Uprate Options
Uprate Options
ABSTRACT
The GE MS9001 heavy-duty gas turbine has gone through a series of uprates since its original introduction to the market in 1975. These uprates are made possible by technology advances in the design of new machines based on information accumulated through tens of thousands of fired hours, new materials and GEs continuing research. This paper will discuss evolutionary design advances in critical components for the GE MS9001 series of turbines. It will also discuss how the latest E technology advances can be applied to enhance the performance, extend the life and provide economic benefits by increased reliability and maintainability of all earlier MS9001B and MS9001E turbines. The following E technology uprate packages will be described: MS9001 B to E turbine uprates MS9001E firing temperature increase to 2020F/1104C MS9001E firing temperature increase to
2055F/1124C The paper also describes options for reducing emissions, tradeoffs and expected reductions, and, GE programs for uprating, either as a single project or phased in over time.
INTRODUCTION
The past decade has seen unprecedented pressures on both utilities and independent power producers to hold the line on new investments, to become more effective in operations and maintenance, and to be more efficient in producing power. Modernizing and uprating their installed fleet of turbines is emerging as an economically attractive solution. An uprate offers these benefits: Performance improvements in output and heat rate Extension of inspection intervals while shortening their duration Availability and reliability improvements Emission reductions
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Life extension Uprates are made possible as a result of GEs underlying design philosophy which is to maintain interchangeability of components for a given frame size such that components can be installed in earlier vintage units with little or no modifications. Installing the latest technology hardware and taking advantange of the highest firing temperatures allows owners/operators to remain competitive in the marketplace. Virtually every key component in the MS9001 series has gone through significant design improvements since the first MS9001B was shipped in 1975. Buckets, nozzles, shrouds and combustion components have undergone multiple evolutions based on new designs, manufacturing techniques, materials and field experience. Figure 1 illustrates the basic MS9001E configuration. Uprates make very good investments, with most exhibiting prompt payback. Each turbine application must be evaluated on its own merits, but paybacks under two years have been registered. Uprates can be phased in according to the outage schedule, or installed in a single outage, with appropriate advance scheduling. Gas Turbine reference codes (e.g., FT5X for an MS9001 B to E advanced technology uprate have been added to the text and to many of the figures and tables for easier correlation to other published information on specific uprate packages or components.
(base load), the same firing temperature as the MS7001B, the MS9001B design represented an increase of 42% in output over the MS7001B. This introductory design incorporated the air-cooled stage 1 buckets and nozzles and stage 2 bucket material improvements based on the MS7001B design experience gained prior to 1975. As seen in Figure 2, the output of the MS9001 has increased by 45% based on technology improvements through 1994, not including the EC or F/FA product lines. Introduced in 1978, the MS9001E, incorporated the experience gained from MS7001E production and operation as well as the design improvements that had evolved since the MS9001B was first introduced. The introductory firing temperature was 1955F/1068C. As apparent from performance increases, the MS9001E has seen many design improvements since it was introduced as an MS9001B, with one obvious change being the increased firing temperature. Advances in materials, coating and cooling technology have supported a series of firing temperature increases. The current firing temperature of the latest MS9001E is 2055F/1124C. All earlier vintage MS9001E gas turbines can be uprated to the 2055F/1124C firing temperature.
