At Wheelabrator Technologies Inc, efficient boiler operation was not a top priority but in today’s operating environment, with falling energy prices and decreased waste volumes, the focus has changed. Finding ways to increase efficiency is now more important than ever.
PI Processbook displays and PI Datalink reports are used at each facility to assist the plant operator in keeping the steam flow process variable closer to set point since lost steam flow is lost opportunity and cannot be recovered. Dashboards with visual cues created by using the multi-state symbol function allow for tightening of alarm limits and color sets to signify progressive deviation, and allow the operator to know from across the room whether the plant equipment is running OK or not. If you’re “Running Green”, you’re good.
Other displays have been developed for facilities with river water cooling systems to monitor real-time temperature and temperature deviation as required by permit. Displays such as this allow operators to make informed and calculated adjustments to the heat loading of the turbine generator (which translates into megawatts and therefore revenue) instead of making excessively large load reductions to ensure permit compliance at the expense of lost revenue.
The PSION Workabout Pro3 handheld has been rolled out to replace the field operator clipboard. Before the PI System came to Wheelabrator, the operations department would make rounds of equipment with a sheet of paper and a clipboard. That data was not always able to be used in a value added way because it was difficult to piece together trends and inspection data. Flash forward to today. Operation rounds are performed on the handheld, the information is date stamped, the operator’s name is recorded and it is all stored in the PI System. This makes viewing, trending, and using the data easy, fast and comprehensible.
Speaker
Doug Reed
Doug Reed has thirty years experience in the power generation industry. He is a 1986 graduate of the Calhoon MEBA Engineering School with a degree in Marine Engineering and has been working shore side since 1988 in the waste-to-energy business for Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. following a brief shipping career. Reed started his Wheelabrator career as a junior operator at the Millbury Massachusetts facility and gained experience starting up facilities in Ft. Lauderdale Florida and Falls Township Pennsylvania. Throughout this time he advanced into more responsible roles, eventually returning to the Millbury facility as Operations Manager. Since 2011, Reed has worked as a Senior Manager, Operations Projects at the company headquarters office in Hampton, NH. He has played a large part in the success of the development and operations of a newly constructed performance monitoring center which supports 22 Wheelabrator facilities.
Speaker
Justin Carpenter
Justin Carpenter has eleven years experience in the power generation industry. Carpenter is a 1997 graduate of Maine Maritime Academy with a degree in Marine Engineering. Carpenter sailed as a Marine Engineer for Maersk Lines for five years before coming shore side. He has been working since 2005 in the waste-to-energy business for Wheelabrator Technologies Inc. He started his Wheelabrator career as a junior operator at the Concord Hampshire facility. Throughout his time with the company, Justin has worked at both the Concord and Claremont facility, advancing to Operations Supervisor. Since 2011, Carpenter has worked as a Performance Analyst at the company headquarters office in Hampton, NH. He has played a large part in the success of the development and operations of a newly constructed performance monitoring center which supports 22 Wheelabrator facilities.