{"id":35553,"date":"2025-03-25T09:11:04","date_gmt":"2025-03-25T09:11:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/?post_type=insight&#038;p=35553"},"modified":"2025-07-29T09:38:05","modified_gmt":"2025-07-29T08:38:05","slug":"steam-turbine-damage-investigation","status":"publish","type":"insight","link":"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/insight\/steam-turbine-damage-investigation\/","title":{"rendered":"Unexpected Damage in Steam Path Components"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"35553\" class=\"elementor elementor-35553\" data-elementor-post-type=\"insight\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d865d26 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"67641\" data-id=\"d865d26\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-57003cb\" data-eae-slider=\"58220\" data-id=\"57003cb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a00e282 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a00e282\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Steam Turbines operate for extended campaign periods ranging from 3 to 9 years with little invasive inspection.\u00a0 Minor inspections of auxiliary components such as valves and gearboxes do occur but most of the daily, monthly, and yearly inspections are of external systems looking for visible degradation (i.e. leaks) and monitoring of water\/ steam chemistry and oil condition.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The health and condition of the internal steam path parts in the steam turbine train rely on system sensors to monitor degradation and warn of progressive damage. These sensors cover vibration, pressure, and temperature.\u00a0 If the sensor readings are within expected ranges i.e. below alarms or trip limits set by the original equipment manufacturer, the operator can approach a scheduled major outage with the expectation of finding no abnormalities.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0131ac1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"0131ac1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-image.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35763\" alt=\"Lifting the top casing to reveal damage on the stage and blades.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-image.jpg 974w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-image-300x205.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/hero-image-768x526.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Image 1. Lifting the top casing to reveal damage on the stage and blades. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-824a079 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"824a079\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>However, I have seen and worked on projects where unexpected damage has been found on lifting the top casing, due to the uniform distribution of the damage around the stage, and the damage being on small \u201cchunky\u201d blades. This is particularly the case with smaller blades in the earlier pressure and intermediate pressure stages, which can be more tolerant to crack propagation, especially in low stress areas such as near the blade tip\/shroud.<\/p><p>Rotor repair guidelines in API RP 687 permit a certain depth of grinding to remove damage to the leading and trailing edges. The damage found on one such case was severe enough that the permitted blending in API RP 687 could not be completed and replacement parts needed to be sourced and delivered to the site. This had a significant effect on the outage schedule and consequentially on the loss of generation.<\/p><p>Examination of the vibration data revealed no evidence of expected damage.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c5874dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c5874dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-2.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35768\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-2.png 867w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-2-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-2-768x410.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Image 2. Damage location and steam flow. The stage 1 IP blade is shown in red and the green arrows indicate the steam flow.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d3e2e0c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d3e2e0c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">Image <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">2 <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">shows <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">the location of the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">tage 1 IP blade<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> and <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">diaphragm <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">and<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> ste<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">am flow<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">\u00a0 <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">The damage was see<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">n<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> on <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW252020410 BCX8\">the majority of<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">stage 1 <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">blade<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">s<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">,<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">predominately <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">under<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> the shroud<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">.<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\"> Typical damage is shown in <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">Image <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">3<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW252020410 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW252020410 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-63a4296 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"63a4296\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"272\" height=\"358\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-3.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35769\" alt=\"Impact to stage 1 blade leading edge\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-3.png 272w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-3-228x300.png 228w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 272px) 100vw, 272px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Image 3 Impact to stage 1 blade leading edge  <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-91041ba elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"91041ba\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">To cover the likely delays and subsequent generation losses, the operator instigated a claim on their insurance policy.\u00a0 To enable the claim to proceed the insurer requested that the date of the event be determined so that the claim could be assigned to the correct policy year.\u00a0 For insurance purposes, it is important to determine not just the date of detection but the date of occurrence.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">From the damage found and the presence of cracking, exposing fresh surfaces to the operating environment reported to be steam pressure of 175 bar and steam temperature of 538\u00b0C, it was possible to use the rate of oxidation of martensitic stainless steels (blade material) to determine the approximate time required to form the oxide thickness found on the cracked surfaces.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Applying oxidation theory for a protective oxide scale forming can indicate the approximate time of exposure to the steam environment.\u00a0 The rate of scale growth and therefore thickness is controlled by diffusion of ions through the oxide (parabolic oxidation rate law), and the rate of oxide thickening decreases as the oxide thickness increases such that:\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-941cd8a elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"941cd8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"500\" height=\"500\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/equation.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35557\" alt=\"Equation used in Rowbotham insight\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/equation.png 500w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/equation-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/equation-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/equation-400x400.png 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-00b0148 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"00b0148\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">Using Equation 2 (shown above), and widely accepted values for <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">the blade material<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">, the<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\"> expected <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">oxide thickness <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">over time and at various steam temperatures <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">can be calculated<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW191358499 BCX8\">.