GAS TURBINE & RECIPROCATING ENGINE

DECISIONS UPDATE

 

November 13, 2016

 

McIlvaine Company

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 

Trump moving forward to Dismantle Greenhouse Gas Regulations

Participate in the LinkedIn Discussion Groups

Lubrication is Key to Successful Gas Turbine Operations

Recent Additions to Intelligence System

 

OTHER NEWS

Pleasant Valley Station solves ultrapure water testing problem

Total Iron Measurement in Ultrapure Water is Critical

Instrument Air Pressure Problem solved at South Carolina Electric and Gas Co

Clarke Energy connecting more than 700 Sites to GE’s Myplant Asset Performance Management Program

GE developing Digital Monitoring Technology in Saudi Arabia

 

 

 

Trump moving forward to Dismantle Greenhouse Gas Regulations

 

Trump has already vowed to “cancel” last year’s Paris climate agreement, which commits more than 190 countries to reduce their emissions of planet-warming carbon dioxide pollution, and to dismantle the Clean Power Plan. He has named Myron Ebell of the business-backed Competitive Enterprise Institute to head his EPA transition team. Mr. Ebell has asserted that whatever warming caused by greenhouse gas pollution is modest and could be beneficial.

 

The Clean Power Plan is the ambitious centerpiece of President Obama’s climate change legacy and the key to his commitment under the Paris Accord. At its heart is a set of Environmental Protection Agency regulations intended to curb planet-warming pollution from coal-fired power plants. If enacted, the rules could transform the American electricity sector, close hundreds of coal-fired power plants and usher in the construction of vast new wind and solar farms. The plan is projected to cut United States power plant emissions 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.

 

But the program is currently under litigation by 28 states and more than 100 companies, and it is expected to go before the Supreme Court as early as next year.

 

Participate in the LinkedIn Discussion Groups

 

As a subscriber to 59D GTRE Decisions or utility employee you are eligible to participate in the following LinkedIn discussions. You can add application and technical information or any other information which will help power plants select the lowest total cost of ownership products. The discussions are a bridge between the webinars and the intelligence system which includes the database, so you can also send us case histories and white papers. The postings will be monitored to eliminate commercial messages which are not constructive. The service is free of charge to any power plant in the world, so keep in mind that viewers might be from Asia or Africa. To join one of the discussion groups just click on the LinkedIn group and ask to join.

 

HRSG Valve Decision

Power plant high performance pumps

Power plant ultrapure water

 

Analysis of hardware and treatment options to create ultrapure water for steam generation and then to purify and move the recycled condensate. Options for filtration, ion removal, valves, pumps, instruments and chemicals are included.

 

Is ion exchange or electodeionization the best selection?

 

This question also needs to take into account the process arrangement, the use of membranes for particle removal and even whether membrane degasification is incorporated. The consumables and maintenance with ion exchange are also important.

 

Evoqua in a 59De posted article says new developments in CEDI module construction have improved both physical integrity and module reliability while simultaneously enabling process simplification such as elimination of concentrate recirculation and elimination of salt injection into the concentrate stream. However, reliable long-term operation of an RO/CEDI system requires careful attention to process design, and in particular hardness and chlorine. With good module and system design, it is possible to design deionized water systems based on reverse osmosis/CEDI that will consistently meet the makeup water quality requirements of high pressure boilers without the use of hazardous chemicals and without creating regenerate waste.

 

How is the best way to remove natural organic matter?

 

Robert McIlvaine, Ovivo provide their answer in a McIlvaine webinar which is recorded and available in PPAQD.

 

Each process step has specific reduction rates for each NOM family:

 

 

Lubrication is Key to Successful Gas Turbine Operations

 

The varied types of power generation equipment found around the world place many varying demands upon industrial gear oils. From hydro-power generation, through conventional steam and gas turbines through to modern wind turbine generators, industrial gear oils need to have excellent, robust and reliable performance. When it comes to turbines – gas, steam or combined cycle – and circulating oil systems, lubricants play the key role in high-performance operation. These systems must provide a great deal of power in often harsh environments. As a result, they require quality fluid packages that will provide the anti-wear, anti-corrosion and extreme pressure protection that will ensure optimum performance.

