Powertech

Like many industries, electric utilities struggle with aging infrastructure, which may lead to disruptions in generation, transmission, and distribution. The industry is facing a dearth of experience with dwindling knowledge, skills, and tools, causing the downsizing of internal operations and increasing the risk of failure. There is a critical need for effective condition assessment of assets to avoid breakdowns while effectively improving safety and managing resources. This is where Powertech’s customers depend on them the most.

Powertech’s Generation Technology & Testing business unit is comprised of experts working across all aspects of traditional and renewable electrical power generating systems. Leveraging over 30 years of specialized experience, Powertech's team of scientists, engineers, and technical specialists work together to servethe global market for power generation. They provide value to their customers’ asset management process by developing maintenance, mitigation, and repair strategies for aging infrastructure, thus avoiding costly failures, gaining productivity, extending service life of facilities, and improving performance and reliability.

"We understand the issues facing today’s utility and apply innovative solutions to evaluate and address performance issues and degradation mechanisms," says Darren Bromley, Director of Generation Technology & Testing, Powertech. “This is how we help our customers stretch their reinvestment dollars.”

Combining theoretical design with practical operations, Powertech provides broadtesting capabilities, product development, research, and consulting services across engineering disciplines to avoid unexpected outages. Powertech uses advanced non-destructive testing to assess hydroelectric turbines for incidental damage like cracks or cavitation erosion. Root-cause metallurgical failure analysis or custom weld repair design may be valuable next steps, but ideally the failure is prevented altogether. Powertech performs stress modelling and fracture mechanics calculations to determine structural integrity and can verify with in-service stress measurements. For hydroelectric turbines, the correlation between operating parameters and critical stress levels allows operators the flexibility to continue service under modified parameters while a longer-term solution is developed.

One of Powertech’s strengths comes from their diversity of technical disciplines and multitude of laboratories under one roof. They provide power system studies and integrate their world renowned DSA Tool software for system security and stability, but also have deep industry experience in mechanical, materials, chemical, and civil engineering. Cross-discipline teams allow for fulsome investigations, multi-viewpoint diagnoses, and added value in solving complex problems. One case, for example, a field inspection revealing deterioration of a hydroelectric generator led to a much broader investigation into run-repair-replace decision-making. Powertech advised a test plan to help the customer assess the condition of its stator winding to understand the type of damage and impact of deterioration. Despite numerous red flags, Powertech reported a low likelihood of failure, helping redirect the considerable anticipated investments to priority areas.

"We look at the industry's problems proactively to provide creative, comprehensive, and effective solutions," adds Bromley.

Being confronted head-on with challenging issues and involved in ground-breaking research, the Powertech team has amassed a catalogue of industry “firsts”. For example, the Civil Technologies team, in cooperation with BC Hydro and internationally recognized experts, has developed specialized equipment and procedures to evaluate material suitability for hydroelectric embankment dams. It is this type of home-grown ingenuity that results in solutions adopted by utilities around the globe.

Powertech has a unique position in the market, often acting as an intermediary between manufacturers, utilities, research bodies, and regulators, and can connect entities to a common goal. They maintain strong involvements with standards development (e.g., NERC and IEEE), aiding in their development and staying at the forefront of changes and new challenges presented. This value is inherent in the work they do, bringing experience back to electric utility, OEM, and clean energy customers through their consulting, testing, and training services.