Number 56 1Q/2018

www.ccj-online.com

User Group Reports Register now for

Film-forming substances
Remote start/stop notification 2018 user-group
—an international forum....................... 6
Neutralizing amines and filming products are
system............................................75 meetings
viewed by some of the industry’s thought lead- Steamer rotor/case upgrades............76
ers as the next frontier in cycle chemistry. They Chiller condensate recovery
offer the potential for reducing corrosion in heat- cuts costs.......................................78
recovery steam generators, condensers, and How to avoid air-permit violations.......78
steam turbines in plants not having the luxury of Platform, access door improves
operating baseload and/or tight control of water/ safety.............................................80
steam chemistry. Report brings you up to speed Upgrade lube-oil hoses, reduce
on a technology that promotes high plant avail- downtime.......................................82 2018 Conference and
ability and reduces maintenance costs. Chain fall/come-along storage cart.......84 Discussion Forum
August 27 – 30
Drip-proof filling of lube-oil
reservoir........................................85 Louisville Marriott Downtown
Louisville, Ky
Natural-gas leak detection program....86
Materials issues, drones, cycle chemistry, Water management plan
attemperators, automation, life manage- cuts costs, pollution......................88
ment among meeting’s highlights......... 63 Oil-pump breather reduces
This year’s event in Houston, like the HRSG maintenance..................................86
Forum’s inaugural meeting in Charlotte, Eliminate pigeons to reduce GENERATOR USERS GROUP

addressed topics of immediate interest to HRSG personnel risks..............................89 2018 Conference and Dis-
experts and combined-cycle system owner/ Chiller mod prevents wintertime cussion Forum
operators. There were spirited discussions damage..........................................90 August 27 – 30
before, during, and after the formal technical
Lighter, hinged manhole Louisville Marriott Downtown
agenda. Participants networked freely within this
covers safer....................................90 Louisville, Ky
consolidation of equipment details, operating tri-
als and errors, and forward-looking ideas. Diesel/compressor solves
black-plant issues.........................92
Another year, another great program..... 52
The world’s largest conference supporting gas- Special Report
turbine users attracted to Acute levels of uncertainty
Palm Springs in March more pervade the industry....................22
than 1000 attendees from 2018 Conference
24 countries and 42 states. Features
CCJ’s coverage of this event Lube-oil cleanliness critical to long and Discussion
begins with the best practices bearing life....................................16 Forum
shared by in the following Brian Hulse August 27 – 30
plants: Proper O-ring storage promotes Louisville Marriott
n Equus Power I, p 75 n J-Power Long Island leak-tight sealing..........................18 Downtown
Fleet, p 78 n Terry Bundy, p 76 n EVM I (Mexi- Brian Hulse Louisville, Ky
co), p 78 n Lawrence, p 80 n West Valley, p 82 Demin water replaces glycol solution,
n Pinelawn, p 84 n Shoreham, p 85 n REO Town improves heat transfer at
Cogen, p 86 n Orange Grove, p 88 Termocandelaria...........................26
n Worthington, p 90 n Orange Cogen, p 92.
How to manage best practices,
ELECTRIC GENERATORS, lessons learned..............................30
2018 Annual Review............follows p 38 Heat tracing success critical to plant 2018 Fall
Compiled by Editor Clyde Maughan, a generator availability....................................30 Conference and
consultant of renown, and the steering commit- Golden: Dave Lucier reflects on a half Trade Show
tee of the Generator Users Group, this seminal century of service to the industry....34 September 16 – 20
work summarizing the presentations and discus- Water cooling greatly increases Sheraton Grand at
sions from the 2017 GUG conference was spon- intervals between fuel valve Wild Horse Pass
sored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis. overhauls.......................................36 Chandler (Phoenix), Ariz

INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE GAS-TURBINE-BASED GENERATION SECTOR

Film-forming substances LEFT COL OVER RUN
—an international forum....................... 6
Neutralizing amines and filming products are
viewed by some of the industry’s thought lead-
ers as the next frontier in cycle chemistry.
They offer the potential for reducing corrosion
in heat-recovery steam generators, condens-
ers, and steam turbines in plants not having
the luxury of operating baseload and/or tight
control of water/steam chemistry. Report brings
you up to speed on a technology that promotes
high plant availability and reduces mainte-
nance costs.

Materials issues, drones, cycle chemistry,

attemperators, automation, life manage-
ment among meeting’s highlights......... 63
This year’s event in Houston, like the HRSG
Forum’s inaugural meeting in Charlotte,
addressed topics of immediate interest to
HRSG experts and combined-cycle system
owner/operators. There were spirited discus-
sions before, during, and after the formal tech-
nical agenda. Participants networked freely
within this consolidation of equipment details,
operating trials and errors, and forward-looking
ideas.
Another year, another great program..... 52
The world’s largest conference supporting gas-
turbine users attracted to Palm Springs in March
more than 1000 attendees from 24 countries and
42 states. CCJ’s coverage of this event begins
with the best practices shared by in the following
plants:
n Equus Power I, p 75 n J-Power Long Island
Fleet, p 78 n Terry Bundy, p 76 n EVM I (Mexi-
co), p 78 n Lawrence, p 80 n West Valley, p 82
n Pinelawn, p 84 n Shoreham, p 85 n REO
Town Cogen, p 86 n Orange Grove, p 88
n Worthington, p 90 n Orange Cogen, p 92.

ELECTRIC GENERATORS,
2018 Annual Review............follows p 38
Compiled by Editor Clyde Maughan, a gen-
erator consultant of renown, and the steering
committee of the Generator Users Group, this
seminal work summarizing the presentations
and discussions from the 2017 GUG confer-
ence was sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics
& Analysis.
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 MEETINGS
focusing on user information needs
2018 November 13-15, Australasian HRSG Users Group,
2018 Annual Conference, Brisbane, Australia, Convention
July 29-August 2, Ovation Users’ Group, 31st Annual Con-
Centre. Visit conference website for details: https://www.
ference, Pittsburgh, Westin Convention Center Hotel. Register
eiseverywhere.com//ehome/ahug2018. Chairman: Dr R
for membership (end users of Ovation and WDPF systems
Barry Dooley, [email protected]. Submit abstracts
only) at www.ovationusers.com and follow website for details.
for consideration directly to Dooley. Conference contact:
Contact: Kathleen Garvey, [email protected].
Heather McDowell, heathermcdowell@meccaconceptcon-
August 27-30, Combined Cycle Users Group (CCUG), ferences.onmicrosoft.com.
2018 Conference and Discussion Forum, Louisville, Ky,
December 4-6, 501G Users Group, Mid-Year Meeting,
Louisville Marriott Downtown. Meeting is co-located with
the Steam Turbine Users Group and Generator Users Orlando, Fla, Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport.
Group; some joint functions, including meals and vendor Contact: Steve Bates, chairman, [email protected].
fair. Chairman: Phyllis Gassert, phyllis.gassert@talenener- 2019
gy.com. Details at www.ccusers.org. Contact: Sheila Vashi
at [email protected]. February 17-22, 501F Users Group, Annual Meeting,
Paradise Valley (Scottsdale), Ariz, DoubleTree Resort by
August 27-30, Steam Turbine Users Group (STUG), 2018 Hilton. Chairman: Russ Snyder, [email protected].
Conference and Vendor Fair, Louisville, Ky, Louisville Mar- Details/registration at http://501f.users-groups.com when
riott Downtown. Meeting is co-located with the Combined available. Contact: Tammy Faust, meeting coordinator,
Cycle Users Group and Generator Users Group; some joint
[email protected].
functions, including meals and vendor fair. Vice Chairman:
Bert Norfleet, [email protected]. Details at www.stus- March 17-20, Western Turbine Users Inc, 29th Anniver-
ers.org. Contact: Sheila Vashi at [email protected]. sary Conference and Expo, Las Vegas, Nev, South Point
Hotel and Spa. Visit www.wtui.com end of summer for
August 27-30, Generator Users Group (GUG), 2018 Con-
more information about the conference and registration.
ference and Vendor Fair, Louisville, Ky, Louisville Marriott
Downtown. Meeting is co-located with the Combined Cycle Contacts: Charlene Raaker, conference registration coordi-
Users Group and Steam Turbine Users Group; some joint nator, [email protected]; Wayne Kawamoto, conference
functions, including meals and vendor fair. Chairman: Ryan executive director, [email protected].
Harrison, [email protected]. Details at www.genusers. April 28-May 2, CTOTF 44th Spring Conference &
org. Contact: Sheila Vashi at [email protected]. Trade Show, St. Augustine, Fla, Renaissance World Golf
September 10-13, V Users Group, 2018 Annual Confer- Village. Chairman: Jack Borsch, john.borsch@ihipower.
ence, Denver, Colo, Hilton Denver Inverness. Contact: Kelly com. Details/registration at www.ctotf.org when available.
Lewis, conference coordinator, [email protected]. Contact: Ivy Suter, [email protected].
September 16-20, CTOTF Fall Conference & Trade May 20-24, 7F Users Group, 2019 Conference & Vendor
Show, Chandler (Phoenix), Ariz, Sheraton Grand at Wild Fair, Schaumburg, Ill, Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and
Horse Pass. Chairman: Jack Borsch, john.borsch@ Convention Center. Details/registration at www.powerus-
ihipower.com. Details/registration at www.ctotf.org. Con- ers.org when available. Contact: Sheila Vashi at sheila.
tact: Ivy Suter, [email protected]. [email protected].
October 8-11, ACC Users Group, Tenth Annual Confer- July 22-24, HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson, Third
ence, Colorado Springs, Colo, Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Annual Conference, Orlando, Fla, Hilton Orlando. Details/
Details at www.acc-usersgroup.org. Registration/sponsor- registration end of summer 2018 at www.HRSGForum.com.
ships contact: Sheila Vashi, [email protected]. Contact Alan Morris, [email protected].
Speaker/program contact: Dr Andrew Howell, chairman, September 15-19, CTOTF Fall Conference & Trade
[email protected]. Show, Rancho Mirage, Calif, Westin Mission Hills. Chair-
October 7-11, 7EA Users Group, Annual Conference and man: Jack Borsch, [email protected]. Details/
Exhibition, Garden Grove, Calif, Hyatt Regency. Details/ registration at www.ctotf.org when available. Contact: Ivy
registration at http://ge7ea.users-groups.com. Suter, [email protected].

Editorial Staff Editorial Advisory Board Business Staff*

Scott G Schwieger Robert W Anderson Susie Carahalios
General Manager Competitive Power Resources Advertising Sales Manager
Print and Electronic Products Robert D Threlkeld [email protected]
702-612-9406, [email protected] Plant Manager, Tenaska Lindsay 303-697-5009
Kiyo Komoda Hill and Central Alabama Plants COMBINED CYCLE Journal is published
Creative Director Tenaska Operations Inc by PSI Media Inc, a Pearl Street company.
Editorial offices are at 7628 Belmondo Lane,
Steven C Stultz J Edward Barndt Las Vegas, Nev 89128. Office manager:
Consulting Editor Senior VP, Rockland Capital
Robert G Schwieger Jr.
Clark G Schwieger Gabriel Fleck *Carahalios Media is the exclusive worldwide
Special Projects Manager Manager, Gas Plant Operations advertising sales organization for the COMBINED
Associated Electric Cooperative Inc CYCLE Journal. Business offices are at Carahalios
Robert G Schwieger Sr Media, 5921 Crestbrook Dr, Morrison, Co 80465.
Editor Emeritus Dr Barry Dooley To cancel or change your subscription, write
702-869-4739, [email protected] Structural Integrity Associates Inc [email protected]

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 3

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CORROSION PROTECTION

Film-forming substances:
The next frontier in
cycle chemistry
By Steven C Stultz, Consulting Editor

I
f you’ve been in the power-gen- Document (TGD) “Application of Film- applying FFS.
eration business for a couple of Forming Amines in Fossil, Combined Under the FFS umbrella are two
decades—and made your bones at Cycle, and Biomass Power Plants” subsets of the technology: amine-based
baseload, coal-fired, water-cooled (TGD 8-16). This is said to be the first substances (FFA and FFAP), and non-
plants, in particular—you may believe such public document published for the amine-based FFPs.
you know all there is to know about industry on the subject. It was devel- The second international meet-
Rankine-cycle steam/water chemis- oped under the leadership of Dr Barry ing provided a highly interactive
try. Perhaps that’s true, for that type Dooley of Structural Integrity Associ- forum for the presentation of new
of facility. ates Inc, who serves as the executive information and technology related to
But with coal-fired plants being secretary of IAPWS. FFS, case studies of plant applications,
shuttered in increasing numbers you Dooley’s presentation at the first and open discussion among users,
may find yourself transitioning to a HRSG Forum (2017) included infor- equipment and chemical suppliers,
combined-cycle facility starting one or mation that he would share at the university researchers, and industry
more times daily and equipped with First International Conference on consultants. The key messages from
air-cooled condensers and designed Film Forming Amines and Products that conference:
for zero liquid discharge. This is a in Lucerne, Switzerland, two months n If everything is working well at
new ballgame with respect to chem- later. The well-respected chemist and your plant then consider really hard
istry. You can almost forget what you metallurgist chaired both the Lucerne whether using an FFS will make
know; in any event, positively embrace and second (Prague, Czech Republic, any improvements. If not, consider
re-education. Mar 20-22, 2018) topical meetings. The that the application could cause
Neutralizing amines and filming 2019 conference will be held in Athens, problems.
products are relatively new to many Greece, next March. n One clear case for application: If
in the industry because their potential It’s probably fair to say that the the shutdown frequency of the
for reducing corrosion in heat-recovery chemistry of amines and filming plant is going to increase, FFS can
steam generators (HRSGs), condens- products is somewhere in the middle (perhaps) greatly improve offline
ers, and steam turbines was not of stage of development: Some things protection.
great importance to personnel at tradi- are known, but there’s a lot more to n If you are considering use of an FFS
tional steam plants operating baseload learn despite the use of some products for any application, be sure to read
with tight control of chemistry. for decades. In fact, even the generic Section 8, “Operational Guidance
In these days of must-take renew- name associated with these chemicals for the Continuous Addition of an
ables they warrant consideration. If has changed recently. FFS,” of the IAPWS technical guid-
you attended either of the first two Dooley told the editors that feed- ance document referenced above. It
meetings of the HRSG Forum with back from the 2017 Lucerne meeting will help you avoid mistakes and
Bob Anderson (www.hrsgforum.com) indicated much confusion regarding potential problems.
you likely are aware of how amines the various terms used for film-forming n Before applying an FFS to your
and filming products have benefitted substances—for example, film-forming plant, be sure its chemistry is well
some users. amines (FFA), film-forming amine understood. Do not hesitate to
EPRI’s Steve Shulder provided a products (FFAP), film-forming prod- hire one or more experts for advice
backgrounder on how these products ucts (FFP), and others. before making a decision. Perhaps
work at the first conference. “Protect So IAPWS used its leadership posi- the biggest challenge facing users
equipment against corrosion with neu- tion in the international scientific com- in FFS selection is the proprietary
tralizing amines, filming products,” munity to adopt the term “film-forming nature of these formulations. Sup-
co-authored by Shulder and colleague substances (FFS)” shortly before the pliers typically are unwilling to
Mike Caravaggio, is a good primer on Second International Conference on disclose “what’s inside.” Don’t inject
the topic and will answer many of your Film Forming Amines and Products anything into the steam/water cir-
basic questions (CCJ No. 51, Fourth and then changed the name of the cuit that you are not completely
Quarter 2016). meeting to the Second FFS Interna- comfortable with.
Next, access online at no cost, the tional Conference. It attracted about n Get a thorough work-up on system
IAPWS (International Association for 70 participants from 30 countries, chemistry before adding an FFS,
the Properties of Water and Steam, illustrating the increasing interest this to develop a baseline condition
www.iapws.org) Technical Guidance worldwide in understanding and for comparison purposes later.
6 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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CORROSION PROTECTION
FFS 2018 allowed plant owner/ between FFS and surface oxides. Interest is expanding because
operators to get answers to many of This was discussed as “interfacial of cycling, but these products also
their questions relating to the use science” and should involve the show promise in more general areas:
of film-forming substances from the interaction of the FFS film with corrosion protection in continuous
assembled community of international existing surface to include, initially, operation, reduced corrosion-product
experts. A panel session focusing on Fe3O4, Fe2O3, FeOOH, CuO, and transport, and maintaining clean and
key questions and uncertainties about CuO2. Also needed is work on the smooth heat-transfer surfaces (steam
FFS got “two thumbs up” from several interactions that occur under feed- turbine and condenser included).
attendees. water conditions up to about 575F, Some industry observers believe
Other conference highlights includ- where magnetite is soluble. this could be the next big step in power-
ed the following: station water chemistry. But it won’t
n Updates were presented on recent happen quickly. IAPWS was just the
experiences at fossil, nuclear, and
industrial plants worldwide. The First international first professional organization to rec-
ognize the current limits of industry
experience at nuclear plants has
been with octadecylamine (ODA), conference, and scientific knowledge about FFS
compounds, products, processes, ben-
whereas a wide range of FFS is
being applied to fossil and indus-
presentation efits, and potential risks.

trial plants. The experience of

FFP on condensate polishing, and
summaries IAPWS/SCPWS
methods for determining FFA on The principal goals of proper system- As mentioned in the opening section,
surfaces, were discussed. wide water chemistry are to limit IAPWS published the first internation-
n Attendees shared ongoing research deposits, reduce corrosion, and prevent al guidance for FFS—TGD 8-16—in
activities at different international carryover of impurities into steam August 2016. Only eight months later,
organizations concerning decompo- turbines and downstream equipment. it and the Swiss Committee for the
sition products of FFA, distribution Driven by new flexibility demands on Properties of Water and Steam hosted
of FFA, measuring/quantifying combined-cycle units, a fast-growing the first international topical meeting
the concentration of FFS in cycle concern is HRSG component corrosion, on film-forming amines and products
water, adsorption kinetics of film especially during reduced-load opera- in Lucerne, organized by Dooley and
formation, and the effects of FFS tion or when offline. SCPWS President Marco Lendi of
on flow-accelerated corrosion (FAC). Swan Analytische Instrumente AG.
n Extensive discussions reviewed the Managing HRSG Operators, chemists, and research-
possible benefits of using FFS. They ers from utilities, suppliers, and
also identified many problems still corrosion laboratories were on hand to hear 30
occurring worldwide in plants using Corrosion protection for HRSG inter- presentations over three days and to
FFS without the detailed knowledge nal surfaces traditionally has focused discuss the trials, theories, and out-
suggested by Section 8 of the IAPWS on a proper (high) pH level, typically look for this new frontier. Attendees
TGD. However, there wasn’t much maintained by adding ammonia (NH3) represented 20 countries.
open discussion on these problems. and perhaps neutralizing amines Dooley pointed out that previous
One of Dooley’s goals for the next (NH3 derivatives). Some plants have innovative and landmark cycle-chemis-
meeting is to dig deeper into specific embraced oxygenated treatment (OT) try changes all were backed by volumes
experience issues. with condensate polishers and other of good scientific information. For FFS,
n Two main conclusions from the controls to force a protective hematite such knowledge quantity and quality
conference: (1) Hydrophobicity does layer on the metal surfaces. have not yet been achieved.
not always equate to protection, and More recently, some owner/opera- IAPWS and others have provided
(2) FFS cannot be quoted as “reduc- tors have adopted various film-forming ongoing guidance for “the conventional
ing” FAC simply by indicating a substances to enhance the effort and treatment methodologies of volatile
reduction in monitored iron levels. extend protection during shutdown. (AVT and OT) and solid alkali (PT
Regarding the second point, there As this experience grows, a possible and CT),” stated Dooley. Alkalizing
should be before/after data for any new horizon in system treatment is amines have been applied worldwide
application, with supporting photos coming into focus. Most users know as extensions to these methods, or as
if possible. that ammonia helps control pH, and standalone treatments. More recently,
n The need for adapting sampling and specific pH can help combat FAC. They film-forming substances have been
monitoring concepts to the specific now want to know if a film-forming introduced into the market and their
FFS chemistry applied was recom- substance can both help control pH and use continues to increase.
mended. coat the metal as a barrier, both online “Unfortunately,” explained Dooley,
n Gaps in knowledge and topics for and offline, against corrosion. Perhaps “there has been much misunderstand-
further research were identified. this is too simplistic, but it states the ing and confusion for the owner/opera-
For example, fundamental work overall question (the exact details of tors of exactly what these chemicals
remains to better understand the which can be left to the chemists). can achieve when applied.” Guidance
mechanisms at play with FFS. In sum, O&M personnel want to is also needed on “misapplication,” he
This includes film formation kinet- protect as many metal surfaces as pos- stressed.
ics, equilibrium and stability, film sible, whenever possible. The expecta- The specific contents of most film-
structure (that is, thickness or tion (hope) is that FFS can create a forming substances are considered
number of layers), how absorption barrier between metallic surfaces and proprietary by their manufacturers.
is affected by other amines, and the the working fluid (water and steam) to With many new compounds in devel-
correspondence to the reduction in prevent corrosion from occurring. Such opment, there is limited experience
corrosion rate. treatment can also protect against in their handling, feed requirements,
n Work is required to understand all-too-familiar oxygen pitting when performance issues, and measurement.
the mechanism of the interaction offline. Steam applications are a relatively
8 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
CORROSION PROTECTION
FLUID BOUNDARY LAYER FLUID BOUNDARY LAYER FLUID BOUNDARY LAYER FLUID BOUNDARY LAYER
OH-
SO42- Semi-protective OH- (Hydrophilic oxide) (Hydrophilic oxide)
Cl- oxide SO42- Cl-
- Cl- Semi-protective Semi-protective Semi-protective
Cl (Hydrophilic oxide) oxide oxide oxide
H2
SO42-
Protective oxide Protective oxide Protective oxide Protective oxide
Virgin metal hydrophobic protection Virgin metal hydrophobic protection Virgin metal hydrophobic protection Virgin metal hydrophobic protection
VIRGIN METAL

No protection Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

All oxide layers hydrophylic Anodamine permeation to Cycle clearance decreases Semi-porous protective oxide free
base metal Partial semi-porous protective of inorganic contaminants
Cycle clearance oxide hydrophobicity Cycle clearance completed
Limited visual oxide hydrophobicity Virgin metal protection and Complete hydrophobicity
Virgin metal protection and hydrophobicity
hydrophobicity
1. Non-amine product was selected by a Dutch combined-cycle facility based on its hydrophobic properties, stability to
at least 1112F, and non-toxic chemistry

new area, as is the targeting of spe- stops and starts, as well as weekend caused by corrosion products. Results
cific surfaces for corrosion protection shutdowns. Its operating range is are preliminary; the trials continue.
(versus bulk protection). between 50% and 100% of baseload. Three Belgian plants were exam-
In presentations by chemical sup- Since commissioning in 2009, the ined, all facing what are now common
pliers, end users, and others, measure- facility has dedicated a great deal of challenges: flexible operations and
ment methods and procedures, along time and effort on its cycle chemistry, standby readiness.
with trials and errors, were discussed with positive results. It began with This presentation began with the
in detail. Among methods reviewed at OT (VGB guidelines), yet within a familiar owner/operator dilemma:
this inaugural event were gas chroma- year had FAC indications in the LP n Start date, unknown.
tography, electrochemical impedance drums. Chemistry was then adjusted n Stop date, unknown.
spectroscopy, photometry, direct pho- in line with IAPWS guidelines and n Outage period, unknown.
tometrical measurement, and others. results improved. But they wanted to n Standby for grid, yes.
But the conclusion was that no viable do “even better,” to move “from good The Belgian owner/operators asked
online measurement method is cur- to excellent.” two key questions:
rently available (yet will be required The owner/operator considered 1. How can a system be both conserved
for proper monitoring). options for two-phase FAC control: and available for the grid at the
Added to this, one presentation n Additional ammonia. same time?
stated that the organic agents can be n Solid alkalizers. 2. What can we do when an outage is
classified into five categories, although n Neutralizing amines. extended from days to months?
this does not fit all compositions used. n Film-forming amines. Traditional outage methods meant
Many of the products available on the n Other. nitrogen blanketing, pH increase and
market are multi-component propri- Simply increasing ammonia (to oxygen scavenging, turbine and con-
etary mixtures containing constituents achieve pH 9.8) was ruled out because denser dehumidification, and eventu-
in more than one of these categories: of local wastewater restrictions. Solid ally full dry dehumidification.
n Alkalizing amines. alkalizers also were nixed (Benson HP To avoid these steps, two FFS strat-
n Oxygen scavengers. and feedwater attemperation). The egies emerged:
n Chelants. amines being used at the time gave 1. For planned, long-term outages,
n Dispersants. better pH control but were breaking film-forming amines would be
n Film-forming amines. down, leading to organics and phase- injected two weeks before the out-
A startling conclusion was reached: transition-zone (PTZ) concerns in the age.
“Mathematically we have a minimum steam turbine. 2. For unplanned outages, the plants
of 480 different variations, and in real The plant selected a non-amine would apply continuous FFA injec-
application the number is even higher.” product based on its hydrophobic tion with standard water treatment.
properties, stability to at least 1112F, Trials to date have shown some
Operating plant trials, and non-toxic chemistry (Fig 1). Some hydrophobicity in the condenser and
positive results have been experienced feedwater tank. But looking at the
results and these have contributed to the fol- plant in general, the hydrophobic layer
Several operating plant trials and lowing significant long-term expecta- is not always present. The conclusion
methods were discussed in detail as tions: 1- to 1.5-hr faster cold starts, no is that the FFAP improves conserva-
outlined below: steam sparging requirement during tion efficiency, but overall corrosion
A Dutch combined cycle depends on shutdown, effort and expense savings protection is not yet confirmed.
immediate availability and faces daily for layup, and reduced valve damage This discussion led to an important
10 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 Field Erected Cooling Towers and AfterMarket Services

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www.evaptech.com www.evaptech.com
MEMBER
CORROSION PROTECTION
comment during questions: “Plants just before the turbine. Operators set
need to be careful that just because a maximum ODA concentration of 2
they are dosing with an FFS, this does ppm. This plant, in Hurth, Germany,
not mean that the whole plant is now had the online cleaning results shown
protected. Such a view could pose a in Fig 3. Stated the presenter, “Cycle
major risk.” treatment improved the corrosion
Coal-fired units also were reviewed, protection during shutdown and had
seeking better layup and storage a positive effect on recommissioning
protection. The selected product for at Knapsack 1.
a two-unit conventional coal-fired “Total commissioning time was
station in the US was an FFP. The reduced from about eight hours to four.
2. Hydrophobic surface in a coal-
first treatment in 2012 was for offline Time for reaching standard conductiv-
fired boiler. First treatment in 2012
protection. Full-time dosing began in ity levels in steam during recommis-
was for offline protection; full-time
2013, after chemical cleaning (Fig 2). sioning was decreased from five to
dosing began a year later after chemi-
Both units had a history of iron six hours to two to three hours.” Also,
cal cleaning
transport with heavy deposits result- no impact to the reliability of online
ing in boiler tube failures and frequent measurement equipment was detected.
boiler cleanings. Many improvement will require rigorous testing and In a steam-turbine overview, Dooley
steps had been taken prior to FFP qualification. IAPWS members are emphasized that losses of up to 8% are
dosing, significantly reducing deposi- participating in these initiatives, and associated with nucleation of moisture
tion rate, tube failures, and cleaning a Technical Guidance Document is from superheated steam into the phase
requirements. planned. transition zone and the formation and
In January 2016, one unit suffered release of liquid films on turbine-blade
an HP feedwater heater drain-line fail- Steam turbines surfaces. This affects both reliability
ure from two-phase FAC. But evidence and efficiency.
of minor wall loss was traced back to As plants continue to cycle, the steam He explained that these wetness
1997, and damage might have been turbine is affected by high alternat- losses are influenced by the size of
critical before the new dosing program ing loads, and a shifting of the phase droplets in the last LP stages of the
began. Preliminary conclusion: There transition zone in the LP section of turbine. The droplets, especially if
appears to be value in feeding the the turbine. This can lead to droplet large, impede thermodynamic equi-
product to reduce metals transport, erosion which causes damage on the librium and can also lead to erosion
but more data are needed to confirm. turbine blade surfaces (areas of first damage in the blades and nozzles.
Nuclear PWR contribution. condensate). He then listed two methods of con-
Although IAPWS TGD 8-16 is not Steam-turbine discussions included trol: application of an electronic charge
intended for nuclear plants, operat- washing and protection methods using to introduce a corona and increase
ing experience at pressurized water ODA. the nucleating ions, and (perhaps) by
reactors is an important part of the Faced with new demands for flex- changing the surface tension in the
continuing study of film-forming ible energy production, a German plant turbine environment. The latter is a
amines and products. Presentations was concerned with the increasing potential area for FFS.
on the secondary side of these reactor risks of LP-turbine deposits and corro- Testing to date gives at least one
systems further clarified some poten- sion. Standard cleaning methods were summary: ODA is known to produce
tial benefits, including: discussed, including turbine washing slight changes in surface tension and
n Anti-corrosion properties and ther- with ODA-treated wet steam after may improve steam-turbine efficiency.
mal stability of ODA film. shutdown, and wet cleaning as the tur- However, this benefit is limited to the
n The effect of ODA on removal rate bine was rotated through warm ODA- LP turbine. Studies continue.
of pre-existing magnetite deposits. treated condensate by turning gear.
n The effect of ODA on ion-exchange The preferred procedure was online Polyamine conclusions
resins and their regeneration. cleaning by injecting ODA at full load
ODA was being used in addition to either into the feedwater, into the con- GE Water (now Suez) offered a recap
ammonia/amine pH control. densate, or directly into the front end based on 60 years of working with
In one thermal study, the ODA film of the turbine. FFA compounds (the first ODA pat-
was found to be stable. Also, ODA made Further turbine-related case stud- ent was issued in 1954). The company
the magnetite easier to remove. ODA ies were reviewed. One was treated reported that it offers an FFS product
application did not change the purifica- with ODA in the condenser and also for continuous dosing at preferred low
tion rate of ion-exchange resins.
In a second PWR presentation,
anticipated long-term benefits include
corrosion protection during transients,
possible removal of tubing deposits, and
enhanced heat transfer. However, effects
on sensitive plant instrumentation as
well as stringent regulatory require-
ments (changes that could impact licens-
ing) were raised as cautions.
Nuclear plants typically are base-
load stations. Shutdowns, however,
can be lengthy. FFS applications for
these extended layups are now being 3. ODA treatment improved corrosion protection (condenser at left, last-stage
demonstrated at some plants. Nuclear turbine blades at right) during shutdown and had a positive effect on recommis-
compliance (regulatory) requirements sioning at this steam plant
12 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 levels. For the past 15 years 4. Testing of filming products
3RD ANNUAL it has been working with new has been ongoing for decades.
classes of chemicals for targeted The first ODA patent was
corrosion protection and study- issued in 1954
ing their corrosion performance,
volatility, and decomposition.
Work by several suppliers con- efficiency improvement.
tinues (Fig 4). n Shorter startup times.
For system chemistry chang- n Optimum pH control in water
es, there was strong caution to and steam.
not simply “set it and forget it.” n Suitable for all-ferrous and
Save the date! Meeting participants unani- mixed-metallurgy feedwater
July 22–24, 2019 mously agreed that the starting systems.
point for any amine program However, several problem
must be a proper cycle-chem- areas, and many open issues,
istry program, set according were identified, including these:
to international standards. n Decomposition of added alka-
IAPWS provides the guidance lizing amines.
for such a program through n Elevated CACE (conductiv-
its TGDs and other informa- ity after cation exchange) in
tion available free-of-charge at condensate and steam.
www.iapws.org. n Misidentification of real con-
EPRI then wrapped up the taminants.
technical sessions with a case n Numerous proprietary mixes
study showing positive results and blends.
using a stairstep or feathered n Incomplete analysis of prod-
approach. The example plant moved uct and amount to use.
from conventional chemistry to a n Increased boiler/HRSG evaporator
neutralizing amine (ethanolamine, deposition.
ETA) treatment using less ammonia n Increased levels of deposits in tubes,
(1:5 ratio). This improved pH control, headers, drums.
but iron levels remained too high. n No rugged application processes.
The plant then installed a temporary n Variable detailed documentation of
Join fellow HRSG filming-amine feed station at the con- FAC and ACC corrosion/FAC.
operators for: densate pumps, and transitioned from Plus, the unknowns are numerous.
ETA/NH3 to FA/ETA (200-ppb active They include the ability to accurately
filmer). Fine-tuning adjustments fol- measure filming products during
“Amazing, robust Q&A” lowed. operation, the exact impact on two-
Although testing and refinements phase FAC in HRSG evaporators, and
“Tremendous learning continue, some conclusions have been potential risks of under-deposit corro-
experience” reached: sion in evaporators.
Better pH control in the IP combats There are more unknowns, but
“Passionate and corrosion which minimizes HRSG perhaps the best guidance dispensed
knowledgeable speakers” inspections and repairs. is to study the IAPWS guidelines, then
Filming can offer long-term surface think carefully about the following
protection; corrosion coupons showed meeting takeaways before launching
effective beading and no detectable a comprehensive program:
corrosion over 60 to 90 days. n Have a proper internationally rec-
The example process is believed by ognized cycle-chemistry program.
at least some as reasonable in cost. n Know the exact chemical composi-
tion of any products you plan to add.
Wrap-up n Know the risks of FFS and dosing.
n Know the expected benefits, espe-
A recurring theme at the meeting was cially for plants forced into cycling
the list of possible benefits of FFS for operation.
fossil/HRSG plants, including the fol- n Know whether or not such a treat-
lowing: ment program is appropriate for
n Low corrosion-product generation your particular plant.
and transport. Most importantly, know that there
n Shutdown protection under wet and are still many unknowns.
SAVE THE DATE: dry conditions. Other topics discussed but not
n Fewer tube failures from under- reported here included FFS applica-
July 22–24, 2019 deposit corrosion and corrosion tion in the fertilizer industry, use in
fatigue. conventional industrial boilers, effects
Hilton Orlando n Reduced or prevented FAC (single- on aluminum (Heller cooling towers),
and two-phase). use in distillation systems and low-
6001 Destination Parkway, n Reduced or eliminated corrosion/ pressure units, use in direct-contact
FAC in air-cooled condensers geothermal plants, and specifics on
Orlando, FL (ACCs). laboratory analysis and measure-
n Cleaner steam turbines; possible ment. ccj
14 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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LESSONS LEARNED

Lube-oil cleanliness critical

to long bearing life
By Brian Hulse, BDHulse Consulting Services LLC

“We have met the help offset shaft thrust in the machine.
That air pressure, combined with the
enemy and he is us.” mechanical load-carrying capacity of a

