Avistar's New Boiler Inspection Technology to Increase Power Plant Reliability and Savings.Energy Editors/Business Editors ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 1, 2003 Test Results Prove Technology's Superior Accuracy, Repeatability in Direct Comparison with Ultrasonic Testing In ultrasonic testing, very short ultrasonic pulse-waves with center frequencies ranging from 0.1-15 MHz and occasionally up to 50 MHz are launched into materials to detect internal flaws or to characterize materials. Avistar Inc., a subsidiary of PNM Resources PNM Resources NYSE: PNM is an energy holding company based in the U.S. state of New Mexico. Headquartered in Albuquerque, PNM Resources supplies electricity to 725,000 homes and businesses in New Mexico and Texas and natural gas to 471,000 customers in New Mexico through its (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :PNM PNM Public Service Company of New Mexico PNM People's National Movement (Trinidad) PNM Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia (National Library, Malaysia) PNM Price Negotiation Memorandum ), has announced test results showing that its Mutual Inductance mutual inductance n. Abbr. M The ratio of the electromotive force in a circuit to the corresponding change of current in a neighboring circuit. Bridge (MIB (1) (Management Information Base) The hierarchical database used by the simple network management protocol (SNMP) to describe the particular device being monitored. MIB objects are identified using ASN.1 syntax. See SNMP, RMON, OID and ASN.1. ) system, a non-destructive testing technology that detects wall thinning in power plant boiler tubes, produces more accurate and repeatable results than Ultrasonic Testing (UT). UT is considered the industry standard for instrument-based wall-thinning measurement. MIB, the basis of Avistar's boiler inspection service, can help power plants avoid a common industry problem by identifying boiler water wall weaknesses prior to the occurrence of significant leaks. The MIB technology detects iron metal loss and wall geometry changes caused by flame erosion, external corrosion and internal corrosion due to power plant water impurities. "Our technology responds to a significant need in the power plant industry," said Brent Rice, director of business development at Avistar. "Leaks in boiler tubes are a major cost for power generators, resulting in unplanned outages and loss of power sales. The industry needs a testing technology that is more effective than existing methods for identifying weaknesses before major problems occur." Avistar's MIB technology is based on a low-frequency inductive measurement system that tracks voltage differences between readings taken on nominal and degraded boiler tubing. Unlike UT and eddy current testing, MIB "sees" through fly ash and other wall build-up and so requires no pre-cleaning of the water wall, such as sandblasting Sandblasting or bead blasting[1] is a generic term for the process of smoothing, shaping and cleaning a hard surface by forcing solid particles across that surface at high speeds; the effect is similar to that of using sandpaper, but provides a more even finish ; it also requires no couplant. MIB produces instantaneous area readings -- covering 20 square inches each -- rather than single-point readings, allowing it to provide more extensive information, more quickly than UT and other point-measurement systems. Compared directly with UT in repeatability tests on precision-milled water wall defects, MIB exhibited less than 1/15th of the variance shown in UT readings for both rifled and smooth-bore tubes. In accuracy tests, MIB's average error was less than 1/5th that of UT based on geometric calculations of metal loss. Boiler water wall inspection service using MIB is available from Avistar. The company can be contacted at 888/834-4891 or info@AvistarInc.com. More information about Avistar's MIB inspection service and the MIB technology is available at www.AvistarInc.com. About Avistar Inc. Avistar Inc. develops innovative technologies and services for the energy industry. Avistar's focus is to help energy company clients attain production, profit and reliability objectives through the application of proprietary hardware and software solutions. Avistar is a wholly owned subsidiary Wholly Owned Subsidiary A subsidiary whose parent company owns 100% of its common stock. Notes: In other words, the parent company owns the company outright and there are no minority owners. of PNM Resources. |
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