Problem Identification:
Upon receiving the project, the team researched excitation systems, and talked to Tim Vachon, who was able to give us an overview of what he expected from the project. An initial problem statement was produced and tasks were identified.
The team identified each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. We then assigned general roles for each member. The project was then broken into different sections. Each section was identified by its importance and due date. Microsoft Project was used to construct a Gantt chart.
Requirements and specifications were identified for the replacement static excitation system. A proposal was compiled for the project sponsor outlining the problem statement and project scope of work.
Problems Encountered:
During our design process, we encountered many difficulties. The most significant of these was the time and research it took to attain engineering estimates from the vendors. There were four different companies that we had to communicate with. These companies required specifications from the current system as well as specifications of desired system features. Much time was spent gathering this information. Specification problems led to quotes that did not include all the parts and services needed.
Furthermore details of efficiency improvement for units 2 and 3 were not easy to calculate.
Milestones:
We had two major milestones. The first of these was our trip to Cholla Power plant. This provided us with a wealth of information on the generators. Tim Vachon and Ralph Bushman, talked to us and give us some contacts and resources to help in the completion of this project.
The second major milestone was when we received the first of the engineering estimate. This provided us with many of the number we needed to produces an effective cost model.
Development and Testing:
Our development began after receiving the first of the engineering estimates. We were able to use these numbers to derive a cost model equation that would figure out our anticipated payback time if a newer static excitation system were to be installed.
Problems / Tradeoffs:
Many of the problems arose when we were in communication with the vendors that were quoting these static excitations systems. They would ask for specifications that we did not have. This would require contact with APS. The team did the best we could and tried to get everything ready so when we did obtain the quotes it was easier to plug the quote into the payback equation.
Successes and Knowledge Gained:
This project was a success in terms of obtaining the quote and producing a payback time for a static excitation system upgrade. Like most projects there is always more to be done. The cost model could be more specific and the quotes we obtained from the vendors were engineering estimates, which are not as accurate as an actual estimate which would be provided if the system were going to be purchased. Doing these things would help our end model be more accurate.
This was a great learning experience for everyone in the project. A couple of the team members would like to go into the power industry, so this provided a learning experience that has been beneficial to the careers they hope to obtain. This project was also very different in that there was no design or engineering involved, just research. This gave the team more of an insight into other types of engineering tasks.
|
.gif){kind=tracking}
