The United States has several energy sources that are heavily consumed, with natural gas being second on the list. That’s why the country now produces nearly all of the natural gas it consumes, instead of relying solely on offshore production. In 2016 alone, the United States extracted almost 750 billion cubic meters of natural gas and was the largest producer of natural gas in the world that year.
So, why are borescope services and inspections important?
A large portion of natural gas consumption is used in the electric power sector for generating electricity. It’s also widely used in the industrial sector for producing chemicals, hydrogen, and fertilizer, as well as fueling heating processes. Other uses for this essential energy source in both residential and commercial sectors are mostly for heating buildings and water.
When you think about how many natural gas power plants are needed to produce enough supply for all the demands, you’ll have an idea of how many gas turbines are utilized for better handling of this naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture. Although they are extremely efficient in converting natural gas to energy, gas turbines need periodic borescope services and inspections to confirm engine safety, structural integrity, and performance.
How Does a Borescope Work
Simply put, a borescope is used in industrial plants the same way hospitals and medical facilities use an endoscope.
The purpose of a borescope is to inspect hard-to-reach and hidden areas and spaces that are impossible to check without disassembling the engine. Some of the particles examined like salt are, more often than not, invisible to the naked eye.
Using a flexible tube with a mounted camera at the end, a borescope offers a trouble-free way to conduct inspections on areas not easily accessible, especially on tubular machines like turbines. They are widely utilized today in the automotive and aerospace industries and for electronics and plumbing inspections.
What Are Borescope Inspections and Services
A borescope inspection of gas turbines involves thorough evaluations of machines and engines that help determine potential future problems in parts and analyze the current safety, integrity, and performance of each turbine. A gas turbine has three primary modules: the combustion module, compressor module, and turbine module.
There are numerous steps in a borescope inspection including the initial assessment where you can perform a visual evaluation of turbines yourself or have the professionals do it.
With borescope services, they’ll be able to visually examine for any imperfections and hidden problems such as small holes and cracks in the turbine’s inner areas. These inspections are crucial for any industry using turbines and other machinery to ensure the safety not just of the machine itself but also of the workers who operate them.
Why It’s Critical To Have Borescope Inspections and Services
If something goes wrong with even a single turbine, it can jeopardize the entire process and energy production of a power plant, and can even potentially ruin it. That’s why it’s very critical to have a borescope inspection scheduled and performed regularly.
While workers can provide both visual and physical evaluations of turbines, the task will be time-consuming and less accurate than a professional borescope inspection.
There are many advantages that a borescope inspection provides, and it’s excellent for a time-sensitive assessment, baseline inspection, emergencies, forced and planned outages, pre-commissioning, post overhaul, and condition-based maintenance of turbines and other tubular machines.
Have a regular borescope inspection conducted to prevent downtime, ensure safety operation, and maintain a high level of performance from turbines and other large engines. Regular scheduling of these critical inspections can help you avoid potential problems in the future, as well as save time and money on unwarranted repairs.
In a nutshell, these are the reasons why you should have a borescope inspection as soon as possible:
- Keeps turbines and large engines in proper and safe operating conditions
- Prevents unplanned outages and downtime
- Reduces the possibility of emergencies and problems
- Gives an accurate analysis and evaluation of machines
- Maintains structural integrity, efficiency, reliability, and performance of turbines
Schedule Your Next Borescope Inspection Today
Don’t wait for a small defect to cause great damage and destruction to your turbine. Plan and schedule for regular borescope services to secure the safety of both your turbines and onsite employees. This way, you’re not only saving machines and people’s lives, but you’re also saving time and money by preventing potential problems.
