Engineering Analysis & Support

GSE Engineering, Programs & Performance group (formerly True North Consulting) Thermal Performance group has significant experience in engineering analysis aspects supporting major plant modifications. We hold a license for PEPSE, the industry standard for power plant thermodynamic analysis, and have experience using various other engineering analysis tools. We also can perform uncertainty analysis for complex systems and individual components. Our engineering staff has broad experience and can meet many of your engineering needs.

Procedural Support/Development

GSE has significant experience in procedural development for engineering programs and expertise in efficiency monitoring.  This combination will provide program procedures that covers every aspect of the thermal performance program.

PTC-6 Testing Support

GSE can support turbine guarantee testing, including independent assessment of results, test procedure development, instrumentation specifications, and turbine vendor negotiation support.

Check out our POWER Magazine article Using ASME PTC-6 Testing to Improve Steam Turbine Performance

Heat Balance Analysis

GSE has over 25 years of modeling experience using PEPSE, the industry standard for heat balance software.  Even if the utility does not own a copy of the software, heat balance evaluations can be performed for design or diagnostic purposes. The heat balance model determines the thermodynamic conditions (pressures, temperatures, flows etc.) at various locations in the secondary plant.  This information can be used for either design analysis or understanding abnormal plant conditions’ effects.

Thermal Component Analysis

We can provide services from plant data evaluation to complete testing to troubleshooting thermal efficiency problems with secondary plant components, including:

• Feedwater Heaters
• Turbines
• Cooling Towers
• Pumps
• Moisture Separators
• Re-heaters
• Condensers
• Secondary Valve Leakage

Power Calculation Evaluation

In nuclear power plants, operating within the licensed thermal limits is of the utmost importance; in fossil plants, knowing your thermal power input can have significant economic implications.  GSE TrueNorth has experience in evaluating the power calculation from the thermal cycle point of view. Our experience includes flow, pressure and temperature measurement expertise, and can provide significant improvements to the power calculation uncertainty.

• Review all inputs to the plant calculation of power
• Evaluate overall power calculation uncertainty