W
single ball bearing, balances the thrust
alt Kelly wrote those words loading of the shafts. Air-pressure
for Pogo to speak in his balance must be monitored and, from
comic strip, marking the time to time, as engine seals degrade
first annual observance through normal wear-and-tear, the air
of Earth Day back in April 1970. He pressure must be adjusted. Failure to
was making the observation that pol- perform this maintenance task will
lution of the planet was mankind’s usually result in bearing failure.
self-inflicted wound. If we have operated the engine 1. Bearing wear and tear is attrib-
Listening to a presenter at the properly and within all limits, are out uted to trash nine times out of 10
Western Turbine Users’ 2018 annual of the bearing infant-
conference talk about bearing fail- mortality window,
ures in General Electric LM engines haven’t transported
(aeroderivatives) and how root causes the engine recently,
are difficult to nail down because of the have been monitor-
extensive damage suffered in these ing recoup curves,
events, I couldn’t help but hear Walt’s/ and then had a bear-
Pogo’s prophetic and accurate words ing failure, it’s highly
in my head. Sadly, about nine times likely the cause is
out of 10 we kill our bearings with the a trash problem, or
same thing Pogo was lamenting that more appropriately in
day so long ago—trash. the tribology vernacu-
LM bearings are designed for a ser- lar, contamination.
vice lifespan of approximately 28-billion How could this
revolutions (about 50,000 operating have happened? Les- 2. Poor housekeeping in the drum
hours) in a very harsh environment. sons learned over the years point to storage area can be a potent contami-
To successfully make that journey, they these Top 10 ways contamination can nation source
have to be (1) free from manufacturing kill your bearings:
defects, and (2) operated and main-
tained as designers intended. No. 10, Mixing lubricants
A manufacturing problem usually Most plants store their lubricants
shows itself within the first 10% of the in one place. Any one or more of the
design service lifespan (about 5000 following factors could lead to a mix-
operating hours in this case). Bearing ing event—possibly one with serious
designers call this L10. If a bearing repercussions: an inattentive moment,
survives its L10, statistically it has a reshuffling of the drums, similarly
made it out of the “infant mortality” painted drums, lack of or poor qual-
window, is presumed free of manufac- ity of training, poor lighting at night,
turing defects, and should be capable colorblindness, the pressure of time.
of meeting the full design lifespan.
Assuming an LM bearing fails No. 9, New-oil contamination
after the 5000-hr threshold, an opera- (Part 1)
tions and/or maintenance oversight is Although the number of confirmed
likely the cause. If we make one more events is low, it does happen. Metal
assumption—that the engine has not wastage from the drum manufacturing
been transported recently—thus elimi-
nating the possibility of mechanical 3. Using one set of tools—funnels,
damage to the bearings, we’ve almost containers, etc—for transferring oil
guaranteed that. from its storage location to the point
Important to the discussion is that of use can lead to oil degradation
GE aeros use internal air pressure to through mixing over time
16 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
Young & Franklin’s Return on Investment calculator can help you find your savings,
contact a specialist today for more information.
Think about leaks. Varnish. Servo maintenance. Lube oil system cleaning. Filter replacement.
Annual device calibrations. Motor & pump maintenance. Unscheduled shutdowns. And more leaks.
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LESSONS LEARNED
process, fill process, and other steps OEMs (GE for LM aeros) will provide ings to focus all of the filtration activity
can sometimes leave hard particles in guidance via a service letter or prod- on the temporary filters.
a fresh drum of oil. Most plant facili- uct bulletin, or some other established
ties do not have filters on their drum vehicle, regarding filtration require- No. 2, Housekeeping
pumps or whatever means they use to ments. Keeping abreast of OEM guid- Poor housekeeping—especially on
draw oil from their drums. ance is critical to successful operation the tank top and in the surrounding
and maintenance of these machines. areas of the package— can be a potent
No. 8, New-oil contamination You may think you have all your ducks contamination source, both during
(Part 2) in a row and are on your “A” game, normal operating periods and espe-
Oils typically are delivered to pow- but the only thing that is constant is cially during top-offs. A bit of dirt can
erplants in drums. Some facilities have change and things can (and do) change be brushed off or blow off a horizontal
covered drum storage areas, some do quickly with these engines. surface and slip into the tank before
not. Even with a cover, rainwater, dust, anyone sees it.
etc, can collect on the tops of drums. No. 3, Poor or no system flush after
If the drum top is not cleaned prior an event No. 1, Topping off
to opening, when the bung is cracked When a bearing failure does occur, Most plants use one set of tools—
in it goes. Once a drum is opened and debris is washed into the system. funnels, containers, etc—versus a
in use, this scenario can play out ever Thus, prior to starting a replace- dedicated set for each type of oil for
more easily. Keeping the drums and ment machine, it is imperative that a transferring the fluid from its storage
surrounding area clean is an ongoing thorough flush of the system be per- location to the point of use. This can
battle, and the fighting is relentless. formed. To accomplish this, after the lead to oil degradation through mix-
tank is opened, cleaned, inspected, ing over time. Many plants use open
No. 7, Planned/unplanned major and closed, a temporary pump/filter containers (buckets) to move oil. It’s
maintenance unit is installed in the system and uncommon for an oil storage location
One of the major strengths of LM oil is circulated at a velocity higher to be equipped with any kind of proper
machines is their ability to facilitate than that of the system when in nor- cleaning station that allows/encour-
major maintenance onsite. Whether a mal operation. The oil may or may ages the technicians to keep the tools
combustor change-out, a hot-section not be heated. Increasingly fine filter clean. With radial bearing clearances
exchange, or a TMF (turbine mid elements are used in the temporary as low as 0.0017 in. cold, it does not
frame) replacement, the work can unit until the target cleanliness is take a large particle to cause dam-
be done at the plant. However, these achieved. The filter elements usually age when the bearing is at operating
maintenance activities also expose are removed from the installed hous- conditions.
the bearing cavities and bearings, and
can allow contaminants to enter the
system. The need for vigilance during
maintenance cannot be overstated.
Proper O-ring storage
No. 6, Routine maintenance
Filter-element replacement? Leak-
promotes leak-tight sealing 
T
ing hose? Damaged fitting? Checking he actor Samuel L Jackson’s purchase, (2) the supply-chain folks who
finger screens? Any one of these rou- intimidating line in a credit-card bought it, (3) the warehouse people who
tine tasks can introduce contaminants commercial (“So, what’s in your stored it, (4) the maintenance planner
into the system and, ultimately, cause wallet?”) came to mind the other day who had it pulled from stock, and (5)
bearing failure. Anytime the system while I was reading an excellent blog the technician who was about to install
is cracked open, a cleanliness plan written by Kelly Forrest for Cleveland- it, all were swept away in an instant.
should be thought out and imple- based Brennan industries, entitled Can I get an “A-men” ?
mented to ensure protection against “What Do You Know About O-Ring As Forrest pointed out in his blog,
contamination. Storage.” O-rings are not only
It pointed to the subject to deteriora-
No. 5, Filter-element selection intricacies of O-ring tion over time; tem-
(Part 1) storage, life limita- perature, humidity,
There are several filter-element tions, and the vari- ozone, UV radia-
suppliers in the marketplace, and ous mitigating or tion (sunlight), and
they offer a wide array of alternative aggravating factors ionizing radiation
selections that may physically fit in the that affect component all can factor in.
housings supplied by your packager. life. It got me thinking He points to SAE
Although most supply-chain folks about how many times I International Stan-
would argue, cheaper is not always had pulled a new gasket dard ARP5316D as
better. Understanding the ins and outs or O-ring out of a plant 4. O-rings should be stored a generic governing
of filter specifications and capabilities warehouse and found it in protective packaging to standard for O-ring
are a technical minefield, and changes to be junk—either dam- prevent damage and material storage, in addition
in suppliers or supplier part numbers aged by shelf wear, hard degradation to advice provided
should be made only under engineering as a rock, or through some by manufacturers.
advisement from your team. Trusting other mystical means, unusable. During an assignment some years
the supplier is not enough: Keep those The fallout: A frantic search for back, I was surprised at how many
honest folks honest. another (hopefully usable) part, the things in the warehouse for a typi-
cost of the extended work stoppage, cal LM-powered generating plant
No. 4, Filter-element selection the cost of carrying a worthless part have expiration dates—documented
(Part 2) in inventory, etc. The very best inten- or undocumented. As I became more
From time to time, gas turbine tions of (1) managers who authorized its knowledgeable and vigilant on the
18 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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LESSONS LEARNED
house—and how it needs to be cared
for—is a good idea.
Much like Jackson in his commer-
cial role, a lot of this can seem intimi-
dating. Knowing and complying with
all the storage requirements of each
item you carry seems like a monumen-
tal task. But, there is help; you’re not
in this alone. You can:
n Get assistance from your vendors/
distributors (make that an element
in your purchase orders).
n Get assistance from professional
groups (SAE, ASME, IEEE, etc).
n Find commercial resources—like
Forrest’s blog on O-rings.
n Find regulatory resources—such as
Airworthiness Directives from the
5. What does
flight side regarding hoses.
your warehouse
n Use the technical publications sup-
look like? Air
plied with your purchases.
filtration and cli-
n Provide awareness training to your
mate control may
supply-chain team (share the load).
seem like a luxury
n Bring your technical personnel into
(above) but not
the warehouse to perform formal-
when you con-
ized storage audits.
sider the financial
n Develop “rule-of-thumb” observa-
impact of poor
tions to trigger storage questions
storage facilities
on new items—such as:
(left)
•Is it a chemical compound?
topic, I learned that some of those cabinets are out of the question. The •Is it a mechanical assembly?
items had been received after their warehouse has no manpower provision • Is it a “soft part”—that is, an
expiration dates. (assigned technicians or access to tech- O-ring, hose, pliable gasket, etc?
Many vendors didn’t allow prod- nicians) or budget for performing shelf Being proactive when it comes to
uct returns solely for expiration; we maintenance on stored equipment. warehouse management isn’t just a
had to write a statement into our Plus, warehouses often have no show of skills–it’s a dedication to sup-
purchase-order boilerplate giving us access to any kind of work-order system porting the mission of the plant and
the specific right to return products that allows for maintenance tracking the plant staff. Having what is needed
arriving expired or unreasonably close on stored items. And yet, we entrust when it’s needed by the most economi-
to expiration. it with operational consumables and cal means possible should always be
As it turned out, almost every maintenance spares worth millions of the goal. ccj
chemical compound we stocked, from dollars with an expectation that they
lab reagents for testing boiler-water will be ready for use when needed. About the author
chemistry to greases to maintenance So, this brings me back to Jackson.
products, had some kind of life limit But what’s in your wallet isn’t the Brian Hulse has
associated with it. We also became question. The question is “What’s in spent his 40+ post-
aware of specific storage requirements your warehouse?” How many useless college years deal-
for a lot of items. Not just chemicals, items? How much wasted capital? How ing with gas tur-
but mechanical assemblies like servo many hours of needless downtime? bines from many
valves and pumps. How much lost production? If that perspectives. These
In supplier manuals, we found stor- doesn’t make most plant managers include the US
age requirements for both environ- go “Hmmmmm. . .” I don’t know what Navy, EPC, O&M
mental conditions and periodic shelf will. Understanding and assessing the (owner and third
maintenance (lubrication, exercising, impacts of inventory storage require- party), asset man-
etc) that we were not doing. Looking ments should be a consideration when: agement, compo-
back, we wondered how many cases n Designing the warehouse space. nent repair/reverse engineering/manu-
of spares “infant mortality” were n Staffing the warehouse. facture, mobile powerplant packaging,
actually attributable to inadequate n Budgeting for the warehouse. and depot MRO management.
care during storage. It was a little n Building processes for the ware- Today, the former Western Turbine
frightening. house. Users Inc board member is an indepen-
Warehouse space always is at a n Operating the warehouse (and dent consultant, sharing his expertise
premium, and managers usually are training). on safety, O&M, quality control, finan-
looking to reduce square footage, n Deciding to add an item to the cial accountability, and team-building
not increase it. No one wants to be inventory. with leading owner/operators. Hulse’s
questioned for building a “Taj Mahal” n Making changes/improvements to deep technical experience underpins
warehouse. the warehouse and/or warehouse his work in the development of depot-
Typically, things like air filtration processes. level work scopes, conduct of root-cause
and climate control are seen as a lux- In other words, just about any time failure analyses, guidance on plant
ury and not in the budget. Specialized you’re making warehousing decisions, audits and best practices, and as an
shelving or Vidmar modular storage thinking about what’s in your ware- expert witness.
20 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 Hydro provides independent,
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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY—A SPECIAL REPORT

Acute levels of
uncertainty pervade
the industry
W
e’re supposed to embrace While much of this may seem precedent for the next questionable
change, but let’s face it, melodramatic and dire, keep in mind decision.
change is unavoidable. It that the electric power industry has Another GT asset manager noted
occurs with every passing weathered similar periods in the past that wind and solar are “consuming”
moment, even if you can’t sense it. So while maintaining superior levels of his organization, that there has been
let’s talk about rates of change. In the reliability and more than reasonable a total emphasis shift in the company.
gas-fired power industry, rates of change prices to ratepayers for such a critical A multi-billion-dollar wind construc-
may be approaching chaotic effects. commodity. Yet, forewarned is fore- tion program is taking up all of the
That’s the conclusion from 18 one- armed. organizational oxygen. The utility is
on-one half-hour interviews conducted “close to shutting down a 1980s-vintage
over a two-day period in spring 2018, “We’re replacing skilled coal plant because of wind.” So, it’s no
more than half with users directly inspectors with robots to longer the older, smaller coal units
responsible for plants and equipment, under severe threat. Even a state like
the balance with representatives of reduce costs at a time when North Carolina is expected to add up to
vendors large and small—but not starts/stops [on rotors] are 6000 MW of solar PV over the next five
including the OEMs. going up exponentially.” years, according to one interviewee.
And based on recent news accounts,
“Insurance companies Storm chasing. One overriding even recent-vintage combined-cycle
and authorized inspectors consequence from the themes which plants in some areas of the country,
emerged is that a perfect storm may California and Texas notably, are
show up who have no clue be brewing with the convergence of: being shuttered. The “nuclear renais-
what an HRSG does.” n Aging gas turbines and combined- sance,” a term coined 15 years ago, now
cycle plant equipment. appears to have become a slow march
When you consider the common n Acute shortages in skilled labor. to the grave.
themes in isolation, most simply con- n OEMs in financial turmoil are buy- What’s left? Must-run renewables
firm the trends you read and talk about ing jobs. (highly subsidized) and must-follow
every day. But the composite sketch of n Unpredictable operating tempos gas.
the industry as these themes converge resulting from growing renewable
is troubling at best. Perhaps the appro- energy in the markets. “Thirty percent of our
priate mental image is of a frog in a pot n Shrinking O&M budgets.
non-hourly staff was let
of water gradually heated to boiling. n Frequent ownership changes of
Everything, these days, seems to plant assets. go; what’s going to fall
be JIT—just in time—whether people, n Continuing staff reductions. through the cracks?”
parts, money, or operating hours. As n Supply chain consolidation.
one user put it, “plants are run day After all, when a person respon- Old rotors, deep cycling. But
to day.” sible for one of the largest gas-turbine here’s the deeper issue with this sce-
Ground rules for the interviews fleets in the country says, with an nario, another common theme among
were no attribution, no names, and eerie calm, that they are “very cash- the interviewees: As a fleet, the F-class
no companies mentioned, so everyone strapped,” and “we’re going to take rotors are coming to end-of-life right
could speak freely. Each conversation reliability risks, might even live with a when “GE is going lean,” owner/opera-
began with some version of, “what’s crash, since we have plenty of capacity tors and suppliers are starved for
happening out there that’s troubling to back up the loss of output. . .,” the revenue, the first wave of more effi-
and making your life more difficult, eyes of the interviewer, an industry cient and more flexible H- and J-class
what’s happening that is exciting and veteran, lit up. This asset manager machines are coming into operation,
making life easier, and what’s innova- also noted that when management growth in renewable projects contin-
tive that might make a good on-the- insists on putting back in a “really ues unabated, and skilled workers
record follow-up article?” bad HP steam rotor,” it sets a poor are scarce.
22 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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STATE OF THE INDUSTRY—A SPECIAL REPORT
Thus, F machines, which took the rotating-equipment services vendor ing topic from the quotes in large type
industry by storm in the 1997-2003 noted, “money is only released at the scattered throughout this report.
period and not necessarily designed last minute.” Where are my parts? “Parts on
for cycling, much less deep cycling, On the back end of these outages, the shelf are cash,” said one plant
are headed for even harsher operat- users complain that “work quality is engineer, and of course, no upstanding
ing tempos. less than desirable” and, to work within financial engineer is going to let cash
One owner/operator likened it to constantly shrinking O&M budgets and sit at a plant. “Our people are constant-
“the Wild West” and noted that “there outage scheduling constraints, “every- ly looking for parts,” he continued. An
will have to be a change in thinking body is rushing, which isn’t conducive to assistant plant manager stated that
to manage this fleet.” He referred to a good outcomes; that’s too bad, because her group is “creating depth” through
recent presentation describing how an performance going forward is directly user-group interactions.
F-class rotor was “rebuilt from scratch” tied to the outage going well.” Big dogs eat first. General Elec-
in a Houston repair facility. tric (GE) came up numerous times in
“Work just keeps piling these interviews. The power-industry
“The only thing inhib- up with only 27 people at behemoth has been making headlines
iting business growth is with its financial woes. It’s arch com-
the plant.” petitor, Siemens, released a statement,
finding the right people to literally while these interviews were
hire.” One user also noted that “there underway, that the company would
are a lot of serial No. 1 major repair/ be temporarily shutting down its Gas
A major third-party services vendor replacement solutions out there.” and Power Division.
mentioned “brown plant solutions, Another consequence of outages that
something between a repair and an proceed more like elementary-school “We’re at the bleeding
OEM replacement—there’s a lot of fire drills is that overtime charges edge of staffing.”
7FA.03 hardware out there!” Perhaps escalate for both plant staff and ser-
another example of this change in vices firms.
thinking is replacement hardware, The rule of thumb these days, The concerns can be summarized
such as for combustion systems, with according to one repair-firm rep, is an by saying that the more the OEMs’
more turndown capability. “opportunistic outage,” one that isn’t new-unit business suffers (and new
One plant manager reported that planned or forced, but taken when orders of gas turbines are down sub-
a zero-hour replacement rotor “didn’t the plant is done making money that stantially), the more they buy repair
run right, but we just lived with it.” season. One plant manager from the and replacement jobs, squeezing out
And because turbines are being oper- Northeast with a nominal 500-MW the third-party service firms.
ated in ways never intended in the plant said they take one one-week One utility engineer said “smaller
original design, breakdowns are “non- outage annually. A Midwest plant vendors are hurting from GE’s aggres-
standard.” manager reported his spring outage sive pricing.” A services-firm rep noted
Of course, it’s not just the rotors was two days. “OEMs are buying jobs.” A plant man-
which are affected. One repair-firm ager lamented, “GE isn’t doing us
rep quipped, “starting and stopping “As coal-plant capacity any favors; we can’t get a schedule
25- to 30-year-old units up to 300 times factors decline, resources for a major outage that begins mid-
a year is hell on a generator.” September.”
What price outages? Outages are constantly shifting A plant engineer observed that “GE
and outage planning proved to be from station to station.” isn’t giving their people the right tools
the most prevalent topic among both and training so that they can use the
vendors and users. It makes sense as Where are my people? The short- ‘GE systems and processes’ and the
most of the perfect-storm elements age of skilled and experienced workers people who know these systems and
noted above bear down during outage was another topic which cut across processes are gone.” Finally, this from
periods. most of the interviews. Fewer and large repair-services firm: “We like
fewer people are coming into the GE when they’re busy with their new-
“People showing up to trades these days, despite training build, not so much when they are not.”
sell us stuff, and people programs utilities and others have Disruptions, in fact, are occur-
initiated with colleges and schools ring all across the supply chain and
designing powerplant in their regions around the country. the root cause appears to be—what
products, have never even Plants are enticing good people away else?—money. SCR suppliers report-
been in a powerplant.” from other nearby plants. Two service edly are under-designing catalysts and
companies reported that every single employing formulations that “don’t
On the front end, plants with few employee was committed during the cut it.” Prominent independent repair
staff members, and owners with little past spring outage season. and service firms have been acquired
in the way of corporate resources, have However, this past outage season by big-dog firms, cutting competition.
little time or inclination for proper out- may be an anomaly. One rep from a An owner/operator rep reported
age planning. So-called “last-minute” mechanical contracting firm noted that that his firm has negotiated broad
outages are common, one vendor not- a major owner/operator forecasting an agreements with suppliers like Sie-
ing that while plant owners may have unusually hot summer was “getting mens and MHI to perform scheduled
“scheduled” the outage, they don’t work done now to run hard in the sum- outage work across its facilities.
necessarily “book” the outage. mer.” Unless this owner was viewing Appetite for fuel. If you can’t get
Plants chasing ancillary-services results of a whiz-bang proprietary fuel in, you can’t get electricity out.
market opportunities may hurry an weather model, others owners were Fuel supply issues came up only a few
outage together only after the last undoubtedly planning similarly. times. It’s well known that the country
possible dollar is earned during the You can get a sense of the depth is awash in natural gas available at
peak operating periods. One non- and breadth of comments on the staff- historically low prices, but like other
24 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
resources, it isn’t optimally distribut-

Tenth Annual
ed. Manager of one plant “at the end of
the pipeline,” said gas transportation
isn’t keeping up with supply. “We’re
not in control of our fuel,” he said,
adding that other plants are facing
the same thing. A GT asset manager
anticipated that the arrival of the
larger combined-cycle blocks based on
Conference
H and J machines will compound gas October 8 - 11, 2018
infrastructure issues.
Cheyenne Mountain Resort, Colorado Springs, Colo
“Labor doing the work is
typically not achieving the Agenda at www.acc-usersgroup.org
quality needed.”

Regulatory sinkholes. Several

of the user representatives identified
NERC and FERC regulations as more
than a nuisance, more like a cost and Users Group
resource sink all unto itself. At one
large owner/operator, “two corporate
departments work on this, and I’ve got
one engineer working on NERC-CIPs
exclusively.” One plant superintendent
noted that NERC issues are “costly
and we have no NERC/FERC exper-
tise on the plant staff.” Another plant
manager, after stating that nothing
really keeps him up at night, said that
“NERC is out of control, the regs seem
to be ever-changing and never-ending!”
The big data (r)evolution. Given
Air Cooled Condenser Users Group
the noise level around “internet of
things, industrial internet, big data,
the cloud,” and so on, you might expect centers is to redistribute specialized but once the customers realize that the
data-driven solutions to have some expertise and leverage it across a estimated first cost won’t look any-
prominence in these discussions. They fleet. Another utility rep mentioned thing like the final, it probably won’t
didn’t, or at least not comparable to the a program to apply so-called smart happen again.
noise levels, but that doesn’t mean it M&D and advanced sensor technolo- A rep from a large third-party ser-
didn’t come up. gies widely at the plants. vices firm says technologies are being
Frog legs, anyone? Though many brought to market that complement
“Knowledge retention of the conversations veered towards renewable energy and make older gas
is still a top issue in our vent sessions on what’s wrong with turbines more flexible. In addition,
organization.” the industry, there were bright signs new manufacturing, fabrication, and
that the industry, as it always has, is casting equipment and methods will
coping and adapting. continue to drive costs out of after-
“We’re relying on IT more than OT For starters, many service firms market services.
[operations technology],” said one plant reported they are busy, overloaded A plant manager said, “We’re doing
manager, “but the consequence is that even, and anticipate more growth what is required with as few people
these IT systems are more complex.” ahead. That beats the opposite scenario. as possible.” One asset management
A representative of a filter company In an environment where OEMs are director waxed enthusiastically about
said his firm was developing predictive reportedly cutting corners and users a “risk app” they are developing with
services and remote monitoring to help have little choice but to operate in reac- both a major OEM and insurance firm.
customers optimize filter replacements tive mode, firms which can develop and Similarly, a plant manager spoke
and cleaning cycles. An owner/operator propose solutions, respond quickly, and proudly of a risk-reduction program in
said they were relying more and more keep plants running are highly prized. partnership with their insurer, as well
on a simulator to keep operators fresh as a reliability centered maintenance
and trained. “They tend to forget,” he “Contractors are not fol- (RCM) initiative to engage other users
said. And many are retiring. lowing procedures for weld in developing failure modes and effects
“Everything on peaking units is repair of P91 components analysis (FMEA) for 7F machines and
getting automated,” still another said. in HRSGs.” D11 steam turbines.
Centralized M&D centers were Finally, a repair services firm rep
mentioned in passing, although it said, “unexpected customer outages
seems those utilities who pioneered One parts supplier noted his firm don’t bother us, we figure out a way
this concept are relying on them less isn’t “having problems with unpredict- to get it done.” That attitude, frankly,
and less, while several non-utility able outage scheduling and work,” underpinned all of the conversations
owner/operators are just now getting while a rep from a large repair firm in some way: “Whatever they throw at
theirs built. One of the goals of such said he had lost a few jobs to the OEM, us, we’ll figure it out.” ccj
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 25
CLOSED COOLING SYSTEM

Demin water replaces glycol

solution, improves heat
transfer at Termocandelaria
M
iguel Perez Ghisays, gen- ing performance during a difficult with average temperatures above 70F;
eral manager of the pri- period when the country was sub- it never freezes there. Staff found that
vately held Termocande- jected to an El Niño weather pattern the specific heat capacity of glycol/
laria peaking facility near (3Q/2016, p 85). If back copies of CCJ water solutions is lower than that of
Cartagena, Colombia, and his talented are not available to you, access www. demineralized water, meaning the lat-
staff, embrace a process of continual ccj-online.com and type “Termocande- ter can absorb more thermal energy
improvement in all facets of operation laria” in the search-function box. and increase heat-transfer efficiency.
and maintenance. Recently, Perez Ghisays contacted Plus, conversion to demin water-
Readers may recall the plant’s suc- the editors about improvements made only would eliminate the significant
cess in converting its two W501FC to the closed cooling systems serving expenses associated with glycol use.
engines from gas-only to dual fuel in the gas turbines’ generators (Fig 1)— After the switch to demin water was
only 11 months after contract award one a hydrogen-cooled (Unit 1), the made, more favorable temperatures at
(CCJ Second Quarter 2009, p 136) and other air-cooled (Unit 2). The heat- the system inlet and outlet confirmed
the upgraded fuel system’s outstand- transfer medium in both systems was
a glycol/water solution, which makes
System Vent to perfect sense when the ambient tem-
fill atmosphere
perature drops near or below freezing.
But Cartagena has only one season,
Expansion tank

Coupons Generator

Nitrite addition
Pump
1. Demineralized water replaced glycol/water as the heat-transfer medium in
the generator closed cooling systems at Termocandelaria. Fig 3 shows actual 2. Chemical addition system for
installation corrosion control protects the closed
cooling system
Expansion tank
the heat-transfer benefit.
With demin water as the cooling
medium, Perez Ghisays said, it became
necessary to consider corrosion control.
Generally speaking, closed systems can
suffer corrosion and fouling problems
absent adequate chemical treatment
and water management. Corrosion can
attack system components or dissolve
metals in one part of the system and
deposit them elsewhere, the general
manager continued. And if deposition
occurs on heat-transfer surfaces it can
cause restrictions in critical flow zones.
To assure proper water treatment
at Termocandelaria, plant engineers
designed equipment to inject chemicals
directly into the closed cooling system
(Fig 2). The chemical addition tank
3. Expansion tanks for the closed cooling systems are located high above the shown, designed for use at system pres-
generators. Simplified system schematic is in Fig 1 sure, enabled both acid washing after
26 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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were proven to result in cleaner compressors, longer cycles between
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CLOSED COOLING SYSTEM
Table 1: Corrosion coupon analysis Table 2: Corrosion coupon analysis
04/07/16, H2-cooled generator, Run 1 04/07/16, air-cooled generator, Run 1
Exposure, Corrosion Exposure, Corrosion
Metal Test start days rate, mils/yr Metal Test start days rate, mils/yr
Copper 03/22/13 1112 0.001547 Copper 03/22/13 1112 0.001238
Admiralty brass 01/21/14 807 0.000575 Admiralty brass 01/21/14 807 0.000287
Mild steel 01/21/14 807 0.000415 Mild steel 01/21/14 807 0.000312

Table 3: Typical ranges of corrosion Table 4: Corrosion coupon analysis

rates in a closed system 04/11/17, H2-cooled generator, Run 2
Corrosion rate, mils/yr Description of results Exposure, Corrosion rate,
Mild steel Copper alloys Metal Test start days mils/yr
<0.1 <0.05 Excellent (negligible corrosion) Copper 04/07/16 419 0.03608
0.1-0.5 0.05-0.2 Very good (minimal corrosion) Admiralty Brass 04/07/16 419 0.03363
0.5-1.0 0.2-0.35 Good (moderately high corrosion) Mild steel 04/07/16 419 0.03521
1.0-3.0 0.35-0.5 Poor (moderately high corrosion)
>3.0 >0.5 Unacceptable (severe corrosion) Table 6: Cooling-water analysis
Parameter Units Gen 1 Gen 2 Control range
Table 5: Corrosion coupon analysis pH – 9.2 9.4 8.5-9.5
04/11/17, air-cooled generator, Run 2 Conductivity µS/cm 2073 2380 –
Exposure Corrosion rate,
Alkalinity ppm CaCO3 160 200 –
Metal Test start days mils/yr Nitrite ppm NO2 1040 760 >600
Copper 04/07/16 419 0.038490 Copper ppb Cu 11 9 <20
Admiralty Brass 04/07/16 419 0.046087 Iron ppm Fe 0.41 0.16 <3
Mild steel 04/07/16 419 0.074263 Ammonium ppm NH3 1.4 1.1 <20

the glycol/water solution was removed

4. Corrosion coupons
as well as ongoing chemical treatment
for copper (top), admi-
of the system’s demin water. The acid-
ralty brass (center),
wash step took about three days.
mild steel (bottom) are
Analysis of the cooling-water sys-
arranged in parallel cir-
Corrosion tems revealed high levels of iron. An
coupons cuits and easily acces-
engineering review pointed to the
sible to plant personnel
vented carbon-steel expansion tanks in
(left)
both generator cooling systems as the
primary source of these corrosion prod-
5. Variables in water ucts. Replacement with tanks made of
chemistry important to Type 316 stainless steel resolved that
cooling-system health issue (Fig 3).
are monitored and trend- Next, chemical treatments were
ed (below) selected to control both corrosion
and bacterial colonies. Nitrite-based
Nalco® 8338 was picked for control of
corrosion and fouling; Nalco® PC56
for bacterial control.
Perez Ghisays and his staff decided
that fouling and corrosion should be
monitored to gather solid evidence of
chemical effectiveness. Corrosion cou-
pons are used for this purpose (Fig 4)
and are evaluated periodically. Results
from the first round of tests are present-
ed in Tables 1 and 2. They compared
favorably with corrosion data in Table
3 for mild-steel and copper alloys avail-
able in the literature and considered
“excellent” (negligible corrosion).
Corrosion data from the second
round of tests (Tables 4 and 5) were
similar to the first-round results.
Table 6 shows data collected were
within the “allowed” range based on
industry resources. Note: The nitrite
residual guarantees system-wide cor-
rosion protection.
Fig 5 tracks important operating
parameters—pH, nitrite, and iron—
over a two-year period. ccj
28 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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 st Practices A
Be
PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT

wa
201

rd
l
CO

na
ur
BI Jo

M
NE
D CYCLE

Cloud-based software service Heat-tracing success critical

facilitates management of best Heat tracing may look insignificant
in the greater scheme of things dur-

practices, lessons learned ing plant construction, but the fail-

ure of an important circuit during a
cold snap can shut down your plant
as fast as an exhaust-temperature

A
quick call to a seasoned project ule streamlines the entry, capture, excursion can trip your gas turbine.
director to inquire about how his and access to/propagation of activi- Despite the close attention CPV
company handles lessons learned ties ranging from commissioning, Woodbridge Energy Center staff paid
elicited a response heard many times post-outage, projects, operations, and to heat tracing, it wasn’t enough.
from powerplant managers: “I’ve never routine maintenance. Turns out the designer of the heat
seen any plant staff or organization Perhaps best of all, the Quad C and tracing system and the system install-
handle this well.” Yet virtually everyone BP/LL module has been designed by sea- er didn’t communicate well and plant
agrees that best practices and lessons soned powerplant personnel for power personnel found many installation
learned (BP/LL) must be captured and generation facilities and is not part of errors, especially in programming.
followed so what worked last time is a larger enterprise software system Given the vital importance of this
repeated, and what didn’t is avoided. generally designed for other purposes. system at Woodbridge, an outdoor
Profitability and continuous-improve- It is intended to be a single reposi- plant located in the Northeast, CPV
ment assessments always key in on a tory for all company practices and and the plant operator, Consolidated
managed, active, and robust feedback lessons, with risk profiles and asso- Asset Management Services (CAMS),
loop from past experience to future ciated files and photos attached to engaged a third-party firm with heat-
action, and continuity of knowledge each. Because it is built in Microsoft trace expertise to audit the system.
transferred among appropriate staff. cloud-based software systems (with its Each circuit was inspected thorough-
For powerplants, the urgency on cybersecurity practices), information ly. Electrical wiring was checked for
capturing BP/LL is acute—especially can be easily shared with and accessed proper configuration, current draws
at facilities powered by gas turbines by all those with a need to know. were measured, alarms set, etc.
which may change ownership as fre- Managers can create, communi- The Woodbridge system is com-
quently as every few years, and often cate, and track autonomous actions plex, as you might imagine. There are
are operated by third-party O&M via email alerts to responsible parties. 17 heat-trace control panels plant-
firms. Multiple organizations, con- And of course, because it’s a database, wide, with dozens of individual circuits
tractual responsibilities written in it can be queried and interrogated for tied into each one. Circuits include
legalese, and what’s become the trans- performance and statistical assess- high/low current alarms and informa-
actional nature of power generation all ments and reports. tion that helps to anticipate failures.
make capture and dissemination of BP/ False alarms in mild weather were
LL that much more difficult. CPV’s BP/LL network common and had to be addressed,
On top of this, there’s the critical since the alarms are directed to the
issue of what platform to use. Tools may Successful implementation and use control room and operators have to go
be available in Microsoft SharePoint, of the BP/LL module is particularly to the local panel for access.
Excel spreadsheet, project management important to CPV, which considers The extensive inspection effort
and scheduling software, maintenance itself the most active independent and rework produced a treasure trove
management software, or even within power producer of its size in the US. of best practices/lessons learned
the control and automation platform In the last two years, the company that helped avoid repeat problems at
(slowly morphing into the facility has brought online two state-of-the- the other CPV plants in design and
knowledge-management platform). And art 2 × 1 combined cycles powered by under construction. The following
that’s if the organization has made the GE 7FA.05 gas turbines: CPV Wood- best practices and lessons learned
leap from Post-it® Notes, three-ring bridge Energy Center in New Jersey pertaining to development/design
binders, and paper and ink. and CPV St. Charles Energy Center and construction/startup illustrate the
EP3 LLC seeks to change all this. in Maryland. Two more advanced value of the EP3 software described
The company has designed a cloud- plants are scheduled to start up this in the main text; you may find a nug-
based software service now in com- year: CPV Towantic Energy Center in get for your plant among them.
mercial use by at least one portfolio Connecticut, equipped with 7HA.01
owner/manager—Competitive Power gas turbines, and CPV Valley Energy Development/design:
Ventures Inc (CPV). As part of its Center in New York, which has Sie- n Add smart-panel amp indication
Quad C® platform, the BP/LL mod- mens Energy 501F4 engines.
30 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT
Reliability Engineer Preston Pat- multiplier to incrementally improve moted where, when, and to whom
terson mentioned that CPV is focused fleet performance. using an Excel spreadsheet proved
on ensuring that personnel compa- Patterson, whose responsibilities cumbersome. Plus, each time a new
ny-wide gain from the experiences include building out the BP/LL data- BP/LL was added, or new informa-
of their colleagues—both good and base as experiences are gained in tion was obtained, CPV couldn’t
bad—“to maximize our potential to project development/design, construc- easily update each affected plant
construct and commission new plants tion/startup, operation, maintenance, with the new information.
as smoothly as possible, as well as to safety, etc, said the challenges that n Using email to share BP/LL and
maintain our current portfolio of plants impeded the company’s goal of quickly solicit feedback from CPV’s vari-
operating with high availability and and effectively compiling and sharing ous third-party O&M providers and
reliability.” Management believes that BP/LL across its fleet included these: EPCs made it difficult to maintain
collecting the knowledge gained from n Tracking of which best practices adequate control of the most up-to-
each plant issue will act as a force and lessons learned had been pro- date version of the database.

to plant availability
on each circuit as well as a light to
visually indicate that the circuit is
energized (photos). This makes it
easier for operators to walk down
the system, verifying that the heat
tracing is on and working when it
should be.
n Have your engineer do a detailed
evaluation of all vendor equipment
(gas and steam turbines, HRSGs,
etc) requiring heat tracing and
make sure that the information is
clearly presented to the heat-trace
system supplier.
n The mechanical engineer respon-
sible for the heat-trace design
scope should be the same person
who reviews the vendor’s design
isometrics. The field engineer may
Screen shot illustrates information received via the best practices/lessons
not necessarily understand the
learned database
mechanical properties of the piping
system and may miss things that
should be included in the isometric
drawings. In addition, the mechani-
cal engineer is better positioned to
be aware of potential piping chang-
es needed.
n Since the heat-trace design usu-
ally is not complete until late in the
project, the necessary conduit can-
not be installed until very late in the
schedule. You can benefit by moving
a large portion of this work forward. Add smart-panel amp indication on each cir-
For example, run small (12 in.) cable cuit as well as a light to visually indicate when
trays in areas known to require heat the circuit is energized to facilitate walk-down
tracing (finger racks, main racks, bot- verification of proper operation
tom of HRSG, etc); once the heat-
trace design is finalized and power When they cut the heated way ahead of the heat-trace crew,
connection devices are located, only tube bundles short, there is not increasing productivity. Impact
short pieces of conduit from the tray always enough cable to reach the upon the project completion sched-
to the devices are needed. power connection kit inside the ule and weather conditions may
heated enclosure, or to trace the override this.
Construction/startup root valve. This results in having to n When installing the rubber boots
n Ensure that compressor bleed- relocate power-connection kits and in the termination kits, the leads
valve actuators and inlet-filter dif- add jumpers to accommodate. tend to bunch up at the bottom and
ferential-pressure instruments are n Ideally, start the heat-trace crew touch. If there was a ground fault
heat-traced and insulated properly when the piping discipline is at during commissioning, 80% of the
for adequate freeze protection. least 65% complete. Prior to this, time it was in the rubber-boot con-
n Coordinate with the instrumentation the pipe systems generally are not nection.
fitters to make sure that when cut- complete (missing valves, perma- n Perform a thorough heat-trace
ting back the heated tube bundles nent supports not installed, etc) audit during the summer to identify
they leave at least 3 ft of heat-trace which creates rework for heat-trace and address any issues before the
cable on both ends (screen shot). crews. This will allow a large run- next winter.