MS9001 HISTORY
The first MS9001, shipped in 1975 as a model MS9001B for the 50 Hz market, incorporated design experience from the successful MS7001B. Operating with a design firing temperature of 1840 F/1004 C
Ship Dates 1975-81 1978-81 1981-83 1983-87 1988-91 1991 1996 1993-94 1994 ISO Performance* kW 85,200 105,600 109,300 112,040 116,930 123,450 165,700 209,740 223,760 Firing Temp. F/C 1840/1004 1955/1068 1985/1085 2000/1093 2020/1104 2055/1124 2200/1204 2300/1260 2350/1288 Air Flow (106 lbs/hr 106 kg/hr) 2.736/1.241 3.155/1.431 3.183/1.444 3.214/1.458 3.222/1.461 3.231/1.466 4.044/1.834 4.804/2.179 4.819/2.186 Heat Rate (Btu/kW/hr kJ/kWh) 10,990/11,592 10,700/11,286 10,700/11,286 10,570/11,149 10,290/10,854 10,080/10,632 9,870/10,411 10,080/10,632 9,630/10,158 Exhaust Temp. F/C 945/507 953/512 968/520 977/525 980/527 998/537 1,037/558 1,082/583 1,097/592
Model PG9111B PG9141E PG9157E PG9151E PG9161E PG9171E PG9231EC PG9301F PG9311FA
*Base Load Distillate Fuel, Includes 0/0 Inches H2O Inlet/Exhaust Pressure Drops
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Louvered Liner
SlotCooled Liner
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early gas turbines are now complex hardware pieces with sophisticated materials and processing requirements. Combustion system upgrades can be supplied as a package or as individual options. Depending on the option chosen and other machine conditions, upgraded combustion system components produce substantial improvements in component life and/or for extensions in recommended combustion inspection intervals.
MS9001B was the louvered liner, which was cooled through louvered punches in the liner body. The body could experience cracking due to stresses inherently introduced during the manufacturing process. The louvered liner was replaced with a slot-cooled liner with the introduction of the first MS9001E. Both liners are shown in Figure 3. The slot-cooled liner provides a more uniform distribution of cooling air flow for better overall cooling. Air enters the cooling holes, impinges on the brazed ring and discharges from the internal slot as a continuous cooling film. The liner material is Hastelloy-X, a nickel-base alloy, which has not changed since the introduction of the MS9001B in 1975. Today, however, a thermal barrier coating (TBC) is applied to the liners. The TBC consists of two materials applied to the hot side of a component (Figure 4): a bond coat applied to the surface of the part and an insulating oxide applied over the bond coat. This TBC provides a 0.015-inch insulating layer that reduces the underlying base material temperature by approximately 100F/38C. The addition of TBC also mitigates the effects of uneven temperature distribution across the metal. With the MS9001E firing temperature increase to 2055F/1124C, the thickness of the liner was also increased by approximately 10 mils to accommodate the higher temperatures.
Liner
Coating Microstructure
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The original 9B combustion system was a parallel system, with the combustion liner parallel to the centerline of the rotor. When the first 9E was
Old Design Aft Bracket
developed, the combustion system was redesigned. The redesigned system was a canted system consisting of a shorter transition piece and the slotcooled liner. Shortening the length of the transition section of the transition piece increased its stiffness. The canted design reduced the angle through which the combustion gases had to flow, thus providing a more direct flow path. The canted design made it possible to shorten the transition section of the transition piece, and therefore shorten the overall length of the transition piece. When the firing temperature was increased to 2055F/1124C, the canted arrangement was upgraded to the canned arrangement. The canned arrangement consists of a longer transition piece with a thicker slot-cooled liner, as previously mentioned. The longer transition piece essentially pushes the liner out of the wrapper. Outer combustion casings as seen in Figure 5. The transition piece was lengthened by adding a 15-inch long cylinder to the forward end. While the transition piece length was increased, the curved section remained the same, thereby retaining its stiffness. The transition piece was lengthened to relocate the transition piece-liner interface, in order to minimize wear induced by the compressor discharge flow. Figure 5 illustrates the differences between the current 9E production canned arrangement, the 9E canted arrangement and the 9B parallel combustor. Early 9B turbines utilized a thin-walled transition piece constructed of Hastelloy-X material. The original 9E transition piece was a thick- walled Hastelloy-X. In the mid 1980s, the transition piece
Redesigned Aft Bracket
Aft End
Transition Piece
Transition Piece
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material was changed to Nimonic 263 which is a nickel-base alloy with better strength characteristics than Hastelloy-X. Nimonic 263 demonstrated superior creep life and could increase the inspection interval to 12,000 hours. The Nimonic 263 transition pieces are coated with thermal barrier material, thereby reducing metal temperatures and increasing component life. The Nimonic 263 transition piece has a positive curvature body and aft bracket that reduces cracking at the bracket weld area by allowing the transition piece to pivot about the pin during thermal cycles. A comparison of the original and redesigned aft bracket design is shown in Figure 6. GE has recently designed a new Nimonic transition piece for the MS9001B to provide a substantial increase in creep strength over the current design. The uprate potential of the current MS9001B machines is limited by the inability of the current transition piece to withstand higher firing temperatures. This improved transition piece enables these units to be uprated beyond their current rated firing temperature. Additionally, this improved transition piece is required for these units to realize the full benefits of the Extendor Combustion System.
