Acceptance Testing & Instrument Audits

Owners of new power plants of all types receive a guarantee by the OEM that the plant, or specific components within the plant, will meet or exceed performance guarantees. Often, substantial liquidated damages or bonuses are at stake. Totals can often exceed tens-of-millions of dollars. Therefore, both parties have a vested interest in the outcome of the test results.

MD&A can defend your interests during an acceptance test by verifying that tests are performed accurately, according to contractual terms and as defined in the performance test codes. Likewise, the lack of properly calibrated instrumentation during testing increases the uncertainty to test results. Uncertainty can, and often is, used to the advantage of the OEM in the final analysis of acceptance test data. MD&A can provide instrument audits prior to testing, thereby minimizing uncertainty. MD&A can help address the issues of uncertainty before they become the source of litigation by counseling clients during the initial "contract writing phase" of the project.

MD&A provides experts to assist OEMs, EPCs and Owners in all aspects of acceptance testing. A partial list of the services provided includes:

• Contract review and modification recommendations
• Writing and reviewing performance test protocols for contracts
• Writing and reviewing performance test procedures
• Determining how contractual test tolerances will be applied
• Determining how performance degradation will be applied
• Conducting instrument audits and providing calibration recommendations
• Conducting cycle isolation tests
• Calculating test uncertainty and minimizing test uncertainty
• Verifying, trending, reconciling and evaluating of acceptance test data
• Diagnosing component contribution to any shortfall in overall test
• Calculating the economic ramifications of the various tests
• Correcting test results to the guarantee basis
• Acceptance testing of steam and gas turbines, combined cycle plants, boilers, HRSGs, chillers and various other components
• Expert witnesses for negotiation, mediation, arbitration and litigation

For more information on MD&A's acceptance testing and instrument audit services, please contact Lon Penna at our corporate headquarters by calling 518-399-3616. Lon is an author, instructor and an elected member of two ASME code committees. For an experience list of tests performed, references and credentials, please email: LPenna@mdaturbines.com.