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 31

 TURBınE ınSULATıOn AT ıTS FınEST

The functionality CPV expected ideas as possible. CPV Asset Manage- meet quarterly for discussions on key
from the solution it would implement ment, CPV Construction, and the O&M reliability topics.
included the following: teams at each plant site can submit CPV’s fleet-wide success in develop-
n A central, online location for main- BP/LL directly into the system while ing and sharing best practices and les-
taining version control and creating experiencing it in real time or after sons learned earned the company a 2018
a master list of BP/LL that could be the successful implementation of a Best Practices Award, presented by CCJ
updated as new information became solution. CPV also takes advantage and the 7F Users Group at the latter’s
available. of this system as a platform to incor- annual meeting in Atlanta, May 7-11.
n A tracking system to ensure PB/LL porate best practices collected from its
would be distributed to the relevant participation in user-group meetings Results
personnel in timely fashion. and from industry publications.
n The ability to transfer knowledge CPV Asset Management receives Since bringing Woodbridge Energy
more efficiently both internally and and reviews all submitted BP/LL for Center online in 2016 (CCJ 2Q/2015,
with third parties outside the CPV applicability and approval before they p 92), CPV has benefited greatly from
network. are promoted to other projects. This sharing fleet-wide the best practices
serves as a quality check and allows and lessons learned during plant
How the BP/LL the opportunity to clarify and gather development, construction, commis-
additional information if needed—such sioning, and operation. An outstanding
program works as photos or files that support a par- example is freeze protection.
The EP3 BP/LL solution selected by ticular lesson. Taking the extra step Several CPV plants are outdoor
CPV allows the addition of new best ensures the best practices and lessons installations located in the Northeast.
practices and lessons learned from a learned are easy to understand and Failure to provide world-class freeze
simple web browser on any computer apply, thereby improving the chances protection at these facilities could eas-
or mobile device, or by email to the CPV of a positive impact. Alerts notify ily lead to a loss in availability. Thumb-
Asset Management team responsible appropriate personnel regarding new nails of several freeze-protection best
for this effort. Each lesson can have material and changes to existing posts. practices among the dozens shared
multiple “actions” assigned to specific The BP/LL software folds into among CPV personnel are presented in
users or roles for follow-up. To illus- CPV’s internal reliability program. the sidebar. Woodbridge was the CPV
trate: A plant manager can forward a It is through this platform that the fleet leader on this topic having been
lesson he/she has received as an action company is able to develop trust in the the first plant to experience some of
item for an operator to evaluate. quality and value of the material in the the challenges of initial design issues,
The software makes it easy to database, as well as provide training and installation practices by contrac-
submit a new lesson, thereby lower- and support as necessary. In addi- tors. The BP/LL shared by Woodbridge
ing the barrier to entry and enabling tion to interacting via the electronic earned the plant a Best of the Best
the company to harvest as many good network, personnel from each plant Award in 2017 (CCJ 2Q/2017, p 22).
32 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
GAS-TURBINE HISTORY

D
ave Lucier, founder and gen- land-based commercial era, becoming swamped by torrential storms (Fig
eral manager of PAL Turbine an industry historian in the process. 2). Assignments in over 20 countries
Services LLC, headquar- In fact, he’s the first person the editors soon followed—including locations in
tered near GE’s Schenectady call with questions on legacy (ancient) Europe, Asia, Middle East, and Latin
works, called CCJ in late May to ask GE engines. America.
the editors if we thought his 50-year After several GT startups stateside Dave was appointed area engineer
pin might have gotten lost in the mail. for the OEM’s Installation and Service for Venezuela (including Colombia,
“Huh?” Engineering group, Lucier got his first Trinidad & Tobago, and the Nether-
Nineteen sixty-eight was an impor- overseas gig to “rescue” two packaged lands Antilles) in 1971, returning to
tant year professionally for Lucier. He powerplants in Esquintla, Guatemala, the US about 30 months later. The
graduated from GE’s field engineer- next highlight on his resume: Product
ing program and was assigned by the 1. Dave Lucier has test engineer at GE’s Fitchburg facil-
company to assist in the installation worked on some of ity where small steam turbines were
of three four-unit MS5001L power the earliest com- made. Four years later Lucier trans-
blocks at Commonwealth Edison Co’s mercial GE tur- ferred to the GE Field Engineering
Crawford Station, near Chicago. It bines. Here’s some Development Center in Niskayuna,
was roaring start to a productive and system compo- NY, as an instructor. He was appointed
enviable career now in the second half nents etched in his manager for entry-level training in gas
of its first century. memory: Exhaust and steam technology in 1980.
However well deserved, there’s no thermocouple Dave’s final assignment with GE
pin, no watch to celebrate the moment, averaging cabinet came as site service manager at Tokyo
Dave. The endless piles of papers, (A), Fairchild millivolt flame detector Electric Power Co’s Futsu site, where
reports, photographs, and ancient (B), fuel-oil gear pump (C), and gas fuel he managed 15 field engineers during
equipment worthy of a Smithsonian control valve (D)
display (Fig 1) that reside in the PAL
office and shop bear witness to your
accomplishments. No field engineer
worth his salt needs white-collar
tchotchkes anyway.
Looking back, gas turbines and
Lucier were destined for a lifetime
partnership. Dave graduated from
UMass Amherst with a mechanical
engineering degree a few months after
the Northeast Blackout in November A B
1965. That event triggered the first
gas-turbine bubble as electric utilities
across the country bought scores of GE
Frame 5s and Pratt & Whitney FT4s,
many as black-start units to enable
quick recovery from forced outages.
GE assigned hiree Lucier to its field
engineering program (FEP), which
opened in 1966. The crush of new
business demanded capable, travel-
flexible engineers for installs, startups,
overhauls, and troubleshooting. It was
a fossil steam world at that time and
very few in the industry knew much
about gas turbines. The Schenectady
school, located then in Building 28,
turned out some of the finest GT field
engineers in the world.
Dave is passionate about gas tur-
bines and has tracked their develop- C D
ment back to the beginning of the
34 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
the first phase of the installation of 14
Frame 9E STAG powerplants (Fig 3).
Lucier started his first company,
I&SE Associates of Schenectady Inc,
in 1986 to provide technical training
and troubleshooting on early Frame
5, 6, and 7 gas turbines. In June 1999
Power Plant Maintenance Tools
he partnered with Charlie Pond to
launch Pond and Lucier LLC, which
became PAL Turbine Services LLC
after Pond’s passing in 2015.
It’s business as usual at PAL after
19 years, which continues to provide
technical advisory services to owner/
operators of GE gas turbines. ccj
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description of Lucier’s mission in Gua- Systems
temala in 1969. Field engineers figure
a way to get to and from the job to
get the work done, no matter what’s
involved
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COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 35
GAS-TURBINE LIQUID FUEL SYSTEMS

Water cooling greatly

increases intervals between
valve overhauls
R
eliable operation of dual-fuel 1. Reliable operation of dual-fuel
gas turbines on oil demands engines on oil demands liquid-fuel
that owner/operators protect piping be moved away from the casing
against coking of distillate in to prevent coking of distillate remain-
fuel-system components. Active cool- ing in those lines when gas is burned
ing is one solution available to users
for assuring both reliable starts on system eliminates the need for monthly
liquid fuel and reliable fuel transfers test runs at considerable saving in
from gas to oil. operating expenses. The drawing in Fig
Recall that stagnant fuel in sup- 2 illustrates where the water-cooled
ply lines not protected against heat heat-sink clamp is installed and the
radiated from the gas-turbine casing photo shows how it supports fuel pip-
(Fig 1) transitions to solid coke over ing off the hot casing.
time. In earlier stages of the coking Note that the three-way purge valve
process a tar-like substance is created in Fig 2 is water-cooled, which is criti-
that fouls check valves, coats fuel- cal for preventing coke formation. The
nozzle passages, and builds up on valve is described in Fig 3 with the
the inside surface of oil piping. Case accompanying CFD analysis showing
in point: Key components of liquid- that components in contact with oil

Cooling- Water supply manifold

water Heat-sink clamps
return Smart Fluid
water Fuel
Cooling-water monitor distribution
supply Pump valve
Water-cooled
Flow divider three-way
purge valve
Fuel pump
End
Purge air cover
Water
Thermal return
relief valve manifold Water-injection
check valve Purge-air
Fuel drain check valve A

fuel systems on many dual-fuel 7FA

gas turbines are located in a 500F Cooling-water discharge piping Cooling-water supply
environment, double the nominal
Actuation air
250F temperature at which coking
of distillate begins. Fuel supply piping
JASC, Tempe, Ariz, has been at the
forefront of industry efforts to improve
the reliability of liquid fuel systems
for well over a decade. The company’s
subject-matter expert, Schuyler McEl- Drain
rath, told the editors, “Active cooling
of the fuel supply system has been a
fundamental component of our technol- Purge-air supply
ogy and has demonstrated the ability
to improve reliability.” Heat-sink clamps for supply
and return cooling water
Until recently, owner/operators B
upgrading to active cooling were
required to run on liquid fuel at least 2. Liquid-fuel system illustrated is designed to keep distillate below the cok-
once a month to maintain system reli- ing temperature, thereby enabling reliable transfers from gas to oil and vice
ability. But the integration of JASC’s versa. Photo shows how heat-sink clamps contribute to the cooling and help
heat-sink clamp into the fuel-supply support fuel lines off the turbine casing
36 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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GAS-TURBINE LIQUID FUEL SYSTEMS
Cooling-water inlet Fuel inlet Liquid fuel Dual-
—area where actuator Actuation air
coke formation seal
is prevalent system
Purge air

Purge-air
inlet

Actuator
B indicator
Outlet

427
Cooling-water 381
discharge A
335
229F
3. Water-cooled three-way purge valve is critical for pre- 289
venting coking of oil in dual-fuel engines. Assembly photo 242
(A) and cut-away drawing (B) illustrate the valve’s operation. 198
Thermal image (C) shows valve components in contact with 150
oil are held below the coking temperature. Note that the CFD
analysis uses temperatures 50% higher than expected for Temp, F
purge air and ambient conditions as a factor of safety

are maintained below the coking tem- cooling on the first 266F
perature. This is important for achiev- 7FA equipped with C
ing valve refurbishment intervals both the three-way
of 24,000 to 32,000 hours consistent purge valve shown in Fig 2 and heat- winter. Based on the coke-free con-
with industry norms for hot-gas-path sink clamps. dition of the valves inspected, JASC
inspections. The unit operated on liquid fuel has been advised the turbine owner
The current maintenance interval after every 25 runs on natural gas to operate on liquid fuel after every 50
for uncooled or fuel-cooled three-way during the 2017 summer season and runs on natural gas during the 2018
purge valves is annual and not related exclusively on liquid fuel during the summer season. ccj
to operating hours. Water cooling
can be added during refurbishment
of uncooled valves with bolt-on hard-
Backgrounder on the three-way purge valve
The three-way purge valve combines gas into the fuel chamber. Either fuel
ware. Existing turbine purge air, liquid
the features of a liquid-fuel check pressure or actuation air will push the
fuel, instrument-air piping, and valve
valve and purge-air check valve into spool over to seal the purge-air cham-
flange connections remain the same,
a single component, improving reli- ber and open the fuel chamber.
making the conversion economical for
ability and reducing maintenance Coking occurs in the fuel cavity
the benefits gained.
costs. when either no cooling is provided,
Fig 4 shows the coke buildup you
The valve normally is open to purge- or as in the case with fuel cooling,
can expect in the fuel inlet of an
air flow. The fuel seal from the factory the fuel spool seal is compromised,
uncooled valve after several months
provides a better-than ANSI Class VI thereby allowing both purge air and
of gas operation versus the “like-
seal in the reverse flow direction. This high-temperature combustion gas to
new” condition of a water-cooled
seal is critical to valve life expectancy reverse flow from the fuel nozzle into
valve recently overhauled. The latter
because it prevents the reverse flow of the valve’s fuel inlet chamber.
illustrates the effectiveness of water

4. Standard three-way purge valve

reveals coking on disassembly (A).
Inset shows coke deposit close up
(B). Water-cooled valve offers no evi-
A C
dence of coking upon inspection (C)
38 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 2018 Annual Review
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A)
Meet the Editor What’s Inside
Generator consultant Stator frames and magnetic cores n Digital excitation replacing ageing
Clyde Maughan, now technologies
n ELCID trending, analysis
in the 67th year of his n Electromagnetic signal analysis n Shaft earthing monitoring
professional career, n Fiberoptic temperature measure-
continues to amaze. Operation and monitoring
ment for continuous monitoring n Mini turbine/generator model for
You may recall that
when still only 89 he Stator windings and bus systems training
n Stator design n Generator abnormal operation
recognized the need
n Aeropac rewind n Effects of negative-sequence and
for a generator users off-frequency currents
group, put together a plan, invited n Monitoring of endwinding vibration
n Connecting-ring maintenance n Impact of cycling duty
some of the industry’s top experts to n Generator cyclic duty
n Hot-spot detection
present, and with help from NV Energy,
n Importance of flex-link mainte- General topics
Duke Energy, Power Users LLC, and nance
a few generous sponsors, conducted n Moisture ingress and storage
n Preventive maintenance of bus-
the organization’s first meeting in duct systems mechanisms in large generators
November 2015. n Generator layup
To celebrate his 90th birthday in Fields and excitation systems n Practical experience in implement-
July 2016, he came up with yet anoth- n Rotor arcing and repair ing NERC standard PRC-019
n Collector rings: Inspection and n Generator maintenance consider-
er idea: Publish an annual review of
generator articles of value to owner/ repair ations and robotics
n An unusual generator field ground n Hydrogen seal-oil experience
operators worldwide. The founding n Coordinated frequency response
n Brush-holder experience
editor went to work and compiled
Electric GENERATORS, 2017 Annual
Review, a content-rich resource based
primarily on presentations from the Your gateway to O&M best practices and
first two meetings of the Generator lessons learned, methods for improving
Users Group. The information in this performance and safety, experience with
2018 Annual Review was compiled new technologies, I&C, diagnostics, etc.
by Maughan from presentations made
GUG’s Generator Forum: Register today
at the third GUG conference, August
at no cost to stay current and connect
28 – 31 in Phoenix. with technology experts and industry col-
GENERATOR USERS GROUP
Maughan’s primary goal in publishing leagues (www.powerusers.org).
GENERATORS is to encourage your Steering Committee
participation at GUG meetings and in Chair: Ryan Harrison, PEng,
the group’s online forum. ATCO Power (Canada)
Vice Chair: Dave Fischli, PE,
If you have an idea for a presentation
Duke Energy
at the 2018 GUG meeting, email an John Demcko, PE, Arizona
abstract to Steering Committee Chair- Public Service Co
man Ryan Harrison (ryan.harrison@ Joe Riebau, Constellation, an
atcopower.com). Contact Maughan Exelon company
([email protected]) if you have Jagadeesh (JD) Srirama, PE,
editorial material to submit for the next NV Energy
edition of GENERATORS. Kent N Smith, Duke Energy Harrison Fischli Demcko

Attend the 2018 conference and vendor fair

August 27 - 30
Louisville Marriott Downtown
Louisville, Ky
Registration opens in April 2018 at www.genusers.org.
Riebau Srirama Smith
 2018 Annual Review
GENERATOR USERS GROUP Published by
PSI Media Inc
The benefits of participation Editorial Staff

W
elcome to the Generator Users umbrella organization serving five Clyde V Maughan
Group (GUG). We are a con- independent users groups—Steam Founding Editor
sortium of electrical genera- Turbine (STUG), Combined Cycle [email protected]
tor users. Our mission is to provide (CCUG), GUG, 7F, and Controls—to Kiyo Komoda
an opportunity for owner/operators minimize administrative costs. Our Creative Director
of electrical generators worldwide annual meeting normally is held at the
(initially 1500/1800- and 3000/3600- same time and location as the STUG Scott G Schwieger
rpm machines) to share experiences, and CCUG meetings. The benefit: GUG Senior Editor
best practices, and lessons learned attendees get complementary access to Robert G Schwieger
on design, installation, operation, the CCUG and STUG presentations. Publisher
and maintenance of those machines. In this manner, you can get informa- [email protected]
Expected outcomes are improved plant tion beyond just the generator proper.
safety, maintainability, availability/ User members will benefit greatly Copyright, PSI Media Inc, 2018
reliability, and efficiency. from the information provided by our all- PSI Media Inc, Las Vegas, Nev, publishes
The GUG also serves to effectively volunteer organization. None of the com- specialty print and electronic media serv-
transfer industry knowledge from mittee members takes a salary or any ing energy producers in targeted national
experienced engineers to those with other remuneration from the Generator and regional markets. Media include the
less experience. We are mostly made Users Group. Many expenses associated following:
up of utility engineers and operators with providing information to you (con-
but utility maintenance and manage- ference costs, publishing costs, website CCJ, a quarterly print publication with
ment personnel are encouraged to join costs, etc) are covered by generous gen- ongoing coverage of electric generators
and participate in the annual meeting. erator vendors and OEM sponsors. In in each issue.
The benefits of becoming a member this way the cost to users attending the CCJ ONline, www.ccj-online.com. Your
(there is no cost to join) is access to a annual meeting is minimized. one-stop-shop for generator information.
resource of generator users to share We are confident you will see the Here you can find the latest CCJ, archives,
knowledge and issues with and assist benefits of participating in the organi- industry best practices and lessons learned,
you in problem-solving for specific chal- zation and hope you will join us in our user-group information, and vendor ser-
lenges at your station or in your fleet. efforts to share generator information. vices. Our search engine will direct you
We have three main methods of There is no cost to become a Generator to the material you need.
information transfer: An annual users Users Group forum member, so please
group meeting, this publication, and a sign up today at www.powerusers.com. CCJ ONsite, www.ccj-online.com/
onsite. Our up-to-the minute informa-
24/7 Web-based forum. As a member, Finally, if you missed Clyde
tion portal. Live reports from the field
you also will have access to contact Maughan’s summaries and the industry’s most important user
information for other users and inde- of the presentations group meetings. Email updates keep users
pendent consultants knowledgeable in from GUG 2015 and informed of the latest technical develop-
generator specifics. Access our website GUG 2016, you can ments and solutions.
at www.genusers.org access them easily by
by scanning QR1 with scanning QR2 with your CCJ ONscreen, www.ccj-online.com/
your smartphone or smartphone or tablet. onscreen. Our interactive Web-based learn-
tablet. QR2 ing resource with a classroom feel. Meet
The GUG steering screen-to-screen with industry experts,
committee is made up listen to and view presentations, and con-
of generator users. We nect with fellow users from the comfort of
QR1 your office or home, or any other location
are:
with an Internet connection.
Chairman
Ryan Harrison, lead generator engi- Of particular interest to generator owner/
neer, ATCO Power (Canada) operators is Clyde Maughan’s course on
Vice Chairman generator monitoring, inspection, and
Dave Fischli, generator program man- maintenance. The program is divided into
ager, Duke Energy seven one-hour segments culled from
Members notes and slides extracted from Maughan’s
2½-day training course—taken by more
John Demcko, lead excitation engineer,
than 1000 users over the years. Listen to
Arizona Public Service Co any segment at any time.
Joe Riebau, senior manager of electri-
cal engineering and NERC, Exelon Clyde V Maughan (right) the force
Power behind the formation of the Generator
Jagadeesh Srirama, generator engi- Users Group, is recognized by GUG Editorial, Marketing, Circulation
neer, NV Energy Chairman (2015-2017) Kent Smith PSI Media Inc
Kent N Smith, manager of generator for a “lifetime of sharing selflessly his 7628 Belmondo Lane
engineering, Duke Energy. extensive knowledge in the design, Las Vegas, Nev 89128
The Generator Users Group is operation, and maintenance of elec- Tel: 702-869-4739
a member of Power Users LLC, an tric generators.” Fax: 702-869-6867
S•2 GENERATORS
 Lessons learned,
best practices
shared at GUG 2017
T
hat generators are “taken for Conductor Chattock
granted” by the majority of bars potentiometer
plant personnel should not Insulation Current I
surprise. One of the reasons
for this attitude is that staff often is not Damage
aware of the many things that can go FLUX Iron
wrong with electrical machines, how to
V proportional to I
Iris Power

Iris Power
identify problems, and what solutions
are available to mitigate/correct issues.
GENERATORS’ coverage of GUG 2017
affords the opportunity to see many of Building A2. Chattock potentiometer mea-
the problems engineers face regularly bars sures the magnetic potential differ-
and why the opportunity to meet with Currents induced through damage ence resulting from the fault currents
other experts (users, OEMs, third-party A1. Fault currents attributed to insu- caused by insulation breakdown illus-
solutions providers, and consultants) lation breakdown create hot spots trated in Fig A1
is so important. Attending the 2018
meeting of the Generator Users Group, test with wide industry acceptance Bear in mind that fault currents
in Louisville, August 27-30, is a good for assessing core health. Insulation create hot spots which can cause fur-
starting point. Visit www.genusers.org breakdown causes fault currents to be ther deterioration to the core. If left
for more information. set up as illustrated in Fig A1. A Chat- unchecked, they can lead to damage
Summaries of the 2017 presen- tock potentiometer (Fig A2) is used to of the stator core, windings, and the
tations and discussions, prepared measure the magnetic potential differ- machine as a whole.
by IEEE Fellow Clyde V Maughan, ence resulting from this current, with There are several setup challenges
president, Maughan Generator Con- the somewhat complex equipment and important for you to consider during
sultants, is divided into these five circuit illustrated in Fig A3. analysis and trending of ELCID test
sections: results, ATCO Power’s Ryan Harrison,
n Stator frames and magnetic cores. the 2018 chairman of the Generator
n Stator windings and bus systems. Winding
n Fields and excitation systems. termination
n Operation and monitoring. V Variable
n General topics. transformer
A
Users wanting to dig deeper into
any presentation can access the Pow- Manual trolley
erPoint in the Power Users library at with distance Phase reference AC power
encoder transducer source
www.powerusers.org. Note that the
Power Users Group is an administra-
tive umbrella organization serving the Reference termination box
generator, steam turbine, combined
cycle, 7F, and controls users groups Chattock
to reduce operating expenses. potentiometer
Iris Power

A. Stator frames Calibration

and magnetic unit

cores Printer
Phase reference
ELCID trending, analysis Computer Trolley remote- test loop
control interface
Electromagnetic Core Imperfection A3. Circuitry and components required for the Chattock potentiometer are
Detection (ELCID) is a low-excitation complex
S•4 GENERATORS
Users Group, told attendees—includ-
ing the following:
Core length. Depending on the
operator and OEM versus non-OEM,
different core lengths often are used.
This leads to scaling issues in the
traces and makes exact positioning a
challenge.
Polarity. The orientation of the A4. Sensing fiber is easy to identify on top of stator wedges
Chattock coil, and the orientation of
reference transducer can lead to inver- smaller GTs. lines on all generators (even those
sion of the quadrature signal. The Labview program data-capture for small GTs), developing database
Slot numbering. Decide whether to process was in four ranges of 2000 points on failure mechanisms with signa-
number the slots clockwise or counter- each, as recommended by AEP /User’s ture data, expanding the program to
clockwise, and which slot you select Group: Range 1, 30 - 300 kHz; Range include large motors, developing a
as Slot No. 1. 2, 300 kHz to 3 MHz; Range 3, 3 - 30 continuous online monitor ported to
Trending areas of interest. Results MHz; Range 4, 30 - 100 MHz. At the PI for Tier 1 generators.
are often standalone and on various end of each range the program pauses
scaling in the report. This makes to allow manual capture of peak signa- Fiberoptic temperature
assessment of areas of interest more tures. The program consolidates all four measurement for
difficult and, in some cases, more ranges and displays signature. After
judgement-based. In addition, the digi- signature is saved, the peaks of interest continuous monitoring
tal files, which have valuable informa- are demodulated, viewed on-screen, and While generator core failures aren’t
tion such as phase current, often are saved to file. The data then are manu- common, their potential impact is up
not retained by the site/tester. ally imported into Excel for reporting. to the catastrophic level. Most genera-
Software. The owner doesn’t neces- Smith, the GUG’s immediate past tor cores are only indirectly monitored
sarily have the software to read the chairman, then discussed two exam- online through embedded RTDs situated
digital file. Furthermore the software is ples of data taken, aided by several between top and bottom stator bars at
needed to export the values to a usable slides showing signal analyses: specific locations in particular core slots.
format. But only software “*.csv” is n Crystal River Unit 4. It was taken These point sensors offer little protection
available; it is free to download. offline for testing in 2005. Results: to the large volume of the core.
Filtering. The raw data files have Passed the Hydraulic Integrity Offline core testing, such as ELCID
noise, and filtering is applied to the Test (HIT); B phase megger was or ring/loop testing, can catch devel-
final reported results. While not nec- low (<500 Meg). Online testing in oping core issues, but both tests offer
essarily a problem it can be valuable 2005 revealed a small amount of challenges in correlating measured
to look at the raw data for which the higher-frequency noise. In 2010, values to actual online temperatures,
original data file is needed. the electromagnetic signal analy- and neither one offers protection from
Duration between tests. Depending sis (EMSA) signature revealed a emergent issues online.
on the machine, the duration can be “hump” in mid-frequency range and Fiberoptic temperature monitoring
quite long. Results can be lost over had more of the higher-frequency shows great promise in advancing core
time which is important for establish- noise. Work performed in 2010 protection by permitting measurement
ing baseline values and fault tracking. included rewedging, the rotor mod of distributed temperatures along a
Several trending challenges also recommended in TIL 1292, “Gener- length of fiber line, Calpine Corp’s
were discussed and illustrated by ator Rotor Dovetail Cracking,” and Director of Outage Services Craig Spen-
Harrison—for example, filtered versus repair of five major clip leaks. In cer told the group. Working with Fiber
unfiltered, noise, inversion of signal, addition, the isophase ground flex Optic Sensors LLC and Oz Optics Ltd,
alignment, vertical scaling, and verti- link at the generator bushings was Calpine installed a proof-of-concept
cal offset. Digital data can alleviate found pitted and overheated; the application into one of its Hermiston
some of the challenges associated link was replaced. A stator rewind (Ore) combined-cycle generators. The
with trending; however, there is not a was scheduled for 2011. sensing fiber was installed on top of
commercial solution available to help n Crystal River Unit 5. Online testing the stator wedges (Fig A4), though an
with this review. Harrison presented in 2010 found high EMSA signa- ideal installation would be under the
a scripted Matlab-based solution with tures in the low and mid frequen- wedges in the base shim stock.
alternative graphic representations. cies. Shaft voltage readings were Once online, temperature readings
extremely high (30 Vdc) and EMI from the fiberoptic line compared well
Electromagnetic signal sniffer was screaming at the exciter against the existing RTD readings.
analysis end. Later in the year, offline testing More importantly, excellent data
found hydrogen seal grounded, the curves emerged which clearly dem-
The signal capture equipment HIT Skid test passed, and B phase onstrated the stator zone-cooling tem-
employed by Duke Energy until 2011, resistance was 700 Meg with PI < 2. perature affects along the length of the
Kent Smith, Duke Energy’s manager The hydrogen seal was coked and fiber (Fig A5). There were some small
of generator engineering, told the pitted (electrolysis). A new hydrogen anomalies in the data, but personnel
group, was the EMC30-MKIV; today seal was installed but personnel could suspected these were installation-
the Agilent E7402A. National Instru- not get the new hydrogen seal insu- driven variances, to be proved out in
ments’ Labview 8.5 program was used lation package to have a very good the next test case.
to control (standardize) data capture. megger; resistance was acceptable, Overall, the results were very
Frequency of data capture on 74 gen- but suspect. Sniffer readings were still encouraging for developing advanced
erators in the fleet was annually on high. A stator rewind was scheduled online core thermal protection, as well
large steam units and so-called Tier in 2012. as for additional applications of distrib-
1 gas turbines; “when available” on Future plans include having base- uted temperature sensing.
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•5
 variation), and inspection (qualitative
and quantitative validation).

Aeropac rewind
The Siemens Aeropac generator dis-
cussed by Derek Hooper, president of
BPHASE Inc, a small repair, inspec-
tion, and consulting company special-
izing in gas-turbine generators, was
rewound by Alstom in 2014 because of
moderate-to-severe spark erosion (Fig
B3). Numerous concerns were experi-
enced with this rewind, including the
A5. Color curves show temperature readings at various loads; solid red line following: injection of clear resin into
is the length of the installed fiber the dry tie material used made it dif-
ficult to determine if the cord was fully
tion of the core (Fig B2). This motion saturated (Fig B4), difficulty in obtain-
B. Stator and its effect on the stator bar must be
minimized. A similar method of ensur-
ing proper series connection alignment
(Fig B5), and use of semiconductive
windings and ing the bar remains in contact with the
slot wall is required and the side ripple
packing in the phase-break gaps to
attenuate partial-discharge damage.
bus systems spring (refer back to Fig B1) is ideally Two years later, BPHASE per-
suited to meet this requirement. formed a minor inspection of the Alstom
Stator design There are also important stator rewind. Focus was on visual inspection
wedging considerations which must be of the winding and evaluation of the
Ed Winegard, GE’s principal engineer met, Winegard said: material properties core keybars. The keybars were intact
for armatures, opened his presentation (stiffness, creep, thermal aging, abra- and within torque specifications (Fig
by noting the high radial slot forces sion, etc), dimensions and tolerances B6). While there was no evidence of
that must be contained in the stators (design clearances, tolerance stack up, keybar fracture in this unit, sister
of modern power generators—ranging component machining quality), assem- machines had suffered such fractures
from 10 to 110 pounds/inch of slot. bly process (standard methods and and plant personnel elected to reduce
Fortunately, he said, these forces are sequence, compensation of assembly the keybar torque from 300 to 200 ft-lb.
predominately downward, adding that
Stator core
about half the slots in a given stator Wedge body
retain bars for different phases, about Wedge slide
half the same phase.
Top ripple spring
For slots with both bars in the
same phase the force will be down- Side ripple spring
ward on both bars, he said. When
the bars are for different phases, the Filler/RTD
force on the top bar will be slightly Groundwall insulation
upward. Some type of compres-
sion system—top ripple springs, for
example—is required to minimize Copper strands
bar movement and ensure it remains
seated in the slot (Fig B1).
Bar lateral forces are minimal, Win-
egard continued. However, he pointed
out the inherent tangential motion of
the slot teeth caused by radial deflec-

Side ripple spring

Filler
B1. Top ripple springs minimize the relative motion of bars in their slots, miti-
gate insulation degradation

B2. Rotating magnetic field drives

a rotating deflection of the stator core B3. Siemens Aeropac generator was B4. Resin was injected into the dry
which causes alternating motion of the rewound by Alstom because of the mod- tie material used in the rewind
teeth on either side of the stator bar erate-to-severe spark erosion in evidence
S•6 GENERATORS
B5. Proper alignment of series con- B6. Proper torqueing of keybars is B7. Discharge oxidation at phase
nections were difficult to achieve critical in preventing their fracture splits is easy to see
because of bonding from the wet tie
materials used

B8. Dusting is evidence of move- B9. Visual inspection reveals indica- B10. Phase connection set-back had
ment at the series connector interface tions of two previous repairs using a at least one prior repair attempt using
with the outboard ring weeping epoxy the same epoxy

There was visible evidence of dis- core and bearings at rotational speed. coils and inner cooling circuity—they
charge oxidation at the phase splits Furthermore, during power system aren’t as common an issue and should
(Fig B7). There was also significant transients, the forces in the endwind- become apparent through other test-
evidence of movement at the series- ing can reach 100 times higher than ing, MD&A Generator Specialist Keith
connector interface with the outboard that of normal operation. Campbell told GUG attendees.
ring (Fig B8). The design of the endwinding also Thorough visual inspection is vital
Because of vibration concerns, must account for thermally induced to an accurate assessment of the over-
it was felt that blocking should be axial expansion and contraction as all condition of the rings. The 10 photos
installed between the series connec- the generator is loaded and unloaded. here illustrate typical problems associ-
tions for additional support. However, Metallic components to restrain the ated with undesirable movement. To
this would require bump testing. The movement of stator bars caused by begin, the ties in Fig B9 offer indica-
outage was too short to allow neces- these forces normally are avoided tions of two previous repairs using a
sary disassembly and the decision was because of the presence of high mag- weeping epoxy. While oil intrusion
made to install series blocking in short netic and electric fields. was a contributing factor, the contami-
groups to limit any effect on the global Sasic shared his knowledge on the nation (greasing) was removed well
modes of the baskets. installation of vibration sensors, offline enough to allow for an adequate repair.
test results, and online monitoring data Fig B10 is of a phase-connection set-
Monitoring of from a 288-MVA, 21-kV, air-cooled back that had at least one prior repair
endwinding vibration generator. Offline impact test data led attempt using the same epoxy. In this
to installation of fibreoptic endwinding case, the contamination was under the
Iris Power’s Mladen Sasic discussed vibration sensors. Continuous online ties and blocking, and could not be
monitoring of endwinding vibration. monitoring of these sensors revealed removed by cleaning alone. Fig B11
Although the problems associated with an increase in vibration level, encourag- reflects an overall looseness in the end-
movement of endwindings are not new, ing a visual inspection and bump test winding structure as indicated by the
because of changes in the design and of the endwinding. The inspection/test large amount of greasing throughout.
operation of generators these issues confirmed loosening of endwinding sup- This was conducive to the possibility of
have become a greater concern in port structure. Timely corrective main- a catastrophic failure. Fig B12 is of an
recent years. tenance was then possible to prevent a original blocking and tie arrangement
The endwinding region of large costly in-service failure. that does not meet quality standards.
turbine/generator stator windings is Fig B13 shows a continuation of the
one of the most complex parts of a previous repairs by additional appli-
generator relative to design, manu-
Connection-ring cation of epoxy. Fig B14 reveals ties
facturing, and maintenance. During inspection and repairs removed for a better cleaning and appli-
normal operation, the endwindings Inspections of connection rings typi- cation of new ties. Fig B15 is the result
are subject to high mechanical forces cally are focused on the physical sup- of excessive movement that dictated
at twice power frequency because of port structure-to-ring interface. While reinsulating and securing of components
currents in the stator bars, as well as there are other factors to consider— with a different material and by differ-
mechanical forces transmitted via the such as the connections to bars or ent methods than used by the OEM.
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•7
B11. Overall looseness in the end- B12. Original blocking and tie B13. Previous repairs continued with
winding structure is evident from the arrangement does not meet quality application of additional epoxy
large amount of greasing standards

B14. Ties were removed for a better B15. Damage caused by excessive B16. New tie stands out after removal
cleaning and application of new ties movement was corrected by reinsulating of the old tie and blocking, cleaning, and
and securing with different material and addition of new conforming material
Repairs complete, Fig B16 shows methods than those used by the OEM
the new tie after the old tie and block- The unit was inspected again during
ing had been removed, cleaned, and tee, profiled for attendees the recent a 2017 outage for simultaneous gas tur-
new conforming material had been inspection of a 391-MVA Alstom bine, exhaust structure, and generator
added. Fig B17 illustrates the areas steam turbine/generator for an F-class work. MAGIC identified four hot spots
where epoxy was applied; the Fig B18 combined cycle. This unit was put in in the core iron and ELCID testing
photo was taken after repairs to the service in 2004 and high vibrations confirmed damage at those locations
endwinding structure were completed. had been recorded since installation. with exceptionally high readings of
No issues were identified during a 1998, 1363, 674, and 976 mA. In addi-
Hot-spot detection MAGIC (Miniature Air Gap Inspec- tion to the hot spots, foreign material
tion Crawler) inspection done in 2013 was found in the air gap. Management
NV Energy’s Jagadeesh Srirama, a and all the electrical test results were decided on immediate corrective action.
member of the GUG steering commit- acceptable during this outage. To address the hot spots, it was neces-

B17. Areas where epoxy was applied are clearly visible B18. Endwinding structure after completion of repairs
S•8 GENERATORS
B19. Visual inspection of the sta- B20. Core lamination material B21. Loose side packing found
tor identified several locations where proved to be the foreign matter found near the endwindings was migrating
overheating had occurred during the inspection upwards into the air gap

Flex links with

melted bolting

B22. Source of the foreign matter B23. Damaged areas had a coat of red
shown in Fig B20 was a very loose dye applied to weep into the lamina-
tooth package tions before coating with a buff paint

sary to remove the field—a challenge reviewed for attendees the case history
at this outdoor plant with major plant of a Westinghouse 818-MVA, 20-kV B24. Significant damage was done
repairs already underway. generator (COD 1981) that tripped to the A-phase flex links
After rotor was removed, visual on an A-phase neutral ground only a
inspection identified several spots couple of months before the meeting.
with obvious overheating similar to The machine’s field and stator had been
that in Fig B19; the debris was identi- rewound by Alstom in 2005.
fied as core lamination material (Fig Subsequent to the trip, a fire was
B20). Near the endwindings, some of reported at the lead box on the genera-
the side packing had come loose and tor; site emergency responders used
was migrating upwards into the air ABC dry chemical to extinguish the
gap (Fig B21). fire as the unit coasted down. Exter-
The lamination pieces came from nal visual review showed significant
a grossly loose tooth package, photo- damage to the A-phase lead area, with
graphed in Fig B22. This tooth area heat damage to the B-phase bushing
was cleaned, inspected, and trimmed area. Post-event data review showed
to make sure no more of the punchings some electrical anomalies starting
would liberate. Mica then was placed eight minutes before trip.
in the shorted area and a tapered Inspection revealed significant dam-
wedge inserted into the tooth to tighten age to the A-phase links; none of the 32
the package. This wedge was epoxied links remained intact (Fig B24). B- and
in place. Note that the core step iron C-phase links all were connected and B25. B- and C-phase links were all
will have to be replaced when the sta- appeared fine (Fig B25). There was a connected and passed visual inspection
tor is rewound in the future. heavy layer of soot on the CTs for both
The side packing that came up the A and B phases, plus contamina-
from the top of the bar (refer back to tion at the bottom of lead box from
Fig B21) was removed, air dry var- fire-damaged components (Fig B26).
nish applied, and new side packing Investigators concluded that loose
installed. All damaged areas had a connections on one or more flex links
coat of red dye applied to weep into caused a high-resistance contact which
the laminations before coating with allowed current to flow through the
buff paint (Fig B23). bolt rather than the link contact sur-
face area, and the bolt melted. Thus,
Importance of flex link loss of one flex link shifted its current
maintenance to the remaining flex links, adding
heat to them and amplifying the loose-
Duke Energy’s Dave Fischli, manager of connection problems and degraded
generator engineering, and vice chair- condition of other flex links. B26. Burning of gasket/sealing mate-
man of the GUG steering committee, The A-phase links were too heavily rials produced a heavy layer of soot
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•9
 damaged to record torques, but torque n Ensure fire extinguishers staged
checks performed when removing around generator and other elec-
links from the B and C phases were trical equipment are CO2 or Halon
satisfactory. Some Belleville washers (not ABC chemical).
removed from the B and C phases had
B27. The condition of Belleville been flattened out from repeated use, Preventive maintenance
washers used to secure phase links others had been installed upside down
was called into question. Some had (Fig B27). Flex links from the B and
of bus duct systems
flattened out from repeated use, some C phases also revealed fraying and important
had been installed upside down degradation (Fig B28). It was evident RMS Energy’s Jesus Davila reviewed
that previous visual inspections had for attendees the several types of
not been sufficiently rigorous to iden- bus systems and components: cable
tify degraded links for replacement. bus, non-segregated and isolated-
Consequential damage. The phase bus, terminations and dis-
ABC dry powder extinguishing agents connect links, insulating materials,
include chemicals such as sodium expansion joints, seal-off bushings,
bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, etc. Each of these requires special
ammonium sulfate, and ammonium maintenance. Critical items on the
phosphate. These chemicals act as a bus duct include flex/bolted connec-
desiccant, absorbing moisture, and tions (current carrying), expansion
under humid conditions become conduc- bellows/joints, insulators and mount-
tive. They are alkaline in nature and ings, seal-off bushings, groundings,
B28. Some flex links were found in a corrosive to electrical insulation and and insulated joints. Examples of
frayed/degraded condition metal components within the generator. some of the issues discussed by
There was extensive contamination Davila were the following:
of the lead box and exciter internals by n Electrical connections. Arc damage
soot and smoke particles. Basic clean- to bolted joint bus face (Fig B29).
ing was performed of all accessible n Flexible connectors. Cracked lami-
areas without complete disassembly. nations caused by vibration or air
Follow-up inspection and full cleaning flow (Fig B30); flex braids damaged
is planned for a 2018 outage. by rubbing and/or abuse (Fig B31).
Lessons learned: n Improper bolting or lack of mainte-
n Ensure work-order instructions are nance at connection points. Dam-
written correctly. aged contact surfaces and gross
n Ensure craft technicians are trained heating issues (Fig B32).
on the importance of assembling n Expansion-bellows damage attrib-
high-current connections properly. uted to excessive movement often
n Ensure flex links are completely resulting in cracks (Fig B33).
removed for electrical isolation—not n Bus failures. Overheating of non-
just unbolted on one end and bent segregated bus attributed to a lack
B29. Arc damage is revealed on a back out of the way. of maintenance (Fig B34); line-to-
bolted joint’s bus face

B30. Flexible connector’s cracked

laminations were caused by vibration B32. Improper bolting and lack of maintenance are conducive to damaged
or air flow contact surfaces at connection points

B31. Rubbing and/or abuse damaged

these flex braids B33. Excessive movement of expansion bellows is conducive to cracking damage
S•10 GENERATORS
 C. Fields and TIL 1292 (“Generator Rotor Dovetail
Inspection”) repair on the Coil No. 1
excitation Slot was done and steel wedges were
replaced with aluminum (except end
systems wedges). A high-speed balance and
heat run were conducted after rewind.
Rotor arcing and repair Case Study No. 2. A two-pole field
suffered a double ground fault that
A common and destructive phenomenon caused severe arcing damage to the
in generators is negative sequence rotor, including melted material and
currents (I2), MD&A Project Engineer cracking on a tooth (Figs C1 and C4).
B34. Overheating attributed to a lack of Chris Keathley told GUG 2017 attend- NDE of the area revealed a through-
maintenance destroyed this non-seg bus ees. These can be caused by unbalanced wall crack and an engineering evalua-
three-phase currents, unbalanced tion determined the rotor unacceptable
loads, unbalanced system faults, open for operation. A temporary weld-repair
phases, and asynchronous operation. solution was proposed to get the unit
The result of I2 currents may be rotor back in service until a replacement
body currents that can damage the rotor could be obtained. The damaged
rotor forging (Fig C1), retaining rings portion of the tooth was removed (Fig
(Fig C2), slot wedges (Fig C3), and to a C5) and the tooth reconfigured with
lesser degree, the field winding. weld build-up, rotor heat treatment,
Three case studies were reviewed and re-machining of the tooth (Fig C6).
by the speaker, who brought to MD&A Finite-element models of the rotor
16 years of experience with a major and slot tooth were created to obtain the
B35. Melting of the bus enclosure utility as a turbine/generator engineer, various stresses along the tooth height,
was caused by a line-to-ground fault and another five years with the OEM. the weld fusion line/HAZ, and the
Case Study No. 1. A 500-MVA, highly stressed wedge groove fillet radi-
ground fault causing melting of the 22-kV, 3600-rpm generator had us. These stresses and mechanical prop-
bus enclosure (Fig B35). been involved in a motoring event erties were used in fracture-mechanics
Most of the deterioration condi- of unknown size and duration five calculations; favorable results sup-
tions listed above can be detected, years before the inspection described ported acceptance of the repair. A
particularly in advanced stages, by was conducted. A visual assessment fatigue analysis of the repaired tooth
visual examination and/or tempera- revealed relatively minor problems— suggested the reworked rotor was good
ture monitoring. All require immediate such as slight burning between wedg- for 150 start/stop cycles or 10 years of
attention to prevent major equipment es, significant burning on wedge operation, whichever came first.
failure. If the condition is found before ends, and burning of the forging at Case Study No. 3. A generator
failure, refurbishment usually can be wedge junctions. Eddy-current test- experienced a collector failure and
accomplished by obvious and/or well- ing revealed 290 indications. Affected ground to the main shaft that caused
established procedures. areas were cleaned and blended. A major arcing and heat damage to the

C1-C3. Negative sequence currents are a common and destructive phenomenon associated with generators. The
result of these I2 currents can be rotor body currents that can damage the rotor forging (left), retaining rings (center), and
to a lesser degree, the field winding (right)

C4-C6. A double-ground fault caused severe arcing damage to the rotor, including melted material (refer back to Fig
C1) and cracking on a tooth (left). The damaged portion of the tooth was removed (center) and replaced by weld build-up
with appropriate heat treatment and re-machining of the tooth (right)
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•11
All Your Generator Needs!
MD&A provides comprehensive refurbishment and repair of large utility and
industrial generator stators and fields, and high-voltage bushing refurbishment.
Accompanied by our experienced generator specialists that are able to conduct full
scope electrical testing and visual inspections.

