Diagnostic Health Monitoring Modules for
Gas Turbines/Combined Cycles
This photo shows a 160 megawatt F-class gas turbine
readied for delivery.
Power generators are concerned with the maintenance
costs, availability, and reliability associated with both
conventional and advanced gas turbines. Monitoring
generation assets using data historians interfaced to the
control system has become widely accepted. This type of
monitoring can be confined to the plant, but has become
increasingly more accessible remotely to technical support
staff and management.
While most monitoring systems rely heavily on basic
trending capabilities or simple equipment models, few are
specific to combustion turbines (CTs)/combined-cycles
(CCs) and it is rare to have monitoring provisions tailored
to the unique features of model-specific CTs. These types
of monitoring services are often bundled with more
comprehensive, long-term O&M service agreements. Plant
operators typically view these arrangements as an OEM
mechanism to manage their own business interests.
Project Summary and Deliverables
EPRI has developed a series of diagnostic modules to help
improve plant O&M and provide a foundation for
Development of a comprehensive Combustion
Turbine Health Management (CTHM) system will
play a critical role in the cost reduction of electricity
by improving reliability, availability, and
maintainability. Specific benefits derived from
computer-based GT condition and health-monitoring
predictive systems include:
• Reduced nuisance shutdowns and
unplanned outages
• Optimum engine operation
• Improved maintenance planning
• Protection against catastrophic
failure via real-time fault assessment
predictive-based maintenance activities. This project
addresses the implementation and model-specific
adaptation of the EPRI monitoring modules.
EPRI has developed a series of real-time health
management technologies that are rolling out of
development and field-testing. This project involves
implementing one or more of these modules depending
on a company’s individual needs:
Sensor Validation and Recovery Module (SVRM). An
important front-end feature of the health-management
system, sensor validation checks the integrity of sensed
data before they are passed to the diagnostic and
prognostic modules. The software uses a combination/
fusion of neural network model-based/generic signal-
processing-based approaches to ensure the highest possible
sensor fault detection confidence with minimal false alarms.
If a gas-path sensor fault is detected, neural network
models are used to calculate proxy or “recovered”
signal values that allow diagnostic and component life
assessments until the fault is corrected.
Combustion Turbine Performance and Fault Diagnostic
Module (CTPFDM). Monitoring the performance of CT
components allows users to determine which portion of
the engine will be responsible for an observed decrease in
output or efficiency. Through regular monitoring, an
operator will know when to execute maintenance actions.
The CTPFDM carries out six main functions: data checking,
measured (or actual) performance, expected performance,
corrected performance, evaporative cooling performance,
and fault diagnostics. Thermodynamic engineering formulas
derive key performance parameters such as heat rate and
compressor isentropic efficiency. Performance calculations
are based on the expected base and part-load performance
data. The revised performance calculations then transpose
the actual performance results to “standard day” results by
factoring out the effects of ambient conditions on CT
performance.
The Combined-Cycle Performance and Fault Diagnostic
Module (CCPFDM). This module offers a cost-effective,
easy-to-use solution for monitoring and diagnosing the
condition of a CC plant and determining the benefits of
maintenance actions. Four major plant pieces can impact
CC unit performance: the CT, the heat recovery steam
generator (HRSG), the steam turbine (ST), and the
condenser/cooling water system (COND). The CCPFDM
approach for obtaining the overall expected performance
involves a series of correction curves to account for the
change in total plant output, heat rate, and steam-turbine
exhaust flow. The CCPFDM performance calculation
output includes parameters that indicate the magnitude
of degradation of the CT, HRSG, ST, and COND
plant components.
Remaining Life Module (RLM). This module is a low-cost,
easy-to-use software program for calculating hot-section
component maintenance intervals such as combustion
inspection, hot gas-path inspection, and major overhauls as
noted by the CT supplier OEM. Adjustments to the basic
OEM baseline can be introduced to address specific
component concerns. In a related project, EPRI is
developing its own alternative remaining-life correlations
that are model- and component-specific.
Start-Up/Combustion Process Health-Management Module
(SCPHMM). The module addresses specific monitoring,
trend analysis, and fault classification of CT start-
up/combustion process variables. It also performs
1014465
Electric Power Research Institute
3420 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1395 • PO Box 10412, Palo Alto, California 94303-0813 USA
800.313.3774 • 650.855.2121 • askepri@epri.com • www.epri.com
© 2006 Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Inc. All rights reserved. Electric Power Research Institute and EPRI are registered service marks of the Electric Power Research Institute.
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automated monitoring and analysis of the relationships
and associated trends in fuel supply and overall exhaust
gas temperature.
Vibration Fault Diagnostics Module (VFDM). The module
performs real-time assessment of mechanical faults using
vibration signatures collected from specific turbine
locations using a combination of AI-based fault classifiers.
Domain knowledge regarding particular vibration fault
frequencies, fixed-frequency ranges, per-rev excitations,
and structural resonance are extracted from the vibration
spectrums and used to develop a knowledge base. Fuzzy
logic membership functions and trained neural networks
detect anomalous conditions and classify fault types.
Price of Project
Implementing one or more modules is dependent on
specific plant equipment and control/monitoring system
used. To receive a cost estimate to implement a
monitoring module(s), provide the EPRI technical contact
with the CT model and control system/data historian type.
Schedule
The CTHM project set is an ongoing effort. The schedule
of individual projects will be dependent on the scope of
module implementation and module adaptations to site-
specific features.
Who Should Join
The CTHM project will benefit owner/operators of gas
turbines in simple or combined service applications.
Contact Information
For more information, contact the EPRI Customer
Assistance Center at 800.313.3774 (askepri@epri.com).
Technical Contact
Leonard Angello at 650.855.7939 (langello@epri.com).
September 2006