EtaPRO Users Conference 2006

...integrating people, processes, and technology

Over 70 customers, partners, and employees from six countries joined together at the Niagara Falls Conference Center to participate in the 5th annual EtaPRO Users Conference in early September. The conference provided attendees the chance to share experiences, and learn new techniques for using EtaPRO to improve the capacity, availability, and overall thermal performance of their power generating assets. A highlight of the conference was the support shown by the international attendees this year. The conference featured EtaPRO users/guests from as far as Korea, the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and Mexico; representing companies such as KEPRI, InterGen, Saltend Cogeneration Company, AES Puerto Rico, Union Fenosa, and EcoElectrica. In total, there were 20 international attendees at this year's conference!

Keynote Speaker

This conference was kicked off with a key note address by David Wagman, managing editor of Power Engineering magazine. Mr. Wagman discussed many of the problems facing the power industry today, such as the aging workforce and loss of tribal knowledge, fuel diversification of the generating fleet, global warming, and emerging technologies such as IGCC. Mr. Wagman's key note address was followed by presentations from GP employees about the newly released EtaPRO 9, along with presentations by EtaPRO customers from around the world. These presentations covered EtaPRO-related topics such as combined cycle EtaPRO operations, delivering EtaPRO information to the enterprise, combining EtaPRO with real-time nuclear analyzers for coal operations, and supporting EtaPRO with wireless instrumentation.

2006 Presentations

2006 conference presentations included:

• "Imagining the 1901 Pan-American Exposition"—Don Ferguson, Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
• "Supporting EtaPRO with Wireless Instrumentation"—Biagio Insogna, Dynegy
• "Looking Beyond Thermal Performance... Using EtaPRO Data for Other Business Purposes"—Paul Mitchell, New York Power Authority
• "Benefits of Enterprise Wide Deployment"—Matt Miller & Mark Brown, OSIsoft
• "Wicked Problems and Power Options"—David Wagman, Power Engineering
• "Real-time Coal Quality Analysis at DP&L's Stuart Station"—Alan Reman, Sabia
• "Incorporating EtaPRO into Combined Cycle Operations"—Bryan Gingell, Saltend Cogen

GPiLearn™ and the Performance Engineering Portal

One of the features of this year's EtaPRO User's Conference was a presentation by Chuck Holm and Barton Hoffman on "GPiLearn and The Performance Engineering Portal". During the presentation, the new EtaPRO and VirtualPlant™ tutorials provided with all Tier 1 EtaPRO support packages were introduced. GP's Performance Engineering Portal is a gateway to all GPiLearn web-based training content. It features 24/7 access wherever the Internet is available, self-paced tutorials, new EtaPRO 9 tools and features, VirtualPlant configuration and component-based tutorials, and on-going content development. All of these features are available to all EtaPRO customers who maintain their Performance Plus™ support contract. There was significant interest generated from the presentation, and approximately a third of the 70-some attendees stayed for an on-line demonstration of GPiLearn conducted at the end of the day by Craig Dalziel and Trenessa Coffey-Annibal.

Additional Training Topics

The conference was followed by two days of training on topics including existing and new EtaPRO 9 software capabilities, plant performance analysis, individual equipment performance issues, and VirtualPlant modeling techniques. Four different topics were available during each training session, and participants were able to choose topics of interest to them.

Fun Activities

A New Orleans themed Customer Appreciation Dinner was held at the Top of the Falls Restaurant in Niagara Falls State Park. We had a great turnout of customers and their spouses along with GP employees and spouses. Guests enjoyed a night of food and drink while listening to LeeRon Zydeco & The Hot Tamales. Conference attendees had a chance to participate in the Customer Appreciation Raffle for a chance to win great prizes. Some of the prizes that were raffled off included: a Canon Digital Camcorder, Apple iPod, Microsoft Streets & Trips with GPS, and a GP Golf Gift Set.

GP would like to thank our presenters from the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society, Dynegy, New York Power Authority, OSIsoft, Power Engineering magazine, Sabia, and Saltend Cogen.