MD&A's Turbine-Generator Repair Facility

3804 Weber Road | St. Louis, MO 63125
ph. 314-880-3000 | www.MDAturbines.com
• On-site comprehensive testing and • High voltage bushings and auxiliaries
inspection • Insulated bearing rings
• Field rewinds and repairs • Oil deflectors
• Stator rewinds • Exciter inspection
• Wedge system upgrades • Control and excitation field
• Replacement retaining rings engineering and consulting
• Collector rings • High-Speed Balance with heat run
• Hydrogen seal rings and assemblies capability/ High Speed Thermal Test
(HSTT)

PARTS | SERVICES | REPAIRS

 ence, showed and discussed numerous
photographs to illustrate the inspec-
tion, failure modes, and repair of col-
lector rings.
Inspection. Typical conditions found
during inspection are shown in photos
C11-C15. Threading and grooving
(Figs C11 and C12) naturally result
from the wear and tear of long service.
Photography (Fig C13) is not common
C7 C8 nor well understood; it describes the
phenomenon in which the pattern of
the brush holders is replicated on the
rings. There is inevitable contamina-
tion associated with the collector (Fig
C14) from sources that include brush
wear, induction of foreign material
with the cooling-air flow, and uncor-
rected arcing. Massive contamination
is caused by flashover failure (Fig C15).
Failure. Typical problems resulting
from failure are seen in the photos
C9 C10 C16-C19. In the first, the right ring
was severely burned by a flashover
C7-C10. Collector failure and ground to the main shaft caused major arcing and heat to ground or severe arcing from poor
damage to the end of the generator rotor forging, which could not continue in opera- maintenance. The adjacent image
tion as found (Fig C7). The shaft was severed just outboard of the journal and bolt holes shows a similar condition but with
drilled and tapped for the new stub shaft (Fig C8). The assembled new shaft extension the brush holder removed. Fig C18
is in Fig C9 and the final assembly with fan and collector rings in Fig C10 is of damage to the main shaft from

C11 C12 C13

C11-C15. Typical conditions found
during inspection of collector rings
are threading (Fig C11), grooving (Fig
C12), photographing (Fig C13), con-
tamination (Fig C14), and heavy con-
tamination (C15)

severe arcing to ground, C19 shows

corresponding arc damage to the ring
inside diameter.
C14 C15 Repairs. Figs C20-C22 illustrate
steps in replacing an old collector
end of the generator rotor forging (Fig able by good operation and monitoring with a new collector, Fig C23 is of a
C7). The amount of damage and heat- equipment. When those defenses fail, grinding operation for truing a worn,
affected material made the shaft end considerable damage can occur. How- or new, ring.
forging unacceptable for continued ever, it does not always mean that the
operation. Stub-shaft replacement was damage cannot be repaired and the An unusual generator
proposed and accepted by the owner. unit returned to service. These case field ground
This was a major undertaking. studies show that even when there
The shaft was severed just outboard is damage, advanced welding and The incident profiled here by John
of the journal and bolt holes drilled machining processes can restore the Demcko, PE, a senior consulting engi-
and tapped for the new stub shaft (Fig unit to service relatively quickly. neer at Arizona Public Service Co and
C8). The assembled new shaft exten- member of the GUG steering commit-
sion is shown in Fig C9, and the final Collector rings: tee, occurred at an APS plant equipped
assembly with the fan and collector Inspection and repair with three single-shaft combined cycles
rings in Fig C10. installed in the mid-1970s.
To conclude, negative sequence MD&A’s Keith Campbell, an industry The generators serving these units
events and ground faults are prevent- veteran with four decades of experi- are rated 146.7 MVA/13.8 kV; they were
S•14 GENERATORS
retrofitted with static excitation sys-
tems and redundant digital regulators
several years ago. This update included
a modern 64F field ground detection
system, which experienced a continuous
field ground alarm over a year ago. The
incident was treated routinely—that is,
management was informed.
Management was made aware of
the risks associated in running with a
known ground. The decision was made C16 C17
to remain online until an outage could
be scheduled to evaluate the situation. 
When that happened, a Megger test of
all components in the field winding
circuits showed no ground.
The 64F relay is only opera-
tive when there is excitation on the
machine since it is powered from
the excitation power potential trans-
former. With the unit offline and not
spinning the 64F was powered up with
a “cheater” cord. No field ground was C18 C19
detected by the relay in this configura-
tion. The 64F relay was switched out C16-C19. Problems resulting from collector-ring failure include burn-
for an identical spare which also indi- ing caused by flashover to ground or severe arcing from poor mainte-
cated no ground with the unit offline nance (Figs C16 and C17 with brush holder removed), main-shaft dam-
but did indicate one with it spinning age caused by severe arcing to ground (Fig C18), and arcing damage to
and the field energized. the ring ID (C19)

C20-C22. Major steps in replacing an old collector with a new one are shown left to right

This implied that the ground was

on the rotor and was caused by the
centrifugal loading of the field winding.
The unit was put back in service and
was run almost daily with the apparent
field ground while a new 64F relay was
ordered from another manufacturer.
The new 64F was installed and behaved
exactly as the previous two relays.
A last-ditch effort was made to
spin the unit up to synchronous speed
with excitation off. Meggering of the
field via the carbon brushes and slip
rings found the resistance to be in the
megaohms range. There appeared to
be an impasse when a ground was
indicated in the field circuit but could
not be localized.
After re-verifying the accuracy
of all data taken, an investigation
was conducted to look for any other
elements that can fault to ground
when the exciter is running. Several
manufacturers of field ground detec-
tion equipment were asked if their
equipment could detect faults on the C23. Grinding operation for truing a worn, or new, collector ring
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•15
 Rotate handle
to lock/unlock
Slide direction
install/remove
Locking pin Orientation
Locking pin shows state of
Tool-less installation
installation
and removal Brush
terminals
clamped

C25. Excitation systems have

evolved over the years from rheostats
prior to the 1950s (photo) to elec-
UNLOCKED POSITION LOCKED POSITION
tromechanical amplifier in the 1950s
and 1960s, to magnetic/analog in the
C24. Brush holder design from OEM is said to avoid collector incidents stud- 1970s and 1980s, to today’s digital
ied by engineers excitation systems
IP turbine Exciter unnecessary forced outages. One
Generator involved overheating of the inner
collector-ring surfaces, molten brush
HP turbine holders, and arcing of collector hous-
LP turbine ing. The second case revealed a heavily
C26. Typical configuration of a turbine/generator with exciter providing DC cur- worn brush and brush-holder damage.
rent for the rotor field and the turbine mechanical power to turn the generator The collector surface was found to have
salt deposits and corrosion.
Daily, weekly, monthly, and out-
age inspection and maintenance were
reviewed. DiSanto also offered a
few comments on maintenance—for
example, the importance of cleaning,
collector-ring wear rates (1 mil per
1000 hours of operation is typical); per-
missible wear (the ring diameter can
be reduced but must always be larger
than the diameter of the bottom of
the spiral groove); maintaining proper
cooling on collector rings (design tem-
perature is 40C); and recommended
C27. AC and DC voltages can be induced in the shaft during rotation. Shaft brush grade (National 634).
earthing monitoring systems can record and identify the sources of voltage and The presentation closed with a dis-
current. Results from the voltage brush installed on the exciter end (typical) of cussion of brush-rigging upgrades. GE
one unit illustrated here provide time, waveform, spectral content, and DC and was said to have a well-defined set of
RMS values for analysis brush-holder design criteria, including
the following:
AC side of the static excitation system. the data taken of the actual machine. n Allow for safe installation and
Responses were mixed, but one vendor The unit will be operated until a removal of brush holders with the
said AC-side grounds can definitely be scheduled outage allows for AC fault generator online.
detected, although their occurrence is confirmation and repairs. n Improve ease of brush and spring
highly unusual. replacement—no tools required.
Additional voltage-to-ground mea- Brush-holder experience n Eliminate brush “hang-ups” within
surements were made on the AC side the holder by having a fully sup-
of the static excitation system breaker John DiSanto’s presentation focused on ported brush and a smooth/slick
for all three units. A fundamental dif- collector incidents and avoidance. The brush pocket.
ference in readings was noted on Unit 2 GE senior engineer, who is responsible n Decrease the risk of flashover.
as compared to Units 1 and 3 which did for generator controls/excitation and n Decrease susceptibility to brush
not have field grounds. This inferred protection fleet-wide with the goal current selectivity—that is, uneven
an AC side excitation system ground of improving equipment reliability, current distribution among brushes.
was causing the 64F relay to indicate a reviewed nine recent root-cause-anal- n Allow easy integration for both
field ground. A precise physical model ysis investigations. servicing and replacement across
of the static excitation system, includ- They involved collector flashovers, all GE generator models.
ing the same 64F, was constructed. It collector-ring overheating, improper The company’s most recent brush-
confirmed that an AC ground is eas- collector-ring assembly, and a dam- holder design for generators of mod-
ily detected by the 64F and the lab aged insulating sleeve. erate size (Fig C24) was said to meet
measurements very closely matched Two of the case studies illustrated these criteria.
S•16 GENERATORS
Digital excitation provides DC current for the field, the technicians are good at addressing
replacing ageing turbine provides mechanical power. mechanical issues but typically are
At least one generator bearing is not well versed in the electrical char-
technologies insulated from ground. On other bear- acteristics of synchronous machines. A
If you were relatively new to the indus- ings, a thin oil film is the only barrier PowerPoint-only class had been offered
try, listening to the presentation by separating the shaft from the ground for many years at APS but personnel
Basler Electric Co’s Richard Schae- and this film may not act as insulation were not being prepared adequately
fer at GUG 2017 provided valuable to current flow. for the challenges they faced daily.
perspective on excitation systems. A Both AC and DC voltages can be Demcko’s department of four engi-
former chair of the IEEE PES Work- induced in the shaft, causing potential neers functions as a “consulting firm”
ing Group, he’s “seen it all” in more damage to the unit— especially the internal to the utility. Over the years,
than four decades of service to power bearings. Shaft earthing monitoring electrical training responsibilities
producers. His CliffsNotes on the evo- systems can record and identify the defaulted to his group because it was
lution of excitation systems: various sources of voltage and cur- intimately involved with problems
n Before the 1950s, rheostats (Fig rent, allowing for analysis and damage on the generator, exciter, automatic
C25). prevention. One brush is installed to voltage regulator, and power-system
n 1950s and ‘60s, amplidyne. monitor voltage (diagnostics), usually stabilizer. Since operating staff tend
n 1970s and ‘80s, magnetic/analog. on the generator exciter end, and one to be “visual learners,” he contin-
n Late 1980s through today, digital. to monitor current (protection), usually ued, a physical model-based training
Several factors affect how quickly on the turbine end. approach was proposed to manage-
systems become obsolete, he said— Results from the voltage brush are ment. It was accepted and a wish list
including, available materials, present shown in Fig C27. Time, waveform, spec- of model functionality was developed.
technology, and available software. tral content, in addition to DC and RMS The search began for a commercially
Examples of materials availability values, are available for analysis. Alarm available training model.
issues: carbon composition can no longer levels are set after results are analyzed. The “wish list” of features desired
be manufactured, warlords have taken Protection schemes using trends of for the model included the following:
over the mines, material determined to shaft currents are common, but do not n Three-phase synchronous genera-
be hazardous. Examples of hardware provide diagnostics. In many cases, tor.
availability issues: primitive computers, alarms triggered will confirm existing n Power level compatible with a nomi-
present-day powerful computers. damage, instead of detecting ongoing nal 5-amp CT output and 120-Vac
Schaefer noted actions that have issues and/or preventing future dam- PT output found in utility genera-
contributed to the slowing of obsoles- age. Voltage frequency profiles should tion.
cence—for example, purchase of com- not evolve over time. n Utility-style control switches and
ponents from manufactures serving High-speed data acquisition, and metering.
major long-survival industries (such comprehensive diagnostics software, n Digital generation protection relay.
as automotive), redesign of product allow for in-depth analysis of har- n Auto-synchronizer and emulation
with new components where practi- monics to identify various anomalies. of generator breaker function.
cal, purchase large volumes of obsolete Patterns such as high even harmonics n Drive motor with the ability to
components. may indicate rotor alignment or stator mimic turbine characteristics.
Particularly in recent years, there bar problems. If deviations are present, n Synch to grid at either 208 or 480
has been upward evolution in software. other symptoms may include stator Vac.
For example multilingual capabil- vibration and/or bearing temperature n Have the look and feel of a typical
ity, built-in powerful testing tools, variations. physical generator control panel.
enhancements to speed commission- High DC levels should trigger a n Portability (movability).
ing. Also there are options to facilitate ground connection investigation and Search results. North American uni-
retrofit—for example, replacement if the shaft is magnetized, bearing versities were canvased and educational
product fits into same location, provide temperatures should be verified. suppliers queried. Nothing commercially
replacement excitation cabinets but available met all of APS’s requirements
keep the power potential transform-
ers, keep SCR bridges and provide D. Operation at any price. Conclusion: The utility
would have to build a custom model.
new front-end electronics.
and monitoring Custom build. Team Demcko
received approval to build its own
Shaft earthing model with a modest hardware budget.
monitoring Mini turbine/generator Engineering and labor was to be done
model for training by staff on a time-available basis—
Andre Tetreault, director of tests such as between regular assignments.
and diagnostics at VibroSystM, and John Demcko, PE, a senior consulting Cost of the model would be contained
co-author Bernard Lemay, PEng, the engineer at Arizona Public Service Co by purchasing/scrounging as many
company’s Zoom analytical software and member of the GUG steering com- components as possible off-the-shelf.
expert, opened their presentation by mittee, spoke to the industry’s knowl- A target of one year was established
reminding the GUG 2017 audience edge gap and work his company was for completion of the model.
that, in the ideal, the generator shaft doing to bridge that gap. Many new Results/observations. The model,
should be electrically and magnetically powerplant engineers and technicians, highly modular in construction, took
neutral during operation. The use of fer- he said, have no formal training on two years to complete because of
romagnetic materials in the construc- how to bring generating units online limited availability of labor (Figs D1
tion of the shaft makes this component and take them offline. Nor are they and D2). It was good for troubleshoot-
extremely conductive and subject to usually familiar with how generators ing but had many terminal blocks
current flow and induced voltages. A interact with the grid. for interconnection that could loos-
typical turbine/generator configura- The 40-plus-year industry vet- en. Classes started in April 2017; 102
tion is shown in Fig C26; the exciter eran added that plant engineers and APS employees were trained. The first
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•17
D1, D2. Mini turbine/generator model for training took two years to complete but was worth the wait

D3-D5. Causes of core failures include foreign object damage, lamination insulation failure (left), damage from repair work
(center), and core looseness (right)
four weeks of onsite plant training was
completed near the end of August with
84 attendees. Remainder of the fossil
fleet (several hundred “students”) was
scheduled for onsite training before
yearend. Results: Almost all the design
targets were achieved, but some refine-
ments to the model were suggested.
One use of the model that Team
Demcko did not fully anticipate was for
training plant operators in manually
closing the generator breaker to synch D6. Core over-fluxing in the extreme D7. Collectors are the most signifi-
the unit. While an auto-synchronizer may cause total destruction of the cant contributor to operations-caused
normally is relied on for this task, APS core forced outages
expects its control operators to have
the ability to do it manually. Trainees turns, thermal sensitivity, shaft adjacent structures and, if sufficient
appreciated being able to practice syn- voltage, and collectors. and sustained, may cause total core
chronizing the generator with the elec- n Auxiliaries—including loss of hydro- destruction (Fig D6).
tric system using the model, without gen seals, coolers out of service, and n Rotor ground. The excitation system
risking damage to critical equipment. on moisture corrosion and contami- is ungrounded and a single ground
   nation. will not cause damage (unless the
Generator abnormal n Electrical and grid—including over cause is a broken conductor or coil
operation fluxing, off-frequency operation, short). However, a second ground
loss of synchronization, motoring. can be disastrous. There are many
Ron Halpern of Generator Consulting Typical abnormal-operation possible causes—including ground-
Services opened his presentation by events discussed included the fol- wall insulation breakdown, contam-
defining “abnormal operation” as any lowing: ination, electrical arcing, displaced
operation outside normal operating n Core failures. They may be caused insulation, and water intrusion
parameters that could damage the by foreign object damage, lamina- into the exciter. Collectors are the
generator—such as operation outside tion insulation failure (Fig D3), most significant contributor to
of the generator capability curve. damage from repair work (Fig D4), operations-caused forced outages
The speaker, who has been involved loose core (Fig D5), etc. on generators; the results can be
with generators for well over 40 years, n Core over-flux, a complex phenome- dramatic and dangerous (Fig D7).
25 of those at GE, focused his presen- non. Protection is via volts-per-hertz n Rotor turn/coil shorts. Shorts may
tation on the following: relay. Minor over-fluxing (105%- not be a problem unless excessive
n Stator—including core, oil, hydro- 110%) increases core losses and and you run out of current, or if they
gen leaks, grounds, stator cooling, elevates core temperature but should result in high thermal-sensitivity
water leaks and restrictions, bush- cause no damage. Over-fluxing above vibration. But they can be destruc-
ings, and frame. 110% saturates portions of the core tive (Figs D8-D10).
n Rotor—including grounds, shorted to the point that flux flows out into n Thermal sensitivity can be prob-
S•18 GENERATORS
D8-D10. Rotor turn/coil shorts may not be a problem unless excessive; then they can be troublesome and destructive

D11, D12. High stop/start counts caused by must-take renewables have adversely impacted generator availability and con-
tributed to higher maintenance costs. Data for two different units reflect the dramatic increase in starts in the last 10 years

lematic. It causes rotor vibration related to unbalanced supply voltage. currents must be provided. In the
to change as the field current is The negative-sequence current event a large negative-sequence
increased and can cause rotor bow- component circulating in the stator event occurs, (as with a major short-
ing when (1) the temperature distri- windings creates a magnetic flux in circuit between phases in the vicin-
bution is uneven circumferentially the airgap of the machine, continued ity of the machine), it behooves the
around the rotor and/or (2) axial Kerszenbaum, a well-respected teacher operators to carry out an assessment
forces are not distributed uniformly of things electrical and prolific author of the possible damage incurred by
in the circumferential direction. with more than 40 years of service the machine, followed by a proper
The phenomenon, characterized to the industry. This flux rotates at inspection, if warranted.
by a once-per-revolution frequency synchronous speed, but in the direc-
response, may limit operation at tion opposite to the positive flux (the Impacts of cycling duty
high field currents or VAR loads “normal” flux), he explained.
because of excessive rotor vibration. The rotor, also rotating in synchro- Generators built during the gas-
n Shorted-turn detection. The most nous speed in tandem with the positive turbine order/installation “bubble” in
reliable method for detecting shorts magnetic flux, is subject to a 2× syn- the late 1990s and early 2000s, look
is by use of a flux probe. The technol- chronous frequency magnetic flux, by very much like their predecessors
ogy is well understood and reliable. the negative flux. Then, by the law of built in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Other items briefly discussed electromagnetic induction (Faraday), However, unlike their predecessors,
included oil in the generator, stator- 2× synchronous frequency voltages the newer machines are not giving
bar slot support systems, high- voltage and eddy currents are induced in the the 20 to 30, or more, years of reliable
bushing, seal leaks, noise causes and rotor body. Given that these induced service expected.
investigations, and damage prevention currents have a periodicity of 120 Hz OEMs have designed similarly
in general. in 60-Hz systems or 100 Hz in 50-Hz sized machines for MVA ratings
systems, they tend to flow mainly in 40% to 50% higher than their pre-
Effects of negative- the outer regions of the rotor, because decessors, while pushing material
sequence and off- of the “skin effect.” capabilities to their maximum. Plus,
Net result: If large enough, the demands on equipment have been
frequency currents induced currents will spark and arc exacerbated by the need to cycle
From early on, AC synchronous gen- between wedges, wedges and forging, these generators hundreds of times
erators were designed to produce wedges and retaining rings, forging annually to accommodate must-take
three-phase balanced voltages at their and retaining rings, and any compo- renewables.
terminals, began Dr Izzy Kerszen- nent on the periphery of the rotor. Such Generators were designed to run at
baum, PE, of IzzyTech. Over time, sparking/arcing can cause hardening base load or, worst case, for minimal
the design also incorporated features of the metal in critical areas, followed annual start/stop counts—perhaps 50
to reduce the harmonic content of the by the generation of cracks. to 75. However, as the charts in Figs
generated voltage. In the case of gen- From the foregoing, it is obvious D11 and D12 for two case histories
erators, the problem was (and still is) that negative-sequence current car- show, they are seeing 250+ starts
mainly related to unbalance in the ries with it the potential to cause per year. Units in renewables-heavy
load currents, while in the case of AC significant damage to the genera- markets are exceeding 350-400 annual
motors, the problem was (and still is) tor; thus, protection against these starts. This takes low-cycle stresses
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•19
 ally loose core iron, loose endwindings, operation, load cycles, and power-
global endwinding dusting or broken factor changes. Impact on stators
ties, loose belly bands, bar movement includes vibration transients, ther-
in the stator slots, high partial dis- mal and mechanical stresses, and
charge and resulting corona damage, core-end heating. Some of the effects
and increased opportunities for seal- on stator windings and core are high-
oil problems resulting in oil entering and low-cycle fatigue, insulation
the unit, which further accelerates the abrasion, strain, shorts or grounds,
previous issues. localized overheating, and core-iron
In the field, the impact is found melting. Typical failures are strand
in cracked or failed main leads, pole/ cracking and fracture (Fig D15), lead
pole and coil/coil crossover jumpers, fracture and extensive arc damage
D13. Severe core and wedge loose- migration of slot armor, deformation (Fig D16), and insulation abrasion
ness was found during the first major of field endwindings, loose/missing/ (Fig D17).
on a 7FH2 generator broken distance blocking, migrat- Cyclic-duty impact on rotors
ing coils, insulation, or amortisseur includes copper distortion, insulation
springs resulting in blocked cooling, breakdown, shorted turns, connector
thermally sensitive fields, rapid turn failures, grounds and forging damage.
short development, and myriad other Typical resulting failures are shown
issues (Fig D14). in Figs D18-D21: slot liner abrasion,
insulation fracture, copper distortion,
Generator cyclic duty and blocked vent (left to right).
Twenty-five-year GE veteran Ed
In recent years there has been a chang- Winegard, currently principal engineer
ing of the generator lifecycle. These for armatures, described for attendees
machines originally were intended several design features developed to
for baseload operation and 30 years accommodate cyclic operation. You can
D14. Series connection braze failure of service. There has been an industry access a copy of Winegard’s PowerPoint
caused a phase ground shift to frequent starting/stopping, load on the Power Users website at www.
cycling (described as more than two powerusers.org.
from thermal expansion/contraction, 20% changes in megawatt output in Maintenance and inspection sug-
and moves it into a high-cycle realm. a 24-hr period with two primary load gestions for cyclic duty, also covered in
The end result is that units are either cycles (50% - 100%) in a typical day), the presentation, include the following:
suffering in-service failure or, at a mini- VAR cycling, and seasonal influences. n Maintain equipment in accordance
mum, are requiring very costly repairs Frequent starting/stopping imposes with GEK 103566.
or maintenance/upgrades at their first additional stress, with faster degra- n Conduct additional testing during
major outages, within 10 to 15 years. dation of insulation and components, scheduled outages.
In his presentation, AGT Services negative impact on generator life, n Perform regular borescope and
Inc’s Jamie Clark pointed to common higher risk of in-service operating robotic inspections.
weaknesses exacerbated by these high incidents—all likely contributing to n Do modal testing of endwindings.
cycling operations—including loose increased maintenance. n Provide for additional monitoring
stator wedge systems (Fig D13), axi- Cyclic duty involves start/stop during operation.

D15-D17. Failures in stator windings associated with cyclic duty include strand cracking and fracture (left), lead frac-
ture and arc damage (center), and insulation abrasion (right)

D18-D21. Impacts on rotors of cyclic duty include the failures shown in the photos above: slot-liner abrasion, insulation
fracture, copper distortion, and blocked vent (left to right)
S•20 GENERATORS
 on the fillers and core iron (Fig E2). should also break up the stagnant
E. General topics Damage mechanisms of moisture zones with the rapid inflow of dry air.
affect both metals and insulation. For For the rotor, a significant increase in
Moisture ingress and generators which still have nonmagnetic shaft speed will provide a G loading
storage mechanisms in retaining rings susceptible to stress which will tend to centrifuge water
corrosion, crack initiation and crack out of the rotor.
large generators propagation occur under wet conditions. It is always better to keep a dry
Neil Kilpatrick, principal, GenMet LLC, Note that retaining rings are under high machine dry, than to dry out a wet
integrated more than four decades of stress at standstill and all other condi- machine. For maintenance and layup
metallurgical knowledge into his pre- tions. With long-term wet conditions, conditions, it is important to make sure
sentation, covering several aspects of rust will form on steel surfaces which that capillary condensation conditions
moisture ingress on generators:  prob- are bare and/or porous. Rust is hydro- cannot occur. Prevention can include
lems created, moisture opportunities, scopic, and will retain moisture—more maintaining some ventilation flow of
capillary basics, examples of planar opportunity for water storage. dry air throughout the machine and
capillaries in generator construction, On insulation, the major concern maintaining temperature well above
damage mechanism affected by mois- is for moisture on insulating surfaces. the ambient dew point; a healthy mar-
ture storage, and why it is so difficult Typically, wet conditions in genera- gin would be 80% relative humidity.
to dry out these machines. tors will result in low resistance to For long-term layup, develop a system
As an example of a problem with ground, and this must be corrected which combines fail-safe sealing, moni-
moisture ingress and storage, a large before return to service. toring, and drying. A nitrogen blanket
generator located in the South (think The issue of the difficulty in dry- or dry gas feed might be considered.
humid) was found with water actually ing out a generator is interesting. A
running out from under the ID of the generator in operation tends to be Generator layup
rings. The cause was condensation on inherently dry, because of the high
the rotor inner surfaces and planar temperature and high ventilation flow. Dhruv Bhatnagar, GE’s technical
capillaries and connected surfaces On shutdown, there is no ventilation leader for generator-fleet risk manage-
internal to the winding.  flow, so the entire machine becomes a ment, provided the OEM’s guidelines
Large generators normally are dry large number of stagnant zones. Any for unit layup during non-operational
under operating conditions. When stagnant zones that have some mois- conditions. Stator and rotor recom-
open and cooled to ambient tempera- ture content tend to become saturated. mendations are the following:
ture, there’s a tendency for moisture Capillary condensation will work to fill n Stator layup for days. No recom-
to accumulate on and in insulation all the connected capillaries. mendations for H2-cooled units if the
materials. The usual remedy is to If the open machine is exposed to hydrogen is pressurized. For liquid-
apply heat and ventilation in order humid conditions, then the daily dew- cooled stators, the cooling-water sys-
to dry out the winding; this can be a point cycle may result in periods when tem (SCWS) should be operational,
lengthy process. the dew-point temperature is greater or shut down with water drained
There are numerous moisture than the metal temperature. Conden- from the winding for any layup of
opportunities related to inadequate sation will occur, and the machine will more than 48 hours. For air-cooled
protection during shipment, storage, take on water as long as condensation units, or H2-cooled units that are
standby, and maintenance. Even dur- continues. depressurized, turn on space heat-
ing operation, there are opportunities A filled capillary is relatively stable ers to prevent condensation.
for condensation from gas coolers, cool- at moderate ambient temperatures n Stator layup for weeks or months.
er leaks, and frame flooding. Outdoor and stagnant conditions. There is For air-cooled units, turn on space
units are a particular challenge given almost no driving force to evaporate heaters to prevent condensation;
their exposure to weather. Hydrogen- water back out into a stagnant atmo- same for H 2 -cooled units, but
cooled units have lower exposure than sphere at the same temperature. A sig- depressurize before turning on
air-cooled units because of the con- nificant increase in metal temperature space heaters. H2-cooled units not
trolled operating environment. will increase the evaporation rate by purged should reduce gas pres-
Capillaries behave the same wheth- producing a decrease in local relative sure to 0.5 psig to minimize con-
er horizontal or vertical. With dry air humidity. Significant ventilation flow sumption. For liquid-cooled units,
at the ends of capillaries, the capil-
laries contain only air. Increase the
humidity to the point of condensation
and water starts to condense inside
the smallest capillaries. This occurs
at about 92% relative humidity (metal
temperature relative to dew-point tem-
perature). With nearly saturated air at
the ends of the capillaries, water starts
to condense in small capillaries. Under
saturation conditions, condensation
occurs on free surfaces, and pooling
begins. The capillaries will fill.
There are numerous capillaries on
both the rotor and stator. On the rotor
there are capillaries between turns and
on both faces of the slot liner (Fig E1). E1, E2. There are numerous capillaries in both the rotor and stator where
On the stator, there are capillaries in unwanted condensation can occur. In the rotor, they are between turns and on
the spaces between core laminations both faces of the slot liner (left); in the stator, between core laminations and in
and the spaces between the bar surface the spaces between the bar surface on the fillers and core iron (right)
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•21
E3. Condensation on stator windings E4, E5. Ground alarm following a shutdown for lack of market demand alerted
attributed to improper layup proce- staff to rust accumulations on rotor and exciter components caused by con-
dures caused unit to trip on restart densation/improper layup
after a planned outage

the winding and SCWS should be

drained and vacuum-dried.
n Rotor layup for days. Rotor should be
at rest with the pole axis in the verti-
cal direction. Coat all exposed shaft E6, E7. Retaining ring scanner at left and air-gap robot at right provide “eyes” to
surfaces with light lubricating oil. identify issues before they cause problems that can affect machine availability
n Rotor layup for weeks or months.
Rotor should be at rest with the
pole axis in the vertical direction.
Megger field monthly and trend
insulation resistance. A low megger
indicates moisture in the generator.
Inspect exposed shaft surfaces and
the collector rings to ensure that the
oil film is adequate.
Similar recommendations were
provided for collector systems, seal-oil E8, E9. Rub marks are in evidence
systems, and coolers. on air-side seals and shaft surfaces;
In addition, the following case stud- plus, seals are out of round
ies related to improper storage were
discussed:  equipment (generators or synchronous
Case No. 1. Unit was in a planned condensers). The time requirements
outage (turbine upgrade). During for implementing the standard on a
restart after the outage, the unit fleet of generators also was presented.
tripped on stator differential protec- The evaluation process used by APS
tion. Upon inspection, damage was includes the following five steps:
noted on the turbine-end series loop n Identify all of the voltage-regulator
caps (Fig E3). The failure was attribut- limiter and protection functions for
ed to condensation on stator windings. a given generator.
Case No. 2. Unit was shut down n Identify all of the generator relay
because of grid issues. Upon restart, a protection functions enabled.
field ground alarm was activated and n Determine what coordination must
the unit was shut down again. Inspec- be evaluated based on a comparison
tors noted rust had accumulated on the of the items identified in Steps 1
rotor and exciter components because and 2 above. essary unit trips: Generator voltage
of condensation and improper layup n Perform the needed evaluation and regulators act to mitigate undesirable
(Figs E4 and E5). modify settings such that they coor- operating conditions before relays trip
dinate. the unit.
Implementing NERC n Document the results in a formal
Standard PRC-019 report. Generator maintenance
Several methods of demonstrating considerations and
Douglas Selin, PE, consulting engineer, how the coordination can be reviewed,
Arizona Public Service Co, provided an visualized, and documented were pre- robotics
overview of the NERC standard and sented for most of the voltage-regulator Revision L of GEK 103566, perhaps
the process APS uses to implement the functions that would be encountered in better known by number than its title,
PRC-019 across its fleet of generators. such an evaluation. A summary list of “Creating an Effective Maintenance
A review of the standard outlined the learnings was offered to enhance the Program,” was reviewed by Dan Tra-
functional entities required to comply efficiency of the evaluation process. gesser and Chris Markman to help own-
with the mandate, the applicable facili- The effort needed to perform the ers operate their generators safely and
ties, and the individual requirements coordination analysis outlined is a reliably. Tragesser manages technical
which involve coordinating voltage requirement for all generator owners. risk for GE’s Global Generator Product
regulator controls with the protection It has the benefit of improving power- Service Engineering, Markman is prod-
system and the capabilities of the system reliability by avoiding unnec- uct manager for generator inspections.
S•22 GENERATORS
 Six key areas were discussed by the Seal-oil-system mechanisms and turbine/generators to help stabilize
duo—including Rev L updates, rotor effects was the next topic. Mecha- system frequency.
removal recommendations, inspec- nisms include cocked seals, loss of The questions then arise: How do
tion and maintenance intervals, how seal oil, damaged anti-rotation pin, synchronous powerplants respond
intervals are determined, examples of contaminants, damaged seals, genera- to system frequency disruptions and
intervals, and rotor and retaining-ring tor pressurization, clogged drain lines, what changes may need to be made
life management. GEK 103566, which improper assembly, and misoperation. in order to comply with frequency
was said to contain information of Resulting effects include higher response codes and standards? Syn-
importance to users, can be obtained total and hydrogen-side seal-oil flow, chronous generators add rotating iner-
from your GE rep. improper liquid-level detector alarms, tia and have governors which detect
Robotic inspections were the next high float-trap oil level. frequency disruptions and raise/lower
topic with specific references made to Checklists for disassembly and output to quickly balance generation to
the OEM’s retaining-ring scanner (Fig reassembly followed: load (called “droop” control or primary
E6) and air-gap robots (Fig E7). The Disassembly. Measure rotor posi- frequency response).
speakers said robotic inspections were tion from the outboard oil deflector These questions become more acute
performed on 512 units between 2011 fit to the shaft, measure the distance because tax credits and rapidly declin-
and 2016, with 8% having significant between the hydrogen seal casing and ing costs are driving ever more mas-
findings (defined as rotor removal the rotor shaft, determine “as-found” sive amounts of renewables power into
required for repair) and half of those seal clearances, inspect seals, and existing transmission systems. A lower
deferred to next outage. There were ensure seals are not out-of-round. percentage of synchronous generators
three forced outages associated with Reassembly. Inspect seals and means less inertial response to fre-
the 20 rotors pulled. Two had rotor ensure they are not out-of-round, check quency disruptions, and less inertial
grounds and one was forced out by a for any foreign material between the response means more turbine/genera-
negative sequence current with arc inner oil deflector and hydrogen seal tor response is needed. Synchronized
strikes. casing, check vertical face of the end turbine/generator droop control must
The speakers said electrical tests shield between the upper half and lower give a sustained response to minimize
conducted on the rotors removed typi- half for any steps across the horizontal the magnitude of frequency disrup-
cally confirmed the findings of other joint, perform blue check and ensure tions and maintain reliability.
tests or conditions—such as shorted 100% contact, check for any RTV that NERC’s 2012 Frequency Response
turn and vibration. Data show robots may have squeezed from between the Initiative Report found only 30% of
typically find the same defects as upper half and lower half of the end the generators online provide pri-
visual inspections with the rotor out. shield, remove any RTV material that mary frequency control, and that
Discussion regarding robot inspections has come onto the horizontal joint of the two-thirds of those that did respond
that resulted in a rotor pull noted lower-half casing, ensure seal-oil inlet exhibited “withdrawal” or “squelching”
that more than 50% of these could feed and gas-side seal-oil drain in the of the response. The reason is outside
have been planned for with better end shield are clear. closed-loop control. Since only 10% of
operations data review and outage The presentation closed with a case the units online were sustaining their
management. study of a unit that was offline, but expected primary-frequency-control
Relative to reliability, GE reported pressurized and with seal-oil system “capability,” a reliability issue arises:
four cases of MAGIC (Miniature Air in operation, when a blackout occurred. Balancing authorities (BAs) get a sig-
Gap Inspection Crawler) robots losing The DC system came online, but the nificant portion of frequency response
parts—including two burst bearings site lost seal-oil differential pressure from load and cannot predict the load
(encapsulated bearings are now used) (DP). By the time DP was restored, the response or control it (load’s inertial
and three fastener issues (redesigned). unit had dropped 10 psi in hydrogen contribution cannot be accurately
Relative to robots getting stuck, GE pressure. The decrease in seal-oil DP predicted).
has emergency retrieval capability allowed oil ingress. These issues have encouraged NERC
built into designs. The operator received multiple and industry efforts to improve frequen-
Also discussed was the stator cool- liquid-level detector alarms, and low cy reliability, thereby making the need
ing water system with focus on copper and low-low lube-oil alarms. Site per- for government regulations less likely.
oxide buildup and removal. sonnel tried to start up the unit next One step in that direction is GE Tech-
day but were unable to build lube-oil nical Information Letter 1961, “Steam
Hydrogen seal-oil header pressure. Personnel purged Turbine Governor Studies to Meet
experience and inspected the generator, which NERC Frequency Response Advisory,”
was flooded with lube oil. Air-side which was supported by a webinar.
GE’s Dhruv Bhatnagar returned to seals and shaft surfaces were found Honda closed his presentation with
the podium to address the challenges to have rub marks (Figs E8 and E9); these recommendations for owner/
associated with seal-oil systems and seals were out of round. operators:
how to mitigate them. Challenges n Verify unit-specific requirements
include the following: Coordinated frequency with your BA.
n The seal rings themselves. Damage, n If operating in closed-loop auto-
contamination, improper assembly,
response matic generation control (AGC),
and cocked seals all can lead to Emerson’s Thor Honda, an expert on biasing may be required to pass BA
operational issues—including oil the modernization of mechanical and compliance criteria.
ingress. electronic turbine controls, discussed n When implementing AGC bias, keep
n Float traps require manual bypass the challenges associated with inject- the following in mind:
during every startup/shutdown. ing into the grid large amounts of 1. AGC will not negate droop impact
Improper procedures are conducive intermittent power produced by renew- on site output, which may have
to seal-oil ingress. able resources. This new and evolving economic considerations.
n Oil contamination of the hydrogen paradigm in electric generation has 2. Ensure AGC bias is accurate and
control panel. highlighted the need for synchronous enabled accordingly. gen
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•23
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 HRSG FORUM WITH BOB ANDERSON

Tapping global know-how

to expand local options
By Steven C Stultz, Consulting Editor

There is indeed only one

HRSG Forum with
Bob Anderson.

T
his year’s event in Houston,
like its predecessor in Char-
lotte, captured the topics of
immediate interest to HRSG
experts and combined-cycle system
owners/operators. There were spirited 1. 3D-printed light attachment (left) and blade guard (right) are two improve-
discussions before, during, and after ments in drone technology developed by Xcel Energy’s engineering team
the formal technical agenda. Partici- 2. Lower
Gas
pants networked freely within this flow header area of
consolidation of equipment details, preheater 1 is
operating trials and errors, and for- where failures
ward-looking ideas. were occurring
The list of noted 2018 sponsors Water
flow repeatedly (left)
included the Electric Power Research
Institute (EPRI), International Asso- 3. Preheater
ciation for the Properties of Water and lower header,
Steam (IAPWS), Structural Integrity Typical failure location 3D-printed ver-
Associates Inc (SI), Combined Cycle Inlet sion, was valu-
Journal (CCJ), Emerson, Precision Ice- results were expanding. header able in project
blast Corp, Dekomte, Nooter/Eriksen, Returning this year, planning (right)
Morgan Advanced Materials, Applied Wambeke explained the escalating
Technical Services, United Dynamics benefits of 3D printing, an innovation we fly in these tight areas,” explains
Corp, CECO Peerless, and Questek developed while bringing UAS skills Wambeke, “we know that there’s a
Solutions. More than 40 exhibitors and benefits to Xcel’s full power-gen- 30% chance of drone damage.” Their
were present for specific discussions. eration fleet. drones are still considered consumable
CCJ’s report on the second annual So what began as plastic drone inspection tools.
HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson parts has expanded into project plan- Then the team purchased its first
follows. ning and execution. 3D printer. Repairs were made more
Better pieces and parts. Working quickly and innovation opportunities
Drones return in 3D with a local university, Wambeke’s began.
team has mastered specific drone- “One critical advantage is being
Innovation spawns innovation. system improvements, driven in part able to make improvements as you
One breakthrough presented at last by equipment damage during the go,” said Wambeke. “You can print
year’s inaugural HRSG Forum with all-too-familiar impact events. One a component, try it, improve it, and
Bob Anderson was HRSG inspection fast-growing need has been replace- quickly try it again.”
by unmanned aerial systems (UAS), ment and more durable blade guards. Last year’s presentation concluded
aka drones. Xcel Energy’s Scott Wam- Another has been customized attach- with a forward look at drone system
beke explained how these inspection ment systems for prototype lighting advancements, and expanded applica-
tools were flying within the congested (Fig 1). tions. Both developments are moving
spaces of HRSGs, launching new The licensed outside flight crews at quickly.
dimensions in this cost-effective and Xcel use some elaborate systems and Navigating to projects. An oper-
time-saving technology. equipment, and travel long distances ating HRSG was experiencing repeat-
Pilot skills had been established in their investigations and inspec- ed failures in preheater 1, row 2 (stack
outdoors along vast transmission lines, tions of power lines, rights of way, side, Fig 2). Access clearance to the
then within the relatively open spaces and similar tasks. The inside teams failures at the lower header was tight
of large coal-fired utility boilers, verify- at Xcel began with less expensive, at 1.6 in.
ing the values of these recorded flights. off-the-shelf commercial drones, often The boiler/HRSG group was inves-
Now, spaces were tight but beneficial making their own repairs. “Every time tigating a new printer and decided to
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 63
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More innovations. Wambeke con-

cluded with a review of 3D printing
hardware, use of dissolving media, and
the joining of parts by friction welding.
He also noted that 3D scanners can
replicate geometries to help reverse-
engineer old parts when drawings are
not available.
Questions and discussions were
varied. Small blimps also have been
considered for inspection flights, but
achieving lift is difficult without sup-
plemental fans, and internal drafts
can make stability difficult. Work on
drones and options continues.
Costs were also discussed, includ-
ing a note that printer plastic is priced
well below printer ink.

