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Case Studies
Cleansing, Organizing, and Migrating Data for Industrial Digital Transformation
Client Requirements
The electric utility partnered with L.L. Blue Engineering to provide digitalization consulting services to develop a strategic roadmap for digitally enabling its power generation fleet of gas, coal, and solar plants. L.L. Blue conducted innovation focus groups with key plant personnel to assess where digitalization could provide the biggest return on investment. Our team interviewed industry leaders involved in digitalizing within the oil and gas, automotive, and chemicals manufacturing sectors to better understand best practices for heavy asset industries, thereby acquiring knowledge from the global ecosystem.
Results Achieved
Digitalizing the clients' fleet of power-generating stations has several measurable benefits:
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Improved operational efficiencies, cost savings, and employee productivity have been noted due to insights gleaned from integrating data at the fleet level.
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Improved clarity regarding what elements yield the highest return on investment when developing their strategic digitalization roadmap.
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Reduced O&M costs and downtime at key facilities by leveraging predictive maintenance tools & algorithms with the data that is now available from stand-alone systems, thus improving Plant Operator awareness and response.
Enhancing Access and Connectivity to Harness Digital Transformation
Client Requirements
The client partnered with LL. Blue Engineering to provide program management and engineering services for the installation of its wireless network infrastructure at one of its largest power generating stations. The Owner was seeking to begin digitally transforming this facility in preparation for leveraging technology to enhance safety for plant personnel and contractors, reducing O&M costs using data analytics and machine learning in predictive/prognostic maintenance models, and helping create a culture for their future "digital worker." A key component of the Owner's requirement was to ensure the network remained cyber secure.
Results Achieved
LL. Blue delivered a secure, comprehensive wireless network for client's 350-acre power station. The wireless infrastructure design completely upgrades the existing network backbone with larger bandwidth and includes robust industrial-rated access points that have significantly higher data throughput for future growth. To aid the Owner in getting the highest return on investment, our design also incorporates mesh networks for certain areas to take advantage of site conditions. LL. Blue Engineering worked closely with internal corporate teams and external partners to perform Wi-Fi surveying and produce heatmaps that optimized access point locations. By delivering a secure wireless network infrastructure, LL. Blue is supporting client's vision to digitally transform its facilities. A digitally enabled facility bolsters safety by facilitating quicker access to critical information for more accurate and timely decisions, utilizing mobile applications for improved productivity, and enhancing equipment lifecycles through better data analytics
Modernizing Combined Cycle Power Plant with an Eye toward the Future
Client Requirements
The client partnered with L.L. Blue Engineering to provide the complete electrical and control system engineering and design for the migration of an Allen Bradley MicroLogix 1200 Series PLC to a central DCS and SCADA system for the Ammonia Injection System, at one of its power-generating stations. The client’s objective was to reduce operations and maintenance costs by eliminating the Plant’s need to support and maintain two separate control systems. The Plant also sought to reduce its cybersecurity risks by minimizing the number of network addressable devices to manage and secure.
Results Achieved
The client was provided a detailed design package that provided a clear statement of work from which their electrical contractor could build. L.L. Blue’s team worked with the client’s engineering and maintenance staff through every step of the project to confirm all details, requests for information, submittals, quality assurance, and design specifications were provided in a timely manner. Upon completion of the integrated control system, reliability will be improved, O&M costs reduced, nuisance operator alarms eliminated, and all cybersecurity risks mitigated.
A New Server Room for Securing Critical Infrastructure
Client Requirements
L.L. Blue was a member of an EPC (Engineering, Procurement & Construction) team to provide engineering, design, and integration support for a new secure server room at one of our utility client's largest power generating stations. All existing operator workstations, engineering servers, and control network components will be moved from within the central control room to the new more secure location. Because the facility is governed by National Energy Regulatory Commission Critical Infrastructure Protection (NERC-CIP) standards, all elements had to be designed according to this framework.
Results Achieved
L.L. Blue provided network planning and design for the new secure server room that will house 80 critical servers providing 24/7 availability for the generating station. This secure datacenter will provide access control, noise mitigation, and tamper protection for the plant's industrial control systems. Because the project scope includes many disciplines and stakeholders, there were frequent changes authorized during each status update meeting. Through careful project management practices, we have been able to accommodate the design changes while meeting the client's tight design schedules.Careful project planning and coordination will be provided during construction so the facility can remain operable during the cutover period.
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Our Experiences
Combined Cycle Systems Integration
Design, integration, testing, and commissioning of 2500MW combined cycle facility. Installation consisted of integration of electrical and DCS systems for a Mitsubishi 501G, Nooter Erikson HRSG, and Toshiba 400MW steam turbine.
Coal Fired Power Plant Equipment Upgrade Front End Engineering & Design
Owner-engineer responsible for coordinating daily efforts of electrical contractors and outside vendors. Provided written documentation, specifications, procurement, scheduling, support, quality verification, and operational procedures.
Combustion Turbine Front End Engineering & Design
Feasibility study for overhaul of (2) Pratt & Whitney FT4. Scope included all electrical switchgear, MCCs, instrumentation, turbine controls, and balance of plant systems.
Control Center Front End Engineering & Design
Design of Control Center instrumentation bench-board, distribution network, lighting, and protection & control.
Water Treatment Front End Engineering & Design
Feasibility study for upgrading wastewater systems.
Water Treatment Plant Power System Upgrade Front End Engineering & Design
Owner-engineer provided power studies for faulty designed Water treatment Plant MCC. The MCC feeder cables were designed with inadequate load carrying capacity which caused many of the buckets to be unusable.
GE Mark 6 HMI Systems Integration
Mark 6 HMI turbine controls upgrade. The turbine control interface for the 880MW GE turbines had become outdated and this project was the first phase of the upgrade.
Coal Fired Power Plant Control Systems Integration
Migration of coal-fired boiler controls to Emerson Ovation from legacy Foxboro I/A. Installation consisted of upgrading Operations simulator and an advanced HMI interface.
Sulfur Dioxide PLC to DCS Systems Integration
Migration of Sulfur Dioxide scrubber PLC to Emerson Ovation.
Coal Fired Power Plant SCADA Front End Engineering & Design
Owner-engineer for maintenance, upgrades, and outage support. Scopes include upgrading SCADA networks, metering RTUs, and protection and control relaying.
New Lube Oil Facility Front End Engineering & Design
Owner-engineer for design of electrical system for new lube oil storage facility. Performed arc-flash studies, motor starting analysis, short circuit studies, and load flow analysis.