wear and material creep. GE has developed a product Extendor to increase combustion inspection intervals. The Extendor combustion system, shown in Figure 7, decreases combustion component wear and increases combustion inspection intervals by reducing the relative movement and associated wear of parts in the combustion system. Application of the Extendor wear system extends transition piece inspection intervals up to 24,000 hours. Figure 8 details the improved combustion wear inspection intervals. Customer savings occur with the elimination of labor costs associated with combustion inspections and reduction of component repair costs. Extendor can be applied as a component modification during routine maintenance or as a complete retrofit. Extendor is currently available for MS9001 series gas turbines with slot-cooled liners and Nimonic transition pieces.
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hot compressor discharge air to yield lower temperature rises across the combustor. The DLN combustor (Figure 10) has six individual fuel nozzles in the primary combustion zone, and a single fuel nozzle in the secondary combustion zone. The DLN combustion system offers lower NOx emission levels on gas fuel-fired units without parts life reduction associated with waer or steam injection NOx reduction systems. Emission levels of 15 ppmvd at 15% O2 or less can be reached by using the DLN combustion system.
Outer Casing
Flow Sleeve
Primary Fuel Nozzles (6) Centerbody Lean and Premixing Primary Zone Secondary Fuel Nozzle (1) Secondary Zone Dilution Zone
TURBINE COMPONENTS
There have been significant design and material improvements made to the turbine components since the first MS9001B was manufactured. The improved
9B Combustion Liners Transition Pieces - Thin Wall - Thick Wall - Nimonic Hot Gas Path Major 3,000 3,000 8,000 12,000 24,000 48,000 Hours 9E ExtendorTM 8,000 ---8,000 12,000 24,000 48,000 24,000 ------24,000 24,000 48,000
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BUCKETS
Stage 1 Bucket (FS2H)
Four major changes have been made since the original MS9001B stage 1 bucket was introduced.
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Figure 11. Sharp and blunt leading edge bucket design comparison
Flow Sleeve
Transition Piece
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Design. The original designs sharp leading edge has been blunted to allow more cooling air to flow to the leading edge, which reduces thermal gradients and, therefore, cracks. The Blunt Leading Edge (BLE) design, shown in Figure 11, was used as the first MS9001E stage 1 bucket. Materials. The original MS9001B stage 1 bucket was IN738, a precipitation-hardened, nickel-base super alloy. In 1987, the material was changed to an Equiaxed (E/A) GTD-111, also a precipitationhardened, nickel-base super alloy, a greater low cycle fatigue strength than IN-738. GTD-111 also provides the industry standard in corrosion resistance. Coatings.
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component designs can withstand higher firing temperatures due to advanced materials and coatings, as well as the addition of air cooling for some of the components. This section will describe the evolution of these technologies. The latest technology components now used in current production MS9001E can be retrofitted to earlier models.
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Cooling Hole
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The first 9E bucket coating, platinum aluminide, was applied to stage 1 buckets in order to prevent oxidation and corrosion. In 1991, with the addition of turbulated cooling holes, the bucket coating was changed to GT-29 INPLUS. This coating is a vacuum plasma spray with an aluminide coating on the bucket exterior and the internal cooling hole passages. In 1997 the coating was changed again to GT-33 INCOAT. GT-33 is a vacuum plasma spray coating like GT-29, but offers an increased resistance to through cracking. INCOAT refers to an aluminide coating on the cooling holes passages. GT-33 INCOAT is GEs new standard coating for stage 1 buckets, however GT-29 INPLUS is still available and is recommended when burning corrosive fuels.
