Constellation Energy has chosen to upgrade and widely expand its use of GE Intelligent Platforms' Proficy SmartSignal solutions across the company's entire high-capacity power generation fleet. Constellation will deploy the SmartSignal Shield predictive-diagnostic solution, along with SmartSignal Cycle Watch software, a high-speed solution designed for combustion turbine start-ups.

Constellation initially tested the SmartSignal Epi-Center software in 2008 and expanded its use in 2009 to five plants, including coal, combined-cycle and combustion turbine. The software provided early warning of several hundred equipment problems, which helped Constellation increase reliability and reduce maintenance costs. As a result, Constellation has decided to implement a three-phase project to maximize its monitoring of all mission-critical assets and balance-of-plant equipment that impact performance.

Constellation Energy uses Proficy SmartSignal technology in its own Performance Monitoring & Diagnostic (PM&D) Center, with support from the SmartSignal in-house Availability & Performance Center (APC).

SmartSignal Epi-Center software is an industry-leading predictive solution for managing, controlling, and optimizing equipment maintenance and industry operations. The new SmartSignal Shield solution builds upon years of experience and provides even earlier predictions of impending failures and, now, apparent causes of the impending failures, along with prioritizations. The new SmartSignal Cycle Watch software is the only solution for increasing reliable starts in combustion turbines. Using patented technology and special high-frequency sampling, SmartSignal Cycle Watch software uniquely analyzes the highly variable conditions of start-up and detects subtle deviations that only are visible in these high-stress and transient conditions.

Visit www.ge-ip.com, www.smartsignal.com or www.constellation.com.