering roles with Reliant Energy (now NRG), Fluor Daniel, Houston Lighting and Power, Westinghouse (Siemens), and General Electric. Ed has over 35 years of experience in power plant operations and maintenance, acquisitions (domestic and international), plant design, construction, maintenance, and upgrade projects. He has extensive experience with advanced gas turbine and combined cycle plants. Ed holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Orleans and an M.B.A. from Texas A&M University.
Company
Strategic Power Systems
Speaker
Salvatore Della Villa Jr.
Salvatore A. Della Villa Jr. is the founder, Chairman & CEO of Strategic Power Systems, Inc®. With over forty (40) years of experience in the reliability engineering and information technology disciplines, he has led SPS® in establishing the Operational Reliability Analysis Program (ORAP®) as the single largest global plant database in the energy industry, serving equipment manufacturers, owner/operators, and industry regulators.
Prior to founding SPS in 1987, he held various positions in General Electric's turbine businesses, with a focus on “design for reliability” processes, product improvements, and customer service.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a past Chairman of the Electric Power committee, and a past Chairman of the ASME Standards Committee on reliability. He is a member of the American Society for Quality Control, and an ASQ certified reliability engineer. He is also a member of the PowerGEN International advisory board for 2016 in the area of the “Digital Power Plant.”
He has written and published numerous papers on reliability issues and performance trends in the industry, receiving a “best paper” award in 2001 for a paper entitled “Gas Turbine Performance of Mature, F, and Advanced Technologies 2000”. In 2014, he was awarded the Industrial Gas Turbine Award from ASME for sustained contributions to the energy industry.
Company
Strategic Power Systems
Speaker
Thomas Christiansen
Thomas M. Christiansen is Senior Vice President at Strategic Power Systems, Inc.® (SPS). He has thirty (30) years of experience and expertise in the capture, validation, analysis, and visualization of manufacturing and field information in the Energy market. Mr. Christiansen has been working with “Big Data” and “Analytics” in “The Cloud” for over twenty (20) years, before he even knew those terms applied to his work. He is a primary architect of the Operational Reliability Analysis Program (ORAP®) and is heavily involved in its application within the Energy sector.
He has written numerous industry related articles highlighting Equipment Reliability Performance, the Importance of Data in the Market, and Critical Parts Life Tracking within the Energy Industry. He also holds two US product patents.