Inspection guide for drum-level instrumentation

The 2017 edition of Boiler Inspection Guidelines for Drum Level Instrumentation, issued by Clark-Reliance Corp, concisely presents inspection requirements for ease of reference by O&M personnel. The basis for the seemingly indestructible, spiral-bound 5.5 × 8 in. book is Section I of the ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code (current edition). It includes requirements for water columns, water gage valves, gage glass, remote level indicators, magnetic water-level gages (MLGs), and water-column isolation shutoff valves.

New to the guidebook this year is content pertaining to the use of MLGs, a topic which may have generated confusion among plant personnel in the past. The standard use of MLGs available from most manufacturers could result in a Code violation and safety hazard. Code compliance is assured by following guidelines presented in the Clark-Reliance publication.

The information presented is completely up-to-date and incorporates the 2015 Code changes and CSD-1 requirements, as well as recommendations from Section 7. Additionally, it identifies the most common non-compliant drum-level equipment arrangements and recommended solutions.

Emerson makes the virtual powerplant a reality

With the introduction of what Emerson says is the industry’s first integrated control and simulation platform, the company has positioned plant owners to fundamentally change how they operate their facilities. Emerson reports that sales of Ovation™ high-fidelity embedded simulation have more than doubled in the past year, confirming significant interest in the “virtual powerplant” and its value in minimizing operational risk and in improving reliability.

In the virtual plant, the Ovation simulator runs in parallel with the Ovation control system. This allows operators to test control logic changes in advance, based on real-time plant data, ensuring those changes won’t disrupt operations. Other Emerson technologies—such as pattern recognition, Pervasive Sensing™, and analytical tools—enhance the virtual experience.

Finding experienced operators for today’s advanced plants is one of the industry’s biggest challenges and an opportunity for Emerson given its controls advancements. Bob Yeager, president Power & Water, Emerson Automation Solutions, told the editors, “Emerson is improving operator effectiveness and confidence while reducing operating risks through intelligent control systems, more realistic training and simulation platforms, and easier-to-use technologies.”

Siemens update

The first four of twelve 1200-MW, 2 × 1 H-class combined cycles for Egypt’s Beni Suef, Burullus, and New Capital power projects were connected to the grid only 18 months after contract signing. Completion of the fast-track project is expected in May 2018.

Siemens and Atos, a leading European digital services firm, will leverage their portfolios to help US utilities and O&G industry establish an integrated first line of defense against cyber-attacks.

Siemens commissions Tate & Lyle’s 2 × 0 SGT-700-powered cogeneration plant in Loudon, Tenn.

A 44-MW mobile power unit introduced by Siemens is said to be the largest in the growing market for fast power. It can be installed in less than two weeks. The mobile system features the SGT-A45 TR engine based on Rolls-Royce aero-engine technology. The gas-turbine core uses components from the industrial Trent 60 that have been adapted to a proven free power turbine.

Recent orders:

• Turnkey 2 × 1 H-class combined cycle for the Electricity Generating authority of Thailand.

• Four turnkey powerplants for IPP customers in Argentina with a combined capability of nearly 690 MW. Six SGT-A65 TR (formerly industrial Trent 60) gas turbines are at the heart of two plants in the cities of Lujan and Matheu; six SGT-800 engines will be installed in San Pedro and Zarate.

• Five SGT6-5000F engines for the Fadhili CHP plant in Saudi Arabia, with a total capability of about 1500 MW.

• Two SGT-700-powered compressor trains and two SGT-700-powered simple-cycle generator packages for the Liwa Plastics Industries Complex in Oman.

• A 1 × 1 SGT5-4000F-powered combined cycle for the King’s Lynn Power Station in Norfolk, UK.

Hampa Engineering Corp, an EPC contractor, orders compressor trains for two onshore natural-gas processing plants in Iran. Commercial operation is expected year-end 2018. Likely of greatest interest to CCJ readers is the selection of prime movers. Four compressors will be powered by DLE-equipped SGT-700 gas turbines rated 33.7 MW in mechanical-drive applications. Another four compressors will be driven by SGT-100 gas turbines rated 5.7 MW in mechanical-drive service. The SGT-100 began life as the Typhoon, designed by Ruston Gas Turbines, which spawned European Gas Turbines. EGT became part of Alstom Gas Turbines which sold this and several other gas-turbine models to Siemens. Compressors for the remaining two trains will be motor-driven. All compressors are of Siemens design (Demag/Demag-Delaval).

Castle Peak Power Co, Hong Kong, orders a combined-cycle power block for its Black Point Power Station in Tuen Mun. The single-shaft unit, consisting of one SGT5-8000H gas turbine, one SST5-5000 steam turbine, and one water-cooled SGen5-3000W generator, will be commissioned by Siemens before 2020.

