Gas Turbine Maintenance Services
In order to keep gas turbines operating reliably and efficiently over the course of their entire lifecycle, gas turbine service providers offer a range of services, including maintenance services. Besides offering full information on Gas Turbine services, Linquip introduces top rated, verified, and trusted providers to End-Users. Below, you can discover more about top gas turbine maintenance service providers.
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Gas Turbine Maintenance
Gas Turbine Maintenance - To achieve maximum availability and reliability, the gas turbine requires thorough periodic inspection, maintenance, and replacement of parts. The principal structural components of an industrial gas turbine are designed to meet the same standards as steam turbines and will require similar maintenance. The parts that are unique to an industrial gas turbine are those that are involved in the combustion process and those that are exposed to the hot gases that are emitted from the combustion system. The combustion liners, turbine nozzles, transition pieces, and turbine buckets are among the "hot-gas-path parts," as are the combustion liners, transition pieces, and turbine nozzles.
Maintenance Requirements
Control devices, fuel-metering equipment, and other station auxiliaries must all be serviced in addition to the gas turbine power. Depending on the use, the station equipment will have different contents. The unattended, remotely controlled station, which is common in pipeline and utility service, is an extreme case.
The gas turbine's inspection and maintenance requirements lend themselves to building a pattern of inspections, beginning with minor work and progressing to a full overhaul, and then repeating the cycle. These tests can be adjusted to cut down on unit downtime and maintenance costs while ensuring optimal availability and dependability. Operational and teardown inspections are two types of inspections. Operational inspections are utilized as indications of the equipment's overall condition and as planning tools for the disassembly maintenance program. Standby, operating, combustion, hot-gas-path, and major inspections are all types of inspections.
Standby Maintenance
Gas turbines in intermittent use, in particular, are subject to standby inspections. The most important consideration is starting dependability. The battery system is routinely serviced, the filter is changed, the oil and water levels are checked, relays are cleaned, and device calibrations are checked as part of this maintenance. This maintenance can be done during off-peak hours without affecting the turbine's availability. The standby inspection must include a test run regularly.
Running Inspections
The general and ongoing observations performed while a unit is in service are referred to as running inspections. An attended station is probably observed every shift, or at least daily. Depending on its accessibility, the unattended continuous duty machine will most likely be inspected for 1 to 4 weeks. Every 5 to 10, or at least once a month, the intermittent-duty unit will be observed. To evaluate equipment performance and maintenance requirements, operating data should be documented.
Load versus exhaust temperature control and variation, as well as start-up time, are common running checks. It's important to pay attention to the general relationship between load and exhaust temperature and compare it to past data. The absolute temperature will be influenced by the ambient temperature and barometer levels. High exhaust temperatures can indicate excessive leaks, internal part deterioration, or axial-flow compressor fouling, or they can indicate that the driven equipment requires more horsepower.
When power is lost due to deterioration of parts or leaks, the turbine may need to be disassembled to restore power. Cleaning the axial-flow compressor while it is in service may generally restore loss caused by dirt fouling. This is performed by introducing 10 to 20 lb of mild abrasives into the compressor inlet, such as crushed, screened nutshells. Cleaning is accomplished when the exhaust temperature for a given load is reduced and the compressor discharge pressure is increased. If the compressor needs to be cleaned frequently, the reasons for the fouling should be identified and remedied.
The unit's vibration level should be monitored and recorded. Adjustments in operational circumstances will cause minor changes. Large shifts, on the other hand, or a consistent upward trend, indicate that corrective action is required.
The link between general fuel flow and load should be studied in the fuel system. Fuel pressures should be monitored throughout the system. Changes in fuel pressure can indicate clogged fuel nozzle passageways or damaged or out-of-calibrated fuel-metering devices.
The exhaust temperature, fuel-override system, and backup over-temperature trip system are perhaps the most critical control functions to keep an eye on. The hot-gas-path parts will last longer if the operation and calibration of these devices are checked on a regular basis.
Temperature fluctuations in turbine exhaust should be recorded. A rise in temperature could signal a deterioration of fuel-distribution issues due to combustion. The life of downstream parts will be shortened if the problem is not resolved.
Although starting time is not crucial in pipeline or process units, it is a useful benchmark against which subsequent operational characteristics can be compared and assessed (when the gas turbine is new). The state of the control system can be determined by plotting the starting parameters against time since the original start signal. Deviations from normal conditions might be used to detect potential problems, calibration changes, or broken components.