Cooling. The original MS9001B stage 2 bucket did not have internal air cooling. The MS9001E design contains air-cooled stage 2 buckets, as shown in Figure 12. The addition of air cooling allows for higher firing temperatures. In order to replace non air-cooled stage 2 buckets with the new air-cooled buckets, the 1/2 wheel spacer must be replaced with the new design that allows air to flow to the stage 2 bucket. This bucket can be supplied without internal cooling air passages as a direct part replacement for the MS9001B. With this option, the 1/2 wheel spacer would not have to be replaced. While lower in cost, the non-air-cooled version of this bucket would not be able to withstand an increase in firing temperature above 1905F /1040C. Tip Shroud. The shroud leading edge was scalloped (Figure 13), the shroud tip was thickened between the seal teeth, and the underside of the shroud was tapered. Scalloping the leading edge decreased the stress at the top of the fillet. The final design (Figure 14) resulted in a 25% reduction in stress levels and an 80% increase in creep life over the original design.
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The most recent design change added cutter teeth to the bucket tip rails. These cutter teeth were designed for use with the new Honeycomb stage 2 shrouds. The twisted rail design cutter teeth, standard on all new stage 2 buckets, essentially rotates the tip rails by 0.5 degrees, causing the tip rails of each bucket to be offset relative to the preceding and subsequent buckets. This offset creates the cutter tooth. required with honeycomb shrouds. During transients when the bucket tip clearance is the smallest, the cutter teeth cut a path through the honeycomb material in the shroud, thus minimizing the steady-state clearance. Stage 2 buckets with cutter teeth are required for use with honeycomb shrouds, but can also be used with the traditional design shrouds. Cutter teeth can also be applied to buckets in good condition with fewer than 48,000 hours of operation in a qualified service shop. Materials. The original bucket was made of U-700, a precipitation-hardened, nickel-base alloy. Since then, there have been two changes to the bucket material. For early MS9001E production, the material was changed to IN-738, a precipitation-hardened, nickelbase super alloy which provided an increase in elevated temperature strength and hot corrosion resistance. In 1992, the material was changed to GTD-111, also a precipitation-hardened, nickel-base super alloy, to improve rupture strength. In addition to a higher rupture strength, GTD-111 has higher low-cycle fatigue strength. Coating. With the change in material to GTD-111, GT-29 INPLUS coating was added. INPLUS coating refers to PLASMAGUARD GT-29 with an overaluminide aluminide coating on the internal cooling passages. Like the stage 1 bucket, the standard coating was changed to GT-33 INCOAT in early 1997. GT-33 INCOAT consists of GT-33, a vacuum plasma spray coating, on the exterior of the bucket and an aluminide coating on the interior of the cooling hole passages. GT-33 INCOAT provides superior through crack resistance relative to GT-29 INPLUS. GT-29 INPLUS is still available and is recommended for use in corrosive fuel applications.
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The MS9001B stage 3 bucket has experienced changes in design, manufacturing process and material. Design. With the introduction of the 9E, the airfoil was rotated to take advantage of the additional airflow. The airfoil was further rotated in 1991 as part of the uprate program. These rotations are the basis of the performance improvements shown in Figures 35 and 36. The trailing edge was thickened, and the chord length increased. Like the stage 2 buckets previously described, the shroud leading edge was scalloped, the shroud tip was thickened between the seal teeth, and the underside of the shroud was tapered. These design changes resulted in an increase in creep life of the bucket. Like the stage 2 buckets, the most recent change was to add cutter teeth to the bucket tip rails. These cutter teeth are required for use with stage 3 honeycomb shrouds, as previously described. Current production stage 3 buckets include cutter teeth. Cutter teeth can be added to the stage 3 buckets in good condition with fewer than 48,000 hours of operation in a qualified service shop. In order to use the 9E bucket on a 9B machine, the stage 3 shrouds must be replaced or modified. Figure 15 illustrates the machining points on the shroud which is required for the modification. Additionally, due to interference with the angel wing, owners/operators may elect to machine the exhaust frame to facilitate rotor removal, however it is not required.
