January 15, 2007

Focus on O&M (January 2007)

Lessons learned

Several lessons were learned during this project, but the need for team creativity and communications was the most important. Without a doubt, the well-written specification—informed by past underwater inspections and input from plant, engineering, and regulatory personnel—was the single largest contributor to the success of the project, which came in under budget. The specification was intended to strike a balance between delineating FirstEnergy's expectations and encouraging bidders to be creative, and it succeeded in that respect as well.

To minimize miscommunication and misunderstanding, FirstEnergy intentionally specified a dive boat large enough to accommodate plant employees, those of its engineering firm, and FERC representatives. The winning bidder also emphasized the value of a close working relationship by proposing that signals from the ROV be sent by radio to an onshore van. The van held other FirstEnergy personnel and a member of the inspection team. Inside it, undistracted by the cold, they watched real-time video and sonar feeds and radioed instructions to the dive boat to change the ROV's position based on what they saw. All of the feeds were recorded on DVD and given to the team at the end of each day.

Based on a suggestion by the winning bidder, both navigation and profiling sonar were used. The navigation sonar was able to detect anomalies over a large area in advance of the video and proved effective in determining the location of the Jersey barriers. The profiling sonar was used to make dimensional checks of potential cracks and swales in the ballasted repair area (none of which were found). A high-resolution color video camera also played a role in data capture. However, its autofocus function—initially thought to be an attractive feature—hampered viewing because it locked in on suspended solids in the water at the camera lens, as opposed to objects 2 or 3 feet away. The next specification will stipulate the ability to manually override the autofocus feature.

From a business perspective, specifying a minimum number of hours in the water incentivized the inspection firm to arrive with equipment in top operating condition. This part of the specification was backstopped by highlighting the areas that had to be inspected for the project to be considered successful.

In addition to the need for creativity and communication, another lesson learned (actually, reaffirmed) was how tough it is to operate in freezing conditions. Previous cold-weather projects at the upper reservoir had also proved difficult. The single largest problem the project faced was the impact of cold on the dive boat's engine transmission linkages. Second, perhaps, was the need to manually clear ice and snow from the access ramp prior to starting work every morning. If at all possible, outdoor projects like this should be scheduled for more temperate weather. If not, some type of temporary heated shelter—such as a van—should be considered essential.

—Contributed by FirstEnergy Corp. (www.firstenergycorp.com).