Turbine Generator Maintenance Technician II

Course Description

EEV0141 — Turbine Generator Maintenance Technician II is a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course that extends the safety, measurement, and rigging competencies developed in EEV0140 (Turbine Generator Maintenance Technician I) into the specialized maintenance, inspection, and repair activities performed during turbine generator outages and overhauls. As a PSAV course, it carries 0 college credits, with 400 clock hours as the unit of measurement; successful completion is documented on the student's official PSAV transcript and qualifies the student for the OCP-B certificate in the Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection and Repair PSAV program.

The course is the second Occupational Completion Point (OCP-B) of the Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection and Repair PSAV program offered at Fort Myers Technical College (Lee County School District) and a small number of additional Florida technical institutions. The full program is 1,200 clock hours: EEV0140 (OCP-A, 400 hours) → EEV0141 (OCP-B, 400 hours) → EEV0142 (OCP-C, 400 hours).

EEV0141 advances students into the technical content that defines turbine generator outage work: coupling and centerline alignment, vibration analysis basics, lubrication systems and lubricant selection, valve maintenance, journal and thrust bearing inspection, seal types and replacement, centrifugal and positive displacement pump maintenance, heat exchanger inspection and tube cleaning, hydraulic system principles, steam turbine specific maintenance, and the condition-based monitoring (CBM) philosophy that drives modern outage planning. The course also addresses outage planning and scheduling fundamentals, gasket and bolted-flange best practices, starter re-wedging concepts, and the safe operation of oxygen-acetylene torches for cutting and heating tasks.

Learning Outcomes

Required Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:

Apply continued industrial safety practices appropriate to outage and overhaul work environments, including hot-work permits, oxygen-acetylene cutting safety, hot-surface burn prevention, and the recognition of stored-energy hazards (springs, accumulators, capacitors).
Perform coupling and centerline alignment using rim-and-face dial indicator methods, reverse-indicator methods, and laser-based alignment systems (Pruftechnik, SKF, or equivalent); calculate corrections and apply shims to bring couplings within manufacturer tolerance.
Identify vibration patterns indicative of common rotating-equipment problems (imbalance, misalignment, mechanical looseness, bearing defects, resonance) and use basic vibration analyzers and accelerometers to capture and interpret vibration data.
Apply lubrication principles, including oil and grease selection, viscosity grades (ISO VG, SAE), additive packages (R&O, EP, AW), oil sampling and analysis (ISO 4406 cleanliness, particle counting, ferrography), and lubrication route planning.
Identify and inspect valve types commonly found in turbine generator systems, including gate, globe, ball, butterfly, check, and pressure-relief valves; perform basic valve disassembly, inspection, and reassembly; lap seats where appropriate.
Inspect, measure, and replace journal bearings, thrust bearings, and labyrinth seals, including the use of feeler gauges, dial indicators, and Plastigauge for clearance measurement; perform bluing checks for surface contact patterns.
Identify, install, and maintain mechanical seals, packing seals, and gas seals on rotating equipment; recognize seal failure modes and corrective actions.
Inspect and maintain centrifugal pumps, including impeller and casing inspection, wear-ring measurement, mechanical seal replacement, and shaft alignment.
Inspect and maintain positive displacement pumps (gear, screw, vane, piston), including wear measurement and component replacement.
Inspect heat exchangers, including shell-and-tube and plate-frame designs, and perform tube cleaning, leak detection, and gasket replacement.
Apply hydraulic system principles applicable to turbine control systems, including pumps, control valves, accumulators, and actuators; recognize hydraulic schematic symbols.
Apply gasket and bolted-flange best practices, including gasket selection (sheet, spiral-wound, ring-type), flange face preparation, bolt-tightening sequence, and cross-pattern torque procedures.
Perform basic oxygen-acetylene cutting and heating operations safely, including tip selection, flame adjustment, and cut/heat technique on plate and structural steel; recognize and prevent flashback hazards.
Identify and apply condition-based monitoring (CBM) philosophy, including the role of vibration, oil analysis, infrared thermography, ultrasonic detection, and motor current signature analysis in driving outage scope decisions.
Participate in outage planning and scheduling discussions, including critical-path identification, resource leveling, and scope-of-work understanding.

Optional Outcomes

Depending on institutional emphasis and equipment availability, students may also:

Perform laser-based shaft alignment using Pruftechnik Optalign, SKF TKSA, Easy-Laser, or equivalent systems.
Use vibration data collectors (CSI 2140, SKF CMVA, IRD/Entek) to capture spectrum data and trend equipment health.
Perform infrared thermography inspections on bearings, motors, and electrical connections.
Apply ultrasonic detection (UE Systems, SDT) for bearing condition monitoring, steam-trap testing, and electrical-arc detection.
Begin preparation for Vibration Institute Category I or II certification.
Apply steam-turbine-specific maintenance, including labyrinth seal restoration, blade inspection, and starter re-wedge procedures.