<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW191358499 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-09fd35c elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"09fd35c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"606\" height=\"219\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/table.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35770\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/table.png 606w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/table-300x108.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 606px) 100vw, 606px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Table 1: Expected oxide thickness over time and steam temperature. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6b6888 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b6b6888\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span class=\"TextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\" lang=\"EN-GB\" xml:lang=\"EN-GB\" data-contrast=\"auto\"><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">Removing metallurgical sections from various IP blades<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">, mounting <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">the removed sections in a thermos setting resin <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">and preparing to a 1 \u00b5m mirror finish <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">enabled the prepared sections to be examined <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">i<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">n<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\"> a<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\"> polished and etched condition using a metallurgical microscope. Following this, t<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">h<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">e oxide thickness <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun CommentStart CommentHighlightPipeRestRefresh CommentHighlightRest SCXW199621291 BCX8\">was<\/span> <span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">measured <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">and\u00a0 the results compared <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">to<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\"> the <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">calculated <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">thickness <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">obtained using <\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">E<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">quation 2<\/span><span class=\"NormalTextRun SCXW199621291 BCX8\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><span class=\"EOP SCXW199621291 BCX8\" data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a1d65a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a1d65a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"319\" height=\"267\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-4.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-35771\" alt=\"Tearing exhibiting fresh oxide growth\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-4.png 319w, https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/image-4-300x251.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 319px) 100vw, 319px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Image 4: Tearing exhibiting fresh oxide growth <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c92f04b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c92f04b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The areas selected for analysis had all exhibited tearing\/cracking, exposing new surfaces to the steam environment thus ensuring that the oxide growth being measured on the freshly exposed surfaces was from the date of impact and not before. In these areas, an estimation of surface exposure time to steam was calculated.\u00a0 <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The identified time period was then compared to any planned maintenance or repair work that was undertaken on the steam system to determine any correlation that could explain the ingress of foreign objects into the steam path. Note that at the time of the outage, the upstream steam strainer was not damaged.\u00a0 In this case, the data aligned with work that had been completed upstream of the IP blades on the steam valve several years earlier.\u00a0 It was considered highly likely that during this repair, an item of tooling was left in the steam path downstream of the steam strainer which on startup entered the IP turbine.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Applying oxidation theory in relation to oxide formation on steels in steam service is a well proven method that can enable an estimated time of an impact event to be determined and ensure that an insurer can assign a claim to the correct policy year for financial purposes.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d6422fc elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d6422fc\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-5b051e9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"5b051e9\" data-element_type=\"section\"><div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\"><div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-68e6efb\" data-id=\"68e6efb\" data-element_type=\"column\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-925c64b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"925c64b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><h4><span style=\"color: #0a527a;\">About the Author<\/span><\/h4><p><span data-contrast=\"none\"><a href=\"http:\/\/Stephen\" data-wplink-url-error=\"true\">Stephen<\/a> is a forensic <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/materials-chemistry-biology\/metallurgy\/\">metallurgist<\/a> with extensive global experience in providing independent<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/materials-chemistry-biology\/\"> materials<\/a> and corrosion advice to multi-national companies in the built and engineering sectors.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">He has over 25 years\u2019 experience undertaking failure and root cause analysis for clients in the power, process, and pipeline sectors together with transport and built infrastructure and has acted as an expert witness across the globe.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><p><span data-contrast=\"none\">In the last decade, Stephen has focused on the<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/power-energy\/\"> power sector<\/a>, helping loss adjusters, insurance companies and owners\/operators investigate events in various power plants from renewables (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/power-energy\/renewables\/hydro-power\/\">hydro, energy<\/a> from waste, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/power-energy\/thermal-power\/generators\/\">geothermal<\/a> (binary and flash units) and wind) to thermal generation assets (coal and gas power plants (simple cycle, cogeneration, and combined cycle)). Investigations completed have covered static and rotating components located within the fence of the power plant. Projects have also included condition assessment of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hawkins.biz\/expertise\/power-energy\/oil-and-gas\/gas-turbines\/\">gas and steam turbines<\/a>, and outage support for operators.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{&quot;134233117&quot;:true,&quot;134233118&quot;:true,&quot;201341983&quot;:0,&quot;335551550&quot;:6,&quot;335551620&quot;:6,&quot;335557856&quot;:16777215,&quot;335559740&quot;:240}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-e653e27 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-eae-slider=\"87143\" data-id=\"e653e27\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"has_eae_slider elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-cf762b0\" data-eae-slider=\"42548\" data-id=\"cf762b0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a932c4e elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"a932c4e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steam Turbines operate for extended campaign periods ranging from 3 to 9 years with little invasive inspection.  Minor inspections of auxiliary components such as valves and gearboxes do occur but most of the daily, monthly, and yearly inspections are of external systems looking for visible degradation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":37992,"parent":0,"template":"","insight_category":[],"experties":[65,101],"class_list":["post-35553","insight","type-insight","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","experties-engineering","experties-power-energy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Steam Turbine Damage: Forensic Root Cause Analysis<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Explore how forensic engineers identify unexpected damage in steam turbine components and determine failure timelines for insurance claims.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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