| Details: | With Chris Eckert, Managing Partner, Sologic.
When significant failures occur, there is a temptation to provide the “quick answer” to leadership to expedite a return to normal operations. However, to avoid repeat events and to assure that the proper, long-term solutions are deployed, engineers and technicians must take a systematic approach to exploring all possible failure paths and follow the data in order to avoid jumping to false conclusions. In this example, a power plant on a Caribbean island experienced a catastrophic explosion of an 11 Megawatt generator that created the potential for multiple fatalities and resulted in reduced generating capacity for over 1 year. The total repair costs were over $10 million USD and placed a severe strain on the grid as the remaining generators that were already pushed to their limits due to the rapid, on-going development of the island had to pick up the slack. Initially, there was no clear explanation for what caused the explosion. Through systematic examination of the process data, damaged parts, witness statements and on-site video, the root causes were eventually determined after multiple, potential theories were initially explored but later ruled out. This presentation will walk through the process used to determine the causes of the explosion, and share the solutions intended to prevent recurrence. Join us: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. in ET 116 |
| Date: | - |
| Time: | - |
| Location: |
ET 116 , |
| Sponsor: | College of Science & Engineering Department of Engineering and Technology |
| Contact: | Teresa Armstead ashle1tl@cmich.edu 989-774-7663 |