Major Topics

Required Topics

Outage Safety and Hot-Work Permits — hot-work permit procedures, fire-watch requirements, oxygen-acetylene cutting safety, hot-surface burn prevention, stored-energy hazard recognition.
Coupling and Centerline Alignment — rim-and-face dial indicator alignment, reverse-indicator alignment, soft-foot detection, thermal growth compensation, laser alignment system operation, alignment tolerance specifications.
Vibration Analysis Fundamentals — vibration severity standards (ISO 10816, API 670), accelerometer mounting, time-waveform vs. spectrum analysis, common defect signatures (imbalance, misalignment, looseness, bearing defects), and basic interpretation.
Lubrication Theory and Practice — oil and grease properties, viscosity grades (ISO VG, SAE, NLGI), additive packages, oil sampling techniques, ISO 4406 cleanliness codes, particle counting, ferrography basics, lubrication route planning.
Valve Maintenance — valve types (gate, globe, ball, butterfly, check, pressure relief), disassembly and inspection, valve-seat lapping, packing replacement, actuator basics.
Bearings — Journal and Thrust — babbitt-lined sleeve bearings, tilting-pad thrust bearings, clearance measurement using feeler gauges, dial indicators, and Plastigauge; bluing-check techniques; bearing failure mode recognition.
Seals — Mechanical, Packing, and Gas — mechanical seal components and installation, compression packing replacement, dry gas seal basics, labyrinth seal inspection, seal failure modes.
Centrifugal Pumps — pump theory, impeller and casing inspection, wear-ring measurement, mechanical seal replacement, NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) basics, pump curve interpretation.
Positive Displacement Pumps — gear, screw, vane, and piston pump principles; wear measurement; component replacement.
Heat Exchangers — shell-and-tube and plate-frame designs, tube cleaning techniques (mechanical, chemical), tube-to-tubesheet rolling, leak detection (hydrostatic, dye penetrant), gasket replacement.
Hydraulic Systems — pumps, control valves, accumulators, actuators; hydraulic schematic symbols; common turbine control system architectures.
Gaskets and Bolted Flanges — gasket types (sheet, spiral-wound, ring-type joint, kammprofile), flange face preparation, bolt-tightening sequence, cross-pattern torque procedures, ASME B16.5 / B16.20 / PCC-1 references.
Oxygen-Acetylene Cutting and Heating — equipment setup and inspection, tip selection, flame adjustment (carburizing, neutral, oxidizing), cut and heat technique, flashback prevention.
Condition-Based Monitoring (CBM) — predictive maintenance philosophy, vibration analysis, oil analysis, infrared thermography, ultrasonic detection, motor current signature analysis.
Outage Planning and Scheduling — outage types (planned, forced, scheduled), critical-path identification, resource leveling, scope-of-work documentation, Primavera/MS Project basics.
Steam Turbine-Specific Maintenance — labyrinth seal restoration, blade and bucket inspection, diaphragm work, starter re-wedge.

Optional Topics

Laser Shaft Alignment Systems — Pruftechnik Optalign, SKF TKSA, Easy-Laser equipment operation.
Vibration Data Collection — CSI 2140, SKF CMVA, IRD/Entek data collectors and trending software.
Infrared Thermography — FLIR or equivalent thermal cameras for bearing, electrical, and steam-trap inspection.
Ultrasonic Detection — UE Systems, SDT ultrasonic instruments for bearing condition monitoring and leak detection.
Vibration Institute Category I/II certification preparation.
Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM) introduction.

