POWER January 2016 - 21

2016 INDUSTRY FORECAST
the people who know our systems best: our
operators, mechanics, technicians, and frontline
teams as well as our engineers, traders,
and administrative talent.
Salati: Our main goal is to reduce our
forced outage rates and minimize our heat
rates. We have developed global asset management
standards that are being implemented
at all of our businesses, to continually
improve how we manage the full life cycle of
our assets. We have also established a highly
successful global heat rate working group to
leverage our unique global expertise, develop
audit protocols, train our people, and conduct
peer-to-peer reviews to identify substantial
savings and efficiencies.
What would you like to see developed in
the near term for the generation sector
in terms of a technology or service?
Gillespie: An ongoing challenge for the
nuclear industry is used fuel management.
Our fleet uses a combination of used fuel
pools and dry cask storage. However, we
need a national solution. We believe the federal
government should fulfill its obligation
to the industry in managing used fuel storage
over the long term.
McCullough: Improved sensors, controls,
and diagnostics will help address near-term
issues with unit flexibility and availability.
Novel technologies for improved and more
efficient inspection techniques (such as nondestructive
examination techniques, use of
UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] drones, etc.)
at our generating plants and dams will further
enhance reliability, availability, and regulatory
compliance.
Salati: New technologies that enable
the integration and lowering of price points
to help deliver renewable energy to more
people, particularly those in the developing
world.
Data analytics has been a buzzword on
the distribution side for years, but it's
Mark McCullough,
Executive Vice
President-Generation,
American
Electric Power
AEP is an
investor-owned
utility serving
nearly 5.4 million
customers in 11 states with approximately
32,000 MW of generation.
Fleet profile: Coal (51%), gas (28%),
renewables (11%, includes hydro, wind,
solar, and pumped storage), nuclear
(6%), energy efficiency/demand response
(4%)
January 2016 | POWER
now gaining traction on the generation
side. Where is your company using or
anticipating the use of " big data " and
analytics in the plant, and why?
Gillespie: Most nuclear fleets have invested
significantly over the years in analytics,
and Duke Energy is no exception. Whether it
is in the chemistry area, fuel, or maintenance
trending, we review and evaluate data constantly.
The new IT platform we completed
in August ties all six nuclear sites together so
we can generate analytical data that has the
same look and feel. We now use common terminology
and can access data on key systems
at any site at any time.
Putting ourselves in the position of seeing
a trend develop and then responding appropriately
can be the difference between a unit
running well or being taken out of service.
Data and analytics will continue to be a major
focus and are key attributes for any highperforming
organization.
McCullough: Our generating units include
highly sophisticated equipment, components,
and control systems that produce tremendous
amounts of data through the course of normal
operation. All of our units have data historian
systems and servers to manage and store that
data. While we have a legacy of analyzing
our operating data to find problems, plan
maintenance, optimize performance, and
support strategic decision-making, the technology
and computing power available today
enables us to use and analyze the data in new
and exciting ways.
Since 2013, AEP has operated a central
Monitoring & Diagnostics Center to
remotely monitor power plant equipment.
The M&D Center uses Advanced Pattern
Recognition (APR) software to compile
data, develop models, and detect trends and
anomalies in equipment and systems operation.
Using and sharing data in this way helps
with condition assessments, enhances safety,
optimizes maintenance schedules and longterm
asset management, and improves overall
operational excellence. All of this helps
reduce forced outages and improves our position
in the marketplace. As we expand the
use of APR across our generating fleet and
discover new technologies and methods to
analyze and use the data that we have, we see
high potential for continuous improvement
opportunities.
Salati: " Big data " ultimately helps us
make better decisions at operational, tactical,
and strategic levels. We have been investing
in tools to make information available for our
operating teams to perform statistical analysis.
The amount of information collected outpaces
the speed at which the data can be processed-
the value is in prioritizing where to look and
that starts with the most critical assets.
www.powermag.com
Do you see potential dangers with
greater reliance on digital data feeds?
For example, though plant simulators
are great for training, one plant manager
commented at a recent industry event
on their limitations. He said that new
operators don't know what's behind the
buttons. With what looks like an inevitable
transition to increasing reliance on
data-based operational decisions and
digital controls, what's the ideal path
forward for your plants?
Gillespie: New technology is not the issue.
Improved technology is great, but must
not be applied in isolation. Ensuring operators
have the best, ongoing training and understanding
of the benefits or limitations of
their instrumentation is key. Using the newest
technology, where applicable, enhances
safety and performance. However, we have
to make sure our employees have the very
best training to be proficient in performing
their work.
McCullough: Data, models, and simulation
will never be able to predict every realworld
situation, and quality of the data is
critical for the development of useful tools
that will effectively support training, performance
improvement, and strategic planning.
That said, the digital data analysis tools and
modeling systems available today provide
opportunities to capture, share, and analyze
more information than ever before. So, there
must be a balanced and focused effort to
implement and manage these systems, and to
ensure that quality data are being fed into the
systems, so that quality results are produced.
AEP has long utilized simulators for
operator training and development, and recently
developed a phased, plant-by-plant
plan to introduce APR software in our facilities
to better capitalize on the data and
information that we have. But, we are still
cautious about how we use these digital analytical
tools so we aren't overly dependent
on just data. We recognize the need for our
plant teams to understand the physical system
interreliance and to understand what's
" behind the buttons. " Understanding water
chemistry, metallurgy, system design, etc.
still are important elements of ongoing
training for our operators and technicians.
We are constantly looking for ways to improve
our coaching, teaching, and training
systems and culture.
Salati: Automation tools were created to
maintain control of thousands of systems simultaneously,
with the precision that humans
can't achieve. It's in these digital controls
where we can find better accuracy and higher
efficiencies in the systems.
Plant managers typically say that ensuring
safety is their primary concern.
21
http://www.powermag.com

POWER January 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of POWER January 2016

Contents
POWER January 2016 - Cover1
POWER January 2016 - Cover2
POWER January 2016 - Contents
POWER January 2016 - 2
POWER January 2016 - 3
POWER January 2016 - 4
POWER January 2016 - 5
POWER January 2016 - 6
POWER January 2016 - 7
POWER January 2016 - 8
POWER January 2016 - 9
POWER January 2016 - 10
POWER January 2016 - 11
POWER January 2016 - 12
POWER January 2016 - 13
POWER January 2016 - 14
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POWER January 2016 - 24
POWER January 2016 - 25
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POWER January 2016 - 28
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POWER January 2016 - 31
POWER January 2016 - 32
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POWER January 2016 - 57
POWER January 2016 - Cover3
POWER January 2016 - Cover4
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