POWER June 2020 - 24

PLANT OF THE YEAR
provided several countermeasures to
maintain safety and improve productivity.
For example, during the hot summer
season, " air-conditioned suits " were utilized
by workers to stay cool and prevent
heatstroke. Other first-of-a-kind technology
that contributed to a safer and more
productive working environment included
mixed reality technology and a block
insulation system.
Mixed reality was used during the
4. MHPS's project team tallied about 20,000 man-days per month on the job during the peak
of construction. A group of operators and engineers are shown here monitoring testing from the
unit's control room. Courtesy: MHPS
made to the fleet of MHPS gas turbines
currently in service around the world.
Proving Reliable Operation Takes
Time
Masada noted that there are several reasons
why MHPS feels it's important to
verify gas turbines under full-scale longterm
operations.
" Mechanical breakdown, such as high
cycle fatigue, typically occurs after 100
hours of operation. However, other failure
modes, such as low cycle fatigue (LCF)
occurs only after 10,000 hours of operation, "
he said. " In fact, the main destructive
mode in LCF occurs after one to two
years of operation in the gas turbine field. "
Typical field issues after long-term operation
also include oxidation, erosion,
creep, and fretting. MHPS's method of
verification helps ensure optimal longterm
performance of the machines once
they are installed at customer sites. Beyond
that, the insurance industry mandates
at least 8,000 hours of operation
as a key criterion for fleet reliability.
Managing Construction
While MHPS is obviously an OEM, it is
also an engineering, procurement, and
construction (EPC) company providing
turnkey projects around the world. As
such, the T-Point 2 project was managed
by the company's EPC team (Figure 4).
Masada noted that the job was very well
coordinated because MHPS was able to
work with partners that it had teamed up
with previously on other work in Japan.
Japan's very high construction standards
are well-recognized around the
world. In the case of T-Point 2, construction
also coincided with heavy build in
preparation for the Tokyo Olympic games,
which were scheduled to take place this
24
summer but have been postponed until
2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nonetheless, a high-quality workforce
was assembled for T-Point 2, and the project
logged about 20,000 man-days per
month during the peak of construction.
" We conducted intensive training to
maintain safety and health of the workers
and improve quality of work. Some of the
key induction trainings include construction
safety, road safety, disaster prevention,
and health and safety training. The
trainings were provided to improve the
skills of the workers before they started
working on the project, and the results
have been very positive, " Masada said.
And the training paid dividends. The
lost-time incident rate for the project was
an amazing 0.00, and the total recordable
incident rate was a very respectable 0.26.
" We are proud to have achieved such
great safety results even as we worked
under tight timelines, " said Masada.
In addition to training, MHPS also
construction phase to simulate assembly
procedures using virtual reality. The
process included superposition of the
actual plant over the 3D model. Using
the tool, the team was able to simulate
the carry-in and carry-out of large equipment,
and assemble the main unit virtually.
The technology enabled workers
to significantly improve productivity and
quality control.
The proprietary block insulation system
was a method used to install insulation
in the gas turbine casing, which
remarkably improved productivity. With
this technique, the team was able to
complete what had previously taken
1,200 man-hours in only 240 man-hours.
" The mixed reality and block insulation
system solutions were very effective, "
Masada remarked. " We anticipate using
these technologies in future projects. "
Overcoming Challenges
There was a potential problem with congestion
in the local community because
of the T-Point 2 project. More than 7,000
employees work at the Takasago Machinery
Works site on a regular basis
and those numbers increased during the
construction phase. Without remedies,
significant traffic jams could have resulted
in nearby residential areas during
5. Power plants are loud and that can be a problem when neighbors are close to the facility. To
reduce noise pollution, MHPS installed soundproof barriers, such as the wall being constructed
on the left of this image. Courtesy: MHPS
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POWER June 2020

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