Tetra Engineering
"Data to Decisions"

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Last Updated:
7-jan-05 10:58 CET

CARDS is designed to save engineers time and enhance traceability by providing an integrated reporting and viewing system that is simultaneously accessible to a wide audience. Components of interest so far have been in the power generation industry, but the system lends itself to many areas where the health and reliability of complex and high capital value / high criticality components needs to be documented and communicated to a wide audience. CARDS uses MS Internet Explorer and common office tools - no special software or hardware is required!

CARDS, put simply, uses web pages to store information about component "issues". The issues are cross-referenced and interlinked. The issues are visualised and localised using 2D and 3D images. With the increasing availability of information in electronic format, CARDS is also used to pull all this together into a one-stop data shop. Major benefits are significant savings in time and money, and improved traceability

Tetra Engineering provides a full turn-key service to:

• Generate models
• Build the system to the clients requirements, and to the levels of detail required
• Enter initial historical data
• Maintain data after each outage or as otherwise required

Click here to see a walkthrough of a typical HRSG-CARDS

Examples of how CARDS can be used:

Example 1:

For a root cause failure analysis performed by an external body, the investigator would need to:

• Obtain drawings and specifications for the unit and component
• Check operating data
• Consult maintenance records
• Check operational specifications and see if / how they have been exceeded
• Communicate the results.

Traditionally this would require significant input from plant staff, but using CARDS this could all be done from any user's PC.

Example 2:

When planning maintenance, the plant staff:

• Consult their overall inspection scheme and regulatory requirements
• Consult previous inspection reports
• Check previous failures and repairs to re-assess them
• Create tender documents for contractors and communicate the requirements

Again, this is a significant workload for plant staff, but using CARDS all the information is available quickly and easily via a browser.

Applications

CARDS can be used in a variety of industries and applications. The following is a non-exhaustive list:

Heat Recovery Steam Generators:

• Pressure parts
• Ductwork, stack dampers etc

Coal-fired radiant and fluidized-bed boilers

• Pressure parts
• Water walls
• Easily extendible to fuel and flue gas systems:
  • burners, pulverizers/crushers, fans, electrostatic precipitators, scrubbers etc.

High Energy Piping

• Piping, supports and weld details.

Deployment

CARDS is a stand alone system and does not require a server. It can reside on a shared drive on the user's network, on a single PC, or (depending on the content) on a CD. Data can be shared over a corporate network for a large audience, with access restricted using standard drive sharing protocols.

Content

The system can be applied to either new or older units. Information that is already in electronic format is relatively easy to enter into the system and catalog. Existing information is generally read through for salient points which are entered onto the system manually, and the original document can also be scanned as an electronic report and linked to the issue pages.

Target Audiences

The fitters and technicians who "own" the equipment generally carry a pretty good mental picture of the unit and its history. However, should these people move on then this experience is lost. CARDS can be used to archive this experience in a structured fashion and present it in the right way for the audience:

Technicians and Fitters

Can search for manuals and drawings on-line, consult histories for particular units, find out who worked on particular problems to seek advice etc. If similar equipment is also installed at another site, they can consult relevant issues from the remote plant and "pool" ideas.

Maintenance Management (Local and Corporate)

Need to communicate technical ideas to sub-contractors, plant personnel, and corporate management, as well as tracking the equipment health and planning maintenance. They need broad summaries but also the ability to drill down to the fine detail level.

Corporate Office

Some isues need to be resolved at corporate level, yet this audience may be far removed from the overall plant design, let alone the systems covered by CARDS. This is why CARDS optionally gives an introduction to the overall plant, to help guide the unfamiliar down to the level of detail that they require. Hence a maintenance manager can send a report reference detailing an issue to corporate office. If the addressee is unfamiliar with the plant layout they can move up through the detail levels in CARDS to rapidly familiarise themselves.

For more information, please contact your nearest office.