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Safety Tips
Steam Turbine Tips
JAN
28
NOV
06
Some compressor failures have been attributed to "lockup" of the stator vanes. The vane roots are designed to rock
slightly at their roots when moved with your hand. Rust and debris can inhibit this movement. An immobile vane
changes the stress profile on the vane which can cause cracking and potential failure. Mechanics should check for
proper movement at each inspection.
Removing lockedup stator vanes has been a challenge for service providers.The OEM has come up with material
upgrades to address the corrosion problems in these areas. The compressor upgrades are designed to reduce the
potential for compressor failures and lockup of the stator vanes.Some providers use destructive methods to cut
out the vanes, potentially damaging the compressor casing. The OEM recommends the use of their (expensive)
special tooling to reduce and hopefully prevent casing damage. An alternate method that TGM has used very
successfully is a process of heating and quenching. Heating the lockedup stator vane segments with a torch and
quickly quenching the vane with cold water will typically free the vane segment for removal without damaging the
casing. The process of heating and quenching (applied by an experienced team) can save time and money while
reducing and hopefully eliminating damage to the compressor casing. TGM can provide its expertise in removing
stubborn stator vane segments and, if needed, quickly replace damaged stator vanes to get the customer back on
line as soon as possible.
TGM's experienced combustion turbine Technical Directors and crews often delight customers by providing
innovative methods that can efficiently and permanently solve issues and get the customer back on line to make
power. Early detection of shim migration and stator vane problems can be performed by TGM through borescope
inspections and eddy current NDE.
TGM's comprehensive borescope diagnostics can provide recommendations and solutions to address many other
compressor issues. Contact Us to find out how we can help.
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SEP
30
Thermal Barrier Coatings (TBCs) protect the first several rows of hot gas path parts from
the high combustion temperatures in many advanced large frame turbines. Not all coating
applications are equal, and some can even reduce the efficiency of your unit.
TBCs are designed to reduce the temperature of the buckets and stators while providing
resistance to corrosion and reducing oxidation of the component. TBCs form aluminum
oxide and chromiumoxide scales and act as a physical barrier to reduce component
temperatures, extending the life of the parts. These TBCs are subjected to mechanical
stresses, and spallation (coating separation) can occur. If a significant amount of TBC has
separated from the metal, the parent metal will be exposed to the hot combustion gases
and component degradation will be accelerated.
Hot gas path components should be inspected for TBC spallation at every Hot Gas Path or
Major outage. Streaks of brown lines that appear to be coming from the cooling holes are
a good sign that the component is receiving adequate cooling air, and spallation is at a
minimum. When receiving components from the repair shop it is important to carefully inspect the components for
an even coat of TBC. Also inspect the cooling air passages for debris and proper sizing to ensure that proper air flow
can pass through the tiny passages for designed cooling.
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AUG
24
SEP
12
Have your combustion turbines been losing power after overhauls? There are many
factors which can affect power production, but the IGV settings are one area that even
the OEM can overlook.
We recently helped a plant with three GE Frame 6B gas turbines that had lost power
over successive overhauls. Units 1 and 2 had been overhauled by the OEM in the last
few years and Unit 3 had been overhauled in 2006 by a competitor. All three units had
been experiencing an unexplained loss of power.
A gas turbine needs to breathe air and a lot of it to make horsepower. The inlet
guide vanes (IGVs) on a heavy duty gas turbine are designed to modulate (open and
close) in response to commands from the control system to regulate this air flow. These
commands control turbine exhaust temperature, protect against a compressor "stall" or
"surge" (extremely damaging to the compressor blading), and other controlling
functions. The IGVs look like little airplane wings that rotate or pivot to allow more or
less air into the compressor. They are calibrated to the turbine control system by measuring the actual vane angles
with a machinist's protractor and inputting the readings into the control system. This lets the electronic controls
know physically where they are so that the system can properly control the unit.
On checking Unit 1 and 2, the IGV calibration was significantly out of calibration. Unit 3 wasn't as bad but it was
also slightly out of calibration., We accurately calibrated the IGV's to the OEM control specifications on all three
units.
The results of this work were impressive. The heat rate (fuel efficiency) improved on Unit 1 by about 2%, gained 2.5
mw on Unit 2 and 0.5 mw on Unit 3. This made a significant contribution to the customer's bottom line at the
expense of just a few days of work.
The IGV calibrations are just one of the critical instruments or calibrations that could affect power production.
Contact TGM for a full analysis of any reductions to the heat rate or power output of your turbine
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JUL
17
Leakage
In a typical heavy duty gas turbine compressor section, air is compressed to many atmospheres pressure by the
means of a multiplestage axial flow compressor. The compressor design requires highly sophisticated aerodynamics
so that the work required to compress the air is held to an absolute minimum in order to maximize work generated
in the turbine. Any changes to this precise geometry can materially affect performance.
Air leakage through and around components significantly rob performance. One example is a bleed valve which
remains open during operation. Another would be a leak at the 4 way joint. While sealing the horizontal and
vertical joints are necessary as the machine ages and the casing warps, sometimes all that can be done without
purchasing new casings is to manage the leakage. Leaks are more costly to the aerodynamic cycle at stages further
down the axial compressor. A leak at an early stage might not be worth the cost of repair.
At the tail end of the compressor rotor is the inner barrel, which provides the inner diameter flow path and the
internal support for the exit guide vane (EGV's). On the internal surface of the inner barrel there is a labyrinth seal
called the highpressure packing seal. On field inspections we often find significant rubbing of the rotor to the
labyrinth seals of up to 90 mils. This excess clearance and thus increased airflow results in a loss in performance.
This leakage can be minimized by retrofitting the highpressure packing seal area with a wire brush seal. The wire
brush seal is flexible and will deflect (not wear) if it does contact the rotor. The bristles of the brush deflect in the
direction of rotation so that a closer effective clearance can be maintained. The seal even remains intact during
transient events where some vibration occurs. Also, there will be less performance degradation over time since the
wire brush will bounce back to the original configuration after contact. These losses can only be repaired during an
overhaul.
Calibration
Air temperature and pressure can seriously affect performance. Since the gas turbine is an airbreathing engine, its
performance is changed by anything that affects the density and/or mass flow of the air intake to the compressor.
When measuring performance degradation over time, remember to correct for changes to the reference conditions
of 59 F/15 C and 14.7 psia/1.013 bar. Differing ambient air temperatures affect the heat rate. Correction for
barometric pressure is more straightforward. A reduction in air density reduces the resulting airflow and output
proportionately, but the heat rate and other cycle parameters are not affected.
Humidity is an often overlooked factor affecting performance. Humid air, which is less dense than dry air, also
affects output and heat rate. In the past, this effect was thought to be too small to be considered. However, with
the increasing size of gas turbines and the utilization of humidity to bias water and steam injection for NOx control,
this effect has greater significance.
TGM can help you assess your unit's existing performance versus its original design and establish a performance
measurement process to accurately capture decreases which could indicate the onset of serious problems.
Turbine Generator Maintenance can help you achieve your goals in restoring your machine to its new and clean
condition or upgrading its performance to achieve higher output, lower emissions or both.
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