 

Lubrizol supplies additives and packages for turbine and circulating oil systems. Products are designed to provide peak system performance, with benefits that include:

 

           Excellent demulsibility

           Superior foam protection

           Excellent rust protection

           Low copper activity

           Good oxidation stability

           Superior wet and dry filterability

           Outstanding hydrolytic stability

           Excellent modified rotary bomb performance

           Very good EP/anti-wear performance

           Good seal compatibility

 

Lubrizol® 5810 is a mainline turbine oil additive system designed for steam and medium duty gas turbines with several benefits:

 

 

Corzan® HP industrial piping system is claimed to increase operational efficiency, minimize downtime and improve bottom-line performance.

 

 

These piping systems are supplied by Lubrizol, a Berkshire Hathaway Company.

 

Recent Additions to Intelligence System

 

Here are the summaries and links to the full articles which have recently been added to GTRE Decisions Intelligence System.

 

Wastewater permit for coal and combustion turbine plants in Gillette Wyoming

This 2015 permit authorizes the discharge of wastewater from six coal fired power plants, two combustion turbine power plants, and one coal mine. The Neil Simpson and Wygen generating power plants and the coal mine are located approximately six miles east of Gillette, Wyoming. Most of the wastewater generated by the facility is recycled, so this facility rarely discharges. Discharges usually occur in response to large storm events. Note below that the facilities are air-cooled, so they do not discharge cooling water. Therefore, 316(b) regulations do not apply. In addition, make-up water is partially treated water from the Gillette wastewater treatment plant, not waters of the Wastewater originating from the variety of sources is routed to a two cell settling pond. The first pond, called the Bottom Ash Settling Pond, functions to provide settlement for sediments and ash by-products. Wastewater from this pond overflows to the second pond called the Clear Pond. The Clear Pond has an outlet structure (Outfall 001) that allows the discharge of the treated wastewater to Donkey Creek. However, because a majority of the wastewater that enters the settling ponds is recycled, there is seldom a discharge to the creek.

Revision Date:  11/7/2016

Tags:  BHE Environmental, Inc., Regulation, Wastewater


2014 BHE testimony on the gas turbine, coal and geothermal projects in Utah

The purpose of Chad Teply testimony was to support the prudence of capital investments in the new Lake Side 2 combined cycle combustion turbine (“CCCT”) natural gas fueled resource, certain pollution control equipment retrofits on existing coal fueled resources, and other significant generation plant projects being placed in service during the test period in this docket, July 1, 2014 through July 2015. This included the Hayden SCR and the Blundell geothermal resource well integration project and 1 the Naughton Unit 3 natural gas conversion project. The Blundell geothermal resource well integration project integrates two 108 new geothermal resource wells into the Blundell generation system. One production well and one injection well, along with associated appurtenances, have been drilled and will be placed in service to support continued reliable electricity production at the site. Lake Side 2 is nominally rated at 548 MW base load 130 and 97 MW of duct firing for a total net capacity of 645 MW at the average 131 ambient temperate of 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Each combustion turbine exhausts 132 into its own heat recovery steam generator which then commonly supply a single 133 steam turbine generator. The electrical energy generated by Lake Side 2 will be delivered to a new 345 kV point of interconnection substation (Steel Mill) where it will tie into the PacifiCorp transmission system.

MidAmerican Energy Company Energy Isolation Program

Mid American Energy Isolation program sets procedures for maintaining wind components including lubrication pumps. Tom Daft of Mid American presented the program focused on keeping wind turbines safe and reliable. There are procedures for the following • Main Tower AC Tower Breaker • 575 VAC to LVMD; Control Voltage • 50 kVa Transformer • Converter • Pitch Slip Ring • Gearbox Lubrication Pump • Gear Box Cooler Fan • Yaw Drive System • Hydraulic Brake Unit and 10 other systems.

