Hands down, the Western Turbine Users’ annual conference is Planet Earth’s biggest bargain in aero-engine training. More than nine classroom hours are devoted to the operation and maintenance of LM2500, LM5000, LM6000, and LMS100 engines in breakout sessions on Monday afternoon, Tuesday morning, and Wednesday morning (March 21-23) where owner/operators get the nitty gritty on what might bite them next and how to avoid paying again for problems others have experienced and solved.

But everyone needs a break from the engine detail. That’s provided by Tuesday’s special technical presentations, where you’ll get an overview of other technologies vital to plant operation—generators and control systems, for example. This portion of the program was extended in 2016 from two to three one-hour sessions. Each session offers a choice of three presentations, conducted simultaneously in the Catalina/Madera, Sierra/Ventura, and Mojave meeting rooms. Here’s what’s on tap for the afternoon of March 22:

Session 1 (2:30 to 3:30 pm):

• Aero GT Control Systems 101, Mike Toll, Woodward Inc

• EMI Diagnostics for Condition-Based Generator Testing, James Timperley, Doble Engineering Co

• Effects of California’s Cap-and-Trade on the Power Sector, Jackie Ferlita, Element Markets Inc

Session 2 (3:30 to 4:30):

• Importance of LM6000 OEM-Prescribed Maintenance, Dale Reed, Reed Services Inc

• HRSG Superheaters, Ned Congdon, HRST Inc

• Surrogate Technologies for Water Chemistry, Denton Slovacek, Hach Company

Session 3 (4:30 to 5:30):

• LM Engine Component Repair Options, Rick Kowalski, MT R&O LLC

• Software-Based Emissions Monitoring, Aaron Dodgson, Rockwell Automation Inc

• Performance Testing: Boring is Good, Tina Toburen, T2E3