When your operations slow or cease for any reason other than a total power outage, it constitutes a full-fledged bus system emergency outage. Downtime is lost money. When thousands to millions of dollars are at stake, you need a response team that can react quickly to remedy the issue immediately. You simply can’t afford not to.
That’s why Avail recognizes your bus system emergency outage as their own. Our capabilities as a bus system manufacturer provide our field technicians with a vital advantage over service-only contractors. Our goal is to get your plant back on line as soon as possible.
Consequences of Bus System Emergency Outage
Transformer failure can grind operations to a halt, causing a ripple effect throughout a power plant. A downed transformer can be catastrophic with severe consequences that could lead to management dismissals, lawsuits, and angry stockholders. When power generation is no longer viable from a faulty transformer, getting the transformer back online has to be done with haste and with a reliable service partner.
The truth is that responder failures do occur, particularly for older facilities that have been in operation for years. A study from the University of Zagreb found that the average life cycle of a transformer is 40 years. Thus, any plant with transformers hovering around this age should be concerned. Years of heat and moisture infiltration that leads to insulation break down are a common cause for shortages on these older parts. Just one fault can cause an entire plant to go down and result in devastating financial losses. A proactive approach can protect you when—not if—a transformer problem occurs.
To curtail losses, it’s important to have a solutions partner ready to act in the case of emergency transformer replacement. Enclosures that protect this vital equipment typically house other gear that can hinder replacement line-up. Thus, the new transformer must be the same form, fit, and function of the existing equipment to ensure quick recovery. When attention to details can translate to a quick, cost-effective plug-and-play solution rather than a lengthy and costly replacement process, Avail is the partner to turn to.
Avail Repair Technicians Are Ready to Get You Back Online Fast during a Bus System Emergency Outage
Unlike service-only contractors, Avail is a bus manufacturer that offers emergency repair services, employing seasoned, professional technicians that have the expertise to quickly bring your plant back on line. Our personnel is on-call 24/7 and typically respond within an hour. No other provider in the industry can match the full-response capabilities of Avail.
Avail provides:
- Emergency repairs for Isolated Phase Bus, Non-Seg and Segregated Phase Bus
- Transformer failure emergency services, including GSU, AUX, and MPT transformer changeouts
- Troubleshooting expertise and root-cause analysis
Avail in Action
With more than 50 years of experience, Avail is uniquely qualified to be there when a transformer emergency occurs. In fact, our breadth of experience, knowledge, and capability helped to resolve an emergency situation at a major power plant in Saudi Arabia.
When an explosion on a critical 864 MVA generator step-up transformer (GSU) damaged a transformer and gas-insulated line that connects the transformer to a 380-kV gas-insulated substation, Avail dispatched the local Country Manager to the site to assess the situation. Damage photos and instruction book drawings were directed to Avail’s High Voltage Bus Systems (HVBS) division to create a solution. HVBS then dispatched a Field Services Manager to the site to take detailed equipment measurements to ensure a design that provided the best solution for quick recovery.
Due to the severity of the transformer fault and collateral damage, repairs to 36 sections were required to bring the generator back on line. This presented a huge logistics and manufacturing undertaking, as new components were needed to remedy the problem. Fortunately, Avail maintains an emergency supply of standard GIL components and boasts the in-house capability to produce additional components. Avail was able to provide the needed components within days. Air freighted via 747, a total of 22 tons of Avail high voltage transmission equipment was transported to Saudi Arabia in a 48-hour transit that normally takes 8 weeks from origin to destination.
Typically, an endeavor of this magnitude would take 5-6 months to accomplish. Avail, however, was able to complete repairs, installations, testing, and more, bringing the plant back to normal operations in less than 39 days, just in time to meet mid-summer peak demand.
As a leading provider of application-critical equipment, highly engineered technologies, and specialized services, Avail makes a difference for customers around the world. Simply put, Avail helps to mitigate damage subsequent to emergency situations, getting clients swiftly back on line with minimal losses.
Learn more about how Avail supports the power generation with its decades of experience in bus system emergency outage services. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.
