Preventive maintenance and cleaning of major power plant equipment

The unstable regulatory climate at the federal, state and local levels is a major factor in a utility's decision whether to risk capital for construction of new central power plants. Even though reserve margins are falling in many areas of the U.S., corporate planners are reluctant to commit funds for construction of new plants or for replacement of older, less efficient plants. This means that utility management must look at ways to improve existing equipment performance and availability. This paper examines various systems of preventive maintenance, including the traditional as well as sophisticated computerized maintenance programs.