• Course Objective
  The Heat Rate Awareness seminars are designed to educate all levels of power producers employees in the fundamentals of heat rate and the impact of changing heat rate on operating cost. Introduction to Heat Rate will provide the participant with an overview of heat rate concepts, controllable and non-controllable losses, and the effects of component performance on operating costs.

• Who Should Attend?
  This course is designed for entry level operators and those not directly involved in the daily operation of the plant, namely: auxiliary operators, mechanics, electricians, I & C technicians and chemists.

• Course Content
  • Power Plant Thermodynamics Overview
  • Calculating the cost of Heat Rate Deviations
  • Controllable Losses
  • Cycle Isolation
  • How Does My Job Relate to Heat Rate

This course incorporates material created under the sponsorship of EPRI, Electric Power Research Institute.

Heat Rate Awareness (2 1/2 days)

• Course Objective
  By the end of this course students should be able to:

  • Discuss the details of heat rate concepts
  • Explain controllable and non-controllable losses
  • Explain the effects of component performance on operating costs
  • Discuss how heat rate affects operating practices, unit optimization and environmental compliance.

• Who Should Attend?
  This course is designed for operations personnel and those with a direct impact on operating practices and procedures. A review of power plant thermodynamics is included, but participants should have a working knowledge of the power cycle.

• Course Content
  • Power Plant Thermodynamics Review
  • Calculating the Cost of Heat Rate Deviations
  • Controllable Losses
  • Boiler
  • Turbine
  • Condenser
  • Feedwater Heaters
  • Ancillary Equipment
  • Optimization Tools
  • Cycle Isolation
  • Instrumentation Effects on Heat Rate
  • How Does My Job Relate to Heat Rate?

This course incorporates material created under the sponsorship of EPRI, Electric Power Research Institute.

Advanced Heat Rate Monitoring and Diagnostics (2 1/2 days)      

• Course Objective
  At the end of this course students will be able to:

  • Assess heat rate issues using knowledge gained in Heat Rate Awareness
  • Explain the development of a performance improvement plan
  • Discuss test instrumentation, uncertainty analysis, and turbine and boiler testing
  • Explain how to identify and correct heat rate deficiencies

• Who Should Attend?
  This course is designed for engineering, technical or senior operations personnel who have a working knowledge of power cycles and thermodynamics with responsibility for heat rate improvement.

• Course Content
  • Developing a Performance Improvement Program
  • Benchmarking
  • Routine Testing
  • Uncertainty Analysis
  • Instrument and Data Acquisition Selection
  • Monitoring and Diagnostics
  • Case Studies

This course incorporates material created under the sponsorship of EPRI, Electric Power Research Institute