| Popis: |
The continuous increase of both energy demand and oil and gas prices has driven gas turbine operators to seek improvements in both the durability and performances of their machines. The maintenance interval still represents one of the most critical issues related to durability and has a strong impact on production costs, especially in oil and gas applications. To address this issue, specific development programs were introduced by GE Oil & Gas, aimed at extending the mean time between maintenance (MTBM) of its entire heavy-duty fleet. These programs basically consist of identifying the most probable failure modes, strategies to remedy problems and finally delivering new technology. The success of such programs starts with the introduction of the new product, after it has gone through a rigorous and well-proven design process which includes conceptual, preliminary and detailed design reviews. Due to both high temperature environment and combustion dynamic frequencies, the combustor hardware is prone to different failure modes, limiting, in some cases, the MTBM to a relatively small number of hours. This paper describes the design process followed to deliver Extendortm III, which is a modification kit for the LHE (Lean Head End) combustion system of the MS5002C & D heavy duty gas turbines, aimed at enhancing MTBM. The development strategy is described in detail and the results of numerical dynamic analyses and validation testing are shown. |
