Geothermal Power Plant Maintenance: Evaluating Maintenance System Needs Using Quantitative Kano Analysis

Reynir Atlason,Gudmundur Oddsson,Runar Unnthorsson

doi:10.3390/en7074169

Abstract

A quantitative Kano model is used in this study to identify which features are preferred by top-level maintenance engineers within Icelandic geothermal power plants to be implemented in a maintenance tool or software. Visits were conducted to the largest Icelandic energy companies operating geothermal power plants. Thorough interviews with chiefs of operations and maintenance were used as a basis for a quantitative Kano analysis. Thirty seven percent of all maintenance engineers at Reykjavik Energy and Landsvirkjun, responsible for 71.5% of the total energy production from geothermal resources in Iceland, answered the Kano questionnaire. Findings show that solutions focusing on (1) planning maintenance according to condition; (2) shortening documentation times; and (3) risk analysis are sought after by the energy companies but not provided for the geothermal sector specifically.

Highlights

The diminishing access to retrieved energy sources will have a great effect on the quality of life of a large portion of the Earth’s population, even larger than it does at present time [1].It is of the utmost importance that the sources that are utilized, whether fossil fuels or not, are harvested in the most efficient manner
The maintenance procedures of fossil fuel power plants have been under development for much longer than those of geothermal power plants, which is a sector still in its infancy compared to the fossil fuel industry
The conditions geothermal power plants operate under are very different in nature from those observed in fossil fuel power plants

Summary

Introduction

The diminishing access to retrieved energy sources will have a great effect on the quality of life of a large portion of the Earth’s population, even larger than it does at present time [1]. It is of the utmost importance that the sources that are utilized, whether fossil fuels or not, are harvested in the most efficient manner. The conditions geothermal power plants operate under are very different in nature from those observed in fossil fuel power plants. Solutions already provided to the fossil fuel energy sector can only be used in the geothermal sector in a very limited way

Methods

Results

Conclusion