 

OTHER NEWS

 

Pleasant Valley Station solves ultrapure water testing problem

 

This Great River Energy unit is a 450-MW, dual-fuel, three-unit, simple cycle located in Dexter, MN. The plant manager is Tye Stuart. A demineralizer challenge was solved by Craig Burkett and reported in 2014 in CCJ Pleasant Valley Station uses demin water for compressor washing, water injection, fuel-oil purging, etc. This ultrapure water is maintained below 0.5 µS conductivity and at a pH between 6 and 9. In the past, operators would draw a sample at the pump skid and then use handheld testing equipment in the plant lab to test the water. Through trial and error and some research, it was discovered that ultrapure water, in fact, has an affinity for carbon dioxide which can rapidly affect the results of the tests. To confirm, operators pulled the sample and immediately placed the handheld conductivity probe into the water and could see the value increasing in a matter of seconds.

 

Dissolved carbon dioxide also associates with water molecules to form carbonic acid; thus having the sample open to atmosphere was affecting pH readings, too. Personnel decided to change testing methods to increase the accuracy of results.

 

Solution - The station procured and installed a system to monitor pH and conductivity “in process” so that the water does not come into contact with air, and therefore, it is not getting contaminated by carbon dioxide. The pH probe and conductivity probe are specifically designed for ultra-pure water and both output to a common controller for easy monitoring and calibration. This enables operators to more accurately track demineralized water quality.

 

Total Iron Measurement in Ultrapure Water is Critical

 

Thermal Chemistry Ltd’s David Addison, a globally recognized water consultant with years of experience in power plant operations, told CCJ in a 2013 interview that accurate measurement of total iron in a combined cycle’s steam/water circuit is critical to understanding the degree of effectiveness of the cycle chemistry program formulated to protect against corrosion and deposition.

 

He reminds that 99.9 percent of the materials contacting steam and/or water are ferrous-based, including the carbon steel used in HRSG feedwater, economizer, and evaporator circuits; the P/T11, P/T22, P/T91, and other alloys specified for superheaters, reheaters, and main steam piping; and the stainless steels used in condensers, sample lines, etc.

 

Addison told the editors that one of his goals is to convince those not currently monitoring iron levels to do so and those using the incorrect monitoring techniques to change their approach.

 

Total iron (soluble + particulate iron) should not exceed 2 ppb in condensate and feedwater systems and 5 ppb in the HRSG evaporator circuits, according to limits recommended by the International Association for the Properties of Water and Steam. These quantities may seem relatively insignificant, but given the high flow rates in an F-class HRSG, they translate to a large amount of iron transport over time. The total iron limits recommended by IAPWS are referred to in the industry as the “Rule of 2 and 5”—once again, less than 2 ppb total iron in condensate/feedwater and less than 5 ppb in each steam drum.

 

Stressing the need for an accurate and repeatable measurement of iron transport, Addison identified several grab-sampling and analysis methods in use that have best-reported detection limits above the IAPWS’s recommended 2 ppb. They are UV-Vis (Ferrozine method with a 1-cm optical cell), ICP-AES, and Graphite Furnace AA. Please excuse the jargon, but there’s no meaningful way to simplify the terminology.

 

Addison endorsed the Corrosion Products Sampler as one of the best methods today for measuring total iron, mentioning a unit offered by Sentry Equipment Corp but acknowledging that there are other such systems on the market. He added that in-house constructed systems often are seen in the field.

 

The Sentry unit passes a measured flow of sample through a 0.45-micron particulate filter (a 0.1-micron filter may be preferable). Filters are removed at the end of the collection period and the captured species analyzed. This involves acid digestion of the filter and analysis for Fe2+. Total iron on the filter divided by total sample flow gives the average concentration of iron in the system at the sampling point during the collection period.