Resources & Tools

Master Plan of Instruction (MPI) — institution-specific MPI documents establish the detailed week-by-week curriculum sequence.
OSHA 29 CFR 1910 General Industry Standards and NFPA 51B (Hot Work) — federal occupational safety and health standards governing industrial maintenance and hot-work activities.
API standards — particularly API 670 (Machinery Protection Systems), API 686 (Machinery Installation and Installation Design), and API 547 (General-Purpose Form-Wound Squirrel Cage Induction Motors); the petroleum industry uses these as well as the power industry.
ASME B16.5 / B16.20 / PCC-1 — standards governing flange dimensions, gasket dimensions, and bolted-flange-joint assembly procedures.
ISO Vibration Standards — ISO 10816 (Vibration Severity), ISO 13373 (Condition Monitoring), ISO 18436 (Personnel Certification).
Coupling Alignment Equipment — dial indicator-based alignment hardware (Tools-A-Loft or equivalent), Pruftechnik or SKF laser alignment systems for advanced training.
Vibration Analysis Equipment — accelerometers (PCB Piezotronics, IMI), portable vibration data collectors (CSI 2140, SKF Microlog, IRD), spectrum analysis software.
Lubrication Reference Materials — Noria Machinery Lubrication resources, Mobil/Shell/Chevron OEM lubricant selection guides, ISO 4406 cleanliness reference cards.
Oxygen-Acetylene Equipment — Victor or Harris regulators, torches, hoses, tip sets; cylinder safety chains; flashback arrestors.
Pump and Bearing Inspection Tools — micrometers, dial bore gauges, Plastigauge, machinist blue, granite surface plates, V-blocks.
HSI Turbine Maintenance Technician certification materials.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) — full PPE complement from EEV0140 plus FR welding jacket, welding gloves, welding goggles or auto-darkening helmet (for cutting tasks), heat-resistant gloves for hot-work.

Career Pathways

EEV0141 advances students through the Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection and Repair PSAV toward OCP-C completion. Successful completion supports progression into:

Continued Turbine Generator Maintenance PSAV Program — students continue through OCP-C (EEV0142 Turbine Generator Maintenance Mechanic, 400 hours) to complete the 1,200-hour program.
Turbine Generator Maintenance Technician II — mid-level employment with the major industry employers including GE/FieldCore, Reliable Turbine Service, Mitsubishi Power Americas, Siemens Fossil Service, Constellation Energy, Power Services Group, MD&A Manpower (Mohawk Labor Services), and AGT Generator Services. Wages typically advance to $28-$40+ per hour with the OCP-B credential and demonstrated alignment, vibration, and pump-maintenance competency, plus substantial per diem for traveling work.
Florida Power Plant Operations and Maintenance — utility plant maintenance roles at Duke Energy Florida, FPL, TECO, JEA, OUC, and Gulf Power; cogeneration facility maintenance.
Industrial Maintenance Technician (Tier 2) — mid-level industrial maintenance positions at large Florida manufacturing facilities (paper mills, phosphate processing, sugar processing, chemical plants), where alignment and vibration competency commands significant wage premiums.
Marine Engineering and Cruise Ship Maintenance — Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Norwegian Cruise Line shore-side and shipboard maintenance roles.
Specialty Industries — wind turbine maintenance (with additional industry-specific training), oil and gas refinery turnarounds, military shipyard maintenance.

Special Information

Program Type and Credit

EEV0141 is a Postsecondary Adult Vocational (PSAV) clock-hour course at 400 contact hours. PSAV courses do not carry college credit hours; credits=0 reflects this, with the real measurement being clock hours.

Program Availability

The Turbine Generator Maintenance, Inspection and Repair PSAV program is offered at a small number of Florida technical colleges. Fort Myers Technical College (Lee County School District) is the primary provider.

Industry Certifications

The course content prepares students for several industry credentials:

Health and Safety Institute (HSI) Turbine Maintenance Technician.
Vibration Institute Category I or II certification — increasingly valued in the predictive-maintenance industry.
Technical Training Professionals (TTP) Certifications — required by many major industry employers.
NCCER Industrial Maintenance / Millwright Levels 2-3 — applicable in some employer contexts.
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry — recognized as evidence of foundational safety knowledge.

Articulation and Transfer

As a PSAV clock-hour course, EEV0141 does not automatically transfer between institutions as college credit. Students should consult the receiving institution's articulation officer for specific applicability.

Military Credit Equivalency

Students with prior military training in mechanical maintenance, gas turbine engineering, marine engineering, or related Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) classifications may be eligible for military credit equivalency awards. The most directly relevant MOS classifications match those relevant to EEV0140:

U.S. Navy GS (Gas Turbine Systems Technician), MM (Machinist's Mate), MR (Machinery Repairman), and EN (Engineman)
U.S. Air Force 2A6X1 (Aerospace Propulsion)
U.S. Army 91D (Power Generation Equipment Repairer)
U.S. Marine Corps 1142 (Engineer Equipment Electrical Systems Technician)
U.S. Coast Guard MK (Machinery Technician)

Military experience involving shaft alignment, vibration analysis, lubrication systems, valve maintenance, and pump maintenance maps particularly closely to EEV0141 content. Documentation through the Joint Services Transcript (JST) or Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) transcript is the basis for evaluation. Daytona State College, Fort Myers Technical College, and Florida State College at Jacksonville maintain military-credit equivalency processes.