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9B Stage 1 Nozzle
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The MS9001 stage 1 nozzle has evolved through Process Change. The original MS9001B stage 3 bucket was cold straightened after being cast, inducing strain in the material. The combination of the induced and creep strains resulted in potential creep-rupture cracks, further propagated by high-cycle fatigue. GE developed a new manufacturing process for the MS9001E bucket which eliminates the need for the cold straightening step, thus eliminating the processinduced strain in the material.
Materials.
Bucket material has recently been improved. The stage 3 bucket was originally made of U-500, a precipitation-hardened, nickel-base alloy. To improve elevated temperature strength and hot corrosion resistance, the bucket material was changed in 1992 to IN-738, a precipitation-hardened, nickel-based super alloy.
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NOZZLES
Stage 1 Nozzle (FS2J)
four generations, each improving on the preceding one, starting with the MS9001B 4-vane nozzle. The second generation, designed for the MS9001E, was used primarily for clean fuel applications. The third generation the Universal Fuel Nozzle was significant because it is applicable for gas, distillate and ash-bearing fuels. The fourth generation, known as the Chordal Hinge Nozzle, incorporated GE Aircraft Engine technology as well as improved
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cooling and sealing technology. This section will discuss the design improvements brought about in each generation. A comparison of the cross-sections of each generation is shown in Figure 16. Several design modifications were made to the original MS9001B stage 1 nozzle to develop the MS9001E clean fuel stage 1 nozzle. One of the most dramatic changes was made in response to the vane fillet cracking problem (Figure 17) caused by high thermal stress induced by the high thermal gradient across the sidewall/vane interface. By decreasing the number of vanes per segment, structural redundancy and the thermal stresses were reduced, thus minimizing the vane fillet cracking. The original 9B stage 1 nozzle had four vanes per segment and required 12 segments. The clean fuel nozzle has only
Center Rib
Core Plugs
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Figure 18. Stage 1 nozzle airfoil pressure side film cooling modification
Pressure Side Film Holes Replaced With Slots to Provide Better Coverage
Closer Spacing Better Exit Condition
two vanes per segment with a total of 18 segments. As illustrated in Figure 16, the interface between the support ring and nozzle was moved downstream. At the same time that the number of vanes per segment was reduced, the shape of the airfoil was optimized and the vanes were rotated to reduce the throat area. The new airfoil shape and reduction in throat area increased the pressure ratio. Installing this design into an MS9001B can increase the pressure ratio by as much as 6%. The suction side wall thickness of the nozzle airfoil at the pitch section was increased by 13%, which effectively reduced the aerodynamic-induced mechanical stress and increased the creep life of the part. The stress level was further reduced by the addition of an internal center rib. The center rib is shown in Figure 18. The Universal Fuel Nozzle was developed from the clean fuel nozzle in response to the need to burn residual fuels, as well as clean fuels. The airfoil shape was rounded making it more blunt and the entire cooling system was redesigned. The pressure side cooling holes were replaced with slots and placed closer together to provide more uniform cooling(Figure 19). Trailing edge cooling was also added as seen in Figure 19. This improved cooling design decreased surface metal temperature by as much as 5% thus minimizing cracking, airfoil ballooning, and trailing edge bowing. The nozzle support ring interface was moved
Outer Sidewall
Center Rib
Fillet
Flow
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Figure 19. Stage 1 nozzle airfoil pressure side film cooling Figure 17. Cracked center stage nozzle 1 10
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Present Design
Final Design
Improved Seal
Figure 20. Stage 1 nozzle improved sidewall sealing with chordal hinge
The leakage between the nozzle segments was decreased by improving the sidewall, or spline seals. The second major change was to improve the sidewall cooling. As the firing temperature increased over the development of the MS9001E, the nozzle was exposed to higher temperatures, causing oxidation and erosion to occur on the sidewalls. To reduce the oxidation and surface erosion, the cooling effectiveness was increased. The overall cooling effectiveness was improved by relocating some of as seen in Figure 21. When the chordal hinge nozzle was introduced, the original tangential pin hardware was replaced with a single piece bushing/tangential pin to secure the nozzle and a flat lockplate with two retainer bolts was used to keep the bushing/tangential pin in place (Figure 22). More recently the tangential pin hardware has been eliminatedfield inspections have indicated that the hardware is not required. In addition to eliminating the hardware, the forward flange on the support ring has been eliminated (Figure 23). These design modifications make the universal nozzle and chordal hinge nozzle completely interchangeable with no support ring modifications required. As seen in (Figure 16), the 9B stage 1 nozzle and the 9E clean fuel nozzle support ring interface is