New extended
attemperators
4. Preparation of the lower-header area for inspection and weld repair was Paul Lofton, Tampa Electric, and Ory
facilitated by the model Selzer, IMI-CCI, discussed HRSG
attemperator replacements at two
try 3D printing. Engineers would look to-header joint geometry familiariza- TECO Bayside power blocks installed
at 1:20-scale components. tion to the welding crews. In sum, the during the “bubble” (2003 and 2004).
When printing was done (Fig 3), simple 3D printing process became This presentation discussed sys-
project planners were able to see (and proof of concept for what was deemed tems for:
show to management) the processes a five-day outage (Fig 4). n HP (main steam) to cold reheat
for cutting header piping and drains Said Wambeke, “This became an (CRH) bypass.
free, then gaining access for repairs. excellent tool for both planning and the n HP (main steam) interstage.
The models also would serve as plan- actual repair. The project was finished n IP (reheat steam) interstage.
ning tools for NDE and provide tube- ahead of schedule in four days.” During a walkdown, a crack was
64 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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discovered in the circumferential weld

at the HP-to-CRH pressure control
valve (Fig 5). “This indication was dis-
covered completely by accident while
escorting a vendor across the top of
the plant,” stated Lofton. The weld
was cut out and replaced.
An HP interstage attemperator
then showed girth-weld indications
during linear phased-array UT inspec-
tion of the P22 pipe. One indication,
8 ft down from the spray nozzle, was
0.625 in. deep, originating from the
5. Crack in circumferential weld, visible at the time of discovery, became inside wall and progressing toward the
invisible to the naked eye when the pipe cooled outside, approximately one third of the
way around the pipe. All systems on
both units were then inspected.
Plant layout fortunately allowed
room for longer attemperator steam
pipes. Seven new attemperators were
purchased, twice the length of the old
ones for improved dwell time to evapo-
rate spray-water droplets (Fig 6). The
resulting 16 to 18 ft total length gives
more time to prevent quench damage.
Four radial spray nozzles replaced the
single nozzle of the original design; the
existing 180-deg elbows were recov-
ered (Fig 7).
All modifications were designed
to provide added strength and life in
cycling duty. The common theme: con-
6. New, extended-length HP attemperators provide more residence time for ventional equipment is rarely designed
the evaporation of spray-water droplets for cycling. System improvements
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 65
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damage level were shown and charac-

Recovered
180-deg terized in detail.
New
hanger elbow Treatment options (and overall
system chemistries) were discussed
along with relevant IAPWS guidance
documents. Component materials were
also discussed, as were film-forming
Existing substances (FFS) that might help in
hanger
protection. These would follow in a
later presentation.

These changing steels,

Part 2
New spray One shot across the bow at last year’s
nozzles inaugural HRSG Forum was a report
by Jeff Henry, Applus+ RTD. The topic:
advanced alloys. The message: We now
have residual elements in the steel
to consider, and they’re changing the
New ball valve material chemistry on a microscopic
level (CCJ 1Q/2017, p 34).
7. New HP attemperators feature four radial spray nozzles Returning in 2018, Henry offered
an update on the evolving issues
included longer pipe legs, improved He reiterated the chemistry influ- with creep-strength-enhanced ferritic
drain systems, radial nozzles, Stellite ences on FAC, typical locations, (CSEF) steels. His theme remained
6 hard-faced seats, and new actuators. appearances, and common mistakes the continuously changing knowledge
Many questions followed regarding in attempts to identify and control. base, and the need for related ASME
thermocouple locations relative to welds. “The problem is global, and it’s not Code updates.
There were also extended questions and just the power industry,” he stressed. One initial Code focus is a reduc-
discussions about cycling impact on Background discussion included tion by ASME in the allowable stress
original designs, steam versus water temperature ranges and the solubility for P91. According to Henry, who
atomization, modification costs and of magnetite, timing of first appear- chairs the ASME Section II Commit-
methods, OEM design variations, and ance in both vertical and horizontal tee, “reductions are now approved by
overall design and repair options. gas path units, and turbulent flows ASME and will be in the 2019 edition
at bends and complex geometries. Air- of the Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code.
FAC remains Number One cooled condensers also were addressed. Modified chemistry for Grade 91 Type
“It is very important to identify II, currently a code case, could be
Barry Dooley, Structural Integrity what type of FAC you have, because released at the same time.”
Associates Inc, provided an in-depth the two types (single- and two-phase) However, he explained, the Code
discussion and updates on “the Num- are controlled by different aspects of does not adequately address heat-
ber One problem” for HRSGs: flow- the cycle chemistry,” he stressed. Many treatment specifics for these steels,
accelerated corrosion (FAC). examples of appearance, location, and even after 20 years of experience and
66 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 TURBınE ınSULATıOn AT ıTS FınEST

data. “Heat treatment remains an ficult to understand or implement,” erties.” EPRI’s John Siefert took this
important topic, and many questions Henry explained. “Rather, there has further. “If creep damage is present,
are the same now as they were 20 been too little effort made to under- you cannot restore the material to
years ago.” stand how the basic metallurgy (micro- virgin conditions.”
As he explained in 2017, CSEF structure) of this class of steels dictates Henry ended with a case history
steels are relatively complex materi- successful heat-treatment practice.” of salvaging improperly heat-treated
als and can vary according to their The industry is now left with many Grade 91 large-diameter (28 in.)
production process, “depending on questions, including these: elbows.
heat-specific chemical composition and n How many times can these materi- Bottom line: keep good records.
processing histories.” This is where als be heat treated? More questions followed on weld
the interesting and disturbing topic of n Can poorly heat-treated materials repairs, inspections and acceptances,
recycled materials appeared last year. be salvaged? and the global state of (or lack of)
For clarity, Henry stated: “The Henry followed this with a detailed knowledge. The questions and discus-
degree of technical control required review of typical heat-treatment pro- sions made clear the obvious concerns
during all phases of implementation cesses, and various complicating about these material properties, their
(design, production, manufacturing, issues. As one example, the Code complexities, and their quality issues.
and erection) is substantially greater specifies minimum hold times for post- And a key question: How do we
than it is with traditional (that is, more weld heat treatment, but not does not track all of the actions that have taken
tolerant) powerplant alloys, such as specify maximums. For temperature, place on all the pieces and parts that
Grades 11 and 22.” he explained, the Code sets an upper we have?
Heat rules. “Improper heat treatment,” limit, above which a material should be The awakening answer: Even look-
Henry stated, “has been the single greatest rejected. But the intention was never ing back at the original materials,
cause of unnecessary failures, repairs, and to hold material at this temperature. there is a lot that we just don’t know.
replacements” involving these steels—par- “Code needs to review this,” he stated. The best advice is to keep good records
ticularly Grade 91. Many questions and discussions of everything you can.
Such improper practices have cost followed (as they did last year) includ-
the industry hundreds of millions of ing precise temperatures, cooling Remaining life of
dollars, and will continue to do so as durations, weld inspections, impacts
“poorly heat-treated components that of wall thickness, adjacent materials, millennials
have not been properly inspected con- weld materials, and the benefits and “HRSGs are millennials,” suggested
tinue to fail prematurely.” risks of re-austenitizing. Sargent & Lundy’s Danial Azukas,
This is not because of overly com- “Austenitizing can reset the life meaning that most of those operating
plex procedures or processes. “The clock,” explained Henry, “but may today were built in the 1990s and early
requirements are not abnormally dif- not duplicate original material prop- 2000s. They were base-load designs
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 67
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for 30-year operation (300 cold, 1500 and operated. until 35-deg-F superheat is achieved
starts, and 6000 hot starts). The primary concern is erosion should eliminate erosion damage. A
Then gas prices fluctuated, both up caused by water and/or steam passing bigger warming drain may be required
and down, and green power entered. through the valve (HP to CRH). This is (before the header isolation valve) to
As discussed throughout the HRSG not a problem with all units, nor is it avoid excessive startup time.
Forum, cycling and unanticipated a problem specific to any valve OEM.
owner/operator challenges began. He began with a single-shaft unit Fitness, according to
Azukas discussed various cycling example in somewhat unique operat-
impacts through a case history, launch- ing modes including open cycle, then EPRI
ing a theme of cycling and remaining followed with a 2 × 1 plant in typical Tom Sambor, EPRI’s technical leader for
life assessments that would appear operating modes. Program 88 HRSG and BOP, discussed
throughout the organized meeting and In the first example, the HP-bypass life assessment of boilers and pressure
the frequent open discussions. pressure control valve began leak- parts, particularly the fleet of HRSGs
One assessment element discussed ing through after one or two runs. now reaching the soft design life.
was benchmarking with data and Although correctly installed, the OEM Reviewing relevant background,
evaluations not tied directly to the modified the valve to improve erosion he explained that in Western Europe
subject plant. The North American resistance, but rapid erosion contin- fitness for service was “an integrated
Electric Reliability Corp maintains ued. The issue was identified as part approach to operation and life manage-
availability database systems that can of open-cycle service when the gas ment.” Re-assessment for continued
add value to such reviews, highlighting turbine is at low load and the steam operation was common, he explained,
outage events and other influencing turbine is offline. This allows conden- due in part to long-term use of more
data. Peer plant comparisons of outage sate to pool along the bottom of the complex materials.
factors, availability, and capacity can main-steam pipe, shrinking it relative This is not the history in the US and
also help in the look forward. to the top of the pipe. The normal 1% Canada. He explained that in the 1980s
Assessments would become a com- slope downward becomes reverse slope. and 1990s, service fitness became an
mon topic throughout the conference. In a second case study (2 × 1 in urgent need in North America because
typical modes), leaking occurred after of header ligament cracking, dissimilar
Bypass-valve erosion a period of years, and although modi- metal weld failures, and some cata-
fied by the OEM, recurred. Arrange- strophic material events.
Bob Anderson discussed HP-bypass ment and start modes were reviewed. EPRI began pioneering with its
pressure control valves, stating that During a lag cold start, the bypass RP2253 project.
although these are considered severe valve opens too early when main- Sambor explained that EPRI now
duty, they can last 10 to 12 years before steam temperature is still at satura- advocates a seven-point life manage-
seat/plug repair, if properly controlled tion (Tsat). Delay in opening the PCV ment approach:
68 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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1. Understand how design, operation, FAD curve outside of the refining industry.
fabrication, and metallurgy affect Potentially
Sambor explained further back-
1.0
component performance. unsafe ground and continuing activities,
2. Appreciate the historical issues highlighting those by API and devel-
(failures, statistical analysis). Safe opments at ASME, specifically the
3. Develop optimum specifications. Kr Cut-off Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Main
4. Set improved quality guidelines for Committee. ASME and API now work
design, manufacture, operation. together on the issues.
5. Determine when, where, and how Assessment point (Kr, Lr) Then he presented specific examples
to look for damage. of poorly performed fitness programs.
6. Develop component-specific meth- Several cautions were discussed,
ods for repair/replacement that Lrmax including lack of communication and
exceed minimum Code rules. Lr inherent limitations of some overly
7 Employ technology transfer of infor- 8. CEGB evaluation curve, safe specialized consultants.
mation to codes, standards, and the versus potentially unsafe Sambor next focused on fitness-for-
global community. service challenges specific to HRSGs,
His presentation concentrated on Sambor’s discussion centered on including the following:
the search for damage. safe operation based on inspection n For operations: Cycling, and sig-
Another bit of history: The Central results, and subsequent inspection nificant duct firing.
Electricity Generating Board (CEBG) planning. “In some cases,” according n For materials: Extensive use of
in the UK performed foundational to National Boiler Inspection Code CSEF steels.
work in power-generation fitness for (Part 2), “a visual inspection of the n For maintenance: Plants are forced
service in the 1960s. “Thousands of pressure-retaining item will suf- to “do more with less.”
welds were identified to have fabrica- fice. However, more comprehensive n Other: Gas-turbine upgrades can
tion flaws,” explained Sambor. “Rather condition-assessment methods may have unintended consequences on
than simply repair or replace, the be needed—including an engineering HRSGs (and other downstream
CEGB chose to evaluate.” Assess- evaluation performed by a competent equipment).
ments looked at “safe” versus “poten- technical source.” Sambor then discussed these spe-
tially unsafe” (Fig 8). Detailed examples also are given cific component challenges:
In the US, the wake-up catastrophic in American Petroleum Institute’s 1. Large branch connections (Fig
failure was in 1986, at DTE Monroe. API 579, Section 1.1.2. As Sambor 9). This has become a significant
The failure occurred in Unit 1. But explained, “By its own definition API industry problem, particularly with
Units 2 and 3 were not shut down. 579 does not independently determine Grade 91.
Both were needed to meet demand, and if a component is fit for service; it helps 2. Tube-to-header connections. This
continued in reduced operation. This determine.” API 579 was released in has led to numerous drain evalua-
ongoing generation during assessment 2000 and immediately received wide- tions for condensate removal.
proved successful. spread acceptance both inside and 3. Drum nozzles (Fig 10). Circum-
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 69
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ferential cracking at toe welds is based on the changing world of plant

increasingly common. operations?”
Many related issues were discussed The presentation began with a look
throughout the 2018 Forum, including at classic closed-loop controls, and an
valve bodies and attemperator-induced interesting point: Controls look in real
quench cracking. time. So the key is to also understand
Sambor ended with EPRI’s overall system dynamics, including the ele-
fitness philosophy, stating that proper ments of time. In one example, Nyen-
methodologies must be: huis looked at unstable final steam
n Based on engineering rigor. temperatures caused by cycling, and
n Relevant and no more complicated PID-based load control. The question:
9. P91 large branch connections are than necessary. What can refined control do for the
known for their susceptibility to flank- n Benchmarked against well-pedi- long-term life of the components?
side cracking greed test cases from the industry. “If we can develop very refined
n Clear for key scenarios such as models,” he said, “this allows us to
identified flaw, assumed flaw, creep look forward and make predictions,
(time-dependent), etc. then anticipate these in our controls
n Based on well-maintained and rel- strategy.” The in-depth presentation
evant databases, and active sharing appealed to those knowledgeable in
of both present and past informa- the systems and tuning processes, but
tion. also reinforced the movement toward
“Most of all,” he said, “safety must more forward-looking operations (the
be paramount! Safety drives fitness cycling world).
for service.” Discussions highlighted the com-
Lengthy discussions followed plexities, including these:
including hands-on training of inspec- n Predictive modeling should account
tors (AIs) and increased interaction for historical empirical data, weath-
with insurance carriers. er, time of day, differing humidity.
n Other units on and running.
Evolving automation n Anticipating where the load will be
in 20 to 30 minutes.
Jim Nyenhuis, Emerson, followed with n Other operational challenges,
an update on automation and controls including justifying the cost of a
10. Circumferential cracking of for combined cycles. He posed this control-system change to manage-
drum nozzles is increasingly common question: “How can automation help, ment.
70 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
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Drum instrumentation increasingly dynamic topic of FFS for

corrosion resistance and layup protec-
the details of FFS research, followed
by storage, feed considerations, and
Staying with the control theme, Jim tion. This topic now has its own inter- application schedules.
Kolbus, Clark-Reliance Corp, dis- national conference, most recently in His key two-part message:
cussed recent developments in drum Prague, organized by IAPWS. 1. Any use of film-forming substances
level instrumentation, and a focus on He offered background. Amine/ should be in combination with, not
ASME Code requirements. filming chemistry is being used or con- in lieu of, best cycle chemistry by
“The only direct-reading device is sidered for many reasons, including: international standards.
a gage glass,” he explained. “Indirect n Better layup protection during 2. You can’t control what you can’t
reading is a remote device.” He then outages of varying duration. Film- identify and measure.
reviewed the options, pressure limits of forming substances can place a Shulder ended with a list of ques-
each, and Code-permitted variations. hydrophobic barrier between metal tions to ask any FFS supplier.
The discussion included minimum surfaces and liquid. Limits on capi- Barry Dooley stressed that “There
Section 1 water-gage requirement— tal expenditures or personnel could is a whole series of failures that can
including placement details, isolation restrict the full use of dehumidified occur with these substances,” and
and drain valves, permitted globe-type air systems, a viable alternative. reiterated that a definitive consensus
valves, and chain operation mecha- n Non-optimized corrosion-product document is now available at no charge
nisms for personnel and plant safety. transport with recommended feed- through www.iapws.org, namely Tech-
Common Code violations and con- water treatment programs. Cycling nical Guidance Document “Application
cerns discussed included: operation means more startups, and of Film-Forming Amines in Fossil,
n Isolated inoperable water gages. excessive use of ammonia can lead Combined Cycle, and Biomass Power
n Missing water gage glass. to vapors within the plant and short Plants” (TGD 8-16).
n Missing illumination from water polisher runs.
gages. n Two-phase FAC damage. Neutral- Tube-to-header weld
n Inadequate display of remote indi- izing amines may provide better
cators in the control room. dissociation and distribution than evaluations
Kolbus stressed “proper mainte- ammonia, and higher localized at- Matt Dowling of Applied Technical
nance and routine inspection of these temperature pH. Services followed with a case study on
critical instruments,” such as blow- Shulder discussed filming amines HP/RH-tube-stub-to-header welds at
down of small-diameter sensing lines and filming products, amine chemical the Ontelaunee Energy Facility. The
to remove sediment. structure, and application benefits and F-class 2 × 1 combined cycle has accu-
risks. He then turned to case studies, mulated more than 80,000 operating
Film-forming substances including potential impact on and ben- hours since COD in 2002.
efits to air-cooled condensers. History includes 73 failures, all
Stephen Shulder, EPRI, addressed the Considerable time was spent on in the upper-header bent tube rows.
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 71
 Module 1
Maximum tube-metal
temperature depends on steam
and exhaust temperatures;
may occur at low load

Module 2
Max TMT when duct firing

11. One of 73 failures in the upper header bent-tube rows 12. Tube-metal-temperature areas of concern in Modules
experienced at an F-class plant 1 and 2

Analysis showed that damage initiated HRSG tube-metal temperatures above (heat-to-heat) composition and various
at the outer edge of the heat-affected their design limit. Gas temperatures material heat-treatment practices.
zone, approximately 0.125 in. from the increase, but steam temperatures can “One current emphasis,” he said, “is
toe of the weld on the tube side (Fig 11). remain constant, controlled by the to merge two items of EPRI’s seven-
Dowling covered the details of OD, attemperators. point life management approach:
ID, and mid-wall inspections, some Internal oxide growth also was n Understand how design, operation,
difficult because of geometry. To date, discussed. During comments, Barry fabrication, and metallurgy affect
27 repairs have been completed, and Dooley mentioned that a workshop on performance, and
further testing continues. Root cause materials and overheating was held at n Transfer this information to industry
is not yet identified. the Australasian HRSG Users Group, codes and standards, and the global
Forum participants offered ideas and was on the agenda for the Euro- electricity-supply community.”
and suggestions, and interesting pean HRSG Forum, held recently in The presentation offered details on
insights going forward. This is a Spain. “We are discussing overheat- programs by EPRI, ASME, and NBIC,
bubble unit; subsequent designs were ing in HRSGs as a serious problem, and included a list of publicly available
modified. and looking at doing some proactive EPRI reports.
work, particularly with a large global Questions included applicable codes
SH/RH metal database on oxides in various materi- for repair of older materials.
als.” This will become a topic for the
temperatures HRSG Forum. Exhaust casings
HRST Inc’s Bryan Craig explained
the primary factors affecting HRSG Full disclosure Jake Waterhouse, Dekomte, presented
superheater and reheater tube metal exhaust-casing insulation inspection
temperatures, and typical areas of EPRI’s John Siefert discussed tech- and repair examples for liner upgrades,
concern. nology-transfer achievements (and insulation repacking, hot-spot elimina-
“For some HRSGs,” he explained, open information exchange) as an tion, apertures, and openings.
“the highest tube-metal temperatures approach to equipment life manage- He began with cold-casing duct
could be in Module 1, during low-load ment, specifically regarding CSEF insulation issues (insulation loss
unfired operation”. “In HRSGs with steels. Looking back to 2006, he stated leading to hot spots). Operational
duct burners,” he continued, “maxi- that “after 10 years of research and impacts highlighted the multiple
mums will be in Module 2 with burn- more than $15 million invested by negative effects of two-shifting and
ers firing.” collaborative industry projects, there cycling including temperature tran-
And why is this important? “A is now sufficient insight to provide an sient fatigue and stress, movement,
temperature increase of 15 to 20 deg integrated strategy for life manage- and dew-point condensation (acid and
F can reduce equipment life by half,” ment of CSEF steels. This includes water).
he stated. more than 125 individual reports Both standard and high-turbulence
Long flames and gas-temperature and the world’s most comprehensive liner arrangements were described
variations downstream of burners were understanding of these materials in including the potential benefits of scal-
discussed, and rule-of-thumb observa- powerplant components.” lops. Duct insulation options included
tions were given including duct-burner He then repeated that “variabil- traditional, staggered, and stacked.
cameras. ity is a reality in 9Cr martensitic Pumpable repairs were described,
Failing or missing gas baffles are CSEF steels.” The inconsistency is in including techniques and thermo-
also a major contributor, allowing deformation and damage resistance. graphic modeling during application.
high-temperature exhaust gas to come “This reality,” he stated, “increases High-turbulence exhaust-diffuser
in contact with downstream tubes the complexity of an integrated life- repairs followed, including an example
designed for lower temperatures. management strategy.” repair during operation. Fabric expan-
Craig presented photos of numerous Siefert outlined the resistance sion-joint technology was described in
gas-baffle failures. specifics and discussed the need for detail for penetration seals.
Gas-turbine upgrades can also push more stringent control of both up-front Effective monitoring during plant
72 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
operation was emphasized throughout
the presentation and discussions.

Steam-cooled
desuperheaters
Attemperators that cool with satu-
rated steam were described, primarily
interstage and final desuperheaters
designed to reduce thermal shock dam-
Claw Tool for Tube to
age. The design discussed by Karel van Header Weld Cracking
Wijk, Advanced Valve Solutions, has
been in operation for 10 years.
Thermal-shock calculations
reviewed estimate that by reducing
temperature differential by about 125
deg F, the number of expected startups
Internal Crawler for Visual
without damage increases enormously. and Tube Thickness from
Sample calculations and predictions the Tube ID
were reviewed.
Desuperheater positions, designs,
and materials were examined in detail.

Capacitance sensing OD Scanning for Tube

Qussai Metashdeh, Tech4Imaging
Wall Thickness
LLC, concluded the sessions with a
discussion of non-invasive imaging and
monitoring technologies. He concen-
trated on electric-capacitance volume
tomography (ECVT), specifically for
412.798.8990
two-phase flow applications in HRSGs. www.TesTex-NDT.com
Also discussed was adaptability to
various locations, concentrating on
evaporator steam quality for ramp-
ing purposes. at the 2018 HRSG Forum focused on Area-specific presentations could
ECVT is also applicable for three- these issues as well. be of significant interest regardless
phase flow (water, air, oil) and work is AHUG presentations also covered of location:
being supported by the DOE’s National the common elements of tube cleaning n New-build cycle-chemistry chal-
Energy Technical Laboratory. and efficiency, the impact of cycling, lenge in the Middle East.
Questions included solids monitor- severe-service valves, attemperation, n Long-term dry-layup concerns and
ing (fluidized beds) and testing with condensate detection and removal, and tactics at Stanwell’s Swanbank
hydrocarbons. a list of active case studies through- Plant in Queensland.
out that part of the world. Plus, cycle n Inspection and assessment updates
HRSG Forum and chemistry and updates on film-forming for several units in Australia and
substances. New Zealand.
common global Overheating of HRSGs was charac- n Even failure of P91 steam super-
elements terized in Sydney by HRST Inc’s Lester heater tubes in an ethylene cracker
Stanley, showing the global nature of furnace.
As Barry Dooley tells us about flow- such overheat issues as: Many presentations made reference
accelerated corrosion in combined- Non-pressure parts: to operational data, and the need for
cycle systems, some things are simply n Liner plates. Type-409 stainless sharing these data with other owner/
global—the same everywhere. steel in inlet ducts; Type 304 in operators. Such was also the recom-
Many of the topics covered in the firing ducts. mendation of EPRI during the HRSG
second annual HRSG Forum with n Tube ties. Chrome-plated in inlet Forum in Houston.
Bob Anderson are being discussed ducts; Type 304 in firing ducts.
throughout the world at the Austral- n Gas baffles (firing ducts). 2019
asian HRSG Users Group (AHUG), the n Duct burners. Type-304 compo-
European HRSG Forum, the Canadian nents. In both 2017 and 2018, Bob Anderson
HRSG Forum, and others. Pressure parts: encouraged and stimulated the discus-
Recently in Australia, a full-day n Tubes. sion of experience and ideas, the inter-
workshop was dedicated to materi- n Headers. play of frustrations and successes, the
als issues in HRSGs, the same issues n Link pipes between tubes and head- exposure of things heard in the field
discussed in Houston. Topics included ers. and around the world, supporting it all
P91 damage mechanisms and case n Steam outlet piping. with his in-depth knowledge and the
studies (CSEF steels), failure mecha- But there is great value also in the expertise of his colleagues. Plans are
nisms, life-prediction and remaining- local case studies, the sharing of suc- in progress for the third annual HRSG
life assessment methods, weld repairs, cesses and failures, and the awareness Forum with Bob Anderson. Details will
and oxide growth and exfoliation of that many of these issues are indeed be posted at www.HRSGforum.com as
HRSG materials. Open discussions global. they become available. ccj
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 73
 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

WTUI, CCJ
collaborate on
best practices
The Western Turbine Users and CCJ are working together
to expand the sharing of best practices and lessons learned
among owner/operators of GE aero engines. WTUI VP Ed Jack- for Aeroderivative Plants
son, plant manager of Missouri River Energy Services’ Exira Equus Power I LP
Generating Station in Brayton, Iowa, said the organization’s mis-
J-Power Long Island Fleet
sion is to help members better operate and maintain their plants,
and a proactive best practices program supports this objective. Lawrence Generating Station
Jackson announced the joint program at the user organization’s Orange Cogeneration Facility
26th Annual Meeting (2016) in Palm Springs where he encouraged Orange Grove Energy Center
attendees to support the initiative and explained how they would Pinelawn Power LLC
benefit from the experience. The latest fruits of that effort are the Reo Town Cogeneration Plant
best practices profiled on the next several pages, submitted by the Shoreham Energy LLC
11 plants listed at the right. Last year, eight plants participated. Terry Bundy Generating Station
Recall that CCJ launched its industry-wide Best Practices West Valley Power
Awards program in late 2004. Its primary objective, says Gen-
eral Manager Scott Schwieger, is recognition of the valuable
Worthington Generation LLC
contributions made by owner/operator personnel to improve
and Western Turbine Users Inc
the safety and performance of generating facilities powered by
gas turbines. Schwieger and Jackson are working together to
grow participation by aero users. 2018
LM6000 remote
start/stop alert Equus Equus Power I, LP
Owned by J-Power USA

notification Operated by NAES Corp

50-MW, dual-fuel, remote-start
system simple-cycle LM6000 located in
Freeport, NY
Challenge. Equus Power I entered the Plant manager: Kenneth Ford
New York merchant power market
in late 2017. An important revenue and annunciate an alarm tone. Plus,
stream for the facility is the NY ISO hardware installed to support the new
10-min-start market. Plant is oper- radio system was modified to activate
ated remotely from another NAES a contact closure that sounds mechani-
gas-turbine facility, Pinelawn Power cal alarm bells strategically placed in
LLC, about 20 miles away. high noise areas of the Pinelawn plant,
It was necessary to assure that thereby providing further assurance
real-time start and stop signals were that an Equus start/stop signal will
received and acted upon immediately be heard and acted upon immediately.
by the Pineland operators. Prior to
implementing the alert notification Results. The remote alert notification
system one of Pinelawn’s two O&M system provided immediate results.
techs had to remain in the control room Specifically, a Pinelawn OMT is no
to fulfill this function, limiting the longer required to remain in the con-
OMTs’ ability to perform their regular mary purpose was to enable a “Man- trol room to monitor for an Equus
inspection and maintenance activities. Down” alert system to provide a safety start/stop signal. This allows Pinelawn
The challenge: Install a system that net when staff were tasked with work- OMTs more time to complete equip-
allowed OMTs to leave the control ing alone at Equus. ment inspections and perform required
room to perform their Pinelawn duties Site management pursued expand- maintenance. Also, the robust start/
yet still receive immediate notice of ed capabilities for the radio system— stop notification system helps ensure
remote start/stop requests for the including interfacing it with the Equus Equus can continue to successfully
Equus turbine. control system so start/stop signals compete in the New York ISO 10-min-
could be transmitted to all radios on start market.
Solution. The Equus site already was the Equus-Pinelawn network.
equipped with hand-held radios that Today, upon receipt of an Equus Project participants: Kenneth Ford,
linked the Equus and Pinelawn sites start/stop signal, all radios on the net- Mark Whitney, Dan Frederick, and
via an electronic network. Their pri- work will both display a text message Brett Miller
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 75
WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Terry Bundy
the equivalent operat-
ing hours associated with
cold starts, thereby cut-
ting maintenance costs
by extending the interval
between major inspections.
Rotor mods reduced the
original cold-start EOH
penalty from 530 to 235
EOH.
The turbine modifica-
tions included machining
the rotor ends to increase
case clearance, modify-
ing the blade root con-
figuration, changing the
geometry of the thermal
relief groove, and installing
upgraded blades. The heat-
ing system maintains the
steam-chest temperature
at 650F, further reducing
the EOH penalty for a start
to 36 EOH.
Steam-turbine rotor/case A key requirement of the project
was designing a monitoring system to
upgrades and heating system estimate rotor temperature. The main
challenge with designing the tempera-
Challenge. The Terry Bundy Gener- ture monitoring system was that the
ating Station is dispatched primarily Terry Bundy dual-case design of the turbine made
to address peaks in the SPP market, Generating Station it challenging to accurately measure
resulting in daily on/off cycling. In turbine temperature. Working with
2016, the combined cycle’s steam- Lincoln Electric System the turbine OEM, seven additional
turbine vendor significantly increased 170-MW, natural-gas-fired, 2 × 1 thermocouples were installed in the
the equivalent operating-hour (EOH) combined cycle and a simple-cycle turbine-case HP and IP sections,
factor for cold starts. The new cold- LM6000, plus three landfill-gas- including one which extended into an
start EOH factor would have required fired internal combustion engines, HP inner-case structure.
major inspection/maintenance cycles located in Lincoln, Neb This allowed the system to assign
for the turbine every seven years, at Plant manager: Jim Dutton the correct EOH factor for hot (644F
a cost of over $7.6 million over the and above), warm (266F to 644F) and
next 25 years. to the turbine rotor and installing a cold starts (less than 266F) based on
turbine rotor/case heating system to actual rotor condition; as opposed to
Solution. Staff evaluated the benefits allow the unit to remain in hot standby the original EOH factor system that
of reducing the number of “cold” starts mode for multiple days after com- used the amount of time since shut-
and associated maintenance cycles by ing offline. The heating system and down to determine which EOH factor
upgrading turbine components and turbine modifications significantly to apply to the next start.
installing a turbine case/rotor heat- reduced the operating-hour penalties The heating system, designed to
ing system. associated with cold starts and reduced bring the turbine from a cold condi-
future scheduled maintenance costs. tion to 260F using approximately
Results. Project scope covered the The overall goal was to improve 2067 kWh of energy, consists of
evaluation of mechanical modifications unit operating economics and reduce 19 heating-blanket zones that are

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76 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018

 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES
patch time have not yet been quanti-
fied. Lincoln Electric System is still
evaluating the amount of energy, and
associated cost, for heating-system
operation.

Project cost breakdown

n Heating system design, installation,
and commissioning: $1,263,764
n Estimated net present value
of maintenance-cost reduction:
$5,538,000
n Peak heating electrical demand:
150 kW
First hold temperature, trip to 96
hours.
n HP end section, 650F.
n Steam chest, 675F.
n IP end section, 375F.
Operator screen for overview of turbine warming system Second hold temperature, 97 to
168 hours.
sequenced on and off depending on In addition to extending the inter- n HP end section, 550F.
measured case/rotor temperature and val between maintenance periods, the n Steam chest, 575F.
time since the unit was taken offline heating system reduced the steam- n IP end section, 275F.
(screen photo). turbine dispatch time by 45 minutes. Third hold temperature, 169 to
The heating system is sequenced to The shorter dispatch time improved 216 hours.
maintain the turbine at 675F from the unit economics and will potentially n HP end section, 375F.
time the steam turbine is taken offline lead to better market utilization of the n Steam chest, 375F.
until 96 hours have passed. It then generating resource. n IP end section, 200F.
lowers the maintenance temperature Economic analysis of the benefits
to 575F for the next 72 hours. Finally, of this system indicate over $5.5 Project participants:
the system holds the turbine at 375F million in total savings from extend- Jim Dutton, plant manager
for 48 hours before allowing the tem- ing the maintenance intervals. The Chris Hodges, Nickolas Wischhof, and
perature to decay to ambient. economic benefits of the shorter dis- Byron Bakenhus, project engineers

TURBınE ınSULATıOn AT ıTS FınEST

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 77

WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

EVM I Energía del Valle de

Mexico l
Owned by EVM Energia SAPI de CV
Operated by NAES Corp
100-MW (net), gas-fired, three simple-
cycle LM6000PF gas turbines located
near Mexico City
Plant manager: Javier Badillo

lons from the commissioning period

(October 10-16) through the end of
the month.
At about $0.06/gal, plant saved
about $9500 in October alone. This
means that the condensate recovery
system, which cost roughly $10,500 in
materials and labor, more than paid
for itself in its first month of opera-
tion. Management does not expect to
buy fresh water for the remainder of
Chiller condensate recovery the plant’s service life.
In fact, because EVM I recov-
cuts costs, benefits community ers substantially more water than
it uses, the plant supplies the local
Challenge: How to increase output/ the system working in automatic, or community with badly needed water
maximize revenue when electricity in manual mode, as required. It relies for crop irrigation and other uses,
demand and prices peak during the on an electrical float to start and stop allowing it to reduce its wastewater
warm months. the pump. When the collector tank is disposal cost to practically zero, while
EVM I was designed with a chiller- full, the water is pumped to the service improving relations with neighboring
type power-augmentation system. tank; the float stops the pump when communities.
When inlet air approaches satura- the tank is empty. The 220-V system A laboratory analysis showed the
tion, moisture begins to condense. is powered by the gas-turbine light- condensate to be of high quality. Con-
The condensate formed—as much as ing boards. ductivity measures less than 5 µS and
16,500 gal/day—dropped to a collec- pH averages 6.5-7. With reclaimed-
tor in the filter house and was piped Results. The system described allows water specs close to those for demin
to plant drains. Disposing of this recovery of up to 16,500 gal/day of water, plant can use it directly for
much water was expensive given the water. Given the variation in rela- offline and online compressor water
fee structure specified in the plant’s tive humidity and ambient tempera- washing. Given the plant typically
wastewater permit. ture, condensate production also is was paying $5600 annually for demin
Staff wanted to recover the con- variable. Staff calculated a monthly water, this reduces operating costs
densate for use as makeup for the baseline using actual daily production further.
small boiler onsite, for filling of the from July 2016 through June 2017
service-water tank, and for provid- (table below). Project participants: Alonso Saldivar,
ing demineralized water for chiller Condensate plant engineer
makeup and for gas-turbine compres- produced
Avg Avg per unit,
sor water washing. Month RH, % temp, F gal/day

J-Power
July 2016 63 63 6747
Solution. After considering several August 71 61 7119
possible solutions, personnel came up September 72 60 6998
with a design for a system that could

Long
October 69 58 4715
direct the condensate formed either November 71 55 3925
to the plant’s sumps or to a collector December 63 55 2936
tank. Once filled, these tanks would January 2017 51 54 ...