 

Instrument Air Pressure Problem solved at South Carolina Electric and Gas Co

 

This 910-MW, gas-fired, 3 × 1 combined cycle plant is located in Hardeeville, SC.

 

The plant manager is Steve Palmer who along with Tim Glover, operations superintendent; Kevin Croft, E&I supervisor and Rusty Mezel, maintenance superintendent was interviewed for a CCJ article.

 

A loss of instrument air pressure is a major reliability concern because instrument-air-dryer purge valves were prone to malfunction, causing a rapid decrease in instrument air header pressure and subsequent equipment upset. There is also the risk that the backup air compressor can fail to start upon the loss of the running unit, putting the facility at risk. The air compressors and dryer systems are located at the far end of the plant making rapid response and correction challenging. A reliable, cost-effective backup system was desired.

 

After an engineering review, plant staff decided to modify and configure the existing, GE-supplied, air processing units (APUs) for use as backup to the instrument air system when 7FA gas turbines are online and operating in Mode 6 APUs take compressor discharge air, regulate, and cool it for pulse cleaning of the turbine inlet filters. The instrument-air-system header previously had been tied into the 7FA inlet filter cleaning system (supplanting the APUs) to supply clean, cleaning because the plant had excess compressed-air capacity and was experiencing ongoing maintenance problems with the APU regulators.

 

The existing APU control logic was reconfigured into the Ovation DCS to “open” the corresponding APU blocking valve and allow its compressor discharge to provide backup to the instrument-air-system header when header pressure decreases to 90 psig and the respective gas turbine is operating in Mode 6.Excess moisture is removed by an existing inline drain trap on the 7FA side of each APU air cooler and a modified inline filter with draining capability on the header side of each APU cooler. Hot compressor discharge air also is cooled by the existing cooler on each APU prior to admission into the instrument air header. Existing APU moisture-separation towers are bypassed, as the moisture drains are sufficient for short-term, emergency service.

 

Results - The facility’s instrument air system is backed up by each gas turbine’s compressor discharge in the event of a low air-header pressure condition when the gas turbine is operating in Mode 6, eliminating the risk of a plant trip and/or equipment upset. This design change also allows a safe, measured response to air compressor and dryer malfunctions when personnel are not in the immediate area. Modifications were implemented by plant personnel with some minor material costs. Since implementation, one plant trip was averted when a dryer purge valve stuck open and the idle air compressor failed to start.

 

Clarke Energy connecting more than 700 Sites to GE’s Myplant Asset Performance Management Program

 

As part of its contractual service agreements (CSAs), Clarke Energy, an authorized distributor and service provider for GE’s Jenbacher gas and diesel engines, will connect more than 700 assets globally to GE’s myPlant Asset Performance Management (APM) solution.

 

GE’s myPlant APM solution for power generation and gas compression plants is designed to transform data into actionable intelligence by joining analytics with domain experts. It also will create a single source of data for all power generation and gas compression assets across the active installed fleet, utilizing predictive analytics to identify issues before they occur, reducing downtime and extending asset life while still balancing maintenance costs with operation risk.

 

“Clarke Energy has good reason to advance its use of GE’s myPlant Asset Performance Management solution. With APM, designated Clarke Energy engineers are automatically notified about unscheduled generator stops at customer sites—such as engine trips—via text message or email,” said Anthony Hayes, group IT director at Clarke Energy. “Clarke Energy’s service engineers monitor engine performance from different locations to diagnose problems and support the operator on-site to resolve the issue, reducing site manpower requirements and increasing engine availability.”

 

GE’s monitoring solutions enabled with factory engineer-developed analytics are essential to using data-enabled decisions to optimize service delivery. Using data to better predict and prepare for upcoming maintenance will allow Clarke Energy to better manage inventory, enhance resource planning and execute maintenance. In the end, the customers with a Clarke Energy CSA will benefit from well-prepared maintenance events, which reduces downtime.

