Materials engineering specialists at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) have developed a new software program designed to help coal-fired power stations improve their efficiency and sustain a reliable output.

 

The software, ‘Remlife’ is already in use by several power companies across Australia to gauge the wear and tear of plant infrastructure.

 

Most of Australia’s coal-fired power stations are several decades old, and with no new power stations coming online in the near future, the question remains how existing stations will cope with the added pressure of rising demand.

 

Dr Warwick Payten, leader of the development team,  said the Remlife software calculates the damage a power plant sustains during its operating cycle which allows prediction of how much longer plants can operate safely.

 

“Materials that are subjected to high temperatures undergo changes that limit their operating life. These processes technically called creep and fatigue compromised the integrity of the material over time which limits the life of the power station.  Remlife analyses ensure that the ageing infrastructure that we’ve got can keep operating safely as long as possible, potentially deferring replacement plant investment in some cases,” he said.

 

The Remlife software offers a quick and cost-effective way for power station operators to target the most pressing problems with equipment.

 

“The Remlife program means that, rather than spending a week to assess a single component within the power plant, we can now carry out that assessment in minutes,” Dr Payten said.

 

Current power stations using the Remlife software include: Eraring, New South Wales (NSW); Wallerawang, NSW; Kwinana, Western Australia (WA); Muja, WA; Stanwell , Queensland (Qld); Tarong North, Qld; Gladstone, Qld; Loy Yang A Victoria (Vic); Loy Yang B, Vic; and Torrens Island, South Australia (SA).

 

More information is at www.ansto.gov.au