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located further upstream than either the Universal or Chordal Hinge stage 1 nozzle. Therefore, to install the chordal hinge stage 1 nozzle in a unit that currently has the 9B stage 1 nozzle or the 9E clean fuel nozzle, a new support ring must also be provided. As previously mentioned, when installing the chordal hinge stage 1 nozzle in a machine that currently has the Universal stage 1 nozzle, a new support ring is not required because the location of the support ring interface is the same for both designs. Throughout the development of the MS9001 stage 1 nozzle, the nozzle material, FSX-414, has not been changed. FSX-414 is a cobalt-base super alloy which provides excellent oxidation, hot corrosion and thermal fatigue resistance, and has good welding and casting characteristics. This materials superior properties warrant its continued use in this application.
either the one- or two-piece stage 1 shroud with new tuning pins in conjunction with the GTD-222 stage 2 nozzle. (The original one piece shroud must have the aft cooling hole size reduced in order to realize the full performance benefit). Because the existing MS9001B stage 2 nozzle is not air cooled, installing this air-cooled stage 2 nozzle will result in an output loss of approximately 1.0% due to the air extracted from the system for cooling airflow.
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Current Design
Redesign
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GE is currently developing a brush seal for the stage 2 nozzle diaphragm based on the success of the High Pressure Packing and No. 2 bearing brush seals. The seal between the diaphragm and the 1-2 spacer regulates the amount of cooling air flow between the first aft and the second forward wheelspaces. The current seal is a labyrinth seal with a series of short and long teeth on the diaphragm and high and low lands with teeth on the spacer. The stage 2 nozzle cooling air comes in through the stage 1 shroud and enters the nozzle core plug via the plenum formed between the outer sidewall of the nozzle and the turbine shell. The air flows through the nozzle core plug; some of the air exits the nozzle via the trailing edge cooling holes and the remainder of the cooling air flows into the cavity between the diaphragm and the nozzle. This air flows to the first aft wheelspace and through the diaphragm/spacer seal (inner stage packing) to the second forward wheelspace. Our experience on MS7001 and MS9001 gas turbines shows that these wheelspace temperatures run significantly cooler than the design limit. Based on this experience, the cooling flow can be reduced providing additional output without affecting parts life. The brush seal design will utilize a brush seal in place of the middle long tooth on the diaphragm. This brush seal is expected to provide a performance improvement due to the reduction in cooling flow.
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This design is currently being tested on an MS7001EA; test results should be available by the end of 4Q 1997. The stage 2 nozzle diaphragm brush seal for the MS9001E will be available by 3Q 1998.
SHROUD BLOCKS
Stage 1 Shroud Blocks (FS2C)
The stage 1 shroud block was redesigned for the MS9001E 2055F/ 1124C firing temperature uprate
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program in 1991 (Figure 27) and consists of two pieces rather than one. The original one piece design did not provide adequate LCF life at the higher firing temperature. The two piece design is film cooled using airflow from the stage 2 nozzle to inhibit cracking. The film cooling required additional flow which translates into a performance loss. This performance loss can be regained by installing the GTD-222 stage 2 nozzle with the appropriate tuning pins for the stage 1 shroud. The two-piece stage 1 shroud design is only required for the 2055F/1124C firing temperature. The main advantage of the two piece design is that it allows the damaged caps to be replaced without having to remove the shroud block bodies or turbine nozzles. Each piece of the shroud block is made of a different material. The body and hook fit are made of 310 stainless steel and the cap is made of FSX-414. GE is currently developing a new one piece design shroud to regain the lost performance associated with the two piece design. This new shroud will be made of Haynes HR-120 which, in conjunction with some design modifications to the original one piece design, will provide sufficient LCF life at 2055F firing temperature. The new design will also incorporate improved inter-segment seals to reduce leakage. This material is used in the latest design stage 1 shroud for the MS6001B as well as the MS7001EA. This design will be available in early 1998.
