In the volatile energy market effective use of the available technological, energy and financial resources is now, more than ever, highly pursued. In a combined cycle power plant, gas turbines are the prime mover of power generation. Therefore, detailed understanding and monitoring of gas turbine performance, health condition and associated costs have a deep impact in the decision making process concerning the plant’s operational and maintenance strategy.
In this context, research collaboration between Manx Electricity Authority (MEA) and Cranfield University has been carried out since 2001 and a series of technologies and software have been and are still being developed at Cranfield University and some of them have been integrated into MEA Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant in Pulrose, Isle of Man. During this constructive and successful collaboration period, the University has been fortunate to acknowledge the industrial needs and make significant academic contributions through ongoing research projects jointly supported by both MEA and EPSRC. On the other hand, MEA has valued the complexity of asset management concerning the gas turbine and the combined cycle, therefore enhancing its trading and operational capabilities through the application of developed performance, diagnostic, trading and economic analysis software.
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