Macquarie Infrastructure Corp orders two Trent 60 wet low-emissions engines for the Bayonne Energy Center, which delivers power to Con Edison in New York City via an underwater transmission line. The units can produce full power from a standing start in less than 10 minutes.

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems update

The OEM reports that its global fleet of 146 advanced gas turbines had accumulated more than 4 million operating hours by the end of 1Q/2017.

Paul Browning, president/CEO of MHPS Americas, announced during Carnegie Mellon Energy Week that the university’s new index measuring carbon dioxide emissions from the nation’s powerplants reflects a cleaner environment, which is attributed to the replacement of old coal-fired units with efficient gas-fired capacity and renewables.

Grand River Dam Authority completes the first fire of its M501J-powered Grand River Energy Center, east of Chouteau, Okla, March 14. The engine is the first such machine to operate in the Western Hemisphere. The 495-MW 1 × 1 combined cycle is said to have the potential to become the most efficient plant of its type in the US when fully operational.

The M501JAC, an enhanced air-cooled gas turbine, is designed to produce 540 MW at 63% efficiency. As of mid-December 2016, the machine had demonstrated 99.5% reliability during 11,000 hours of commercial operation.

With an order for two M501J machines from Iberdrola SA’s El Carmen combined-cycle plant in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, MHPS now has 47 J engines on order and 23 such units operating globally. The fleet had accumulated 335,000 hours of commercial service at 99.3% reliability through 2016.

Entergy Louisiana LLC orders two MHPS 501GAC gas turbines to power its 980-MW St. Charles Power Station, scheduled for operation in 2019.

MHPS expands its global relationship with OSIsoft to drive further development of the digital powerplant. The latter’s PI will serve as the core for new interactive, cloud-based analytics services provided by the OEM. As part of this strategic alliance, the two companies will collaborate to define and promote new integrated digital solutions that add intelligence to powerplants worldwide, using best-in-class software while leveraging their respective knowledge.

Dominion Virginia Power breaks ground for its 1588-MW Greensville County Power Station, which will be equipped with three 1 × 1 combined cycles powered by M501J gas turbines.

Sulzer update

Sulzer breaks ground for a new pump service facility in Pasadena, Tex, adjacent to the company’s existing center for electromechanical services. The new shop will become the regional headquarters for pump services in the Americas, including state-of-the-art equipment and technical support.

At-speed balancing bunker, located in Sulzer’s Houston Service Center, celebrates 20 years of service to the industry. The machine, which has balanced over 2800 rotors, is an integral part of the diagnostic and repair process for large rotating components. The service center’s dedicated vacuum chamber, bunker, and advanced electronics work in concert to achieve precision balancing. Turbomachinery up to 30 ft long, 8.5 ft in diameter, and 25 tons can be tested at speeds up to 40,000 rpm.

Sulzer is selected by ABB to provide maintenance and repair services in the UK for the OEM’s medium- and high-voltage motors and generators. Sulzer, named a Loyalty Partner after successful completion of a comprehensive audit, will provide inspection, remedial work, modifications, repairs, and rewinds of ABB’s large machines rated at 6.6 kV and above. Its service centers in Birmingham and Falkirk have expanded their facilities to meet the additional demand.

The gas turbines at Associated Electric Cooperative Inc’s Holden Power Plant, a 3 × 0 V84.2-powered peaking facility, recently were upgraded to extend calendar-based inspection intervals to 10 years for HGP and to 20 years for a major without affecting reliability and performance. The units each had accumulated about 10,000 EOH since first operation a dozen years ago. Here is some of the work done by Sulzer:

• Compressor—rotating and stationary sections, including inlet guide vanes—were coated to prevent oxidation by protecting against corrosion and fouling (photo).

• The flame tube F-ring was machined to expose fresh material, overlain with Inconel 82, and re-machined to original dimensions. Expected result: Improved component durability.

• Combustion section was protected with a full thermal barrier coating; chromium carbide was applied to mating services in the combustion section to minimize wear during expansion/contraction.

• Additional cooling holes were drilled in the flame tube behind the A-row tiles to reduce oxidation and erosion.

Sulzer solves gas-fuel nozzle leak issue on Frame 6B and 7EA engines. Solution can be implemented during routine scheduled maintenance to effectively reduce to zero previously tolerable minor leaks at the primary-fuel nozzle tips. This enables the turbine to run at optimum parameters for power, efficiency, and component lifespan—while assisting the owner/operate meet more-strict emissions regulations.

Products/services

Camseal® zero-leakage ball valves are designed for long life and inline access to internal components for ease of maintenance and repair. Brochure [link to www.conval.com] provides plant personnel the information required to make a purchasing decision—including Cv values, operating torques, working-pressure charts, dimensions, materials, fire-safe test data, quality certifications, etc. Short video brings key points in the brochure to life.