Island
be pumped to the service water tank February 46 56 ...
and/or the demineralized-water tank, March 52 58 ...
as required. April 55 64 4889
During a planned outage, staff May 55 64 5671
modified the condensate drain pipe
for each gas turbine, installing two
June 60 63 6364 One way to
valves: one to direct the condensate to
the drain, the other to a 290-gal col-
Because the state of Mexico has
imposed a ban on obtaining fresh avoid air-permit
lector tank added alongside the auxil-
iary skid serving each engine. Next, a
water from new wells, the plant would
have to buy water for services and for violations
pump was installed in each circuit to making demineralized water. It made
pump water to the service-water and/ a considerable difference to its operat- Challenge. Four LM6000s at multiple
or demin tank. ing budget that the plant was able to Long Island sites have strict NO x
A simple level-control device keeps recover approximately 159,000 gal- limits (2.5 ppm one-hour average on
78 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
SISU IS YOUR SOLUTION
DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU
ARE OUT OF COMPLIANCE

ARE YOU EXPERIENCING:

• Loose Frames, dislodged Baffles,

missing Gaskets?
• Catalyst Degradation due to
Masking or Fouling?
• Catalyst Reaching End-of-Life
Operating Hours?
• Control System Obsolescence
• Ammonia Vaporization Issues

With over 25 years’ experience, the

Sisu Team can deliver:

• Inspection & Testing

• Proprietary Gasket Retention
Modifications
• Replacement Frames with
Enhanced Design Features
• OEM-approved Catalyst Cleaning
Methods
• Turnkey Catalyst Replacement
• PLC System Upgrades
• Ammonia System Tuning and
Efficiency Enhancements

ASK US THE HOW AND THE WHY

Charles Lockhart
[email protected]
918.271.7322
www.sisu-ee.com
WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Lawrence
gas, 9 ppm on oil). Thus, a hiccup in
NOx-water or ammonia injection might
cause a significant spike in stack NOx,
likely resulting in a reportable air-
permit exceedance.
The challenge was to establish a
method to automatically detect an
abnormality in the emissions control
system and immediately start a GT
shutdown. The goal was to eliminate
the time needed for an operator to
detect, analyze, and act on system
abnormalities thus reducing the
chances of the CEMS Data Acquisi-
tion and Handling System recording
a steady state, one-hour-average,
air-permit exceedance.
Custom platforms, modified
Solution. Plant managers identified
access doors to filter
the following conditions at which an
automatic GT shutdown should be
compartment improve safety
initiated: Challenge. Plant personnel noticed
n GT load greater than 25 MW and a major design flaw and safety haz- Lawrence Generating
NOx water flow rate drops below 5 ard in the generator filter compart- Station
gpm. ment: Access doors on both sides of
n GT load greater than 25 MW and the compartment were located 20 ft Owned by Hoosier Energy (four
25 minutes have elapsed since above ground level, with no established units) and Wabash Valley Power
startup (assures SCR is warmed means of access. In addition, a support Assn (two units)
up and ammonia is being injected) beam blocked both doors’ travel, allow- Operated by NAES Corp
and ammonia flow drops to less ing them to open only about 10 in. This
258 MW, six simple-cycle LM6000
than 10 lb/hr for more than 10 severely limited access to the air filters
natural-gas-fired peaking units,
seconds. and critical operating transmitters.
located in Lawrence County, Ind,
Once the above thresholds were
and connected to Hoosier’s 161-kV
identified, an outside vendor special- Solution. Safety committee brainstormed
transmission line
izing in GT and BOP control-system the problem and came up with a plan to
architecture was contracted to develop add custom-built platforms supported by Plant manager: Robert VanDenburgh
and implement logic to support the existing structural members to access
desired actions. the filter compartment. In addition, the ported platforms with handrails
top corner of each access door would be and vertical ladders to allow per-
Results. Following implementation cut off, then reattached with hinges so sonnel to safely access elevated
of automatic shutdown logic, none of it would swing out of the way, allowing compartment doors.
the four engines has experienced a the access door to open fully without n Cut off top corner of each access door
reportable air-permit exceedance as obstruction (left photo). When bolted, using a triangular “Nabisco cut,” reat-
a result of water- or ammonia-injec- the access door would still maintain its tached with stainless-steel hinges.
tion anomalies. Best estimate: Eight integrity (right photo).
reportable events were prevented in The solution developed as follows: Results. Staff can now access the gen-
the last two years. n Met with two fabrication contractors erator filter compartment without the
to get ideas for a possible design. need for extension ladders, scaffold-
Project participants: Kenneth Ford, n Safety committee gathered input ing, or fall arrest protection onsite.
Mark Whitney, and John Lawton and came up with a feasible, cost- Routine filter changes, calibrations,
effective design. and damper maintenance can be done
n Had a structural engineer come on site safely, quickly, and conveniently.
J-Power Long Island to evaluate and approve the design. During peak operation last sum-
n Added permanent, separately sup- mer, staff discovered an additional,
Fleet unanticipated benefit of the access
Owned by J-Power USA solution. When a damper actuator
Operated by NAES Corp failed, it caused the filter-compartment
temperature to rise rapidly. The unit
Edgewood: 90-MW, two-unit, peak- was ready to trip offline because of
ing facility located in Brentwood, NY the excessive heat, but operator on
Equus: 50-MW remote-start peaker duty accessed the inlet door quickly
located in Freeport, NY and opened the Nabisco cut, which
Pinelawn: 80-MW, dual-fuel, 1 × provided enough air flow to arrest the
1 combined cycle located in West temperature increase and give person-
Babylon, NY nel time to get the damper open and
Hinged “Nabisco cut” allows door to restore normal operations.
Shoreham: 90-MW, two-unit, peak-
open fully despite beam obstruction
ing facility located in Shoreham, NY Project participants: Matthew O’Hara,
(left). When the Nabisco cut is secured
Plant manager: Kenneth Ford with a bolt, full integrity of the access lead O&M tech
door is restored (right) Jared Thomas, O&M and IC&E tech
80 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

West Valley
Acid is troublesome.
Varnish is complicated.
Removing them is easy.
Upgrading lube-oil hoses
reduces forced outages
Challenge. West Valley’s
generator lube-oil discharge West Valley
hoses had ruptured at least Power
once per unit per year. Owned by Utah Munici-
Each incident resulted in pal Power Agency
an unscheduled outage of at
least four hours and the loss Operated by NAES Corp
of 50 to 100 gallons of lube 200-MW, gas-fired, five
oil. The OEM equipment con- simple-cycle LM6000s
sisted of two stainless-steel located in West Valley
flanges connected by a rubber City, Utah
hose—a design apparently Plant manager: Jerame
not up to the task. Blevins
Solution. Even after staff had replaced the ruptured hoses
numerous times with OEM approved parts—and upgraded
the hose material—the issue persisted (photo left). Plant
personnel considered several solutions, settling on having
a braided stainless-steel-reinforced hose manufactured
for each unit (photo, right). Careful measurements were
taken on each unit before having the five new hoses fab-
ricated by a local shop.

FSJL
Results. Since West Valley installed the new hoses four
years ago, it has not had a single rupture, saving about
500 gal/yr valued at $8100. It has also reduced the call-in
hours for two extra operators to clean up five spills and
Complete Jet Lube replace five hoses, which totaled more than $2200 annu-
ally. Overall, it has reduced the number of forced outages
Conditioning Systems by five per year (at four hours per outage).

» Remove water, acid, particulate, Project participants:

gels, and dissolved metals Stephen Rogers, shift supervisor
Chris Cook, OMT
» Eliminate expensive unit trips & fail-to-starts Brett Argyle, OMT
» Lower ISO Codes + extend fluid life
» Protect servo valves and critical components

Original hose after failure is at the left, braided stainless-

steel-reinforced replacement hose at right
82 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 CE
R AL
N N D
CO AN 3R

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FORUM
FE U

WITH BOB ANDERSON

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3 days of practical knowledge
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July 22–24, 2019
Hilton Orlando
6001 Destination Parkway,
Orlando, FL
WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Pinelawn
Chain fall/come-along storage cart
Challenge. Chain falls and come- some to handle when walking. Plus,
alongs are available in various sizes they require periodic lubrication to
(based on load rating) with varying maintain good working order, but
lengths of operating (pull) chain and drips of lubricants can present both an
load-bearing chain. Carrying these environmental and a slip/trip hazard.
devices introduces a safety hazard The challenge was to create a way
since they can be heavy and their long to both store and transport the site’s
lengths of chain make them cumber- chain falls and come-alongs in a safe

INNOVATIVE
PROTECTION
Pinelawn Power LLC
Owned by J-Power USA
Operated by NAES Corp
80-MW, dual-fuel, 1 × 1 combined
THAT OUTPERFORMS BY COVERFLEX cycle located in West Babylon, NY
Plant manager: Kenneth Ford

and environmentally responsible

manner.

Solution. Site OMTs met the challenge

by building a wheeled transport cart
constructed primarily of angle iron,
tubular steel, wood decking, and eye-
lets. The chain falls and come-alongs
are hung from the eyelets and their
chains are stowed in 5-gal buckets to
allow for neat storage as well as cap-
ture of any oil drippings (photo).

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Results. The transport cart provided
design, fabrication, and installation services. immediate elimination of the safety
hazards associated with carrying
chain falls and come-alongs. One OMT
can now easily move multiple devices
to work locations onsite. Storage of
chains in buckets eliminates the envi-
ronmental hazard of accumulated oil
drippings and the safety hazard of a
slippery walking surface.

www.coverflex.net 6828 La Paseo St. Houston, TX 77087 713-378-0966 Project participants:

Pinelawn OMTs
84 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Shoreham We Were Built

FOR THIS.

Turbine lube-oil- Shoreham Energy LLC

reservoir filling Owned by J-Power USA
Operated by NAES Corp
process 90-MW, two-unit, peaking facility
located in Shoreham, NY
Challenge. The turbine lube-oil res-
ervoir, as constructed, offered no Plant manager: Kenneth Ford
accommodation to add oil other than
to stand on top of an adjacent motor now able to add oil simply by running
and manually add oil to the top of the the hose to the top reservoir, into the
reservoir, through the fill port, with fill port, and starting the pump. When
a 5-gal bucket. Identifying this as a complete, all that was required was
potential safety concern, the site set to stop the pump. While successful,
about to make the process safer. employees found this method some-
Over time, multiple investments what cumbersome in that great care
were made to provide a stable, secure, needed to be taken to ensure oil would
and safe means to perform the task of not spill from the hose once removed
adding oil to the reservoir. The first from the fill port.
method was to install a “hatch” in the
wall of the site’s mechanical build- Solution: The addition of a tee, with
ing—provides access to the top of the a quick-connect fitting, at the top of
reservoir—along with a fixed platform the reservoir on the return line from
outside the building. While this did a recently installed oil purifier. A com-
solve one problem (safe access to the patible fitting on the discharge hose
top of the reservoir), employees still of the oil cart’s installed pump cre-
were required to manually add the oil ated a “leak-free” connection, making
using 5-gal buckets. oil transfer safer, easier, and cleaner
The second “fix” was the purchase (photo right).
of a wheeled cart, with a self-contained
oil storage reservoir and pump (photo Results. Employees now are able to
left). Through a hose, employees were add lube oil to the turbine reservoir
without the potential of an injury from
a misstep or fall, or environmental
concern caused by residual leakage From a single rotable hot
from the oil delivery hose.
section to a major overhaul,
Project participants: our streamlined processes,
Anthony Angieri, chief engineer innovative project management
John Lawton, O&M manager software and comprehensive
expertise ensure that every
project is executed with integrity,
transparency and precision.

US Corporate Office | 660.829.5100

proenergyservices.com

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 85

WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

REO Town REO Town

Cogeneration Plant
Lansing Board of Water & Light
100-MW, gas-fired, 2 × 1 combined-
cycle cogeneration facility located in
Lansing, Mich
Plant manager: Tom Dickinson

and later scanned and saved.

All plant employees have
Natural-gas leak detection program been trained in natural-gas leak
detection. Training included the
Challenge. Shortly after commission- management approach by establishing following:
ing of the REO Cogeneration Plant, gas leak levels of from 1 to 3, based on n Review of the plant operations
several forced outages were caused by the concentration of methane and the manual, including maintenance
natural-gas leaks in the gas compres- lower explosion limit. procedures.
sor building and other areas. A root Grade 1 is the most severe level n Natural-gas fundamentals, includ-
cause analysis revealed gasket dam- and requires immediate investigation, ing physical and chemical proper-
age at several flanged joints in the fuel a forced outage, and repairs to protect ties.
handling system because of improper life and property and eliminate the n Natural-gas detection and equip-
tightening and torqueing procedures. hazardous condition. Grades 2 and ment.
3 are progressively lower in risk and n Inspections, safety equipment,
Solution. Immediately after the RCA would allow more time for mainte- reporting, and communications.
was completed, all gaskets in the fuel nance planning for and/or repair.
handling system were replaced to miti- The leak detection program requires Results. The REO Cogen natural-gas
gate safety and financial risks. Proper regular testing, data tracking, and leak detection program, in effect since
flange applications and torqueing pro- classification to determine the proper May 2015, has provided the following
cedures were carefully implemented. response to any evolving leak (photo). benefits:
Next, plant management, in collab- A preventive-maintenance work order n Collaboration of management and
oration with the maintenance mechan- was created for mechanics to conduct bargaining-unit employees to devel-
ic group, developed the framework a wall-to-wall plant leak test survey op an in-house program to address
for implementation of an in-house every other week. Test results are the operational and safety problems
natural-gas leak detection program. recorded on a worksheet, then dis- associated with natural-gas leaks.
It uses a risk-assessment and risk- cussed with the operations supervisor, This has been conducive to a collab-

86 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018

 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES
orative work environment to solve including:
other issues as well. n A significant increase in plant
n A risk-management program for gas availability.
leak detection, based on concentra- n Implementation of an in-house
tion thresholds and test frequency, program for identifying/correcting
which increases the chance of gas leaks abnormalities with trigger
detecting an incipient gas leak and points for action.
allows for better response planning. 3. Development of a new plant safety
n A safer work environment exhibit- procedure, based on methane con-
ing a proven reduction of fire risks centration thresholds and frequency
through the prevention of gas leaks. of leak testing, that go beyond the
n A workforce trained in the physical requirements of NFPA 56 for clean-
and chemical properties of natural gas, ing and purging of flammable gas
including hands-on training on gas piping systems to permit mainte-
detection techniques and equipment. nance and repair.
n The use of natural-gas leak detec- 4. Use of the leak detection program as
tion as a quality control program for a quality control method to evalu-
Maintenance mechanic checks for
the effectiveness of flange selection, ate the accuracy and effectiveness
gas leaks
installation, and torqueing proce- of the installation, maintenance,
dures. program implementation: from and/or repair of valve flanges and
n A culture of collaboration and com- 87.52% in 2014 to 95.47% in 2015. other systems related to fuel han-
mitment to safety, quality, and Finally, the realized benefits of the dling and treatment.
efficiency. adoption of a leak detection program
n A dramatic reduction in the number as an in-house best practice can be Project participants:
of forced outages—from 19 in the summarized thusly: Roberto Hodge, director of electric
first two years of plant operations 1. Development of new skills for main- production
to virtually zero today. Only four tenance personnel, such as: Tom Dickinson, plant manager
minor gas leaks have been detected n Awareness of natural-gas risks Craig Smith, operations supervisor
since program implementation. in the plant environment. Pat Sibley, maintenance supervisor
n Elimination of gas leaks in the gas- n Specialized training for gas Joshua Zussman, technical safety
compressor building, as demonstrat- detection. trainer
ed by the regularly collected data and n Ability to provide a specific Mickey Fountain, maintenance leader
confirmed by the annual leak-test response to gas leaks according to Charlie Jenkins, George Berry, Jim
survey performed by a third party. the methane concentration thresh- Erickson, Roger Sosebee, Ken Mar-
n A significant increase in plant olds (leak grade levels). tin, and Brian Knapp, maintenance
availability after the first year of 2. Improvement in plant performance, mechanics

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 87

WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Orange Grove Energy

Owned by J-Power USA
Operated by NAES Corp.
96-MW, gas-fired, two-unit, peaking
facility located in Pala, Calif
Plant manager: John Hutson

tracking system sharply reduced

Orange Grove
trucking requirements; savings in
labor, maintenance, and fuel amounted
to over $30,000 annually. Fallbrook
residents have expressed apprecia-
tion to OGE for reducing traffic and
diesel emissions. Plus, fewer trips to
haul water means road accidents are
Water management plan cuts costs less likely.

and pollution, plus . . . Project participants:

John Hutson, plant manager
Challenge. Orange Grove Energy ing fatalities, since OGE began oper- Ramiro Garcia, compliance manager
(OGE) is required by the California ating in June 2010. In sum, trucking Anthony Moretto, lead O&M tech
Energy Commission to maintain water was an expensive, dangerous Paul Braemer, Al DeLuna, and Amy
landscaping and irrigation around and environmentally dirty process. Bowersox, O&M techs
the plant’s eight-acre parcel. Recycled Meredith Albertelli, plant adminis-
water is supplied for this purpose by Solution. Minimizing water use was trator
the Fallbrook Public Utility District, important. To do that effectively, the

Improved oil-
which trucks it to OGE. plant installed a totalizing flow meter
However, Fallbrook residents had in the irrigation system to monitor con-

pump breather
expressed concern regarding the num- sumption. This enabled staff to respond
ber of large trucks traveling through quickly to increases in irrigation flow

reduces
their community. The route used had and fix broken pipes and nozzles—sub-
seen multiple accidents, some involv- stantially reducing water use.

maintenance
A spreadsheet
tracker was estab-
lished to monitor
and log flow rates Challenge. OGE’s gas turbines are
and usage as they supplied NOx water by a Roto-Jet®
trended up or pump. The pump bearings are oil-
down—either in lubricated by a self-enclosed sump,
small increments which is equipped with a simple air
or step changes. breather that becomes saturated with
Overall, the total- oil and leaks externally soon after it’s
izer—along with cleaned or replaced. In time, person-
active monitor- nel were adding oil every other week
ing, tracking, and and operators were wiping up oil in
trending—allowed the pump house daily.
staff to better com-
municate and keep Solution. The existing filter (photo
the irrigation sys- left) was upgraded with a breather
tem in excellent that allows air to pass through the
condition. filter but drains the oil back to the
Results. The new sump. Personnel also added a 6-in.

Simple breather (left) became saturated with oil and

leaked. New Hy-Pro breather/filter and piping arrange-
ment (right) allow oil to pass through the filter and then
return to the pump rather than saturating the filter
88 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES
extension and two 90-deg elbows to nervous systems, causing them to
give a change of direction and further emit distress signals, alarm cries, and
decrease the likelihood of oil reaching visual displays similar to those used
the filter (photo right). when a predator is attacking the flock.
These signals frighten away the rest
Results. This simple solution solved of the flock from the site.
the plant’s problem immediately and Program began by placing feeding
economically. The cost of removing stations—trays filled with untreated
the old filters and installing the new corn—in strategic locations around the
breather/filters totaled $125, saving an plant to familiarize the pigeons with
estimated $2600 annually in replace- them. Stations were inspected weekly
ment parts and labor. and refilled as needed until personnel
residents at powerplants and pose observed significant feeding activity—
Project participants: a threat to the health and safety of which took about two months.
John Hutson, plant manager plant employees. Example: Pigeon During the third month, staff began
Ramiro Garcia, compliance manager droppings create slip-and-fall hazards filling the stations with the Avitrol-
Anthony Moretto, lead O&M tech on concrete walkways and steel deck treated corn, inspecting and refill-
Paul Braemer, Al DeLuna, and Amy grating. They also startle unsuspecting ing them as needed. After about two
Bowersox, O&M techs employees working in areas where the months, there was less activity at the
Meredith Albertelli, plant adminis- birds have taken refuge, sometimes stations. Inspections were reduced to
trator causing a trip or fall. biweekly, then monthly. After about
nine months, the pigeons had disap-
Solution. After consulting with state
Eliminating
peared and have not returned. Today
regulatory agencies and a local pest the feeding stations are inspected

pigeon problem
control contractor, staff decided to use quarterly to monitor for signs of pigeon
pretreated Avitrol corn to control and activity.

mitigates health,
drive away pigeons from the site. Com-
pared to other methods considered, Results. As of January 2018, the site

safety risks
Avitrol used in low concentrations had been pigeon-free for about 18
offers a humane, environmentally months.
friendly and cost-effective solution to
Challenge. Pigeons are the most the problem. Project participants:
common bird pests in urban areas The active ingredient in Avitrol Entire OGE staff
worldwide. They often are unwelcome acts on the pigeons’ central and motor Jason Blakeley, contractor

TURBınE ınSULATıOn AT ıTS FınEST

COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 89

WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES

Worthington Worthington
Generating Station
Owned by Hoosier Energy Rural
Electric Co-op Inc
Operated by NAES Corp
174 MW, four simple-cycle LM6000
natural-gas-fired peaking units,
located in Greene County, Ind, and
connected to Hoosier’s 138-kV
transmission line
Plant manager: Robert VanDenburgh

It’s too early to assess long-term

results, but staff expects these last
two measures to eliminate the freez-
ing/cracking problem in the condenser
tubes.

Chiller isolation and bypass Project participants:

Matthew O’Hara, lead O&M tech
valve installation Jason Robertson, O&M and IC&E tech

Challenge. During summer peaks, Solution. Staff’s root cause analysis

Worthington uses four 1800-ton concluded that the chiller evaporators Lighter, hinged
manhole covers
chillers to produce the 40F chilled must not be used as a pass-through dur-
water required to maximize GT per- ing winter operations. An alternative

safer
formance with 43F compressor inlet plan was to allow the glycol/water mix-
air. For winter operation, staff adds ture to bypass the chiller evaporators
40% glycol to the chilled-water loop while maintaining the integrity of the
and a small boiler operates to heat loop. Isolation valves were installed in Challenge. Worthington has three
and maintain loop temperature at the chiller inlet and outlet piping that vaults with manholes that provide
54F. The glycol/water mixture circu- completely disconnected the chiller access to valves. The existing manhole
lates through the air inlet house to from the loop to prevent any refriger- covers (photo, left) required the efforts
maintain compressor inlet air at the ant transfer to the condenser. of two operators to remove them, and
desired temperature. Plant also added a bypass valve they still posed a hazard because of
Chiller issues developed when the upstream of the isolation valves to their weight and design.
ambient temperature was extremely maintain the flow path. To address the
low. The glycol/water mixture loop standing water in the condenser tubes, Solution. Plant’s safety committee
temperature dropped below 30F, caus- low-point drains were installed. The worked with a local welding company
ing an unusually cold mixture to flow winter lay-up procedure was revised to to design a lighter-weight cover (photo,
through the system, including the ensure that the condenser tubes could right) that eliminates the need for
chiller evaporators. dry thoroughly following annual cleaning. two-person removal and replacement.
The chillers are laid up during Plus, the hinged design eliminates the
the winter off-cycle, so the evapo- Results. By completely isolating the hazards associated with moving and
rator and condenser normally stay chiller from the glycol/water mixture storing the cover during vault access.
at the same pressure and tempera- loop, the plant increased chiller reli-
ture. However, the extremely low ability and has experienced no further Results. In addition to eliminating
evaporator temperatures allowed chiller downtime caused by cold evapo- the need for two-person operation,
low refrigerant temperatures to rator temperatures. Removing the con- the hinged cover requires no tools for
transfer from the evaporator to the denser end bells for the winter allows removal. It causes zero back strain
condenser, causing trapped residual the condenser tubes to thoroughly and presents few if any pinch points.
water from annual tube cleaning air-dry, while adding the low-point
to freeze in the condenser tubes. drains prevents residual water from Project participants:
Eventually cracks developed that settling in the condenser tubes after Matthew O’Hara, lead O&M tech
damaged the chiller. the annual cleaning. Jason Robertson, O&M and IC&E tech
To sum up the challenge:
n Prevent flow through the chiller
evaporators when the loop tempera-
ture drops below 40F.
n Maintain proper operating pres-
sure and flow rates without using
the chiller evaporator as a pass-
through.
n Change procedures to prevent water
from settling in the condenser tubes
while the chiller is laid up for the
winter. Original manhole arrangement is at left, new hinged manhole cover at right
90 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
WESTERN TURBINE BEST PRACTICES
was run in-house after trenching to
avoid a trip hazard. The conduit was
to provide a 120-V ac circuit for a
charger/battery tender to keep the
compressor starting battery in top
condition.
The diesel compressor has one
drawback: It is not an instant-on
machine like a motor-driven compres-
sor. The diesel requires 30 seconds
to heat up intake air before it will
fire and there is a short warmup
period before it will load. Starting
time may vary depending on ambient
temperature.
After two actual events, staff

Orange Cogen
learned that system pressure dropped
to 65 psig before the diesel compres-
sor picked up load and raised system
pressure. However, this was adequate
serve control valves plant-wide, plus
maintain pressure to the fire-system
Backup diesel air compressor for deluge valves.

black-plant situations Results. The diesel compressor was

tested by turning off the electric com-
Challenge. Orange Cogeneration is pressors when the plant was offline
connected to the grid via the local Orange Cogeneration and it performed as expected. Opera-
utility’s 69-kV system. Historically, tors were able to bring the plant to a
inclement weather events cause this Owned by Northern Star Generation safe condition with the deluge valves
section of the system to disconnect, Operated by Consolidated Asset remaining shut.
blacking out Orange Cogen. Management Services LLC Another event confirmed the value
The plant was designed with a sta- 104-MW, gas-fired 2 × 1 combined- of the new equipment: With an electric
tion battery system, but the air com- cycle cogeneration plant powered compressor down for quarterly mainte-
pressors were not connected to it. Not by DLN-equipped LM6000 engines, nance, a close lightning strike took out
having instrument air for more than located in Bartow, Fla. Condensing, the running air compressor along with
two hours during a black-plant event extraction steam turbine is rated 25 several other motors while the plant
presents the following challenges, MW. Steam is sold to producers of was operating. The diesel compres-
among others: orange juice and ethanol sor started and allowed operators to
n Control of air-operated valves is maintain normal operation, preventing
Plant manager: Allen Czerkiewicz a forced outage.
lost with possible financial impact.
Example: Losing control of boiler
feedwater flow causes excessive and the battery room was too small to Project participants:
wear and tear and thermal stress accommodate them. Allen Czerkiewicz, plant manager
on expensive HRSG components A diesel-powered air compressor Joe Shaffer, maintenance manager
and support equipment. was the optimal choice. A trailer- David Courson, maintenance mechanic
n Fire system dry-pipe deluge sys- mounted unit was selected so per- Steve Shore, I&E technician
tems require instrument air for sonnel could use it for maintenance Charles Chancey, I&E techncian
proper operation. Deluge valves purposes when the plant was not in Henry Leon, senior operator
were arranged to open after air- operation. A successful result hinged
receiver capacity was exceeded on integrating the portable air com-
and pressure dropped below 45 pressor into the existing air system
psig, requiring technicians to disas- and allowing for the exhaust gasses
semble and reset the valves. to safely vent to atmosphere. This
was doable.
Solution. Orange Cogen staff investi- The local supplier added a controls
gated solutions for maintaining instru- package, enabling the new compressor
ment air pressure when the plant lost to start at 95-psig system pressure
power—including adding a receiver and unload at 105 psig; plus shut
or replacing the existing one with a down after running unloaded for five
larger receiver. However, the storage minutes. The permanently installed
capacity required to supply air for two electric compressors are arranged in a
hours was considerable. lead/lag scheme with the lead unload-
The authoritative
A backup generator also was con- ing at 120 psig and loading at 110,
information resource
sidered, but the cost of a unit to run a the standby loading at 105 psig and
for owner/operators of
100-hp air compressor, plus associated unloading at 115.
gas-turbine-based peaking, cogen,
switchgear, was prohibitive. Adding The diesel compressor was located
and combined-cycle plants.
the compressors to the station battery outside the water treatment building
Subscribe via the Internet, access:
system had its drawbacks, too: Addi- under a protective roof (photo). Pip-
tional cells would have been required ing and conduit for the new machine www.ccj-online.com/subscribe

92 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
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COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 93
 FIND A VENDOR, FIX A PLANT

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heavy-duty equipment, power Leader in industrial noise
generation facilities, and Over 200 years of combined, control with a proven engi-
electric utility plants. Options proven OEM engineering, neering team and high-quality
of cleaning include dry-ice design, and hands-on experi- manufacturing, specializing in
blasting, soda blasting, and media blast- ence; known in the industry design and manufacturing of
ing depending upon the project. for its schedule-conscious, enclosures, exhaust plenums and ducts,
cost-effective solutions with respect to shrouds, flue-gas and steam silencers, and
Advanced Turbine Support generator testing and repairs. air filtration systems.
Has delivered unbiased fleet
experience and superior cus- American Chemical Technologies Bearings Plus Inc
tomer service for more than a Provides state-of-the-art syn- Provider of repairs and cus-
decade. Company provides thetic lubricants to the power tom technology upgrades for
users high-resolution bore- generation industry. Founded turbomachinery. Designs and
scope inspections, cutting edge ultrasonic more than 30 years ago in manufactures an integrated
and eddy-current inspections, and magnet- the US, ACT has grown to solution to meet specific
ic-particle and liquid dye-penetrant inspec- become an international supplier of value- requirements for every operating environ-

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94 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018

 FIND A VENDOR, FIX A PLANT
ment, applying the latest fluid film bearing SCR catalysts are highly efficient and cost- environment. Donaldson is committed to
and high-performing seal technology to effective where systems must be capable satisfying customer needs for filtration
legacy equipment to optimize performance. of reducing NOx by more than 90%. solutions through innovative research
Bremco COVERFLEX Manufacturing and development, application expertise,
and global presence.
Full-service industrial mainte- Offers superior removable
nance contractor since 1976. insulation systems for an ECT-Engine Cleaning
Company experience in com- array of gas and steam tur- Technologies
bined-cycle projects includes bines. Based on OEM turbine Offers R-MC and Power-
header, tube, and complete designs and feedback from Back gas turbine and com-
panel/harp replacements. We also have plant managers, insulation systems are pressor cleaners to elimi-
significant experience in liner repairs/ custom-designed to provide comprehen- nate compressor fouling.
upgrades, duct-burner repairs, penetra- sive thermal protection. Additionally, ECT designs
tion seals, and stack-damper installations. specialty nozzle assemblies and custom
Creative Power Solutions
C C Jensen Oil Maintenance pump skids for the proper injection of
CPS is a group of engineer- chemicals and water for cleaning, power
Manufactures CJC™ kidney- ing companies in the power augmentation, and fogging.
loop fine filters and filter generation and energy utiliza-
separators for the conditioning tion sector. Its mission is to Environex Inc
of lube oil, hydraulic oil, and provide advanced, efficient, and Engineering and consulting
control fluids. Our extensive customized technology solutions to clients experts in post-combustion
know-how ensures optimal maintenance of ranging from OEMs to plant operators and NOx and CO control tech-
oil systems and equipment reliability. energy consumers. nologies. Primary focus is
Caldwell Energy Crown Electric Engineering & SCR and oxidation catalyst
Manufacturing testing and system maintenance, catalyst
Power augmentation, including
management and selection, troubleshoot-
inlet fogging and wet compres- Engineers, designs, fabri-
ing, and design.
sion solutions, boosts the output cates, and installs isolated
and efficiency of gas turbines. phase bus, large bus duct Emerson Automation Solutions
With more than 400k hours of systems, and outdoor Ovation™ control system
operating experience in power generation, switchgear. Specializes in offers fully coordinated
these systems offer proven performance and rapid response needs such as IPB for boiler and turbine control,
are backed by a three-year warranty. GSU change-outs, quick-ship fabrication, integrated generator exciter
Camfil Farr Power Systems and emergency on-site service needs. control, automated startup
CSE Engineering and shutdown sequencing, fault toler-
A world leader in the devel-
ance for failsafe operation, extensive
opment, manufacture, and Specializes in gas, steam,
cyber security features, and embedded
supply of clean air and noise and hydro turbine control sys-
reducing systems for gas advanced control applications that can
tem upgrades, <ITC>® HMI
turbines. A correctly designed dramatically improve plant reliability and
replacement for GE Speed-
system minimizes engine degradation, efficiency.
tronic™ MK IV and V, gas and
leading to lower operating costs, optimum steam turbine field services, Woodward Environmental Alternatives Inc (EAI)
efficiency, and less environmental impact. parts and repairs. Experts in CO2 blast clean-
Cemtek KVB-Enertec Cust-O-Fab Specialty Services ing, surface preparation, and
onsite dry-ice pellet produc-
Leading supplier of custom- Provides the latest technology
tion for HRSGs, SCR and CO
engineered extractive, dilution, in exhaust plenums, exhaust
catalyst, ammonia injection
and mercury CEMS from sin- ductwork, and exhaust interior
grids, gas and steam turbines, ACCs,
gle units to multiple complex liner upgrades that will drasti-
cally reduce external heat and electric motors. Services also include
units in cabinets and shelters;
transfer, making the unit safer and more scaffolding erection, sky-climber instal-
and provider of support for compliance
efficient and easier to operate and maintain. lation, deep bundle cleaning, and tube
and non-compliance applications.
spreading.
Chanute Manufacturing Cutsforth
EthosEnergy
Contract fabricator of HRSG Our experience and innova-
products—including finned tive designs have brought This JV between Wood
tubes, pressure-part modules, best-in-class brush holders, Group and Siemens is a
headers, ducting, casing, and collector rings, shaft ground- leading independent service
steam drums. ing, and onsite field services provider of rotating equip-
for generators and exciters to some of ment services and solutions.
CMI Energy Globally, these services include EPC;
the world’s largest power companies.
Known globally for HRSGs facility O&M; design, manufacture, and
and aftermarket solutions that DEKOMTE de Temple application of engineered components,
are engineered to tackle the Manufactures fabric and upgrades, and re-rates; repair, overhaul,
most stringent power industry metal expansion joints which and optimization of gas and steam tur-
demands, company serves compensate for changes in bines, generators, pumps, compressors,
its customers with experienced teams, length caused by changes and other high-speed rotating equip-
advanced designs, and reliable operation. in ductwork temperature. ment.
Count on CMI for proven technologies, Axial, lateral, or angular movements Evapco-BLCT Dry Cooling Inc
expert project execution, and top-quality can be compensated for. Company has
support for the life of every job. gained a global reputation for ingenuity Specializes in the design
of design and quality of products. and supply of air-cooled
Cormetech condensers (ACCs) and
The world’s leading developer, Donaldson Company air-cooled heat exchang-
manufacturer, and supplier of Leading worldwide pro- ers (ACHEs) for the power
catalysts for selective catalytic vider of filtration systems industry with over 5000 MW of operating
reduction (SCR) systems to that improve people’s lives, references in the USA and considered
control emissions of nitrogen enhance equipment per- a premier ACC supplier for the global
oxides from stationary sources. Cormetech formance, and protect the power market.
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 95
 FIND A VENDOR, FIX A PLANT
EvapTech Inc GP Strategies JASC
Full service provider of new Provides training, engineering, Engineers and manufactures
towers and aftermarket ser- and performance improvement actuators and fluid-control
vices for field erected cooling services specifically designed components for power gen-
towers. World leader in evapo- for the power industry: The eration, aerospace, defense,
rative and hybrid cooling tech- EtaPRO™ Performance and and research applications to
nologies specializing in design, component Condition Monitoring System and GPi- improve operational capability and per-
manufacturing, construction services, LEARN+™. formance.
parts, upgrades, and consultation. Groome Industrial Service Group KnechtionRepair Tools
Falcon Crest Aviation Offers a variety of SCR Manufactures tools designed
Distributor of ZOK27 and and CO catalyst cleaning to make thread repairs to
ZOKmx gas-turbine com- and maintenance services both the female and male
pressor cleaning detergents. nationwide and has formed ends of cross-threaded
ZOK27 is a single cleaner and strategic alliances with indus- compression fittings. In most
inhibitor in one that cleans and try experts and catalyst manufacturers cases, the repair will be accomplished
protects the engine—and also inhibits cor- to ensure that Groome offers the most without removing the tube from the sys-
rosion. ZOKmx is a power cleaner formulat- widely supported, comprehensive, turn- tem. This saves the O&M tech time and
ed to replace solvents providing exceptional key service available. avoids additional downtime.
cleaning without the health and environ- GTC Services Kobelco Compressors America
mental risks associated with solvents.
Field engineering company Provides robust, high-effi-
Federal Steel Supply Inc offers gas-turbine owners and ciency fuel-gas compressors
Distributor of seamless HRSG operators worldwide “Total for use with all major types of
high-energy pipe and power Speedtronic Support.” Engi- gas turbines—including GE,
piping. Scheduled and heavier neers have decades of experi- Mitsubishi, Alstom, Siemens,
than scheduled walls in stock ence servicing and troubleshooting all GE Rolls-Royce, and Solar. Over 300 of the
for headers, steam lines, etc. Speedtronic systems. company’s screw-type compressors have
SA106 B/C and SA335 P11/P22/P91. been supplied for gas turbines.
Haldor Topsoe
Fittings to complement all pipe. Offering Liburdi Turbine Services
cut-to-length, custom fittings, specialty Our air pollution technology
end preparation, supplemental testing, and includes a series of unique Advanced repairs employ the
emergency same-day shipments. catalysts for Selective Catalytic latest technologies and are
Reduction (SCR) systems for proven to extend the life of
Frenzelit North America the control of nitrogen oxides components for all engine
Specializes in providing (NOx), and the reduction of carbon monox- types. Company specializes
long-term expansion-joint ide (CO) and volatile organic compounds in high-reliability component repairs and
solutions for gas-turbine (VOCs), from stationary and mobile sources. upgrades for blades, vanes, nozzles,
exhaust applications. In shrouds, combustors, and transitions.
Hilliard
addition to manufacturing M & M Engineering
The HILCO® Division cost-
superior quality expansion joints, Fren- effectively brings fluid-contam- Provides failure analyses and
zelit also makes HRSG penetration ination problems under control related services to indus-
seals, insulating materials, and acoustic and engineers a full-range of trial and insurance-company
pillows for silencers. filters, cartridges, vessels, vent clients. M&M’s expertise
Gas Turbine Controls mist eliminators, transfer valves, reclaimers, includes corrosion in boilers,
coolant recyclers and systems, and mem- steam turbines, generators, combustion
World’s largest stock of GE
brane filtration systems. turbines, deaerators, feedwater heaters,
Speedtronic circuit boards
and water and steam piping.
and components for the HRST
OEM’s gas and steam tur- Specializes in technical ser- Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis
bines. GTC stocks thou- vices and product designs for One of the largest turbine/
sands of genuine GE-manufactured HRSGs, waste heat boilers, and generator engineering and
cards for the MKI, MKII, MKIII, MKIV, smaller gas or oil fired power outage-services companies in
MKV, MKVI, and LCI controls, as well as boilers globally. Experience on the US. MD&A provides com-
EX2000, Alterrex and Generrex excita- over 200 boilers annually and able to provide plete project management,
tion. quality inspections, analysis work, design overhaul, and reconditioning of heavy
Gas Turbine Efficiency upgrades, professional training, and more. rotating equipment worldwide.
Provides solutions involving Hydro Membrana, a 3M company
the application of electrical, Engineered solutions enable Market-leading producer of
mechanical, and process- combined-cycle plants to microporous membranes
related equipment and com- achieve pump reliability and and membrane devices
ponents for optimizing system reduced O&M costs. As the used in healthcare and
performance. GTE’s experienced team of largest independent pump industrial degassing appli-
engineers and designers has solid indus- rebuilder, Hydro works hand-in-hand with cations. The Industrial & Specialty Fil-
trial process backgrounds with expertise pump users to optimize the performance and tration Group manufactures Liqui-Flux®
in fluid systems, instrumentation, and reliability of their pumping systems. ultrafiltration and microfiltration mod-
system controls. ules as well as Liqui-Cel® membrane
Hy-Pro Filtration
Gas Turbine Specialty Parts contactors.
Provides innovative products,
Provides patent-pending support, and solutions to Mitten Manufacturing
products that are new, cutting- solve hydraulic, lubrication, Leading fluid system pack-
edge, add value, and promote and diesel contamination ager for numerous OEMs,
a safer work environment. problems. Company’s global EPC firms, utilities, and plant
GTSP presently has two distribution and technical-support net- operators all over the world
unique products designed for the utility works enable customers to get the most offering a number of value-
industry: 1) flange leak detection and 2) out of their diesel, hydraulic, and lube-oil added designs, spare parts management,
open air exhaust thermowell. assets. ISO 9001 certified. and field services.

