As the largest independent energy producer in Argentina, Pampa Energia S.A. is responsible for bringing energy to many customers. In August of 2018, a failing inner ring in a gas turbine unit almost caused a catastrophic failure – and a repair bill to the tune of roughly $7 million. No alarms alerted operators to the impending asset failure. Pampa Energia used AVEVA PI System to implement a predictive algorithm to prevent similar anomalies from occurring in the future.
“So the next question is: How can we capitalize on what we’ve learned, and what can we do so that a failure of this type does not happen again? The answer is AVEVA PI System.”
Walter Adad, Process Engineer, Pampa Energia
Goals
- Create a predictive maintenance algorithm to detect deviations
- Alert operators to issues to enable them to take preventative action prior to a major event occurring
Challenge
- The control system could not detect anomalies in gas turbine compressors before catastrophic failure
Solution
- AVEVA™ PI System™
Results
- Quickly identified potential issues, performed necessary maintenance, and avoided massive expenses associated with asset breakdown
- Given the success of the project, the company is working to leverage these predictions for its other critical assets