 

With the myPlant APM solution, Clarke Energy can better support the customer when unexpected issues emerge. Clarke Energy technicians can use myPlant’s predictive analytics to anticipate issues that could result in unplanned outages. The generator health analytic, for instance, will alert Clarke Energy when an issue is detected that could lead to bearing failure. By detecting and acting on such an issue early, an unplanned outage can be moved to a planned outage, reducing extensive downtime and repair costs. For example, the downtime from a generator bearing failure on a 3.3-megawatt (MW) Jenbacher J620 gas engine could range from six to eight weeks and cost $160,000 in lost revenue (depending on feed-in tariffs and downtime). In addition, Clarke Energy’s factory-certified technicians can remotely diagnose, troubleshoot and solve many issues on the Jenbacher gas engine. With remote troubleshooting, the customer avoids unnecessary costs and downtime that may result from sending a field technician to resolve a minor issue.

 

“The goal of GE’s Distributed Power myPlant APM solution for power generation and gas compression plants is to solve large and complex problems with ease, make real-time adjustments to the assets to increase value and put more power into the hands of the plant personnel who make critical operations, business and maintenance decisions,” said Margherita Adragna, senior general manager—services for GE’s Distributed Power. “By closely linking predictive analytics to field service activities, GE and Clarke Energy will enhance our customers’ operations—balancing availability, performance and cost.”

 

The myPlant APM solution is an application of GE’s Digital Twin technology. It enables a local monitoring and diagnostics infrastructure to remotely calculate plant performance every day of operation. By using GE’s myPlant APM solution, the plant, asset and/or maintenance manager can gain real-time intelligence needed for making better decisions to achieve the desired outcomes and increase the uptime of the asset. This approach distinguishes between real-time and batch algorithmic analytics.

 

In addition, GE and Clarke Energy are working together on analytics development and co-creation to jointly co-innovate and accelerate the development of predictive analytics for all engine types across multiple industry segments.

 

GE developing Digital Monitoring Technology in Saudi Arabia

 

Hisham Al Bahkali, GE’s President & CEO for Saudi Arabia & Bahrain, said “GEMTEC a becomes our first ‘Brilliant Factory’ in the region by introducing advanced digital industrial capabilities, which will drive the highest standards of operational efficiency & productivity as well as lower costs and use real-time monitoring to achieve reduced downtime. In addition, GEMTEC, which rolled out its first ‘Made in Saudi’ turbines in 2016 It has now inaugurated a new Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Manufacturing Facility and is creating an exports hub for technologically advanced gas turbines. Further, Saudi researchers at GEMTEC work closely with their counterparts at the GE Saudi Technology & Innovation Center in Dhahran Techno-Valley on Hot & Harsh research to identify solutions for challenging environments that are not just Saudi solutions for Saudi, but Saudi solutions for the region and the world.

 

Academic institutions such as the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) are collaborating with GE on this research, sharpening the research and innovation skills of Saudi technical talent.

 

The findings of these collaborative research projects will be applied to gas turbines manufactured at GEMTEC and to ‘Made in Saudi’ oil & gas equipment also manufactured in the Kingdom.

 

The GE Saudi Technology & Innovation Center will be at the heart of GE’s digital footprint and capabilities in Kingdom, growing digital-savvy talent in state-of-the-art laboratories with training and skill-set development programs focusing on start-ups and entrepreneurs in the digital industrial space. GE is helping develop digital power plants that enable partners to monitor the operations of every single piece of equipment to avoid and manage unplanned outages. And what really drives GE’s digital industrial strategy forward is the active participation of Saudi talent.

 

Bahkali says that GE has highly qualified software professionals and technical talent ‘waiting in the wings’ to become partners in the Kingdom’s growth. GE is providing them the platform to contribute their skills for the nation.

 

 

McIlvaine Company

Northfield, IL 60093-2743

Tel:  847-784-0012; Fax:  847-784-0061

E-mail:  editor@mcilvainecompany.com

Web site:  www.mcilvainecompany.com