BASF Corp announces the availability of Camet™ ST, a sulfur-tolerant oxidation catalyst designed to prevent the deactivation of catalyst systems installed on units burning gas with fracked and biogas components.

3M Industrial Group’s Liqui-Flux® ultrafiltration modules offer an alternative to conventional treatment steps—such as flocculation, sedimentation, and multimedia filtration—to remove turbidity, suspended solids, and pathogens from raw water streams. Heart of the Liqui-Flux module is the company’s UltraPES™ polyethersulfone membrane which is said to reduce the potential for fouling. High caustic resistance and free-chlorine tolerance are two attributes of the modules, which can operate at pH values between 1 and 13.

Clark-Reliance Corp announces a new line of coalescing filter elements for the gas processing industry. VertexCore™ filter elements are designed to eliminate unsafe filter-element change-out techniques while increasing filtration efficiencies.

People

Mike Hartsig, until recently the plant manager of Griffith Energy, a 2 × 1 F-class combined cycle in Kingman, Ariz, has put his work boots in the closet. He was replaced by Scott Henry, who had been O&M manager at that facility.

Frank Meade replaces Jeff Zelik as plant manager at Eagle Point Power Generation, Westville, NJ, commissioned in 1991 as a 7EA-equipped refinery cogeneration facility and recently upgraded by owner Rockland Capital. Zelik is now at WorleyParsons.

News of Charlie Zirkelback’s passing last July reached us only recently. The Union Carbide/Dow Chemical Corporate Fellow was a “plant guy” at heart with a solution for just about everything not working correctly. Respected by colleagues in the Frame 6 Users Group, he was honored with the organization’s John F D Peterson Award in 2006 for his contributions to the industry.

Conval Inc appoints Michael Glavin VP of engineering with responsibility for new product development and technology. He has more than 25 years of experience in fluid handling, including engineering leadership positions at Cameron, Tyco Valves and Controls, and Worcester Controls.

US Water Services Inc, a subsidiary of Allete Inc—an energy company that owns Minnesota Power and Superior Water, Light & Power—names LaMarr Barnes CEO. Most recently, he was the company’s senior VP of marketing and strategy. Barnes has more than 25 years of experience in industrial water treatment and technology management.

Company news

ANZGT Field Services and Engine Cleaning Technology (ECT) sign a distribution agreement giving Air New Zealand access to ECT’s efficient compressor technologies—including the R-MC family of gas-turbine cleaners, injection equipment, and inlet conditioning systems.

 ep³ LLC describes its new process improvement tool in a short video “Lessons Learned,” which explains how to inject new life into your plant’s continuous improvement efforts. Write for a demonstration or contact COO Malcolm Hubbard, a former G-class combined-cycle plant manager, directly.

Clarcor Inc’s announced acquisition by Parker Hannifin Corp was completed at the end of February. The strategic transaction creates a combined organization with a comprehensive portfolio of filtration products and technologies.

Mee Industries Inc uses a case history to describe the success of its inlet cooling technology in the challenging summer environment experienced at an Italian refinery in Venice. Output of a 25-MW gas turbine was increased by 1 MW and emissions were reduced.

NV Energy and Apple have agreed to build 200 MW of solar power generation capability in Nevada to support the latter’s Reno data center. This is in addition to the 491 MW of universal solar resources in the state currently serving the utility’s customers.

M&M Engineering Associates, a provider of field and lab engineering services, is acquired by Acuren Inc, a provider of non-destructive testing, inspection, and related services. A goal of the merged company is to help plants optimize the lifecycles of their critical assets.

Power Services Group Inc, a provider of turnkey MRO solutions for steam and gas turbines, integrates the capabilities of its affiliated companies—Airco Inc, Turbine Generator Maintenance, and Orbital Energy Services—to serve the power-generation and process industries.

Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises Inc acquires Universal Acoustic & Emission Technologies Inc. UniversalAET is a bolt-on acquisition for B&W MEGTEC, a supplier of environmental control technologies and engineered products, operating under the trade name B&W Universal.

Bibb Engineers, Architects, and Constructors’ Chairman/CEO Bob Bibb, PE, called to say 2016 was a year with an increasing amount of detailed design jobs and some specialized owner’s engineering work. Some of the firm’s recent efforts include the following:

• Served as due-diligence OE for Kindle Energy (Blackstone) on its successful bid for more than 5000 MW of operating assets from AEP.

• Engaged by LS Power as OE on 2 × 0 7FA- and LM6000-powered generating facilities.

• Detailed design to support the relocation of a 501D gas turbine for Quantum Energy Partners.

• Development engineering for a proposed 400-MW combined cycle.

• Assisting Pathfinder Energy on its loan guarantee application for a 300-MW compressed-air energy storage project.