Steam turbine maintenance

The steam turbine is a strategic piece of equipment in power generation plants. Its unavailability leads to the loss of energy production, unlike other equipment (feed pumps, power circulation pumps, fans, etc.) whose redundancy means that the plant can continue to operate either at full load, or possibly at partial load.

The turbine can also be the site of serious incidents, known as major accidents, characterized by the destruction of the machine, or even the emission of projectiles from rotating parts. Fortunately, such accidents are rare, but they do present significant risks for the safety of people and the integrity of the plant.

The maintenance of steam turbines is important for two reasons:

• prevention of major accidents. The aim is to ensure the safety of people and property by taking steps to prevent the emission of projectiles from rotors;

• limiting unforeseen downtime and its economic consequences.

More generally, this concern to avoid major accidents is also taken into account in the operation of turbo-generator sets, through the implementation of monitoring systems and the periodic testing of safety systems.