Predictive Maintenance Based on Control Charts Applied at Thermoelectric Power Plant

Abstract

In this chapter, innovative predictive maintenance technique is described with the aim of highlighting the benefits of predictive maintenance compared to time-based maintenance. The proposed technique is applied to a specific problem that occurs when time-based maintenance is applied on grinding tables of the coal mill, in coal-grinding subsystem at the thermoelectric power plant 'TEKO', Kostolac, Serbia. Time-based maintenance provides replacement of grinding tables after certain number of working hours, but depending on the quality of the coal and grinding table itself, this replacement sometimes needs to be made before or after planned replacement. The consequences of such maintenance are great material losses incurred because of frequent shutdowns of the entire coal-grinding subsystem, as well as the possibility that the failure occurs before replacement. Innovative predictive maintenance technique described in the chapter is used for solution of this problem.