96 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018

 FIND A VENDOR, FIX A PLANT
Multifab Inc (MFI) tors. With over 30 years of experience in Siemens Energy
Over 40 years of experience power systems service, our focus is to A leading global supplier for
in design and manufacturing drive down avoidable maintenance costs. the generation, transmis-
of products used for high- Praxair Surface Technologies sion, and distribution of
temp equipment along with power and for the extraction,
air and flue gas applications. Leading global supplier of sur- conversion, and transport
Offers a wide variety of services for all face-enhancing processes and of oil and gas. Leadership in the increas-
types of expansion joints, dampers, and materials, as well as an innova- ingly complex energy business makes it
high-temp products including installation, tor in thermal spray, composite a first-choice supplier for global custom-
removal, repair, and splicing. electroplating, diffusion, and ers. Known for innovation, excellence and
high-performance slurry coatings processes. responsibility, company has the answers
NAES Company produces and applies metallic and to the sustainability, flexibility, reliability,
One of the world’s largest inde- ceramic coatings that protect critical metal and cost challenges facing customers
pendent providers of operations, components such as in gas turbines. today.
construction, and maintenance Precision Iceblast
services, provided through SNC Lavalin
a tightly integrated family of World leader in HRSG tube Global engineering, construc-
subsidiaries and operating divisions. NAES cleaning. PIC cleans more tion, and project management
services include O&M; construction, retrofit, HRSGs than any other ice company, and a major player
and maintenance under dedicated long-term blasting company in the in the ownership of infrastruc-
maintenance or individual project contracts; world. It ensures that HRSGs ture. Our passion for solving
and customized services designed to improve operate efficiently by providing the clean- complex problems has allowed us to excel
plant and personnel effectiveness. est boiler tubes possible. across many industrial sectors. We are a
PSM market leader in thermal power, having
National Breaker Services
designed and constructed more than 50
Industry leader in switchgear Full-service provider to gas-
GW of power capacity in over 200 loca-
life optimization, life exten- turbine equipped generating
tions.
sion, and system upgrades. plants, offering technologically
Manufactures new, highly advanced aftermarket turbine SSS Clutch Company
customized low- and medi- components and performance Clutches enable operators to
um-voltage switchgear and provides on- upgrades, parts reconditioning, field ser- disconnect generators from
site troubleshooting, maintenance, and vices, and flexible Long Term Agreements simple-cycle turbines for
testing of existing systems. (LTAs) to the worldwide power generation synchronous-condenser ser-
industry. vice. Clutches also find appli-
National Electric Coil cation in CHP plants and in single-shaft
PW Power Systems
Leading independent manufac- combined-cycle facilities where operating
turer of high-voltage generator Provides competitive, effi- flexibility is beneficial.
stator windings with expertise cient, and flexible gas-turbine
in design and manufacturing packages rated from 25 to Strategic Power Systems
of stator windings for any size, 120 MW. PWPS offers a Provides products and ser-
make, or type of generator. This includes full range of maintenance, vices focused on capturing
diamond coils, Roebel bars—including overhaul, repair and spare parts for other powerplant operational and
direct cooled, inner-gas, and inner-liquid manufacturers’ GTs with specific concen- maintenance data to develop
cooled bars—and wave windings. tration on the high-temperature F-class reliability metrics and bench-
industrial machines. marks for end users—including some of
Parker Balston the most recognized organizations in the
Rentech Boiler Systems
Develops and manufactures nitro- global energy market.
gen generators for all your power International provider of high-
quality, engineered industrial Sulzer
generation needs including boiler
layup, gas seals, purging gas lines boiler systems. Rentech is Provides cutting-edge main-
prior to service, blanketing demin a market leader in provid- tenance and service solutions
water tanks, and LNG terminals. ing HRSGs for cogeneration for rotating equipment dedi-
and CHP plants. It is in its second decade cated to improving custom-
Parker Hannifin of designing and manufacturing high- ers’ processes and business
Reduce costs and optimize quality custom boilers—including HRSGs, performances. When pumps, turbines,
performance with the world’s waste-heat boilers, fired packaged boilers, compressors, generators, and motors are
leading diversified OEM of specialty boilers, and emissions control essential to operations, Sulzer offers tech-
motion, flow, process control, systems. nically advanced and innovative solutions.
filtration, and sealing technolo- RMS Energy
gies, providing precision engineered solu- TEC-The Energy Corp
tions for the power generation market. Performs all aspects of isolated Our skills and experience
phase bus duct maintenance, assist GT owners with front-
Parker Hannifin Gas Turbine inspections, removal, installa- end engineering, procurement
Filtration tions, retrofitting and testing. of major equipment, and
With over 50 years of experi- Services also include cutting, management of engineering,
ence delivering innovative aluminum and substation welding, trans- construction, and commissioning of new
solutions for GT inlet filtration former termination compartment removal, facilities. From due diligence to detailed
and monitoring fleet-wide per- and provision of replacement parts. design, TEC covers all phases of complex
formance data, our industry Sargent & Lundy power projects.
and applications experts will select the
Provides complete engi- TEi Services
appropriate filter for your site designed to
meet specific operating goals. neering and design, project Offers a full range of heat-
services, and energy busi- transfer products and services
Power Service Consultants ness consulting for power and fully trained, certified main-
Boutique consulting group projects and system-wide tenance personnel. Provides
focusing on LTSA contract planning. The firm has been dedicated world-class emergency repair
negotiation support for owner/ exclusively to serving electric power and services, underpinned by a 75-yr history in
operators of gas turbines, energy-intensive clients for more than the design and manufacture of condensers,
steam turbines, and genera- 120 years. feedwater heaters, and heat exchangers.
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018 97
 FIND A VENDOR, FIX A PLANT
TesTex Inc includes SCR and CO systems, stack
World leader in electromag- dampers, silencers, shrouds, and exhaust
netic non-destructive testing bypass systems.
(NDT). We continually define World of Controls
the state-of-the-art for the
testing of ferrous and non- Worldwide, low-cost pro-
ferrous materials and structures through vider of DCS circuit boards
applied research and development. offering an array of ancillary
services which include test-
Turbine Technology Services
ing/repair of circuit boards,
(TTS)
parts, DCS troubleshooting, Dos support,
Wide range of expert HMI upgrades/backup and field-based
engineering and consult- mechanical and controls training.
ing services, conversion,
modification and upgrade Young & Franklin
services, GT installation Premier fuel control supplier
and reapplication services, and design for combustion turbines for
and implementation of complete turbine both long-term hydraulic
management systems. solutions and, more recently,
innovative all-electric controls
ValvTechnologies
solutions. Product scope supports natural
Global leader in the design gas, liquid, syngas, and alternative fuels
and manufacturing of zero- as well as providing air controls to provide
leakage metal-seated ball proper fuel to air mixtures.
valve solutions for severe ser-
vice applications. Committed, Zokman Products
dependable partner providing Distributor of ZOK27 and
the best isolation solutions to ensure cus- ZOKmx gas-turbine com-
tomer satisfaction, safety and reliability, pressor cleaning detergents.
and improved process and performance. ZOK27 is a single cleaner and
inhibitor in one that cleans
Vogt Power International and protects the engine—and also inhibits
Supplies custom-designed corrosion. ZOKmx is a power cleaner
HRSGs for GTs from 25 to formulated to replace solvents providing
375 MW and has extensive exceptional cleaning without the health
experience in supplementary- and environmental risks associated with
fired units. Scope of supply solvents.

COMBINED CYCLE Journal 1Q/2018

Index to advertisers Generator Users Group....................S3

Groome Industrial Services Group..... 7
501F Users Group............................ 93
Hilliard Corp/Hilco Filtration
3M.................................................... 9 Systems........................................ 99
AAF International.............................. 27 HRSG Forum with Bob Anderson....14, 83
ACC Users Group............................. 25 HRST Inc.......................................... 66
Aeroderivative Gas Turbine
Hydro Inc.......................................... 21
Support Inc................................... 74
AGTServices Inc............................... 93 Hy-Pro Filtration .............................. 82
ANZ Gas Turbines............................ 19 IHI Inc............................................... 37
Arnold Group.................. 32, 67, 77, 89 IPG Srl.............................................. 98
BPI—BearingsPlus........................... 68 JASC...............................................4-5
Bremco Inc....................................... 65 MD&A ............................S12-S13, S24
Camfil Power Systems..................... 76 MTU Maintenance............................ 23
C C Jensen ...................................... 69 National Breaker Services................ 87
Chanute Manufacturing.................... 64 National Electric Coil........................ 35
Coverflex Manufacturing Inc............ 84 Natole Turbine Enterprises Inc......... 93
Crown Electric.................................. 86 Power Users..................................... 91
Cust-O-Fab Specialty Services LLC.... 71 ProEnergy......................................... 85
Cutsforth Inc..................................... 29 Rentech Boiler Systems Inc............... 2
Dekomte........................................... 88 Siemens............................................ 13
Donaldson Company Inc.................. 70 SISU................................................. 79
EPT................................................... 81 TesTex............................................... 73
Esco Tool.......................................... 35 TransCanada Turbines Ltd............... 15
Evap Tech Inc................................... 11 Umicore Catalyst USA Inc.............. 100
Gas Turbine Controls........................ 33 Young & Franklin Inc......................... 17
98 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Number 56, First Quarter 2018
 Smarter catalysts: two in one
Better emissions compliance

Clean air is our business. The GTC-802 (NOx/CO-VOC) “Dual Function” catalyst will
help your plant meet stricter emission standards while improving performance and
profitability. GTC-802 combines two catalysts in one, delivering both superior
NOx reduction and outstanding CO and VOC oxidation. Lowest pressure drop,
near zero SO2 oxidation and reduced ammonia slip add up to improved heat
rate, increased power output and fewer cold-end maintenance issues. GTC-802 is
positioned downstream of the ammonia injection grid in the same location as the
current SCR catalyst. As an added benefit, the catalyst allows direct injection of
liquid ammonia or urea in place of the traditional vaporized ammonia.

http://secc.umicore.com
 2018 Annual Review
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A)
Meet the Editor What’s Inside
Generator consultant Stator frames and magnetic cores n Digital excitation replacing ageing
Clyde Maughan, now technologies
n ELCID trending, analysis
in the 67th year of his n Electromagnetic signal analysis n Shaft earthing monitoring
professional career, n Fiberoptic temperature measure-
continues to amaze. Operation and monitoring
ment for continuous monitoring n Mini turbine/generator model for
You may recall that
when still only 89 he Stator windings and bus systems training
n Stator design n Generator abnormal operation
recognized the need
n Aeropac rewind n Effects of negative-sequence and
for a generator users off-frequency currents
group, put together a plan, invited n Monitoring of endwinding vibration
n Connecting-ring maintenance n Impact of cycling duty
some of the industry’s top experts to n Generator cyclic duty
n Hot-spot detection
present, and with help from NV Energy,
n Importance of flex-link mainte- General topics
Duke Energy, Power Users LLC, and nance
a few generous sponsors, conducted n Moisture ingress and storage
n Preventive maintenance of bus-
the organization’s first meeting in duct systems mechanisms in large generators
November 2015. n Generator layup
To celebrate his 90th birthday in Fields and excitation systems n Practical experience in implement-
July 2016, he came up with yet anoth- n Rotor arcing and repair ing NERC standard PRC-019
n Collector rings: Inspection and n Generator maintenance consider-
er idea: Publish an annual review of
generator articles of value to owner/ repair ations and robotics
n An unusual generator field ground n Hydrogen seal-oil experience
operators worldwide. The founding n Coordinated frequency response
n Brush-holder experience
editor went to work and compiled
Electric GENERATORS, 2017 Annual
Review, a content-rich resource based
primarily on presentations from the Your gateway to O&M best practices and
first two meetings of the Generator lessons learned, methods for improving
Users Group. The information in this performance and safety, experience with
2018 Annual Review was compiled new technologies, I&C, diagnostics, etc.
by Maughan from presentations made
GUG’s Generator Forum: Register today
at the third GUG conference, August
at no cost to stay current and connect
28 – 31 in Phoenix. with technology experts and industry col-
GENERATOR USERS GROUP
Maughan’s primary goal in publishing leagues (www.powerusers.org).
GENERATORS is to encourage your Steering Committee
participation at GUG meetings and in Chair: Ryan Harrison, PEng,
the group’s online forum. ATCO Power (Canada)
Vice Chair: Dave Fischli, PE,
If you have an idea for a presentation
Duke Energy
at the 2018 GUG meeting, email an John Demcko, PE, Arizona
abstract to Steering Committee Chair- Public Service Co
man Ryan Harrison (ryan.harrison@ Joe Riebau, Constellation, an
atcopower.com). Contact Maughan Exelon company
([email protected]) if you have Jagadeesh (JD) Srirama, PE,
editorial material to submit for the next NV Energy
edition of GENERATORS. Kent N Smith, Duke Energy Harrison Fischli Demcko

Attend the 2018 conference and vendor fair

August 27 - 30
Louisville Marriott Downtown
Louisville, Ky
Registration opens in April 2018 at www.genusers.org.
Riebau Srirama Smith
 2018 Annual Review
GENERATOR USERS GROUP Published by
PSI Media Inc
The benefits of participation Editorial Staff

W
elcome to the Generator Users umbrella organization serving five Clyde V Maughan
Group (GUG). We are a con- independent users groups—Steam Founding Editor
sortium of electrical genera- Turbine (STUG), Combined Cycle [email protected]
tor users. Our mission is to provide (CCUG), GUG, 7F, and Controls—to Kiyo Komoda
an opportunity for owner/operators minimize administrative costs. Our Creative Director
of electrical generators worldwide annual meeting normally is held at the
(initially 1500/1800- and 3000/3600- same time and location as the STUG Scott G Schwieger
rpm machines) to share experiences, and CCUG meetings. The benefit: GUG Senior Editor
best practices, and lessons learned attendees get complementary access to Robert G Schwieger
on design, installation, operation, the CCUG and STUG presentations. Publisher
and maintenance of those machines. In this manner, you can get informa- [email protected]
Expected outcomes are improved plant tion beyond just the generator proper.
safety, maintainability, availability/ User members will benefit greatly Copyright, PSI Media Inc, 2018
reliability, and efficiency. from the information provided by our all- PSI Media Inc, Las Vegas, Nev, publishes
The GUG also serves to effectively volunteer organization. None of the com- specialty print and electronic media serv-
transfer industry knowledge from mittee members takes a salary or any ing energy producers in targeted national
experienced engineers to those with other remuneration from the Generator and regional markets. Media include the
less experience. We are mostly made Users Group. Many expenses associated following:
up of utility engineers and operators with providing information to you (con-
but utility maintenance and manage- ference costs, publishing costs, website CCJ, a quarterly print publication with
ment personnel are encouraged to join costs, etc) are covered by generous gen- ongoing coverage of electric generators
and participate in the annual meeting. erator vendors and OEM sponsors. In in each issue.
The benefits of becoming a member this way the cost to users attending the CCJ ONline, www.ccj-online.com. Your
(there is no cost to join) is access to a annual meeting is minimized. one-stop-shop for generator information.
resource of generator users to share We are confident you will see the Here you can find the latest CCJ, archives,
knowledge and issues with and assist benefits of participating in the organi- industry best practices and lessons learned,
you in problem-solving for specific chal- zation and hope you will join us in our user-group information, and vendor ser-
lenges at your station or in your fleet. efforts to share generator information. vices. Our search engine will direct you
We have three main methods of There is no cost to become a Generator to the material you need.
information transfer: An annual users Users Group forum member, so please
group meeting, this publication, and a sign up today at www.powerusers.com. CCJ ONsite, www.ccj-online.com/
onsite. Our up-to-the minute informa-
24/7 Web-based forum. As a member, Finally, if you missed Clyde
tion portal. Live reports from the field
you also will have access to contact Maughan’s summaries and the industry’s most important user
information for other users and inde- of the presentations group meetings. Email updates keep users
pendent consultants knowledgeable in from GUG 2015 and informed of the latest technical develop-
generator specifics. Access our website GUG 2016, you can ments and solutions.
at www.genusers.org access them easily by
by scanning QR1 with scanning QR2 with your CCJ ONscreen, www.ccj-online.com/
your smartphone or smartphone or tablet. onscreen. Our interactive Web-based learn-
tablet. QR2 ing resource with a classroom feel. Meet
The GUG steering screen-to-screen with industry experts,
committee is made up listen to and view presentations, and con-
of generator users. We nect with fellow users from the comfort of
QR1 your office or home, or any other location
are:
with an Internet connection.
Chairman
Ryan Harrison, lead generator engi- Of particular interest to generator owner/
neer, ATCO Power (Canada) operators is Clyde Maughan’s course on
Vice Chairman generator monitoring, inspection, and
Dave Fischli, generator program man- maintenance. The program is divided into
ager, Duke Energy seven one-hour segments culled from
Members notes and slides extracted from Maughan’s
2½-day training course—taken by more
John Demcko, lead excitation engineer,
than 1000 users over the years. Listen to
Arizona Public Service Co any segment at any time.
Joe Riebau, senior manager of electri-
cal engineering and NERC, Exelon Clyde V Maughan (right) the force
Power behind the formation of the Generator
Jagadeesh Srirama, generator engi- Users Group, is recognized by GUG Editorial, Marketing, Circulation
neer, NV Energy Chairman (2015-2017) Kent Smith PSI Media Inc
Kent N Smith, manager of generator for a “lifetime of sharing selflessly his 7628 Belmondo Lane
engineering, Duke Energy. extensive knowledge in the design, Las Vegas, Nev 89128
The Generator Users Group is operation, and maintenance of elec- Tel: 702-869-4739
a member of Power Users LLC, an tric generators.” Fax: 702-869-6867
S•2 GENERATORS
 Lessons learned,
best practices
shared at GUG 2017
T
hat generators are “taken for Conductor Chattock
granted” by the majority of bars potentiometer
plant personnel should not Insulation Current I
surprise. One of the reasons
for this attitude is that staff often is not Damage
aware of the many things that can go FLUX Iron
wrong with electrical machines, how to
V proportional to I
Iris Power

Iris Power
identify problems, and what solutions
are available to mitigate/correct issues.
GENERATORS’ coverage of GUG 2017
affords the opportunity to see many of Building A2. Chattock potentiometer mea-
the problems engineers face regularly bars sures the magnetic potential differ-
and why the opportunity to meet with Currents induced through damage ence resulting from the fault currents
other experts (users, OEMs, third-party A1. Fault currents attributed to insu- caused by insulation breakdown illus-
solutions providers, and consultants) lation breakdown create hot spots trated in Fig A1
is so important. Attending the 2018
meeting of the Generator Users Group, test with wide industry acceptance Bear in mind that fault currents
in Louisville, August 27-30, is a good for assessing core health. Insulation create hot spots which can cause fur-
starting point. Visit www.genusers.org breakdown causes fault currents to be ther deterioration to the core. If left
for more information. set up as illustrated in Fig A1. A Chat- unchecked, they can lead to damage
Summaries of the 2017 presen- tock potentiometer (Fig A2) is used to of the stator core, windings, and the
tations and discussions, prepared measure the magnetic potential differ- machine as a whole.
by IEEE Fellow Clyde V Maughan, ence resulting from this current, with There are several setup challenges
president, Maughan Generator Con- the somewhat complex equipment and important for you to consider during
sultants, is divided into these five circuit illustrated in Fig A3. analysis and trending of ELCID test
sections: results, ATCO Power’s Ryan Harrison,
n Stator frames and magnetic cores. the 2018 chairman of the Generator
n Stator windings and bus systems. Winding
n Fields and excitation systems. termination
n Operation and monitoring. V Variable
n General topics. transformer
A
Users wanting to dig deeper into
any presentation can access the Pow- Manual trolley
erPoint in the Power Users library at with distance Phase reference AC power
encoder transducer source
www.powerusers.org. Note that the
Power Users Group is an administra-
tive umbrella organization serving the Reference termination box
generator, steam turbine, combined
cycle, 7F, and controls users groups Chattock
to reduce operating expenses. potentiometer
Iris Power

A. Stator frames Calibration

and magnetic unit

cores Printer
Phase reference
ELCID trending, analysis Computer Trolley remote- test loop
control interface
Electromagnetic Core Imperfection A3. Circuitry and components required for the Chattock potentiometer are
Detection (ELCID) is a low-excitation complex
S•4 GENERATORS
Users Group, told attendees—includ-
ing the following:
Core length. Depending on the
operator and OEM versus non-OEM,
different core lengths often are used.
This leads to scaling issues in the
traces and makes exact positioning a
challenge.
Polarity. The orientation of the A4. Sensing fiber is easy to identify on top of stator wedges
Chattock coil, and the orientation of
reference transducer can lead to inver- smaller GTs. lines on all generators (even those
sion of the quadrature signal. The Labview program data-capture for small GTs), developing database
Slot numbering. Decide whether to process was in four ranges of 2000 points on failure mechanisms with signa-
number the slots clockwise or counter- each, as recommended by AEP /User’s ture data, expanding the program to
clockwise, and which slot you select Group: Range 1, 30 - 300 kHz; Range include large motors, developing a
as Slot No. 1. 2, 300 kHz to 3 MHz; Range 3, 3 - 30 continuous online monitor ported to
Trending areas of interest. Results MHz; Range 4, 30 - 100 MHz. At the PI for Tier 1 generators.
are often standalone and on various end of each range the program pauses
scaling in the report. This makes to allow manual capture of peak signa- Fiberoptic temperature
assessment of areas of interest more tures. The program consolidates all four measurement for
difficult and, in some cases, more ranges and displays signature. After
judgement-based. In addition, the digi- signature is saved, the peaks of interest continuous monitoring
tal files, which have valuable informa- are demodulated, viewed on-screen, and While generator core failures aren’t
tion such as phase current, often are saved to file. The data then are manu- common, their potential impact is up
not retained by the site/tester. ally imported into Excel for reporting. to the catastrophic level. Most genera-
Software. The owner doesn’t neces- Smith, the GUG’s immediate past tor cores are only indirectly monitored
sarily have the software to read the chairman, then discussed two exam- online through embedded RTDs situated
digital file. Furthermore the software is ples of data taken, aided by several between top and bottom stator bars at
needed to export the values to a usable slides showing signal analyses: specific locations in particular core slots.
format. But only software “*.csv” is n Crystal River Unit 4. It was taken These point sensors offer little protection
available; it is free to download. offline for testing in 2005. Results: to the large volume of the core.
Filtering. The raw data files have Passed the Hydraulic Integrity Offline core testing, such as ELCID
noise, and filtering is applied to the Test (HIT); B phase megger was or ring/loop testing, can catch devel-
final reported results. While not nec- low (<500 Meg). Online testing in oping core issues, but both tests offer
essarily a problem it can be valuable 2005 revealed a small amount of challenges in correlating measured
to look at the raw data for which the higher-frequency noise. In 2010, values to actual online temperatures,
original data file is needed. the electromagnetic signal analy- and neither one offers protection from
Duration between tests. Depending sis (EMSA) signature revealed a emergent issues online.
on the machine, the duration can be “hump” in mid-frequency range and Fiberoptic temperature monitoring
quite long. Results can be lost over had more of the higher-frequency shows great promise in advancing core
time which is important for establish- noise. Work performed in 2010 protection by permitting measurement
ing baseline values and fault tracking. included rewedging, the rotor mod of distributed temperatures along a
Several trending challenges also recommended in TIL 1292, “Gener- length of fiber line, Calpine Corp’s
were discussed and illustrated by ator Rotor Dovetail Cracking,” and Director of Outage Services Craig Spen-
Harrison—for example, filtered versus repair of five major clip leaks. In cer told the group. Working with Fiber
unfiltered, noise, inversion of signal, addition, the isophase ground flex Optic Sensors LLC and Oz Optics Ltd,
alignment, vertical scaling, and verti- link at the generator bushings was Calpine installed a proof-of-concept
cal offset. Digital data can alleviate found pitted and overheated; the application into one of its Hermiston
some of the challenges associated link was replaced. A stator rewind (Ore) combined-cycle generators. The
with trending; however, there is not a was scheduled for 2011. sensing fiber was installed on top of
commercial solution available to help n Crystal River Unit 5. Online testing the stator wedges (Fig A4), though an
with this review. Harrison presented in 2010 found high EMSA signa- ideal installation would be under the
a scripted Matlab-based solution with tures in the low and mid frequen- wedges in the base shim stock.
alternative graphic representations. cies. Shaft voltage readings were Once online, temperature readings
extremely high (30 Vdc) and EMI from the fiberoptic line compared well
Electromagnetic signal sniffer was screaming at the exciter against the existing RTD readings.
analysis end. Later in the year, offline testing More importantly, excellent data
found hydrogen seal grounded, the curves emerged which clearly dem-
The signal capture equipment HIT Skid test passed, and B phase onstrated the stator zone-cooling tem-
employed by Duke Energy until 2011, resistance was 700 Meg with PI < 2. perature affects along the length of the
Kent Smith, Duke Energy’s manager The hydrogen seal was coked and fiber (Fig A5). There were some small
of generator engineering, told the pitted (electrolysis). A new hydrogen anomalies in the data, but personnel
group, was the EMC30-MKIV; today seal was installed but personnel could suspected these were installation-
the Agilent E7402A. National Instru- not get the new hydrogen seal insu- driven variances, to be proved out in
ments’ Labview 8.5 program was used lation package to have a very good the next test case.
to control (standardize) data capture. megger; resistance was acceptable, Overall, the results were very
Frequency of data capture on 74 gen- but suspect. Sniffer readings were still encouraging for developing advanced
erators in the fleet was annually on high. A stator rewind was scheduled online core thermal protection, as well
large steam units and so-called Tier in 2012. as for additional applications of distrib-
1 gas turbines; “when available” on Future plans include having base- uted temperature sensing.
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•5
 variation), and inspection (qualitative
and quantitative validation).

Aeropac rewind
The Siemens Aeropac generator dis-
cussed by Derek Hooper, president of
BPHASE Inc, a small repair, inspec-
tion, and consulting company special-
izing in gas-turbine generators, was
rewound by Alstom in 2014 because of
moderate-to-severe spark erosion (Fig
B3). Numerous concerns were experi-
enced with this rewind, including the
A5. Color curves show temperature readings at various loads; solid red line following: injection of clear resin into
is the length of the installed fiber the dry tie material used made it dif-
ficult to determine if the cord was fully
tion of the core (Fig B2). This motion saturated (Fig B4), difficulty in obtain-
B. Stator and its effect on the stator bar must be
minimized. A similar method of ensur-
ing proper series connection alignment
(Fig B5), and use of semiconductive
windings and ing the bar remains in contact with the
slot wall is required and the side ripple
packing in the phase-break gaps to
attenuate partial-discharge damage.
bus systems spring (refer back to Fig B1) is ideally Two years later, BPHASE per-
suited to meet this requirement. formed a minor inspection of the Alstom
Stator design There are also important stator rewind. Focus was on visual inspection
wedging considerations which must be of the winding and evaluation of the
Ed Winegard, GE’s principal engineer met, Winegard said: material properties core keybars. The keybars were intact
for armatures, opened his presentation (stiffness, creep, thermal aging, abra- and within torque specifications (Fig
by noting the high radial slot forces sion, etc), dimensions and tolerances B6). While there was no evidence of
that must be contained in the stators (design clearances, tolerance stack up, keybar fracture in this unit, sister
of modern power generators—ranging component machining quality), assem- machines had suffered such fractures
from 10 to 110 pounds/inch of slot. bly process (standard methods and and plant personnel elected to reduce
Fortunately, he said, these forces are sequence, compensation of assembly the keybar torque from 300 to 200 ft-lb.
predominately downward, adding that
Stator core
about half the slots in a given stator Wedge body
retain bars for different phases, about Wedge slide
half the same phase.
Top ripple spring
For slots with both bars in the
same phase the force will be down- Side ripple spring
ward on both bars, he said. When
the bars are for different phases, the Filler/RTD
force on the top bar will be slightly Groundwall insulation
upward. Some type of compres-
sion system—top ripple springs, for
example—is required to minimize Copper strands
bar movement and ensure it remains
seated in the slot (Fig B1).
Bar lateral forces are minimal, Win-
egard continued. However, he pointed
out the inherent tangential motion of
the slot teeth caused by radial deflec-

Side ripple spring

Filler
B1. Top ripple springs minimize the relative motion of bars in their slots, miti-
gate insulation degradation

B2. Rotating magnetic field drives

a rotating deflection of the stator core B3. Siemens Aeropac generator was B4. Resin was injected into the dry
which causes alternating motion of the rewound by Alstom because of the mod- tie material used in the rewind
teeth on either side of the stator bar erate-to-severe spark erosion in evidence
S•6 GENERATORS
B5. Proper alignment of series con- B6. Proper torqueing of keybars is B7. Discharge oxidation at phase
nections were difficult to achieve critical in preventing their fracture splits is easy to see
because of bonding from the wet tie
materials used

B8. Dusting is evidence of move- B9. Visual inspection reveals indica- B10. Phase connection set-back had
ment at the series connector interface tions of two previous repairs using a at least one prior repair attempt using
with the outboard ring weeping epoxy the same epoxy

There was visible evidence of dis- core and bearings at rotational speed. coils and inner cooling circuity—they
charge oxidation at the phase splits Furthermore, during power system aren’t as common an issue and should
(Fig B7). There was also significant transients, the forces in the endwind- become apparent through other test-
evidence of movement at the series- ing can reach 100 times higher than ing, MD&A Generator Specialist Keith
connector interface with the outboard that of normal operation. Campbell told GUG attendees.
ring (Fig B8). The design of the endwinding also Thorough visual inspection is vital
Because of vibration concerns, must account for thermally induced to an accurate assessment of the over-
it was felt that blocking should be axial expansion and contraction as all condition of the rings. The 10 photos
installed between the series connec- the generator is loaded and unloaded. here illustrate typical problems associ-
tions for additional support. However, Metallic components to restrain the ated with undesirable movement. To
this would require bump testing. The movement of stator bars caused by begin, the ties in Fig B9 offer indica-
outage was too short to allow neces- these forces normally are avoided tions of two previous repairs using a
sary disassembly and the decision was because of the presence of high mag- weeping epoxy. While oil intrusion
made to install series blocking in short netic and electric fields. was a contributing factor, the contami-
groups to limit any effect on the global Sasic shared his knowledge on the nation (greasing) was removed well
modes of the baskets. installation of vibration sensors, offline enough to allow for an adequate repair.
test results, and online monitoring data Fig B10 is of a phase-connection set-
Monitoring of from a 288-MVA, 21-kV, air-cooled back that had at least one prior repair
endwinding vibration generator. Offline impact test data led attempt using the same epoxy. In this
to installation of fibreoptic endwinding case, the contamination was under the
Iris Power’s Mladen Sasic discussed vibration sensors. Continuous online ties and blocking, and could not be
monitoring of endwinding vibration. monitoring of these sensors revealed removed by cleaning alone. Fig B11
Although the problems associated with an increase in vibration level, encourag- reflects an overall looseness in the end-
movement of endwindings are not new, ing a visual inspection and bump test winding structure as indicated by the
because of changes in the design and of the endwinding. The inspection/test large amount of greasing throughout.
operation of generators these issues confirmed loosening of endwinding sup- This was conducive to the possibility of
have become a greater concern in port structure. Timely corrective main- a catastrophic failure. Fig B12 is of an
recent years. tenance was then possible to prevent a original blocking and tie arrangement
The endwinding region of large costly in-service failure. that does not meet quality standards.
turbine/generator stator windings is Fig B13 shows a continuation of the
one of the most complex parts of a previous repairs by additional appli-
generator relative to design, manu-
Connection-ring cation of epoxy. Fig B14 reveals ties
facturing, and maintenance. During inspection and repairs removed for a better cleaning and appli-
normal operation, the endwindings Inspections of connection rings typi- cation of new ties. Fig B15 is the result
are subject to high mechanical forces cally are focused on the physical sup- of excessive movement that dictated
at twice power frequency because of port structure-to-ring interface. While reinsulating and securing of components
currents in the stator bars, as well as there are other factors to consider— with a different material and by differ-
mechanical forces transmitted via the such as the connections to bars or ent methods than used by the OEM.
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•7
B11. Overall looseness in the end- B12. Original blocking and tie B13. Previous repairs continued with
winding structure is evident from the arrangement does not meet quality application of additional epoxy
large amount of greasing standards

B14. Ties were removed for a better B15. Damage caused by excessive B16. New tie stands out after removal
cleaning and application of new ties movement was corrected by reinsulating of the old tie and blocking, cleaning, and
and securing with different material and addition of new conforming material
Repairs complete, Fig B16 shows methods than those used by the OEM
the new tie after the old tie and block- The unit was inspected again during
ing had been removed, cleaned, and tee, profiled for attendees the recent a 2017 outage for simultaneous gas tur-
new conforming material had been inspection of a 391-MVA Alstom bine, exhaust structure, and generator
added. Fig B17 illustrates the areas steam turbine/generator for an F-class work. MAGIC identified four hot spots
where epoxy was applied; the Fig B18 combined cycle. This unit was put in in the core iron and ELCID testing
photo was taken after repairs to the service in 2004 and high vibrations confirmed damage at those locations
endwinding structure were completed. had been recorded since installation. with exceptionally high readings of
No issues were identified during a 1998, 1363, 674, and 976 mA. In addi-
Hot-spot detection MAGIC (Miniature Air Gap Inspec- tion to the hot spots, foreign material
tion Crawler) inspection done in 2013 was found in the air gap. Management
NV Energy’s Jagadeesh Srirama, a and all the electrical test results were decided on immediate corrective action.
member of the GUG steering commit- acceptable during this outage. To address the hot spots, it was neces-

B17. Areas where epoxy was applied are clearly visible B18. Endwinding structure after completion of repairs
S•8 GENERATORS
B19. Visual inspection of the sta- B20. Core lamination material B21. Loose side packing found
tor identified several locations where proved to be the foreign matter found near the endwindings was migrating
overheating had occurred during the inspection upwards into the air gap

Flex links with

melted bolting

B22. Source of the foreign matter B23. Damaged areas had a coat of red
shown in Fig B20 was a very loose dye applied to weep into the lamina-
tooth package tions before coating with a buff paint

sary to remove the field—a challenge reviewed for attendees the case history
at this outdoor plant with major plant of a Westinghouse 818-MVA, 20-kV B24. Significant damage was done
repairs already underway. generator (COD 1981) that tripped to the A-phase flex links
After rotor was removed, visual on an A-phase neutral ground only a
inspection identified several spots couple of months before the meeting.
with obvious overheating similar to The machine’s field and stator had been
that in Fig B19; the debris was identi- rewound by Alstom in 2005.
fied as core lamination material (Fig Subsequent to the trip, a fire was
B20). Near the endwindings, some of reported at the lead box on the genera-
the side packing had come loose and tor; site emergency responders used
was migrating upwards into the air ABC dry chemical to extinguish the
gap (Fig B21). fire as the unit coasted down. Exter-
The lamination pieces came from nal visual review showed significant
a grossly loose tooth package, photo- damage to the A-phase lead area, with
graphed in Fig B22. This tooth area heat damage to the B-phase bushing
was cleaned, inspected, and trimmed area. Post-event data review showed
to make sure no more of the punchings some electrical anomalies starting
would liberate. Mica then was placed eight minutes before trip.
in the shorted area and a tapered Inspection revealed significant dam-
wedge inserted into the tooth to tighten age to the A-phase links; none of the 32
the package. This wedge was epoxied links remained intact (Fig B24). B- and
in place. Note that the core step iron C-phase links all were connected and B25. B- and C-phase links were all
will have to be replaced when the sta- appeared fine (Fig B25). There was a connected and passed visual inspection
tor is rewound in the future. heavy layer of soot on the CTs for both
The side packing that came up the A and B phases, plus contamina-
from the top of the bar (refer back to tion at the bottom of lead box from
Fig B21) was removed, air dry var- fire-damaged components (Fig B26).
nish applied, and new side packing Investigators concluded that loose
installed. All damaged areas had a connections on one or more flex links
coat of red dye applied to weep into caused a high-resistance contact which
the laminations before coating with allowed current to flow through the
buff paint (Fig B23). bolt rather than the link contact sur-
face area, and the bolt melted. Thus,
Importance of flex link loss of one flex link shifted its current
maintenance to the remaining flex links, adding
heat to them and amplifying the loose-
Duke Energy’s Dave Fischli, manager of connection problems and degraded
generator engineering, and vice chair- condition of other flex links. B26. Burning of gasket/sealing mate-
man of the GUG steering committee, The A-phase links were too heavily rials produced a heavy layer of soot
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•9
 damaged to record torques, but torque n Ensure fire extinguishers staged
checks performed when removing around generator and other elec-
links from the B and C phases were trical equipment are CO2 or Halon
satisfactory. Some Belleville washers (not ABC chemical).
removed from the B and C phases had
B27. The condition of Belleville been flattened out from repeated use, Preventive maintenance
washers used to secure phase links others had been installed upside down
was called into question. Some had (Fig B27). Flex links from the B and
of bus duct systems
flattened out from repeated use, some C phases also revealed fraying and important
had been installed upside down degradation (Fig B28). It was evident RMS Energy’s Jesus Davila reviewed
that previous visual inspections had for attendees the several types of
not been sufficiently rigorous to iden- bus systems and components: cable
tify degraded links for replacement. bus, non-segregated and isolated-
Consequential damage. The phase bus, terminations and dis-
ABC dry powder extinguishing agents connect links, insulating materials,
include chemicals such as sodium expansion joints, seal-off bushings,
bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate, etc. Each of these requires special
ammonium sulfate, and ammonium maintenance. Critical items on the
phosphate. These chemicals act as a bus duct include flex/bolted connec-
desiccant, absorbing moisture, and tions (current carrying), expansion
under humid conditions become conduc- bellows/joints, insulators and mount-
tive. They are alkaline in nature and ings, seal-off bushings, groundings,
B28. Some flex links were found in a corrosive to electrical insulation and and insulated joints. Examples of
frayed/degraded condition metal components within the generator. some of the issues discussed by
There was extensive contamination Davila were the following:
of the lead box and exciter internals by n Electrical connections. Arc damage
soot and smoke particles. Basic clean- to bolted joint bus face (Fig B29).
ing was performed of all accessible n Flexible connectors. Cracked lami-
areas without complete disassembly. nations caused by vibration or air
Follow-up inspection and full cleaning flow (Fig B30); flex braids damaged
is planned for a 2018 outage. by rubbing and/or abuse (Fig B31).
Lessons learned: n Improper bolting or lack of mainte-
n Ensure work-order instructions are nance at connection points. Dam-
written correctly. aged contact surfaces and gross
n Ensure craft technicians are trained heating issues (Fig B32).
on the importance of assembling n Expansion-bellows damage attrib-
high-current connections properly. uted to excessive movement often
n Ensure flex links are completely resulting in cracks (Fig B33).
removed for electrical isolation—not n Bus failures. Overheating of non-
just unbolted on one end and bent segregated bus attributed to a lack
B29. Arc damage is revealed on a back out of the way. of maintenance (Fig B34); line-to-
bolted joint’s bus face

B30. Flexible connector’s cracked

laminations were caused by vibration B32. Improper bolting and lack of maintenance are conducive to damaged
or air flow contact surfaces at connection points

B31. Rubbing and/or abuse damaged

these flex braids B33. Excessive movement of expansion bellows is conducive to cracking damage
S•10 GENERATORS
 C. Fields and TIL 1292 (“Generator Rotor Dovetail
Inspection”) repair on the Coil No. 1
excitation Slot was done and steel wedges were
replaced with aluminum (except end
systems wedges). A high-speed balance and
heat run were conducted after rewind.
Rotor arcing and repair Case Study No. 2. A two-pole field
suffered a double ground fault that
A common and destructive phenomenon caused severe arcing damage to the
in generators is negative sequence rotor, including melted material and
currents (I2), MD&A Project Engineer cracking on a tooth (Figs C1 and C4).
B34. Overheating attributed to a lack of Chris Keathley told GUG 2017 attend- NDE of the area revealed a through-
maintenance destroyed this non-seg bus ees. These can be caused by unbalanced wall crack and an engineering evalua-
three-phase currents, unbalanced tion determined the rotor unacceptable
loads, unbalanced system faults, open for operation. A temporary weld-repair
phases, and asynchronous operation. solution was proposed to get the unit
The result of I2 currents may be rotor back in service until a replacement
body currents that can damage the rotor could be obtained. The damaged
rotor forging (Fig C1), retaining rings portion of the tooth was removed (Fig
(Fig C2), slot wedges (Fig C3), and to a C5) and the tooth reconfigured with
lesser degree, the field winding. weld build-up, rotor heat treatment,
Three case studies were reviewed and re-machining of the tooth (Fig C6).
by the speaker, who brought to MD&A Finite-element models of the rotor
16 years of experience with a major and slot tooth were created to obtain the
B35. Melting of the bus enclosure utility as a turbine/generator engineer, various stresses along the tooth height,
was caused by a line-to-ground fault and another five years with the OEM. the weld fusion line/HAZ, and the
Case Study No. 1. A 500-MVA, highly stressed wedge groove fillet radi-
ground fault causing melting of the 22-kV, 3600-rpm generator had us. These stresses and mechanical prop-
bus enclosure (Fig B35). been involved in a motoring event erties were used in fracture-mechanics
Most of the deterioration condi- of unknown size and duration five calculations; favorable results sup-
tions listed above can be detected, years before the inspection described ported acceptance of the repair. A
particularly in advanced stages, by was conducted. A visual assessment fatigue analysis of the repaired tooth
visual examination and/or tempera- revealed relatively minor problems— suggested the reworked rotor was good
ture monitoring. All require immediate such as slight burning between wedg- for 150 start/stop cycles or 10 years of
attention to prevent major equipment es, significant burning on wedge operation, whichever came first.
failure. If the condition is found before ends, and burning of the forging at Case Study No. 3. A generator
failure, refurbishment usually can be wedge junctions. Eddy-current test- experienced a collector failure and
accomplished by obvious and/or well- ing revealed 290 indications. Affected ground to the main shaft that caused
established procedures. areas were cleaned and blended. A major arcing and heat damage to the

C1-C3. Negative sequence currents are a common and destructive phenomenon associated with generators. The
result of these I2 currents can be rotor body currents that can damage the rotor forging (left), retaining rings (center), and
to a lesser degree, the field winding (right)

C4-C6. A double-ground fault caused severe arcing damage to the rotor, including melted material (refer back to Fig
C1) and cracking on a tooth (left). The damaged portion of the tooth was removed (center) and replaced by weld build-up
with appropriate heat treatment and re-machining of the tooth (right)
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•11
All Your Generator Needs!
MD&A provides comprehensive refurbishment and repair of large utility and
industrial generator stators and fields, and high-voltage bushing refurbishment.
Accompanied by our experienced generator specialists that are able to conduct full
scope electrical testing and visual inspections.