Honeycomb seals are made of a high-temperature, oxidation resistant alloy with 1/8 inch cell size and 5 mil foil thickness is brazed between the teeth on the shrouds. Cutter teeth on the leading edge of the shrouded stage 2 and 3 bucket tip rails will cut the honeycomb material away when contact occurs during transients. This produces steady-state running clearances which are, on an absolute basis, no larger than the difference between the steady-state and the transient clearances. The effective clearance is actually tighter than the absolute clearance, since the resulting groove in the honeycomb provides a tighter labyrinth seal than could be obtained with solid materials. Installation of honeycomb shrouds requires buckets with cutter teeth. As previously mentioned, current production stage 2 and 3 buckets have cutter teeth. Additionally, buckets with fewer than 48,000 hours of service can have cutter teeth applied in a qualified service shop.
COMPRESSOR COMPONENTS
The first four stages of the MS9001B compressor were completely redesigned for the MS9001E model. Because new compressor casings and all new compressor rotor and stator blades would be required to upgrade the MS9001B compressor to the later design compressors, this is usually not economically feasible and not typically quoted as part of a turbine uprate. Instead, the existing MS9001B compressor can be re-bladed with the same design/length blades, with special blade coatings or materials available for certain applications. Until recently, a NiCad coating was applied to the first 8 stages of the compressor. NiCad coating helps prevent corrosion pitting on the blades by combining a tough barrier coating of nickel with a sacrificial cadmium layer. NiCad coating has been replaced by GECC1. GECC1 provides the same protection as NiCad without the use of cadmium. Both GECC1 and NiCad possess outstanding corrosion resistance in neutral and sea salt environments.
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clearance determines the amount of flow to the wheel space. Ideally this flow is limited to the amount required for first forward wheelspace cooling. With the conventional labyrinth tooth/land seal packings on the inner barrel, the minimum clearance that can be tolerated is dictated by the expected rotor displacements during transient conditions and by wheelspace cooling requirements. If a rub does occur, the labyrinth teeth can be damaged and cause excessive leakage through the packing. A 20 mil rub is equivalent to a loss of approximately 1% in output. Two different designs have been used to reduce leakage through the HPP. New units built since April, 1994 have shipped with a honeycomb seal on the inner barrel (similar to the design used for stage 2 and 3 shrouds previously described). Retrofitting honeycomb seals would involve removing the rotor, and replacing the aft stub shaft with a new design with cutter teeth. The inner barrel would also have to be replaced. A new brush seal arrangement has been developed that provides the same level of performance improvement associated with honeycomb seal and requires fewer modifications to the unit. The HPP brush seal is shown in Figure 29. Rub-tolerant brush seals are designed to withstand rotor excursions and maintain clearances in this critical area. Metallic brush material is used in place of one of the labyrinth teeth on the inner barrel. With brush seals at the high pressure packing, the unit will be able to sustain initial performance levels over an extended period of time because the inevitable rub will not increase the clearance. In order to retrofit a brush seal, the existing inner barrel must be removed and replaced with an inner barrel of a brush seal. The inner barrel with brush seal is designed for use with the existing compressor aft stub shaft with high/low lands. High pressure packing brush seals, which are available for both the 9B and the 9E, provide 1.0% increase in output and 0.5% improvement in heat rate when replacing the original labyrinth design. The high pressure packing brush seal provides 0.2% improvement in both output and heat rate relative to the honeycomb design.
turbine, any reduction in this flow will result in an increase in performance. This upgrade has been tested in the field, but the performance benefit has not yet been quantified. Brush seals for the No. 2 bearing are illustrated in Figure 30.
