Supplying power needs flexibility and reliability as peak consumption hours vary, and power outages can cause severe problems. Not only the public is dependent on a steady power supply, but also most processing plants. They depend on their own power plants that need to be absolutely reliable.
Combined-cycle power plants are among the most efficient power plants. They utilize a heavy-duty gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator. This combination reduces energy waste and increases energy efficiency significantly. In these plants, essentially two things happen:
- The gas turbine combusts a fuel-air mixture. The high-pressure gas of the turbine rotates the turbine blades and the turbine shaft, transferring mechanical energy to a generator which then produces electricity.
The heat recovery steam generator uses the turbine’s hot exhaust gases to create steam, which is then used to power a steam turbine. The steam turbine also transfers energy to a generator producing additional electricity. 
Machine availability and maintenance costs are the most crucial factors affecting the efficiency and cost of combined-cycle power plants. Regular inspections and preventive maintenance are therefore essential to extend equipment lifetime. The inspection intervals usually depend on operating hours and the number of starts. Turbine maintenance needs to be scheduled in the most efficient way to avoid unnecessary replacements, downtimes, and failures. The key influences impacting the equipment life are fuel type, operation cycles, firing temperature, and steam/water injection. Environmental conditions also matter; for example, the air that flows into the gas turbine can hold dust, salt, or oil. These factors can change the inspection schedule and maintenance requirements. Equipment failure usually happens due to friction, erosion, and stress. The hot engine parts, those connected with combusting and discharging the hot gases, are stressed the most.
Videoscopes help to check the inside of the turbine without disassembly. They can easily reach deep inside and capture videos and photos to document potential flaws. They are essential to reduce downtimes and help detect abnormalities, such as dirt buildup, corrosion, and foreign objects. 
Gas turbine inspections are challenging because of the turbines’ complexity and dangerous operating temperatures. There are many confined and dark areas that are hard to reach. Flaws are tricky to detect with the bare eye, and documentation is complex.
To tackle these challenges, Mitcorp offers comprehensive solutions. Our tungsten-braided insertion probes offer excellent heat- and high scratch resistance. They are also IP 67 certified and can withstand liquids or dust inside the turbine. The advanced exposure system and powerful LEDs are ideal for very dark areas with metallic surfaces raising the detection probability significantly. Our videoscopes offer S-HD image quality and Full-HD videos. Mitcorp videoscopes also feature advanced functions such as annotation and compare options and a file management system. These functions support sorting large amounts of images more effectively and help with the report generation, increasing the inspection efficiency and effectiveness.
Learn more about our solutions here: https://www.mitcorp.com.tw/ 
Or contact us directly. We will be happy to assist you.
Additional Resources:
- Cilindro, Antonio. (2015). Performance Analysis and Economic Effects of Maintenance and Hot Gas Path Inspection of a Combined Cycle Power Plant. 10.13140/RG.2.1.3088.5201.
- Combined cycle power: History, description & uses. (2020, July 17). Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://brdgstn.com/combined-cycle/#:~:text=The%20first%20recognized%20combined%20cycle,overall%20efficiency%20of%20about%2032.5%25.
- Kobelco power Moka, Inc. begins commercial operation of No. 2 unit at Moka power Plant｜KOBELCO Kobe Steel group. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.kobelco.co.jp/english/releases/1203382_15581.html
- Kurz, R., Meher-Homji, C., Gonzalez, F., Brun, K., & Moore, J. (2013, October 1). Proper maintenance can increase the performance and longevity of gas turbines significantly. [PDF]. Houston, Texas: Proceedings of the Forty-Second Turbomachinery Symposium.
- Our energy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 14, 2021, from https://www.erg.eu/en/our-energy/natural-gas/how-a-combined-cycle-plant-works