Introduction to pc-GAR and pc-GAR MT G. Michael Curley Manager of GADS Services October 29, 2010 In our last discussion, we talked about the data collection. Now I want to tell you about what we do with the data. We have a software product called pc-GAR. It is an easy to use program to allow users the tools to analyze groups of units. A copy of the program will be given to you tomorrow at the WEC/NERC workshop. Please pay attention to how the program works so it will be easy for you to use.

GADS Data Sources 280+ Generators Reporting 5,800+ units, “B” “A” “C” “D” “E” 280+ Generators Reporting 5,800+ units, including international affiliates.

What is pc-GAR? Unique software product to allow access to the data collected in the GADS database. It reports equipment outage information for the purpose of improving electric power output. Pc-GAR is a unique software. It allows anyone access to the 12 million event and performance records collected in GADS since 1982. There are more than 75,000 years of power plant outages in this program. One of its many purposes is to allow operators access to data so they can improve the production of their power plants. It can help locate causes of outages, designs improvements, fuel change impacts and many more things. It is very help to operators, engineers, and design personnel. pc-G.A.R

Why pc-GAR? Introduced in 1992 Created to: Reduce the number of special studies produced annually. Allow users quick access to GADS information. Increase the need to maintain good outage records. Only one of it’s kind in the world! WEC wants to follow this example For many years, GADS provided utilities with special studies. These special studies were reports that the GADS staff did for the utilities. The utilities would tell GADS what is wanted and the GADS staff create the report. By 1990, there were too many special studies for the staff to do so they planned and programmed the pc-GAR software. Now, after 10 years, we have a wonderful software that can be used to answer many questions in North America. The World Energy Council is also using it as part of their work to help other countries increase electric production. A group of utilities in the United States formed a group called the Electric Utility Cost Group (EUCG). They combine unit performance information and cost data to illustrate the relationship of performance and spending. Pc-GAR is the software for this work.

With data mining, you take advantage of past experience … you learn from the past to prepare for the future.

Unit Types Available (12 choices) Fossil Fluidized bed fossil Nuclear Gas Turbine Jet Engine Diesel Hydro Pumped Storage Combined Cycle Geothermal Co-generator Multi-boiler/Multi-turbine We have 11 choices of units in pc-GAR. Here is a list of the choices. Please note that we cannot combine two of these groups such as fossil and gas turbines. We do not want people to mix two different technologies.

Units Selections All Including Own All Except Own Own Units United States Only Canada Only 2 Regions required for analysis We can now pick the units for the survey. There are 6 choices: All including own means all units in GADS All except own means all unit in GADS except your utility. If you reported data to GADS, it would exclude these units. Own units means only the units you report to GADS United States only means only those units with the boundaries of the USA Canada only means only those units with the boundaries of Canada 2 Regions required for analysis means you need to pick 2 or more regions of NERC for the report. If you want all regions, pick “All including own.”

Two Types of Variables Class Continuous “Yes” or “No” types Range Super or sub-critical General Electric or other manufacturer Balanced or pressurized draft Continuous Range MW size (1-1400 MW) Steam Pressure (1-3600 psig) EAF (0-100%) Class variables are “yes” or “no” type questions. The unit is either a fossil unit or it is not. The steam turbine is made by General Electric or it is not. Continuous variables are ranges where you can choose the upper and lower limits. For example, the megawatt (MW) size of the unit can be anywhere between 1 and 1,300 MW. You choose the upper and lower limit.

Three Groups of Criteria Selection Physical (class) Example: # of pumps Performance (continuous) Example: # of service hours Statistics (continuous) Example: EFOR

Help with pc-GAR

Help #1 – Selecting Fuels Two fuel selections “As designed” means what the unit was designed to burn. “Actual fuel burned” means what did the unit actually burn in the specific year. 100% of the “actual burned” fuels 90% of the “designed fuels”

Help #1 – Selecting Fuels Actual Fuel Burned Design Fuel

Help #2 – Apply Criteria By… You can apply the performance/fuel criteria by either year or range. Year – tests the criteria on a year by year basis. A unit may pass the test one year but not the next. Only the one year where it passed will be in the survey. Range – tests the criteria on the average for the period you selected. If you picked a 5-year period for an EAF > 85%, then the average EAF for the period is tested. If it fails, that unit will be removed from the survey.

