Discussion on the turbine section always is robust at Frame 6 Users Group meetings, likely because there are many “senior” machines in the fleet—those with well over 100k operating hours. Current thinking of the OEM and a few others is that an end-of-life inspection should be done at about 100,000 hours and that the rotor […]
User discussion: Some 6B turbines nearing replacement age Read More »
The third International Conference on Film Forming Substances (FFS2019), chaired by Barry Dooley of Structural Integrity Associates Inc, provided a highly interactive forum for the presentation of new information and technology related to FFS, research results, case studies of powerplant and industrial applications, and open discussion among users, equipment and chemical suppliers, researchers, and industry
Silverhawk Generating Station underwent a period in which the safety valve for the plant’s auxiliary steam system failed repeatedly, NV Energy engineers Rishi Velkar and Frank Romans told the editors. Consequences of the failures included frequent valve replacement and loss of production through forced outages. Examination of the failed safety valves revealed seating-surface erosion associated
How to achieve reliable pressure regulation Read More »
A valuable turbine operating tip provided by Dave Lucier, founder and GM of PAL Turbine Services LLC, applies to GE Frame 5 gas turbines—most specifically the MS5001D, K, L, and LA packaged powerplants manufactured between 1961 and 1970 and serving in peaking and emergency-power applications. Some users operating these engines have found that reliability issues associated
Tricks of the trade: Limit output to maintain reliability of legacy Frame 5 engines Read More »
Turbine Tip No. 3, contributed by PAL Turbine Services’ Owner/GM Dave Lucier, applies to General Electric Frame 5 models K-LA and M-P, early 6Bs, 7Bs, and 7Cs. Gas-turbine auxiliary systems require periodic maintenance to assure that your engines achieve the availability and reliability metrics necessary to satisfy plant and grid operational objectives. Often taken for
Be sure your GT maintenance plan includes auxiliary (fluid) systems Read More »
Editor’s note: Given the existence of several standards for the classification of gas-turbine inlet filters, which can cause confusion in the minds of at least some owner/operators, Donaldson has developed a user-friendly filter rating system that measures efficiency and two other properties crucial to power output and cost control. The company’s goal is to build
‘Three Pillars’ methodology helps users select the optimal filter for plant conditions Read More »
With the power-generation sector shifting its fuel mix to an increased dependence on natural gas, the decreased downstream volume and unreliable gas pressure can wreak havoc on legacy power production facilities. It can be challenging for an ageing plant to remain a relevant, competitive, and reliable resource. “If your gas supply system operates at a
Pitfalls to avoid when adding a fuel-gas compression system to an operating plant Read More »
It’s important to have a comprehensive checklist of what to inspect on your HRSG, and how, before conducting a condition assessment of your equipment for plant management and/or due diligence purposes. Your checklist may have scores of items to review but it’s impossible to identify everything to look at—usually because your depth of knowledge and
HRSG inspection tips Read More »
Stellite liberation from large valves installed in main and hot reheat (HRH) steam systems serving F-class combined cycles, considered a major industry problem 10 years ago, has been eliminated by substituting chrome carbide as the hard-facing material for critical valve parts. The editors first learned of stellite delamination at the 2009 7F Users Group Conference
Independent users groups serving owner/operators at cogeneration and simple- and combined-cycle plants powered by gas turbines are an invaluable resource for station personnel. Almost all have online forums available 24/7/365 to help answer technical questions quickly and get you moving in the right direction with possible solutions. Most colleagues offering their unbiased assistance have deep
Acoustic leak detection benefits boiler owners, but not all systems are HRSG-qualified Read More »
