Title: Performability modelling and decision-making regarding maintenance priorities for power generation system of a typical thermal power plant

Authors: Subhash Malik; Puran Chand Tewari

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT, Kurukshetra-136119, Haryana, India ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, NIT, Kurukshetra-136119, Haryana, India

Abstract: The aim of existing paper is to develop performability model and to decide about maintenance priorities for power generation system (PGS) of a typical thermal power plant. PGS comprises of five subsystems, i.e., turbine blades, condenser evacuation and regenerative (CER), turbine governing (TG), turbine lubrication (TL) and generator cooling and seal oil (GCSO). The first order differential equations are derived with the help of transition diagram. After that, these differential equations are further solved recursively and performability model obtained by using normalising condition on the basis of Markov birth-death process. The performability of various subsystems is considered by the various combinations of repair and failure rates. Repair rates are required to decide about criticality of subsystems and propose maintenance priorities. CER is the most critical subsystem with performability level, i.e., 94.97% and require more consideration to improve the performance of this subsystem. Performability enhancement and reduction in maintenance cost can also be achieved by the application of both performability model and decision making regarding maintenance priorities in the concerned plant.

Keywords: availability; maintenance priorities; Markov birth-death process; performability model; power generation system; PGS; thermal power plant.

DOI: 10.1504/IJISE.2021.112502

International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 2021 Vol.37 No.1, pp.1 - 14

Received: 26 Feb 2019
Accepted: 04 Jun 2019
Published online: 19 Jan 2021 *

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