Case Studies

Preservation Through Purging

Problem:
Power plants frequently store replacement components to minimize the duration of planned service outages, as well as unplanned outages; when equipment is offline utilities must procure electricity from other suppliers, a less cost effective way of servicing customers.

Some replacement components, such as turbine rotors, are held in storage for years and need to be in perfect (non-corroded) condition when an unforeseen circumstance requires they are put into service.

But how do you go about preserving such a high-value, long lead time part like a rotor…for 15 years? That’s where Dockside comes in.

Solution:
Dockside has the practical experience and intellectual capital to engineer a preservation protocol for any set of storage, transport and hauling conditions. Sometimes, traditional packaging approaches are not enough and other means are introduced.

Through nitrogen purging, air within a storage container is replaced with nitrogen. When the oxygen content within the container has been reduced to an acceptable amount a time stamped measurment is taken, and the container is then hermetically sealed. It is then pressurized (to provide a method of monitoring the seal) and when pressurization is complete the o-ring seal is checked for leaks. Finally, gauges are checked 24 hours after work completion to ensure seal is sound.

With this method Dockside has been able to provide component preservation for up to 15 years.