September 1, 2009

Accurate Online Silica Analyzers Ensure Boiler Performance, Add Boiler Life

Andres Meza

Maintaining Instrumentation

The Michoud plant entered into a field service partnership with Hach, whereby the instrument manufacturer takes care of everything regarding the plant’s silica and phosphate analyzers, including all parts, labor, and travel. Technicians come to the plant twice a year to perform preventative maintenance. The arrangement includes priority emergency field repair at no additional cost.

Gagliano says the service partnership with Hach has been a big plus. "Like a lot of power plants these days along the Gulf Coast, we’re operating with a lot less manpower. The service program is a valuable time-saver for us."

Under the program, preventive maintenance is conducted on the analyzers according to standard factory recommended schedules, with calibration and certification of the instruments performed on every visit. With the continued success of this arrangement at the Michoud generation station, management recently added a Hach field service partnership to ensure service to 10 Hach Series 5000 analyzers at the Energy New Orleans Nine Mile Plant.

"Having the analyzers routinely serviced is one less thing that we have to do, so we can focus on our job of generating power," Gagliano says.

Quick, Accurate Sampling Data

With power plant personnel reduced in areas such as water chemistry analysis, time saved performing one task allows generating stations more time to get other things done. Controlling impurities in boiler make-up water has enabled Michoud personnel to keep operating costs low and efficiency high.

"Operating decisions still rely just as heavily on water and steam chemistry information, but now there’s a heavy emphasis on obtaining quick, accurate sampling data," Gagliano says. "Our online analyzers are helping us do that."

— Contributed by Andres Meza, Hach Co.