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The Low Hanging Fruit for Immediate Heat Rate Improvement |
 With increased competition in the electric utility industry, plants are looking for cost effective ways to improve their overall heat rate and boost or recover megawatt output. There are many options for improving plant heat rate and production, but let's consider the low hanging fruit; that is the option with the least investment that yields the largest return-on-investment (ROI) for your maintenance budget. In our opinion condenser cleaning and air inleakage detection are the low hanging fruit!
"Effective Cleaning vs. Cleaning"
Let's be honest, there are many mechanical tube cleaning options out there claiming they can clean your condenser. While this is mostly true, your choice between a specific tube cleaner can have dramatically different outcomes. Consideration must be given to the type and severity of your tube fouling and then to matching the fouling to the optimal tube cleaner. If Conco could produce only two or three cleaners and truly provide effective cleaning for every situation, we would certainly do that. But our full-line of over a dozen TruFit™ tube cleaners was engineered and designed based on specific power generation customer needs.
Don't be penny-wise and pound foolish by simply going on lowest price. The difference in price between cleaning contractors will vary, and so to will your results, sometimes dramatically.
Reducing Overall Air Inleakage
The rule of thumb for acceptable levels of air inleakage is 1CFM per 100 MW. Excessive inleakage into your condenser can have significant negative impact on performance as well as on overall plant heat rate. Consider the ROI of a pre-outage leak inspection to identify all the leaks that can be scheduled for repair during your plants upcoming outage. While many maintenance activities during outage contribute to improving your plant's efficiency and reliability, one of the largest returns you can achieve for your maintenance budget is through the use of tracer gas leak inspection.
Choose the Right Tracer Gas, Or Both!
) Through Conco's TotalTracer™ approach, we combine the benefits of two different types of tracer gases: The Conco Fluorotracer™ analyzer, which utilizes ultra-sensitive sulfur hexafluoride, and our popular helium mass spectrometer. By combining the benefits of these two types of tracer gases, we are able to save our customers a significant amount of time and money, particularly where condenser tube leaks are concerned. Consider a sudden spike in your unit's condensate conductivity, and you suspect a tube leak. You have four waterboxes and need to isolate which box has the leaking bundle. Conco's TotalTracer™ approach allows the online injection (at full load) of sulfur hexafluoride into each waterbox positively confirming which box needs to be isolated. Once drained, technicans can then utilize helium to complete the inspection, locate the leak and return the unit to full production quickly and economically.
For more information on how Conco's Total Condenser Performance™ services can help you improve your plant's heat rate, call us today at 1-800-3476, or drop us a line through our website's contact page.
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Conco International Forum and Expo 2011 |
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Conco companies and distributors from around the world recently visited our Verona, Pennsylvania headquarters to experience an exchange of ideas and full immersion into Conco's newest cutting edge technologies.
The three-day event featured the Total Condenser Performance™ workshop, sharing of best-practices and a hands-on expo of product and service technologies exclusive to Conco.
Whether your plant is in Lima, Peru, or Lima, Ohio, Conco stands ready to power your plant with Total Condenser Performance™. Call or click for more information today! |
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Online Brochure
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Conco's Total Condenser Performance™ brochure provides a wealth of information on the full range of condenser and heat exchanger products and services we offer. You may request a brochure be sent to you, or, you may view it online here. |
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Save the Date!
2012 Condenser Life Cycle Seminar
The don't miss condenser event for 2012 is just around the corner. On February 13-15, 2012, the Condenser Life Cycle Seminar will be held in San Antonio, Texas.
The 2010 conference held on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta was a big hit and the San Antonio seminar promises to be even better.
The 2012 event is an excellent opportunity to avoid the winter chill by joining your colleagues in San Antonio, to discuss real-world challenges, best practices and innovations in condenser reliability, availability and maintainability.
Visit www.condenserseminar.com for more details and to regsiter. |
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Conco Presents at Keystone Power Conference and ACC User's Group This Month
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Conco was honored to be invited to the NALCO Keystone Power Conference in Pittsburgh this Tuesday and Wednesday, September 13-14, 2011. Conco's Gary Fischer and Eric Fayard presented the Total Condenser Performance™ workshop to a packed room of both NALCO and plant personnel.
Next week, Conco will be in San Francisco, CA, Sept 19, 2011 at the ACC Usersgroup assisting one of our plant partners present on a recent success using Conco technology for their air-cooled condenser unit.
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Contact Conco
Visit our website for full contact information for your region
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