Combustion Inspection
An assessment of the combustion liners and fuel nozzles during a short stoppage is known as a combustion inspection. This inspection interval recognizes that continuing to operate with a degraded combustion system might cause downstream parts, such as turbine nozzles and buckets, to deteriorate more quickly. This inspection also detects that the combustion liners and fuel nozzles are the first items in the overall maintenance cycle to require repair or replacement.
Hot-Gas-Path Inspection
The scope of the combustion inspection, as well as a visual inspection of the turbine nozzles and buckets, are included in the hot-gas-path inspection. For a thorough gas-path check, the top half of the turbine shell must be removed. After the first year of operation, both the combustion and hot-gas path inspections may be omitted for units in continuous operation. If downtime is critical, this first-year examination is purely for warranty purposes and is not required.
Major Inspections
Major inspections should be scheduled for up to 30,000 hours or more, depending on the load, duty, and operational requirements. Boiler inspections will be a limiting item on combined-cycle or waste-heat-boiler installations.
A major inspection's work scope includes, in addition to combustion and hot-gas-path examination, the laying open of the entire turbine at the horizontal joints, with the following individual item inspections:
- Remove the turbine buckets and examine the buckets and wheel dovetail with a liquid penetrant.
- Bearing liners, seals, and journals should be inspected.
- Certain axial flow compressor parts, such as inlet guide vanes on fixed-vane turbines, are subjected to a liquid-penetrant inspection.
- First-stage nozzles are subjected to a liquid-penetrant inspection.
The following figure illustrates various types of gas turbine inspections.
Estimated Hot-Gas-Path Parts' Lives
The gas turbine must demonstrate minimal maintenance costs and the capacity to function for lengthy periods of time without maintenance outages in order to meet operating requirements and give advantages over other types of prime movers. The long life of important components is the key to achieving these two objectives. A long-life standard for hot gas-path parts has been established, and it is used as a design criterion for any new designs or ratings.
It is understood while defining part life standards that these lives depend on operating conditions. The ideal condition is determined by weighing the unit rating, the amount of fuel consumed, and the impact of part life on maintenance costs. Metal temperatures, the type of fuel burnt, and the number of starting cycles per operating hour are the three most important operational parameters that will affect part life.
The link between metal temperature and part life is widely established. It's used to test new materials to see if they'll allow for greater ratings at higher firing temperatures while still retaining part life.
Except for rotating elements, major part life estimates are based on performing at least one half-life repair. Parts' lifetimes will be largely determined by operating conditions, which should be determined for each machine in its specific environment. At each inspection interval, repair-or-replace decisions must be made depending on the condition of the part, the cost of repair, and the length of the next operating period.
Operating Factors That Affect Maintenance
The following elements have the biggest impact on the life of parts in any specific machine:
- The kind of fuel
- Frequency to begin
- Cycle of loading
- Environment
- Maintenance procedures
The next paragraphs go over these factors in detail.
Fuel
The radiant energy in the combustion process and the ability to atomize various liquid fuels are linked to the influence of fuel type on part life. As a result, natural gas, which has the lowest radiant energy, will provide the longest part life. Diesel fuels will have the next longest life, while crude and residual oils, which have the most radiant energy and are more difficult to atomize, will have the shortest part life.
Starting Frequency
A gas turbine's hot-gas-path elements are subjected to large heat cycles with each start and stop. This influence is minimized by designing and adjusting control mechanisms. A gas turbine with frequent starting and stopping requirements, on the other hand, will have shorter part life than a comparable unit in base-load, continuous-duty use. In general, starting impacts are insignificant for units in service in the pipeline and process sectors, as few turbines in this service see less than 100 hours of fire for each start.
Load Cycle
The life of parts will be unaffected by the load cycle of the gas turbine up to its continuous-duty rating, as long as it does not require frequent and quick load changes. Rapid and frequent load changes have an effect on a unit that is similar to frequent starts and stops.
Environment
If the input air for the gas turbine is either abrasive or corrosive, it might have a major impact on maintenance. In the case of abrasives in the inlet air, such as sand storms in the desert, input filtering should be carefully considered to minimize or remove this effect.
If a gas turbine is to be used in a corrosive environment, the inlet design and the use of appropriate materials and protective coatings must be carefully considered. In pipeline applications, inlet configurations are rarely a concern.
Maintenance Practices
Details on the parts! The condition is based on estimates only and may vary depending on the machine and operation conditions. Estimates, on the other hand, can be quite valuable when designing a maintenance program. The next phase in a well-planned program should be to make the appropriate adjustments as actual operating data on a given application accumulates.
