Implementation of Reliability Center Maintenance (RCM) Program Using Fuzzy Logic on the Steam Turbine Generator

Abstract

The Increasing complexity of Geothermal Power Plants (GPPs) installations and operations, along with growing public awareness to ensure higher levels of reliability, has put great pressure on the designers and operators to find innovative solutions to ensure reliability as well as economically viable operation. Reliability Centered Maintenance helps in finding such solutions and thus in gaining more importance in the industries, especially on Power Plants. A wide range of methodologies currently in use for RCM includes commercial and in-house software packages (specific to individual plants). The techniques with software produce very different results, raising serious concerns. Here, we present a simple and structured RCM methodology that can bridge this gap. The proposed methodology uses fuzzy logic to estimate risk by combining (fuzzy) likelihood of occurrence, (fuzzy) severity and its (fuzzy) detection.