Gas turbines operate over a large range of power and in many applications primarily as the driver for generators in a power complex or the driver for large compressors and pumps in petrochemical complexes, and offshore platforms. The power and the process requirements control the operations of the plant. In the case of power plants they are usually part of a major grid and they supply the needs to meet the demand of the grid, both in power and frequency. Control systems are also closely tied up with the Distributed Control Systems (D-CS) and Condition Monitoring Systems (C-MS) with plant optimization software.

The traditional concept of maintenance in the petrochemical and the utilities industry has been undergoing a major change to ensure that equipment not only has the best availability but also is operating at its maximum efficiency. There is a consistent trend in these industries throughout the world to improve maintenance strategy from fix-as-fail to total performance-based planned maintenance. In practice, this calls for on-line monitoring and condition management of all major equipment in the plant. To reach the Utopian goal of just-in-time maintenance with minor disruption in the operation of the plant requires a very close understanding of the thermodynamic and mechanical aspects of plant equipment to be able to implement predictive maintenance programs.

The benefits of total performance-based planned maintenance not only ensure the best and lowest cost maintenance program but also that the plant is operated at its most efficient point. An important supplementary effect is...