POWER-GEN Asia 2018

Sessions Speakers Exhibitors Products Press Releases Floor Plan Buzz

SGTx-4000F Service Innovations Based on 20 years of F-Class Experience (Room Garuda 10B, 1st Floor)

SGTx-4000F gas turbines are in service since 1996. With more than 350 installed engines and 20 Million operating hours, Siemens' F-Class has proven to be successful in world's power markets. Beside its industry leading performance figures, the outstanding reliability and availability is are critical advantages for the plant operators. This is a result of the continuously improved and introduced service technologies that are based on both operating experience and thorough research and development. In the first part of the proposed paper the major improvements introduced to the gas turbine hardware are presented. It is shown how used components were successively analyzed and newly designed parts were developed in order to reduce maintenance efforts (either by reducing repair necessity and/ or extending maintenance intervals. Measures to improve robustness of compressor and casing parts are described as well as the unique ceramic tile developments for the combustor and the innovations connected to turbine component design. Emphasis is placed on the latter focusing on the improvements of cooling and coating technology. In the second part the improved repair methods are described optimizing the utilization of the parts in service. In the third part, performance improvement potentials are highlighted that enhance the competitiveness of service plants. Furthermore, engine specific lifetime evaluation methods are discussed that account for the actual operation of the engine. It is elaborated which components are affected by flexible operation or continuous part load operation. The corresponding effects on life consumption are outlined for several examples in order to highlight the complexity of this topic. Finally, an outlook for future applications of innovations that are already in development is given.