Predictive Maintenance & Flexible Asset Operations with Digital Hydro Solutions

12 Flexibility Use Cases Accommodate Increased Intermittent Renewable Energy on the Grid Challenges The Increase of wind and solar in the energy mix is driving the need for more flexible hydropower assets to ensure stable and safe grid operations. Partial load operation and more frequent starts and stops can strain the asset beyond its original design limites. GE Renewable Energy’s Hydro Solution GE’s solution assesses the capacity of the existing asset to operate in off-design conditions and quantifies the impact on asset health when operating under these new conditions. GE monitors the asset over time, leveraging APM solutions, and raises an alert when the time limit is exceeded and an inspection is recommended. Follow the Remaining Useful Life of your Asset with Specific Dashboards Partial load vortex Cavitation damage example Deal with New Hydraulic Operating Conditions due to Climate Change Challenges Changes in reservoir levels create different hydraulic conditions from which the asset was originally designed. As a result, the operator might be forced to operate the asset under partial load with a minimal flow or a different head which could lead to cavitation or other negative hydraulic phenomena. GE Renewable Energy’s Hydro Solution A custom model, leveraging OEM data is used in the monitoring process to qualify and quantify the cavitation damage. The accuracy of the model can be improved with runner inspections.