Advanced weld repair technology extends plant life

By safely extending the life of aging or damaged components, utilities can maximize utilization of existing generation assets, prevent failures, reduce availability losses and outage time, and cut operations and maintenance and replacement power costs. As a versatile means for reliable, cost-effective repair and refurbishment of power plant components, welding technology is critical to the success of any life-extension program. In addition, utilities need an alternate approach for post-weld heat treatment, a time-consuming method for tempering metal and relieving stress associated with the welding process. The Electric Power Research Institute is directing a comprehensive international collaboration to advance the power industry's weld repair capabilities by reviewing and documenting current practices, identifying optimal technologies and developing advanced welding techniques.