by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 27, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, The Sustainable Plant
We are moving into an evolving age of “green energy” and “a green economy.” In the process, we’re facing issues on how to integrate legacy systems with new technologies and how to protect them from each other. As noted in several...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 20, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, The Sustainable Plant
I received a number of comments regarding Part 9 (June 11, 2021, see link below) of my series on reliability and maintenance opportunities. Several of of those messages compared the longer life of nuclear or coal-fired power plants to what might be construed as the...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 11, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
As discussed in my June 5, 2021, article (Part 8, see link below), taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture can change your perspective greatly. Consider, for example, unsatisfactory equipment operation, including not meeting expected performance;...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Jun 4, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
In surveys and studies, as well as actual root-cause analyses (RCA) and troubleshooting activities in plants and facilities, a trend seems to have emerged: focusing on a point of failure or loss and not looking deeper into the system-related issues. Unfortunately,...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | May 29, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, Tech Reviews
I recently had the opportunity to review/test the Onics neutral-harmonic filter. The goal was to assess the technology’s impact on energy and reliability. Having investigated the old power-factor “energy savers” and related attempts in the 1990s, I...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | May 22, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, RAM Tools & Methods
In their ground-breaking 1978 report for the U.S. Military titled, “Reliability-Centered Maintenance,” Fred Nowlan and Howard Heap discussed what was to become known as the “P-F Curve,” as well as how to use it to select optimal testing...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | May 1, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, Motors & Drives
Following publication of Mar. 21, 2021, article about the application of high-voltage testing on electric motors, at least one commenter noted that the referenced IEEE Standard 1415-2006 was administratively withdrawn on Mar. 25, 2021. A primary concern seems have...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Apr 22, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, The Sustainable Plant
When determining the approach for assessing a facility, there are several decisions to make, including selection of independent software tools and guides. The U.S. Department.of Energy (USDOE, energy.gov) has developed a number of taxpayer-supported tools that review...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Apr 17, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, Plant Operations, The Sustainable Plant
Standard approaches to industrial and commercial surveys and audits have inherent problems. If it is an energy audit, the focus is strictly on energy savings. If the audit is on waste-stream or reliability and maintenance, the focus, typically, is on just those...
by Howard Penrose, Ph.D., CMRP | Apr 9, 2021 | Electrical Reliability, Plant Operations, The Sustainable Plant
We frequently think of electric motors and driven equipment when the topic of energy efficiency comes up. On the other hand, the energy-transmission component, or coupling, also has an energy-efficiency rating that can be affected by things such as application and...
