Extended parts life solution Alstom GT11D gas turbine
A fleet of Alstom GT11D liquid fuel gas turbines showed severe issues with premature erosion of the leading edge section of blades, causing them to prematurely fail.
- Goals
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- Life Extension
- Increase Power Output
- Sectors
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- Power generation
- Asset
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- Heavy Gas Turbines
- Location
Project Overview
A customer operating a fleet of Alstom GT11D liquid fuel gas turbines showed severe issues with premature erosion of the leading edge section of blades, causing them to prematurely fail. The erosion was limited to the row 1 blades and vanes.
Key Challenges
Erosion was caused by a combination of operating on heavy fuel oil (HFO), the build-up of contaminants in the fuel adhering to the leading edge, & the increased temperature of the base material causing accelerated oxidation & premature failure.
The components were failing around the 5,000 Equivalent Operating Hours (EOH) mark. Primary factors effecting the damage of the components were fuel, contaminants & overheating
The EthosEnergy Solution
- Through a root cause analysis, a corrective action plan was developed to repair the part
- Wire eroded out the full leading edge section & replaced it with a machined section of upgraded cast base material
- Directionally Solidified Rene 142 (DSR 142) alloy was used & is seen as a significant upgrade over manufactured alloy of equiaxed IN738
- The replaced section had a higher oxidation resistance & was held in place by a high temperature braze
Project Highlights
The key highlights of the project.
Significant parts life extension
Repairs allowed operation for a full life cycle of 24,000 EOH or almost 500% longer than previous run time
Reduced capital expenditure using a repair versus buying new
Key Results
- A significant extension in component life was achieved
- Reduced capital expenditure without the need to buy new parts, opting to go with a repair instead of component replacement due to fallout
Find out more
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Gas Turbine Parts
We provide high quality parts that ensure the optimum performance of your performance-critical gas turbine assets.
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Heavy Gas Turbines
The largest independent service provider of heavy gas turbine services across a wide range of frame types. We are the OEM for Fiat Avio and Mature Westinghouse fleet.