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temperature require a series of component changes based on the original configuration of the unit and the desired firing temperature. Therefore, several different packages have been designed for the MS9001 to provide the maximum benefit to the customer. There are four packages for the MS9001B and two packages for the MS9001E. In this section each of the packages will be discussed.
temperature to 1965F/1074C. In addition to the material provided for Options 1 and 2, stage 3 buckets, nozzles, shrouds and the turbine rotor 1/2 wheel spacer are also provided. Unlike Option 2, the stage 2 bucket will be air cooled. This uprate option provides a 18.2% increase in output at 86 IGV angle and ISO conditions. Option 4 raises the firing temperature to 2020F/1104C. This option includes all of the components in Option 3, as well as a new exhaust frame and two 100 hp exhaust frame blowers to accommodate the increase in exhaust temperature. Increasing the firing temperature to this level can increase the output by 24.1% at 86 IGV angle and ISO conditions. Prior to the sale of any of these options, an engineering review of the turbine/generator performance will be required to ensure that the load equipment can accommodate the increase in output. This review may indicate that the load equipment needs to be uprated. In many cases the generator can be uprated by operating at a higher power factor. A typical MS9001B performance study is illustrated in Figure 37.
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This uprate package is designed for MS9001E units with firing temperatures below 2055F/1124C. This package will provide the advanced technology components to increase the firing temperature of an earlier vintage MS9001E to 2055F/1124C, the highest firing temperature available on an MS9001E. The material required for the firing temperature increase is listed in Figure 34. The material required for a given unit will vary depending on the current turbine configuration. An engineering review can define the material that will be required for the uprate. The increase in output associated with the uprate is dependent upon the original configuration of the unit. Figures 35 and 36 provide the performance gains associated with each of the components as well as the entire uprate package. Again, it is important that the turbine/generator be evaluated to determine if the current load equipment can withstand the increase in output associated with this uprate.
EMISSIONS
Emission levels are affected when the gas turbine is uprated, and these levels must be accounted for in planning. Emission control options reduce the emission levels, and Figure 39 compares typical NOx emission levels before and after uprates for many of the options discussed. Individual site requirements and specific emission levels can be provided with any uprate study.
LIFE EXTENSION
Owners can also take advantage of technology improvements by using state-of-the-art components to replace older component designs during major and/or hot gas path inspections instead of replacing in kind. The advanced technology components yield an increased service life when used in machines that fire at temperatures lower than that for which the component was designed.
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however dozens of customers have realized the performance benefits associated with many of the latest technology components on a individual basis.
3568, GE Industrial & Power Systems, August 1994. 5. Dunne, P.R., Uprate Options for the MS7001 Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine, GER-3808, GE Industrial and Power Systems, 1995. 6. Johnston, J.R., Performance and Reliability Improvements for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines, GER-3571, GE Industrial & Power Systems, August 1994. 7. GEA-12526 (8/95), 12220.1 (1/94) MS9001E Gas Turbines: Conversions, Modifications and Uprates.
SUMMARY
GE has an advanced technology uprate package available to uprate all GE design MS9001 heavyduty gas turbines. These advanced uprate technology packages provide significant savings derived from reduced maintenance, improved efficiency, output, reliability and life extension. Regulatory requirements may necessitate the need for emission controls due to changes in emission levels when uprating the gas turbine, and modifications are available to significantly reduce emissions. Todays technology and enhanced production components allow customers to bring their aging turbines back to better than new condition based upon these offerings.
REFERENCES
1. Beltran, A.M., Pepe, J.J. and Schilke, P.W., Advanced Gas Turbines Materials and Coatings, GER-3569, GE Industrial & Power Systems, August 1994. 2. Brandt, D.E. and Wesorick, R.R., GE Gas Turbine Design Philosophy, GER-3434, GE Industrial & Power Systems, August 1994. 3. Brooks, F.J., GE Gas Turbine Performance Characteristics, GER-3567, GE Industrial & Power Systems, August 1994. 4. Davis, L.B., Dry Low NOx Combustion Systems For Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines, GER-
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