This case study explores actions of an account manager of an important maintenance agreement and a field service engineer, both newly assigned to resolve reliability issues with a set of gas turbines and a deteriorated relationship with their client. The case walks the reader through a logical and practical methodology from collection of data to proposing corrective actions in engineering and account management. The case study provides discussions on gas turbine combustion technology, combustion air emissions, commissioning, and performance degradation as background for the exercise. A reading assignment is included for understanding. Answers to exercises are provided to check comprehension. The authors propose using this case study in university study, or in industry as an individual or group assignment.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Gas Turbine Combustion
Gas Turbine Performance Degradation
Commissioning
Reading
Case Study Details
Exercises
Closure
Answers
Glossary and Abbreviations
References
About the Author(s)
Lennart Scharnell, Power Industry Consultant
Lennart Scharnell is a Civil Engineering graduate of Lund Institute of Technology, who gained basic competences in plant engineering and project management from his Swedish employers. Subsequently, he has operated in the power industry with his base both in North America and Europe. Lennart has vast experience in the construction and installation of numerous power plants, such as Gas and Steam Turbines, Combined Cycle Power Plants, and Coal Fired Power Plants, as well as Nuclear Power Stations. His previous positions include Managing Director, Vice President Projects, Project Manager, Sales Project Manager, Close out Manager, and Installation Manager. He resides in Brno, Czech Republic and provides consulting services to the energy industry.
Stuart Sabol, Energy Industry Consultant
Stuart Sabol is a Mechanical Engineer graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with experience in the power industry, detailed design, asset management, and project management. He is a Professional Engineer. His publications include
Case Studies in Mechanical Engineering: Decision Making, Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer (John Wiley and Sons, 2016) and
Engineering a Negotiating Strategy: A Case Study (Morgan & Claypool Publishers 2017). He is also the author of various computer modeling programs, technical papers related to maintenance optimization, and articles on woodworking techniques. He resides in Texas and provides consulting services to the energy industry.