Initial inspection intervals for continuous-duty gas fuel machines should be determined according to the schedule below, taking into account the system's availability requirements.
Costs of Gas Turbine Maintenance
Maintenance expenses can vary dramatically from one installation to the next, depending on a variety of factors. When comparing or calculating predicted maintenance expenses, the utmost caution should be used.
Maintenance costs for gas turbines are not linear with time; consequently, a comparison of maintenance costs between a unit with 30,000 hours of experience and a unit with 100,000 hours of experience is not appropriate.
The availability of "uprating" or "updating" kits is a critical consideration in any debate or evaluation of gas turbine maintenance. Combustion pieces, first-stage nozzles, and turbine buckets are typically included in these kits.
These new parts are meant to be interchangeable with previous parts and are produced to the most recent design configurations using the most up-to-date materials. In most cases, replacing the old parts will result in higher output from the older unit.
This happens because the gas turbine's firing temperatures haven't reached their maximum. In reality, when new materials become available and design advances emerge, firing temperatures rise year after year. These advancements are available in older-unit-compatible combinations.
Upratings will be provided on a 7- to 10-year cycle or a 60,000- to 80,000-hour operational cycle, in general. When the time comes for the second replacement of combustion parts, the first replacement of turbine nozzles, and possibly bucket replacement in a gas turbine's maintenance cycle, the choice might be made to update the unit rather than replace parts with like parts. As a result, the majority of the cost of uprating is directly offset by routine maintenance costs.
The majority of a gas turbine power plant's maintenance expenditures and operating risks are made up of capital parts and scheduled inspections (see the figure below). Over the lifetime of a gas turbine, proper inspections and parts planning can reduce both hazards and maintenance costs. Optimizing results in increased reliability and lower maintenance costs.
The overall administration of maintenance inspections necessitates an effective technique that benefits all parties involved. At least when it comes to keeping track of turbine parts and inspections, as well as planning for future maintenance.
Parts tracking and inspection management face a number of significant challenges:
- Cost-effectively planning and estimating a budget for future gas turbine maintenance demands is difficult. In order to establish that calculation, the turbine's complete and accurate prior history must be known.
- Managing the complete history and planning maintenance costs money and time in ways that could be avoided.
- It is not always easy to determine what parts are in stock, in what condition they are in, and how much useful life they have left.
- Information about maintenance checks and available components is often difficult to obtain for people who require it.
The development of best practices for safe turbine usage is aided by a centralized system that incorporates information on maintenance inspections and gas turbine parts, as well as relevant paperwork and service bulletins. Furthermore, having accurate and up-to-date information allows all parts to be used to their full potential. An effective turbine maintenance management strategy reduces risks and maximizes the value of your budget.
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Conclusion
In process drive and industrial power generating applications, the maintenance aspect represents more than 17 million operating hours, and in pipeline applications, more than 20 million working hours. Over 100,000 hours have been amassed by 105 units, with another 12 exceeding 90,000 hours. Many of them have achieved 50,000 hours between maintenance periods, with control device outages confined to a few hours.
The industrial gas turbine has proven its durability and dependability. The requirements for various services in terms of maintenance are defined. As a result, reliable forecasts of projected outages and costs may be produced to optimize the maintenance cycle in order to fulfill system requirements.
FAQs about Gas Turbine Maintenance
- How many levels of maintenance are performed on gas turbine engines?
The maintenance of those engines is divided into three categories: organizational, intermediate, and overhaul.
- What is the common problem of a gas turbine?
Gas turbine engines may be harmed in a variety of ways, including:
- Increased seal and bearing deterioration.
- Increased operation at low loads, raising the danger of blade flutter and fatigue damage.
Increased fatigue damage due to more frequent starts and load changes.
How long do turbine engines last?
TBOs for older and smaller jet engines are typically 5,000 hours or less. Modern engines have a life expectancy of 6,000 hours or more.
- What is the main challenge in the development of gas turbines?
Low levels of NOx, CO, and soot, among other pollutants, are among the environmental issues faced by gas turbines. To tackle the ozone depletion challenge, ultra-low NOx combustor technology is necessary. The development of dry low-NOx stationary and aero engines is causing worry among researchers.
- What type of compressor is used in gas turbines?
In jet aircraft, energy production, and other heavy industry applications, centrifugal compressors power gas turbine engines. The centrifugal compressor in a gas turbine transmits energy from impeller blades.
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