High wheel-space temperature issues were discussed by an owner/operator with three 42-MW 6Bs (Model 6581B) that had been commissioned in 2003. Two units completed their second major inspections in 2018, the third in 2019. High temperatures were noticed in the second and third turbine stages of one machine during startup following the major inspection. The […]

More power? Better heat rate? Faster ramp rate? FSNL in less than 10 mins? Lower load points? More Fuel Flexibility? Longer maintenance intervals? PSM will be presenting a live webinar at the 7FUG 2020 Digital Conference on June 30, entitled “What else do you need from your 7F power plants?” All GT owner/operators are able

The first presentation after opening remarks reviewed how GE communicates with its customers and the value to plant personnel of the OEM’s Technical Information Letters (TILs), Product Service Safety Bulletins (PSSBs), Product Service Information Bulletins (PSIBs), and GEKs covering installation, product specifications, troubleshooting, maintenance, technical recommendations, etc. There’s much owner/operators can learn by becoming familiar

Technical Information Letters TIL 2101, Modification of manual lever hoist for safe rotor removal. 2044, Dry flame sensor false flame indication while turbine is offline. 2028, Control settings for GE Reuter Stokes flame sensors. 2025, GE Reuter Stokes FTD325 dry flame sensors, false flame indication. 1986, Braid-lined flexible metal-hose failures. 1918, 6B Riverhawk load-coupling hardware

Safety is the first discussion topic at Frame 6 meetings and most other user-group conferences. This roundtable is led by Gillis, whose position as gas-turbine technology lead for ExxonMobil’s worldwide fleet of engines gives him a global perspective to share with attendees. OSHA is not global and America does not have all the answers. Gillis’

The Compressor Roundtable included discussion of the following: HEPA hydrophobic filters. A user said his HEPA filters had been in service for two years and provided very dependable output over that time. Compressor remained clean. Some users touted the benefits of removing inlet silencers—including a lower delta p across the inlet system while mitigating compressor

Best Practices was introduced as a roundtable in 2019. Topics were varied. First was a fit-up test for first-stage nozzles and transition pieces (TPs) two to three weeks before the outage to avoid surprises. Other BPs included these: Do a proper repair spec and follow your parts through the shop for best results. Specify a

This session included a debate on the pros and cons of upgrading control systems versus retaining/maintaining legacy controls. Several users supported the idea of sticking with legacy systems because there’s a vibrant third-party supplier community available for support—including parts and knowledgeable technicians. An operator with Mark VI controls said his plant upgraded to Mark VIe

Discussion threads ranged from sulfur buildup in stop/speed ratio valves that could prevent restarting after a unit trip to the value of a flash drum in the continuous blowdown line enabling beneficial use of the steam produced to the value of inlet bleed heat for deicing and unit turndown. Plus others. An attendee reported a

John F D Peterson, one of the Frame 6 Users Group’s founders, conducts his highly regarded four-hour introductory course on the 6B the day before the annual conference officially begins. This session is offered by the steering committee to acquaint new members on the (1) history of improvement in both thermal and mechanical performance since