Hydropower plants leverage the energy of flowing water downhill to generate electrical energy. They are one of the most effective ways to harness renewable energy with the highest longevity and lowest operating costs among large-scale power generation methods. Therefore, hydropower Plant Inspections are vital for staying in optimum condition and avoiding expensive repairs. Let’s review a few essential elements regarding Hydropower Plant Inspection:
- What do inspectors check during typical Hydropower Plant Inspections?
- Why are these inspections crucial to renewable energy companies?
- How does Fielda help manage these Hydropower Plant Inspections more effectively?
What Inspectors generally check: Hydropower Plant Inspections are conducted either via physical examination or aided using sonar imaging technology in areas where access and visibility are challenging. Inspectors check components, including civil works and electromechanical equipment such as turbine runners, and audit the generators to check if they need rewinding. In addition, inspections include reviewing equipment such as intake structures, control systems, water conveyances, turbines, generators, and main transformers. For instance, in the turbines, inspectors examine parts like the spiral scroll case, runner, main shaft, guide bearings, bottom ring, etc. The document details the physical condition, age, and technology installed in different components.
What makes Hydropower Plant inspections essential to energy companies: After initial civil work and installation, a hydropower plant usually requires minor maintenance. However, non-periodic checks and servicing can cause damage that requires large-scale and expensive repairs. In addition, regular audits using Hydropower Plant Inspections checklists help increase the lifespan of power plants. It is estimated that the typical service life, which is about 40–50 years, can be doubled through regular Hydropower Plant Inspections and proper maintenance. Hydropower plants also come under the purview of government initiatives like the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Program, and their maintenance protocols must comply with various regulatory standards.
How does Fielda help manage Hydropower Plant Inspections better: Every site condition is unique and based on the type of dams associated with the hydropower plants and the types of plants involved; inspection checklists vary in format. The use of different technologies for inspection data gathering also brings complexity to the process. Fielda makes inspection data collection extremely fast and convenient through custom inspection checklists and workflows. This makes it simple for inspectors to enter standard data in digital forms and submit additional data and documents like sonar imaging reports seamlessly from their mobile devices. In addition, all data collected can be instantly made available to various teams involved in the hydropower project.
Audit: Adapt and use customizable Hydropower Plant Inspection templates with just a few clicks
Manage: Plan and schedule inspections and maintenance work with complete workflow clarity
Monitor: Use Fielda’s GIS capability to accurate map hydropower plant assets and manage them effectively
About Fielda: Fielda helps companies manage and maintain their assets and gain real-time oversight of all tasks, workflows, and projects to improve operational efficiency, enhance team productivity and impact the bottom line. Whether it’s installations, inspections, repairs, replacement of parts, servicing and maintenance, or routine audits, with Fielda’s mobile data collection, GIS-enabled technology, automated and custom workflows, and analytics, you can eliminate errors, enhance response time, ease workflow bottlenecks, and simplify your field operations.