Help #2 – Apply Criteria By… EAF = 90.40% EAF = 87.56% EAF = 84.55% EAF = 85.98% EAF = 86.91% If criteria included EAF of 85% or greater, then 3 of 4 years accepted using “Year” button. greater, then average EAF of 4 years accepted using “Range” button. Accepted Rejected

Help #3 – for Years/for Periods Events and performance data are divided into monthly intervals for retrieving and analyzing data by months, years, and multi-year periods. When using less than one year, use: “Annual/monthly Unit Summary Report” for viewing monthly numbers. “Unit-year Statistical Report” for projections of how the unit would operate if operated in the same manner as the short period.

Help #3 – for Years/for Periods

Help #3 – for Years/for Periods Data pulled for months 01 to 12 for three years. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Jan Feb …. Nov Dec Jan Feb …. Nov Dec Jan Feb …. Nov Dec Data pulled for months 11 to 02 for three years. Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Jan & Feb Nov to Feb Nov to Feb Nov Dec

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units pc-GAR allows you to add or remove youp own units from any selected group (“units included in report”) You cannot remove units that NERC considers not yours (even if you are a part-owner.) “Ownership” (to NERC) is the organization reporting data to GADS.

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units All own units Own units in report.

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units First, select one unit at a time to move. Next, click on the Button to add own units to report.

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units The unit is now added.

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units To remove a unit from the report, first highlight the unit then click on the “remove unit” bottom.

Help #4 – Adding/removing Units The unit is now back into the “own unit” list and out of the report.

Help #5 – Same Peer Group This procedure allows you to use the same group of units from one period to the next, assuming the same units reported in both periods. First, select the group of units using the standard procedure for choosing a group. Second, in “Menu of Reports,” choose “Report Data Range.” Third, select a new period to analyze.

Help #5 – Same Peer Group Some criteria may change from one period to the next as shown here. Select criteria and then save.

Help #5 – Same Peer Group Select a new period here.

Help #5 – Same Peer Group Here you select a new period for analysis using the same group of units.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report For when you want to create a pc-GAR report for just one of your own units. Normal selection procedure for own units. Remove all but the single unit from the “Units included in Report” section. Apply criteria as “Reapply Criteria …”

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Choose “Own Units” to remove any units not under your control.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Select the unit(s) you wanted to analyze. You can pick more than one if you want for a single group or show the performance of a plant. Suppose we want to see the performance of 3 units.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report After removing all but the 3 units using the “remove unit” button, you return to the “Report Design” section of the Criteria Entry.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Apply the Criteria.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Choose the “event option” you want (see Trick #7 for details) and click “ok”.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Select “Re-apply Criteria …” option to pull data for just the 3 units. If you use the other option, you’ll be back where you started with all of your own units.

Help #6 – Single, Own Unit Report Now you have only 3 units for your report. Save the file. Print the report as you normally do.

Help #7 – Data Making Statistics There are three options for choosing the units and data for making the statistics in the reports: Units that report both event & performance records and units reporting performance data only. Units that report both event and performance data only. Units that report both event and performance data for all years of the period.

Help #7 – Data Making Statistics This option includes all units reporting to GADS, whether they reported events data or not. This option may show differences in statistics like EAF, EFOR, EFORd, etc because not all units reported deratings.

Help #7 – Data Making Statistics This option includes all units reporting to GADS where events are reported during the period being examined. This option will show accurate statistics like EAF, EFOR, EFORd, etc because all units report deratings.

Help #7 – Data Making Statistics This option includes all units reporting to GADS where events were reported during the complete period being examined. If you were examining 5 years, the unit would have to report events all 5 years. This option will show accurate statistics like EAF, EFOR, EFORd, etc. because all units reported deratings.

Help #8 – Start Fresh or Re-examine? When retrieving data, you have the option to start fresh each time or re-examine the existing data. It is faster to start with a big group, add a criteria, and then re-examine the group as each criteria is added.

Help #8 – Start Fresh or Re-examine? Always uses this option when starting a new retrieval or increasing the population of an existing retrieval.

Help #8 – Start Fresh or Re-examine? Use this option if you are “trimming” an existing retrieval. Never use it if you suspect that the population of the retrieval will increase.

Help #9 – Inclusion In pc-GAR, the software assume you want everything unless you specify that you only want something special. For example, the program will assume you want all NERC Regions unless you specify you only want two certain Regions.