MD&A's Turbine-Generator Repair Facility

3804 Weber Road | St. Louis, MO 63125
ph. 314-880-3000 | www.MDAturbines.com
• On-site comprehensive testing and • High voltage bushings and auxiliaries
inspection • Insulated bearing rings
• Field rewinds and repairs • Oil deflectors
• Stator rewinds • Exciter inspection
• Wedge system upgrades • Control and excitation field
• Replacement retaining rings engineering and consulting
• Collector rings • High-Speed Balance with heat run
• Hydrogen seal rings and assemblies capability/ High Speed Thermal Test
(HSTT)

PARTS | SERVICES | REPAIRS

 ence, showed and discussed numerous
photographs to illustrate the inspec-
tion, failure modes, and repair of col-
lector rings.
Inspection. Typical conditions found
during inspection are shown in photos
C11-C15. Threading and grooving
(Figs C11 and C12) naturally result
from the wear and tear of long service.
Photography (Fig C13) is not common
C7 C8 nor well understood; it describes the
phenomenon in which the pattern of
the brush holders is replicated on the
rings. There is inevitable contamina-
tion associated with the collector (Fig
C14) from sources that include brush
wear, induction of foreign material
with the cooling-air flow, and uncor-
rected arcing. Massive contamination
is caused by flashover failure (Fig C15).
Failure. Typical problems resulting
from failure are seen in the photos
C9 C10 C16-C19. In the first, the right ring
was severely burned by a flashover
C7-C10. Collector failure and ground to the main shaft caused major arcing and heat to ground or severe arcing from poor
damage to the end of the generator rotor forging, which could not continue in opera- maintenance. The adjacent image
tion as found (Fig C7). The shaft was severed just outboard of the journal and bolt holes shows a similar condition but with
drilled and tapped for the new stub shaft (Fig C8). The assembled new shaft extension the brush holder removed. Fig C18
is in Fig C9 and the final assembly with fan and collector rings in Fig C10 is of damage to the main shaft from

C11 C12 C13

C11-C15. Typical conditions found
during inspection of collector rings
are threading (Fig C11), grooving (Fig
C12), photographing (Fig C13), con-
tamination (Fig C14), and heavy con-
tamination (C15)

severe arcing to ground, C19 shows

corresponding arc damage to the ring
inside diameter.
C14 C15 Repairs. Figs C20-C22 illustrate
steps in replacing an old collector
end of the generator rotor forging (Fig able by good operation and monitoring with a new collector, Fig C23 is of a
C7). The amount of damage and heat- equipment. When those defenses fail, grinding operation for truing a worn,
affected material made the shaft end considerable damage can occur. How- or new, ring.
forging unacceptable for continued ever, it does not always mean that the
operation. Stub-shaft replacement was damage cannot be repaired and the An unusual generator
proposed and accepted by the owner. unit returned to service. These case field ground
This was a major undertaking. studies show that even when there
The shaft was severed just outboard is damage, advanced welding and The incident profiled here by John
of the journal and bolt holes drilled machining processes can restore the Demcko, PE, a senior consulting engi-
and tapped for the new stub shaft (Fig unit to service relatively quickly. neer at Arizona Public Service Co and
C8). The assembled new shaft exten- member of the GUG steering commit-
sion is shown in Fig C9, and the final Collector rings: tee, occurred at an APS plant equipped
assembly with the fan and collector Inspection and repair with three single-shaft combined cycles
rings in Fig C10. installed in the mid-1970s.
To conclude, negative sequence MD&A’s Keith Campbell, an industry The generators serving these units
events and ground faults are prevent- veteran with four decades of experi- are rated 146.7 MVA/13.8 kV; they were
S•14 GENERATORS
retrofitted with static excitation sys-
tems and redundant digital regulators
several years ago. This update included
a modern 64F field ground detection
system, which experienced a continuous
field ground alarm over a year ago. The
incident was treated routinely—that is,
management was informed.
Management was made aware of
the risks associated in running with a
known ground. The decision was made C16 C17
to remain online until an outage could
be scheduled to evaluate the situation. 
When that happened, a Megger test of
all components in the field winding
circuits showed no ground.
The 64F relay is only opera-
tive when there is excitation on the
machine since it is powered from
the excitation power potential trans-
former. With the unit offline and not
spinning the 64F was powered up with
a “cheater” cord. No field ground was C18 C19
detected by the relay in this configura-
tion. The 64F relay was switched out C16-C19. Problems resulting from collector-ring failure include burn-
for an identical spare which also indi- ing caused by flashover to ground or severe arcing from poor mainte-
cated no ground with the unit offline nance (Figs C16 and C17 with brush holder removed), main-shaft dam-
but did indicate one with it spinning age caused by severe arcing to ground (Fig C18), and arcing damage to
and the field energized. the ring ID (C19)

C20-C22. Major steps in replacing an old collector with a new one are shown left to right

This implied that the ground was

on the rotor and was caused by the
centrifugal loading of the field winding.
The unit was put back in service and
was run almost daily with the apparent
field ground while a new 64F relay was
ordered from another manufacturer.
The new 64F was installed and behaved
exactly as the previous two relays.
A last-ditch effort was made to
spin the unit up to synchronous speed
with excitation off. Meggering of the
field via the carbon brushes and slip
rings found the resistance to be in the
megaohms range. There appeared to
be an impasse when a ground was
indicated in the field circuit but could
not be localized.
After re-verifying the accuracy
of all data taken, an investigation
was conducted to look for any other
elements that can fault to ground
when the exciter is running. Several
manufacturers of field ground detec-
tion equipment were asked if their
equipment could detect faults on the C23. Grinding operation for truing a worn, or new, collector ring
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•15
 Rotate handle
to lock/unlock
Slide direction
install/remove
Locking pin Orientation
Locking pin shows state of
Tool-less installation
installation
and removal Brush
terminals
clamped

C25. Excitation systems have

evolved over the years from rheostats
prior to the 1950s (photo) to elec-
UNLOCKED POSITION LOCKED POSITION
tromechanical amplifier in the 1950s
and 1960s, to magnetic/analog in the
C24. Brush holder design from OEM is said to avoid collector incidents stud- 1970s and 1980s, to today’s digital
ied by engineers excitation systems
IP turbine Exciter unnecessary forced outages. One
Generator involved overheating of the inner
collector-ring surfaces, molten brush
HP turbine holders, and arcing of collector hous-
LP turbine ing. The second case revealed a heavily
C26. Typical configuration of a turbine/generator with exciter providing DC cur- worn brush and brush-holder damage.
rent for the rotor field and the turbine mechanical power to turn the generator The collector surface was found to have
salt deposits and corrosion.
Daily, weekly, monthly, and out-
age inspection and maintenance were
reviewed. DiSanto also offered a
few comments on maintenance—for
example, the importance of cleaning,
collector-ring wear rates (1 mil per
1000 hours of operation is typical); per-
missible wear (the ring diameter can
be reduced but must always be larger
than the diameter of the bottom of
the spiral groove); maintaining proper
cooling on collector rings (design tem-
perature is 40C); and recommended
C27. AC and DC voltages can be induced in the shaft during rotation. Shaft brush grade (National 634).
earthing monitoring systems can record and identify the sources of voltage and The presentation closed with a dis-
current. Results from the voltage brush installed on the exciter end (typical) of cussion of brush-rigging upgrades. GE
one unit illustrated here provide time, waveform, spectral content, and DC and was said to have a well-defined set of
RMS values for analysis brush-holder design criteria, including
the following:
AC side of the static excitation system. the data taken of the actual machine. n Allow for safe installation and
Responses were mixed, but one vendor The unit will be operated until a removal of brush holders with the
said AC-side grounds can definitely be scheduled outage allows for AC fault generator online.
detected, although their occurrence is confirmation and repairs. n Improve ease of brush and spring
highly unusual. replacement—no tools required.
Additional voltage-to-ground mea- Brush-holder experience n Eliminate brush “hang-ups” within
surements were made on the AC side the holder by having a fully sup-
of the static excitation system breaker John DiSanto’s presentation focused on ported brush and a smooth/slick
for all three units. A fundamental dif- collector incidents and avoidance. The brush pocket.
ference in readings was noted on Unit 2 GE senior engineer, who is responsible n Decrease the risk of flashover.
as compared to Units 1 and 3 which did for generator controls/excitation and n Decrease susceptibility to brush
not have field grounds. This inferred protection fleet-wide with the goal current selectivity—that is, uneven
an AC side excitation system ground of improving equipment reliability, current distribution among brushes.
was causing the 64F relay to indicate a reviewed nine recent root-cause-anal- n Allow easy integration for both
field ground. A precise physical model ysis investigations. servicing and replacement across
of the static excitation system, includ- They involved collector flashovers, all GE generator models.
ing the same 64F, was constructed. It collector-ring overheating, improper The company’s most recent brush-
confirmed that an AC ground is eas- collector-ring assembly, and a dam- holder design for generators of mod-
ily detected by the 64F and the lab aged insulating sleeve. erate size (Fig C24) was said to meet
measurements very closely matched Two of the case studies illustrated these criteria.
S•16 GENERATORS
Digital excitation provides DC current for the field, the technicians are good at addressing
replacing ageing turbine provides mechanical power. mechanical issues but typically are
At least one generator bearing is not well versed in the electrical char-
technologies insulated from ground. On other bear- acteristics of synchronous machines. A
If you were relatively new to the indus- ings, a thin oil film is the only barrier PowerPoint-only class had been offered
try, listening to the presentation by separating the shaft from the ground for many years at APS but personnel
Basler Electric Co’s Richard Schae- and this film may not act as insulation were not being prepared adequately
fer at GUG 2017 provided valuable to current flow. for the challenges they faced daily.
perspective on excitation systems. A Both AC and DC voltages can be Demcko’s department of four engi-
former chair of the IEEE PES Work- induced in the shaft, causing potential neers functions as a “consulting firm”
ing Group, he’s “seen it all” in more damage to the unit— especially the internal to the utility. Over the years,
than four decades of service to power bearings. Shaft earthing monitoring electrical training responsibilities
producers. His CliffsNotes on the evo- systems can record and identify the defaulted to his group because it was
lution of excitation systems: various sources of voltage and cur- intimately involved with problems
n Before the 1950s, rheostats (Fig rent, allowing for analysis and damage on the generator, exciter, automatic
C25). prevention. One brush is installed to voltage regulator, and power-system
n 1950s and ‘60s, amplidyne. monitor voltage (diagnostics), usually stabilizer. Since operating staff tend
n 1970s and ‘80s, magnetic/analog. on the generator exciter end, and one to be “visual learners,” he contin-
n Late 1980s through today, digital. to monitor current (protection), usually ued, a physical model-based training
Several factors affect how quickly on the turbine end. approach was proposed to manage-
systems become obsolete, he said— Results from the voltage brush are ment. It was accepted and a wish list
including, available materials, present shown in Fig C27. Time, waveform, spec- of model functionality was developed.
technology, and available software. tral content, in addition to DC and RMS The search began for a commercially
Examples of materials availability values, are available for analysis. Alarm available training model.
issues: carbon composition can no longer levels are set after results are analyzed. The “wish list” of features desired
be manufactured, warlords have taken Protection schemes using trends of for the model included the following:
over the mines, material determined to shaft currents are common, but do not n Three-phase synchronous genera-
be hazardous. Examples of hardware provide diagnostics. In many cases, tor.
availability issues: primitive computers, alarms triggered will confirm existing n Power level compatible with a nomi-
present-day powerful computers. damage, instead of detecting ongoing nal 5-amp CT output and 120-Vac
Schaefer noted actions that have issues and/or preventing future dam- PT output found in utility genera-
contributed to the slowing of obsoles- age. Voltage frequency profiles should tion.
cence—for example, purchase of com- not evolve over time. n Utility-style control switches and
ponents from manufactures serving High-speed data acquisition, and metering.
major long-survival industries (such comprehensive diagnostics software, n Digital generation protection relay.
as automotive), redesign of product allow for in-depth analysis of har- n Auto-synchronizer and emulation
with new components where practi- monics to identify various anomalies. of generator breaker function.
cal, purchase large volumes of obsolete Patterns such as high even harmonics n Drive motor with the ability to
components. may indicate rotor alignment or stator mimic turbine characteristics.
Particularly in recent years, there bar problems. If deviations are present, n Synch to grid at either 208 or 480
has been upward evolution in software. other symptoms may include stator Vac.
For example multilingual capabil- vibration and/or bearing temperature n Have the look and feel of a typical
ity, built-in powerful testing tools, variations. physical generator control panel.
enhancements to speed commission- High DC levels should trigger a n Portability (movability).
ing. Also there are options to facilitate ground connection investigation and Search results. North American uni-
retrofit—for example, replacement if the shaft is magnetized, bearing versities were canvased and educational
product fits into same location, provide temperatures should be verified. suppliers queried. Nothing commercially
replacement excitation cabinets but available met all of APS’s requirements
keep the power potential transform-
ers, keep SCR bridges and provide D. Operation at any price. Conclusion: The utility
would have to build a custom model.
new front-end electronics.
and monitoring Custom build. Team Demcko
received approval to build its own
Shaft earthing model with a modest hardware budget.
monitoring Mini turbine/generator Engineering and labor was to be done
model for training by staff on a time-available basis—
Andre Tetreault, director of tests such as between regular assignments.
and diagnostics at VibroSystM, and John Demcko, PE, a senior consulting Cost of the model would be contained
co-author Bernard Lemay, PEng, the engineer at Arizona Public Service Co by purchasing/scrounging as many
company’s Zoom analytical software and member of the GUG steering com- components as possible off-the-shelf.
expert, opened their presentation by mittee, spoke to the industry’s knowl- A target of one year was established
reminding the GUG 2017 audience edge gap and work his company was for completion of the model.
that, in the ideal, the generator shaft doing to bridge that gap. Many new Results/observations. The model,
should be electrically and magnetically powerplant engineers and technicians, highly modular in construction, took
neutral during operation. The use of fer- he said, have no formal training on two years to complete because of
romagnetic materials in the construc- how to bring generating units online limited availability of labor (Figs D1
tion of the shaft makes this component and take them offline. Nor are they and D2). It was good for troubleshoot-
extremely conductive and subject to usually familiar with how generators ing but had many terminal blocks
current flow and induced voltages. A interact with the grid. for interconnection that could loos-
typical turbine/generator configura- The 40-plus-year industry vet- en. Classes started in April 2017; 102
tion is shown in Fig C26; the exciter eran added that plant engineers and APS employees were trained. The first
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•17
D1, D2. Mini turbine/generator model for training took two years to complete but was worth the wait

D3-D5. Causes of core failures include foreign object damage, lamination insulation failure (left), damage from repair work
(center), and core looseness (right)
four weeks of onsite plant training was
completed near the end of August with
84 attendees. Remainder of the fossil
fleet (several hundred “students”) was
scheduled for onsite training before
yearend. Results: Almost all the design
targets were achieved, but some refine-
ments to the model were suggested.
One use of the model that Team
Demcko did not fully anticipate was for
training plant operators in manually
closing the generator breaker to synch D6. Core over-fluxing in the extreme D7. Collectors are the most signifi-
the unit. While an auto-synchronizer may cause total destruction of the cant contributor to operations-caused
normally is relied on for this task, APS core forced outages
expects its control operators to have
the ability to do it manually. Trainees turns, thermal sensitivity, shaft adjacent structures and, if sufficient
appreciated being able to practice syn- voltage, and collectors. and sustained, may cause total core
chronizing the generator with the elec- n Auxiliaries—including loss of hydro- destruction (Fig D6).
tric system using the model, without gen seals, coolers out of service, and n Rotor ground. The excitation system
risking damage to critical equipment. on moisture corrosion and contami- is ungrounded and a single ground
   nation. will not cause damage (unless the
Generator abnormal n Electrical and grid—including over cause is a broken conductor or coil
operation fluxing, off-frequency operation, short). However, a second ground
loss of synchronization, motoring. can be disastrous. There are many
Ron Halpern of Generator Consulting Typical abnormal-operation possible causes—including ground-
Services opened his presentation by events discussed included the fol- wall insulation breakdown, contam-
defining “abnormal operation” as any lowing: ination, electrical arcing, displaced
operation outside normal operating n Core failures. They may be caused insulation, and water intrusion
parameters that could damage the by foreign object damage, lamina- into the exciter. Collectors are the
generator—such as operation outside tion insulation failure (Fig D3), most significant contributor to
of the generator capability curve. damage from repair work (Fig D4), operations-caused forced outages
The speaker, who has been involved loose core (Fig D5), etc. on generators; the results can be
with generators for well over 40 years, n Core over-flux, a complex phenome- dramatic and dangerous (Fig D7).
25 of those at GE, focused his presen- non. Protection is via volts-per-hertz n Rotor turn/coil shorts. Shorts may
tation on the following: relay. Minor over-fluxing (105%- not be a problem unless excessive
n Stator—including core, oil, hydro- 110%) increases core losses and and you run out of current, or if they
gen leaks, grounds, stator cooling, elevates core temperature but should result in high thermal-sensitivity
water leaks and restrictions, bush- cause no damage. Over-fluxing above vibration. But they can be destruc-
ings, and frame. 110% saturates portions of the core tive (Figs D8-D10).
n Rotor—including grounds, shorted to the point that flux flows out into n Thermal sensitivity can be prob-
S•18 GENERATORS
D8-D10. Rotor turn/coil shorts may not be a problem unless excessive; then they can be troublesome and destructive

D11, D12. High stop/start counts caused by must-take renewables have adversely impacted generator availability and con-
tributed to higher maintenance costs. Data for two different units reflect the dramatic increase in starts in the last 10 years

lematic. It causes rotor vibration related to unbalanced supply voltage. currents must be provided. In the
to change as the field current is The negative-sequence current event a large negative-sequence
increased and can cause rotor bow- component circulating in the stator event occurs, (as with a major short-
ing when (1) the temperature distri- windings creates a magnetic flux in circuit between phases in the vicin-
bution is uneven circumferentially the airgap of the machine, continued ity of the machine), it behooves the
around the rotor and/or (2) axial Kerszenbaum, a well-respected teacher operators to carry out an assessment
forces are not distributed uniformly of things electrical and prolific author of the possible damage incurred by
in the circumferential direction. with more than 40 years of service the machine, followed by a proper
The phenomenon, characterized to the industry. This flux rotates at inspection, if warranted.
by a once-per-revolution frequency synchronous speed, but in the direc-
response, may limit operation at tion opposite to the positive flux (the Impacts of cycling duty
high field currents or VAR loads “normal” flux), he explained.
because of excessive rotor vibration. The rotor, also rotating in synchro- Generators built during the gas-
n Shorted-turn detection. The most nous speed in tandem with the positive turbine order/installation “bubble” in
reliable method for detecting shorts magnetic flux, is subject to a 2× syn- the late 1990s and early 2000s, look
is by use of a flux probe. The technol- chronous frequency magnetic flux, by very much like their predecessors
ogy is well understood and reliable. the negative flux. Then, by the law of built in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.
Other items briefly discussed electromagnetic induction (Faraday), However, unlike their predecessors,
included oil in the generator, stator- 2× synchronous frequency voltages the newer machines are not giving
bar slot support systems, high- voltage and eddy currents are induced in the the 20 to 30, or more, years of reliable
bushing, seal leaks, noise causes and rotor body. Given that these induced service expected.
investigations, and damage prevention currents have a periodicity of 120 Hz OEMs have designed similarly
in general. in 60-Hz systems or 100 Hz in 50-Hz sized machines for MVA ratings
systems, they tend to flow mainly in 40% to 50% higher than their pre-
Effects of negative- the outer regions of the rotor, because decessors, while pushing material
sequence and off- of the “skin effect.” capabilities to their maximum. Plus,
Net result: If large enough, the demands on equipment have been
frequency currents induced currents will spark and arc exacerbated by the need to cycle
From early on, AC synchronous gen- between wedges, wedges and forging, these generators hundreds of times
erators were designed to produce wedges and retaining rings, forging annually to accommodate must-take
three-phase balanced voltages at their and retaining rings, and any compo- renewables.
terminals, began Dr Izzy Kerszen- nent on the periphery of the rotor. Such Generators were designed to run at
baum, PE, of IzzyTech. Over time, sparking/arcing can cause hardening base load or, worst case, for minimal
the design also incorporated features of the metal in critical areas, followed annual start/stop counts—perhaps 50
to reduce the harmonic content of the by the generation of cracks. to 75. However, as the charts in Figs
generated voltage. In the case of gen- From the foregoing, it is obvious D11 and D12 for two case histories
erators, the problem was (and still is) that negative-sequence current car- show, they are seeing 250+ starts
mainly related to unbalance in the ries with it the potential to cause per year. Units in renewables-heavy
load currents, while in the case of AC significant damage to the genera- markets are exceeding 350-400 annual
motors, the problem was (and still is) tor; thus, protection against these starts. This takes low-cycle stresses
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•19
 ally loose core iron, loose endwindings, operation, load cycles, and power-
global endwinding dusting or broken factor changes. Impact on stators
ties, loose belly bands, bar movement includes vibration transients, ther-
in the stator slots, high partial dis- mal and mechanical stresses, and
charge and resulting corona damage, core-end heating. Some of the effects
and increased opportunities for seal- on stator windings and core are high-
oil problems resulting in oil entering and low-cycle fatigue, insulation
the unit, which further accelerates the abrasion, strain, shorts or grounds,
previous issues. localized overheating, and core-iron
In the field, the impact is found melting. Typical failures are strand
in cracked or failed main leads, pole/ cracking and fracture (Fig D15), lead
pole and coil/coil crossover jumpers, fracture and extensive arc damage
D13. Severe core and wedge loose- migration of slot armor, deformation (Fig D16), and insulation abrasion
ness was found during the first major of field endwindings, loose/missing/ (Fig D17).
on a 7FH2 generator broken distance blocking, migrat- Cyclic-duty impact on rotors
ing coils, insulation, or amortisseur includes copper distortion, insulation
springs resulting in blocked cooling, breakdown, shorted turns, connector
thermally sensitive fields, rapid turn failures, grounds and forging damage.
short development, and myriad other Typical resulting failures are shown
issues (Fig D14). in Figs D18-D21: slot liner abrasion,
insulation fracture, copper distortion,
Generator cyclic duty and blocked vent (left to right).
Twenty-five-year GE veteran Ed
In recent years there has been a chang- Winegard, currently principal engineer
ing of the generator lifecycle. These for armatures, described for attendees
machines originally were intended several design features developed to
for baseload operation and 30 years accommodate cyclic operation. You can
D14. Series connection braze failure of service. There has been an industry access a copy of Winegard’s PowerPoint
caused a phase ground shift to frequent starting/stopping, load on the Power Users website at www.
cycling (described as more than two powerusers.org.
from thermal expansion/contraction, 20% changes in megawatt output in Maintenance and inspection sug-
and moves it into a high-cycle realm. a 24-hr period with two primary load gestions for cyclic duty, also covered in
The end result is that units are either cycles (50% - 100%) in a typical day), the presentation, include the following:
suffering in-service failure or, at a mini- VAR cycling, and seasonal influences. n Maintain equipment in accordance
mum, are requiring very costly repairs Frequent starting/stopping imposes with GEK 103566.
or maintenance/upgrades at their first additional stress, with faster degra- n Conduct additional testing during
major outages, within 10 to 15 years. dation of insulation and components, scheduled outages.
In his presentation, AGT Services negative impact on generator life, n Perform regular borescope and
Inc’s Jamie Clark pointed to common higher risk of in-service operating robotic inspections.
weaknesses exacerbated by these high incidents—all likely contributing to n Do modal testing of endwindings.
cycling operations—including loose increased maintenance. n Provide for additional monitoring
stator wedge systems (Fig D13), axi- Cyclic duty involves start/stop during operation.

D15-D17. Failures in stator windings associated with cyclic duty include strand cracking and fracture (left), lead frac-
ture and arc damage (center), and insulation abrasion (right)

D18-D21. Impacts on rotors of cyclic duty include the failures shown in the photos above: slot-liner abrasion, insulation
fracture, copper distortion, and blocked vent (left to right)
S•20 GENERATORS
 on the fillers and core iron (Fig E2). should also break up the stagnant
E. General topics Damage mechanisms of moisture zones with the rapid inflow of dry air.
affect both metals and insulation. For For the rotor, a significant increase in
Moisture ingress and generators which still have nonmagnetic shaft speed will provide a G loading
storage mechanisms in retaining rings susceptible to stress which will tend to centrifuge water
corrosion, crack initiation and crack out of the rotor.
large generators propagation occur under wet conditions. It is always better to keep a dry
Neil Kilpatrick, principal, GenMet LLC, Note that retaining rings are under high machine dry, than to dry out a wet
integrated more than four decades of stress at standstill and all other condi- machine. For maintenance and layup
metallurgical knowledge into his pre- tions. With long-term wet conditions, conditions, it is important to make sure
sentation, covering several aspects of rust will form on steel surfaces which that capillary condensation conditions
moisture ingress on generators:  prob- are bare and/or porous. Rust is hydro- cannot occur. Prevention can include
lems created, moisture opportunities, scopic, and will retain moisture—more maintaining some ventilation flow of
capillary basics, examples of planar opportunity for water storage. dry air throughout the machine and
capillaries in generator construction, On insulation, the major concern maintaining temperature well above
damage mechanism affected by mois- is for moisture on insulating surfaces. the ambient dew point; a healthy mar-
ture storage, and why it is so difficult Typically, wet conditions in genera- gin would be 80% relative humidity.
to dry out these machines. tors will result in low resistance to For long-term layup, develop a system
As an example of a problem with ground, and this must be corrected which combines fail-safe sealing, moni-
moisture ingress and storage, a large before return to service. toring, and drying. A nitrogen blanket
generator located in the South (think The issue of the difficulty in dry- or dry gas feed might be considered.
humid) was found with water actually ing out a generator is interesting. A
running out from under the ID of the generator in operation tends to be Generator layup
rings. The cause was condensation on inherently dry, because of the high
the rotor inner surfaces and planar temperature and high ventilation flow. Dhruv Bhatnagar, GE’s technical
capillaries and connected surfaces On shutdown, there is no ventilation leader for generator-fleet risk manage-
internal to the winding.  flow, so the entire machine becomes a ment, provided the OEM’s guidelines
Large generators normally are dry large number of stagnant zones. Any for unit layup during non-operational
under operating conditions. When stagnant zones that have some mois- conditions. Stator and rotor recom-
open and cooled to ambient tempera- ture content tend to become saturated. mendations are the following:
ture, there’s a tendency for moisture Capillary condensation will work to fill n Stator layup for days. No recom-
to accumulate on and in insulation all the connected capillaries. mendations for H2-cooled units if the
materials. The usual remedy is to If the open machine is exposed to hydrogen is pressurized. For liquid-
apply heat and ventilation in order humid conditions, then the daily dew- cooled stators, the cooling-water sys-
to dry out the winding; this can be a point cycle may result in periods when tem (SCWS) should be operational,
lengthy process. the dew-point temperature is greater or shut down with water drained
There are numerous moisture than the metal temperature. Conden- from the winding for any layup of
opportunities related to inadequate sation will occur, and the machine will more than 48 hours. For air-cooled
protection during shipment, storage, take on water as long as condensation units, or H2-cooled units that are
standby, and maintenance. Even dur- continues. depressurized, turn on space heat-
ing operation, there are opportunities A filled capillary is relatively stable ers to prevent condensation.
for condensation from gas coolers, cool- at moderate ambient temperatures n Stator layup for weeks or months.
er leaks, and frame flooding. Outdoor and stagnant conditions. There is For air-cooled units, turn on space
units are a particular challenge given almost no driving force to evaporate heaters to prevent condensation;
their exposure to weather. Hydrogen- water back out into a stagnant atmo- same for H 2 -cooled units, but
cooled units have lower exposure than sphere at the same temperature. A sig- depressurize before turning on
air-cooled units because of the con- nificant increase in metal temperature space heaters. H2-cooled units not
trolled operating environment. will increase the evaporation rate by purged should reduce gas pres-
Capillaries behave the same wheth- producing a decrease in local relative sure to 0.5 psig to minimize con-
er horizontal or vertical. With dry air humidity. Significant ventilation flow sumption. For liquid-cooled units,
at the ends of capillaries, the capil-
laries contain only air. Increase the
humidity to the point of condensation
and water starts to condense inside
the smallest capillaries. This occurs
at about 92% relative humidity (metal
temperature relative to dew-point tem-
perature). With nearly saturated air at
the ends of the capillaries, water starts
to condense in small capillaries. Under
saturation conditions, condensation
occurs on free surfaces, and pooling
begins. The capillaries will fill.
There are numerous capillaries on
both the rotor and stator. On the rotor
there are capillaries between turns and
on both faces of the slot liner (Fig E1). E1, E2. There are numerous capillaries in both the rotor and stator where
On the stator, there are capillaries in unwanted condensation can occur. In the rotor, they are between turns and on
the spaces between core laminations both faces of the slot liner (left); in the stator, between core laminations and in
and the spaces between the bar surface the spaces between the bar surface on the fillers and core iron (right)
Sponsored by Mechanical Dynamics & Analysis (MD&A) S•21
E3. Condensation on stator windings E4, E5. Ground alarm following a shutdown for lack of market demand alerted
attributed to improper layup proce- staff to rust accumulations on rotor and exciter components caused by con-
dures caused unit to trip on restart densation/improper layup
after a planned outage

the winding and SCWS should be

drained and vacuum-dried.
n Rotor layup for days. Rotor should be
at rest with the pole axis in the verti-
cal direction. Coat all exposed shaft E6, E7. Retaining ring scanner at left and air-gap robot at right provide “eyes” to
surfaces with light lubricating oil. identify issues before they cause problems that can affect machine availability
n Rotor layup for weeks or months.
Rotor should be at rest with the
pole axis in the vertical direction.
Megger field monthly and trend
insulation resistance. A low megger
indicates moisture in the generator.
Inspect exposed shaft surfaces and
the collector rings to ensure that the
oil film is adequate.
Similar recommendations were
provided for collector systems, seal-oil E8, E9. Rub marks are in evidence
systems, and coolers. on air-side seals and shaft surfaces;
In addition, the following case stud- plus, seals are out of round
ies related to improper storage were
discussed:  equipment (generators or synchronous
Case No. 1. Unit was in a planned condensers). The time requirements
outage (turbine upgrade). During for implementing the standard on a
restart after the outage, the unit fleet of generators also was presented.
tripped on stator differential protec- The evaluation process used by APS
tion. Upon inspection, damage was includes the following five steps:
noted on the turbine-end series loop n Identify all of the voltage-regulator
caps (Fig E3). The failure was attribut- limiter and protection functions for
ed to condensation on stator windings. a given generator.
Case No. 2. Unit was shut down n Identify all of the generator relay
because of grid issues. Upon restart, a protection functions enabled.
field ground alarm was activated and n Determine what coordination must
the unit was shut down again. Inspec- be evaluated based on a comparison
tors noted rust had accumulated on the of the items identified in Steps 1
rotor and exciter components because and 2 above. essary unit trips: Generator voltage
of condensation and improper layup n Perform the needed evaluation and regulators act to mitigate undesirable
(Figs E4 and E5). modify settings such that they coor- operating conditions before relays trip
dinate. the unit.
Implementing NERC n Document the results in a formal
Standard PRC-019 report. Generator maintenance
Several methods of demonstrating considerations and
Douglas Selin, PE, consulting engineer, how the coordination can be reviewed,
Arizona Public Service Co, provided an visualized, and documented were pre- robotics
overview of the NERC standard and sented for most of the voltage-regulator Revision L of GEK 103566, perhaps
the process APS uses to implement the functions that would be encountered in better known by number than its title,
PRC-019 across its fleet of generators. such an evaluation. A summary list of “Creating an Effective Maintenance
A review of the standard outlined the learnings was offered to enhance the Program,” was reviewed by Dan Tra-
functional entities required to comply efficiency of the evaluation process. gesser and Chris Markman to help own-
with the mandate, the applicable facili- The effort needed to perform the ers operate their generators safely and
ties, and the individual requirements coordination analysis outlined is a reliably. Tragesser manages technical
which involve coordinating voltage requirement for all generator owners. risk for GE’s Global Generator Product
regulator controls with the protection It has the benefit of improving power- Service Engineering, Markman is prod-
system and the capabilities of the system reliability by avoiding unnec- uct manager for generator inspections.
S•22 GENERATORS
 Six key areas were discussed by the Seal-oil-system mechanisms and turbine/generators to help stabilize
duo—including Rev L updates, rotor effects was the next topic. Mecha- system frequency.
removal recommendations, inspec- nisms include cocked seals, loss of The questions then arise: How do
tion and maintenance intervals, how seal oil, damaged anti-rotation pin, synchronous powerplants respond
intervals are determined, examples of contaminants, damaged seals, genera- to system frequency disruptions and
intervals, and rotor and retaining-ring tor pressurization, clogged drain lines, what changes may need to be made
life management. GEK 103566, which improper assembly, and misoperation. in order to comply with frequency
was said to contain information of Resulting effects include higher response codes and standards? Syn-
importance to users, can be obtained total and hydrogen-side seal-oil flow, chronous generators add rotating iner-
from your GE rep. improper liquid-level detector alarms, tia and have governors which detect
Robotic inspections were the next high float-trap oil level. frequency disruptions and raise/lower
topic with specific references made to Checklists for disassembly and output to quickly balance generation to
the OEM’s retaining-ring scanner (Fig reassembly followed: load (called “droop” control or primary
E6) and air-gap robots (Fig E7). The Disassembly. Measure rotor posi- frequency response).
speakers said robotic inspections were tion from the outboard oil deflector These questions become more acute
performed on 512 units between 2011 fit to the shaft, measure the distance because tax credits and rapidly declin-
and 2016, with 8% having significant between the hydrogen seal casing and ing costs are driving ever more mas-
findings (defined as rotor removal the rotor shaft, determine “as-found” sive amounts of renewables power into
required for repair) and half of those seal clearances, inspect seals, and existing transmission systems. A lower
deferred to next outage. There were ensure seals are not out-of-round. percentage of synchronous generators
three forced outages associated with Reassembly. Inspect seals and means less inertial response to fre-
the 20 rotors pulled. Two had rotor ensure they are not out-of-round, check quency disruptions, and less inertial
grounds and one was forced out by a for any foreign material between the response means more turbine/genera-
negative sequence current with arc inner oil deflector and hydrogen seal tor response is needed. Synchronized
strikes. casing, check vertical face of the end turbine/generator droop control must
The speakers said electrical tests shield between the upper half and lower give a sustained response to minimize
conducted on the rotors removed typi- half for any steps across the horizontal the magnitude of frequency disrup-
cally confirmed the findings of other joint, perform blue check and ensure tions and maintain reliability.
tests or conditions—such as shorted 100% contact, check for any RTV that NERC’s 2012 Frequency Response
turn and vibration. Data show robots may have squeezed from between the Initiative Report found only 30% of
typically find the same defects as upper half and lower half of the end the generators online provide pri-
visual inspections with the rotor out. shield, remove any RTV material that mary frequency control, and that
Discussion regarding robot inspections has come onto the horizontal joint of the two-thirds of those that did respond
that resulted in a rotor pull noted lower-half casing, ensure seal-oil inlet exhibited “withdrawal” or “squelching”
that more than 50% of these could feed and gas-side seal-oil drain in the of the response. The reason is outside
have been planned for with better end shield are clear. closed-loop control. Since only 10% of
operations data review and outage The presentation closed with a case the units online were sustaining their
management. study of a unit that was offline, but expected primary-frequency-control
Relative to reliability, GE reported pressurized and with seal-oil system “capability,” a reliability issue arises:
four cases of MAGIC (Miniature Air in operation, when a blackout occurred. Balancing authorities (BAs) get a sig-
Gap Inspection Crawler) robots losing The DC system came online, but the nificant portion of frequency response
parts—including two burst bearings site lost seal-oil differential pressure from load and cannot predict the load
(encapsulated bearings are now used) (DP). By the time DP was restored, the response or control it (load’s inertial
and three fastener issues (redesigned). unit had dropped 10 psi in hydrogen contribution cannot be accurately
Relative to robots getting stuck, GE pressure. The decrease in seal-oil DP predicted).
has emergency retrieval capability allowed oil ingress. These issues have encouraged NERC
built into designs. The operator received multiple and industry efforts to improve frequen-
Also discussed was the stator cool- liquid-level detector alarms, and low cy reliability, thereby making the need
ing water system with focus on copper and low-low lube-oil alarms. Site per- for government regulations less likely.
oxide buildup and removal. sonnel tried to start up the unit next One step in that direction is GE Tech-
day but were unable to build lube-oil nical Information Letter 1961, “Steam
Hydrogen seal-oil header pressure. Personnel purged Turbine Governor Studies to Meet
experience and inspected the generator, which NERC Frequency Response Advisory,”
was flooded with lube oil. Air-side which was supported by a webinar.
GE’s Dhruv Bhatnagar returned to seals and shaft surfaces were found Honda closed his presentation with
the podium to address the challenges to have rub marks (Figs E8 and E9); these recommendations for owner/
associated with seal-oil systems and seals were out of round. operators:
how to mitigate them. Challenges n Verify unit-specific requirements
include the following: Coordinated frequency with your BA.
n The seal rings themselves. Damage, n If operating in closed-loop auto-
contamination, improper assembly,
response matic generation control (AGC),
and cocked seals all can lead to Emerson’s Thor Honda, an expert on biasing may be required to pass BA
operational issues—including oil the modernization of mechanical and compliance criteria.
ingress. electronic turbine controls, discussed n When implementing AGC bias, keep
n Float traps require manual bypass the challenges associated with inject- the following in mind:
during every startup/shutdown. ing into the grid large amounts of 1. AGC will not negate droop impact
Improper procedures are conducive intermittent power produced by renew- on site output, which may have
to seal-oil ingress. able resources. This new and evolving economic considerations.
n Oil contamination of the hydrogen paradigm in electric generation has 2. Ensure AGC bias is accurate and
control panel. highlighted the need for synchronous enabled accordingly. gen
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