Help #10 – Exclusion In pc-GAR, you may have to specify you DON’T WANT something in order to get the condition you really want. For example, if you wanted units with a single reheater in the boiler, you would have to specify that the first RH section is 1 to 9999 psig and the second RH section is 0 to 0 psig.

Help #10 – Exclusion By placing a “0” (zero) in some criteria, you can focus on special cases of design. Here we locate single RH units and remove non- and double RH.

Question & Answer On to the demo…

Examples

Class Example 100-300 MW Oil Unit Example for locating your unit for comparing to others AF and EAF distributions Suppose that your unit is between 100-300 MW and burns oil as its primary fuel. How would you locate other units in GADS and compare yourself to them?

Class Example 100-300 MW Oil Unit STEP Double Click on pc-GAR icon Click on “New Report Wizard” Input Study Description Input Author Click on pull down menu for “Unit Type” Click on desired Unit Type (fossil-steam) Click on pull down menu for “Units” Click on “All Units Including Own” Click on “Next” Enter “1993” through “1997” in “Years” window

Class Example 100-300 MW Oil Unit STEP Click on “Add a Criteria” Button Select Window for 1st Criteria Category (Physical, Performance or All) Enter Select Criteria Click on “Add a Criteria Button” Select Window for 2nd Criteria Category Click on “Apply Criteria” Click on “OK” Note number of Units Selected Click on “Next”

Class Example 100-300 MW Oil Unit STEP Click on “Next” Click on “Save” (after adding Title 1,2 or comments if desired) Highlight desired study Click on “Print Report” Click on “Unit Statistics Distributions” Check AF & EAF Click on “OK” Check “Print Unit Names on Cover Page” Check on “Print” Observe Page 1 of report results

Class Example 100-300 MW Oil Unit STEP Click on Page “down” Observe statistics for mean & median values for AF & Distributions Write down 10th, 25th, 75th and 90th percentiles and Mean & Median values of AF Repeat steps 31-33 for EAF If you have time, try another technology (Hydro, GT, CC, or another type fossil steam on your own

Question & Answer

What is pc-GAR MT?

What is pc-GAR MT? Software product to provide a distribution of times to repair (TTR) and times between failures (TBF) Software product to provide Mean TTR and Mean TBF for modeling and analysis programs Software product that allows YOU control of the units in the data set.

Events as Reported to GADS Most events are shown as one, continuous activity per year However, there are some where the single event is divided into parts by: Months for internal utility reporting Years as part of the GADS cut off

Need for New Software Combine monthly events into one Combine year-ending & year starting events into one Ability to isolate events by event types Ability to isolate events by cause codes or groups of cause codes

The pc-GAR MT Plan Year 1 Year 2 Month 1 Month 2 Month 3 Event 1 Goal: one event, no matter its start or end!

The Programming pc-GAR New Data Handling Software pc-GAR MT

Why pc-GAR MT? Determine more accurately the times between failures for modeling Determine more accurately the repair times for shorter down time Manage inspections to equipment to prevent forced outages Evaluate operating/maintenance practices

What’s in common between pc-GARs? Same design retrievals Same performance retrievals Same ability to use range or year option Same years of resource Same wizard for selecting units Different output reports

What’s in common between pc-GARs? Design data Event/Performance Data Fuel Data Retrieval Criteria pc-GAR MT pc-GAR

pc-GAR MT Main Screen Once the criteria is chosen, you start the MT retrieval with this button.

pc-GAR MT Cause Code Selection

pc-GAR MT Event Type Selection

pc-GAR MT Output Example of pc-GAR MT output. Lots of information!

FD or ID Fan Problems Fossil units, 400-499 MW during 1993-1997 Problems with more than 1 hour of full forced outage. 24 out of 146 events were less than 1 hour!

Versions of pc-GAR and pc-GAR MT Annual update normally in the fall of the next year 14 month subscription pc-GAR+Plus Monthly update with all new data passing the GADS edit programs 12 months subscription pc-GAR MT

Versions of pc-GAR Power Generator Version Manufacturer’s Version Assess to manufacturer-specific data Assess to own unit data Manufacturer’s Version Assess to own manufacturer equipment and units All competitors are grouped as own manufacturer All others No assess to manufacturer or unit-specific data Rule: 3 utilities and 7 units for any reports

Question & Answer Contact: Mike Curley Manager of GADS Services mike.curley@nerc.net 801.756.0972