COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 31

SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP

T
he 2007 meeting of the 7EA
Users Group, October 9-11, in
San Francisco, was the larg-
est in recent memory with 110
owner/operators attending and 78
products/services suppliers par-
ticipating in the vendor fair on
Wednesday evening. The technical
program developed by the steering
committee (Sidebar 1) was top-notch.
Logistics for the conference and
trade show were managed by Greg
Carvalho of Simplified Technology
Co, Fremont, Calif; he will coordinate
the 2008 meeting as well. Carvalho is
probably best known in the industry
as the host-master for e-mail forums
available at no cost to more than
a dozen user groups, including the
7EA.
This report summarizes prepared
presentations by both users and
other industry experts that offer
valuable input for both planning and
conducting maintenance outages.
The user presentations come first.
They discuss how the use of simula-
tors in operator training can help
reduce unit trips and extend main-
tenance intervals, the value of group
participation in the development of
O&M best practices, and compressor
and turbine issues identified during
a recent 7EA outage.
Non-user presentations included
the following: Areas of zero-liquid-
discharge systems to investigate
during outages to correct operating
problems, how to troubleshoot DLN-1
combustion systems, and the various
alternatives available to mitigate
varnish formation on critical com-
ponents in lube-oil and hydraulic
systems.
User
presentations
D
ave Ulozas, the new chairman
of the steering committee,
opened the technical portion
of the meeting with a presentation
on the use of simulators in opera-
tor training programs. He is unique
among plant managers. Ulozas is
responsible for a 2 1 7EA-powered
combined cycle as well as for a coal-
fired station that shares its site with
the grave of an early nuclear reac-
tor. Nebraska Public Power District
(NPPD) is his employer.
A backgrounder on the plants
before moving ahead: Beatrice Power
Station, 250-MW combined cycle
named after its home town, began
commercial operation in January
2005 and has operated in interme-
diate-load service since. Site was
selected based on its access to nat-
ural-gas pipelines, existing electric
transmission infrastructure, and
water supply. Plant is operated by a
permanent staff of 14.
Sheldon Station consists of two
coal-fired steam units with an aggre-
gate capacity of 225 MW. Both burn
Powder River Basin coal today. The
first unit began operating in mid
1961, the second in mid 1968. Total
staff numbers 95.
Hallam, the nearest town, was
the name adopted for the 240-MW,
sodium-cooled graphite-moderated
Detailed presentations on DLN-1
troubleshooting, ZLD solutions, varnish
prevention identify outage actions to
improve plant performance
Ulozas succeeds Hoy as chair of the 7EA
steering committee
T
he 7EA steering committee is a
vibrant group, now chaired by
Dave Ulozas (dwuloza@nppd.
com), plant manager, Beatrice Power
Stati on, Nebraska Publ i c Power
District. He succeeded Mike Hoy
(mdhoy@tva.gov), manager of tech-
nical support for TVAs combustion
turbines and distributed resources
group.
Hoy compl et-
ed his three-year
t er m of of f i ce
wi t h t he hi ghl y
successf ul San
Franci sco meet-
i ng; he remai ns
on the committee.
Other committee
members are Vice
Chai r man Lane
Watson (lane.wat-
son@fmglobal.com), engineer, chemical operations, FM Global; Julie Turner
(julie.turner@pgnmail.com), plant manager, Intercession City CT, Progress
Energy Florida Inc; and Pat Myers (pcmyers@aep.com), plant manager,
Ceredo Generating Station, American Electric Power Co.
Hoy
Turner Watson Myers
Ulozas
32 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
nuclear powerplant built on the Shel-
don site at the same time as the first
coal unit. The Atomic Energy Com-
mission (since absorbed into DOE)
dismantled Hallam between 1967
and 1969 after it satisfied opera-
tional objectives. Some components
were buried onsite, the rest shipped
elsewhere.
A goal of every facility manager is
to maintain plant staff at full comple-
ment with capable people in every
position. Not much different than
baseball when you think about it.
Managers of gas-turbine-based gen-
erating assets typically supervise
young staffs; their counterparts at
coal-fired stations, much older ones.
The personnel risk associated with
the former is restlessness and the
temptation to jump after a marginal-
ly higher paycheck; with the latter it
is retirement. In both cases, new peo-
ple have to be hired and trained, and
more likely than not your replace-
ments will be inexperienced in pow-
erplant operationsespecially if
facilities are located in the middle of
Nebraska like Ulozas are.
Plant managers can waste no time
getting a new hire up to speed. If the
person requires basic indoctrination
in powerplant equipment, systems,
and processes, perhaps Internet-
based coursework like that avail-
able from General Physics Corps
GPiLearn (www.gpworldwide.com/
energywbt) is a good place to start.
To teach someone his or her job,
and to make that person a produc-
tive member of the plant staff, theres
probably nothing more effective than
teaming up the new hire with an
experienced employee. However, GT-
based plants have so few employees
that teaming has practical limits.
In coal-fired plants, O&M knowl-
edge resides in the minds of employ-
ees who may have one foot out the
door. Wheres their incentive for
training a new hire? Professional
pride, perhaps, but there can be a
shortage of that at any given plant.
Ulozas is a champion of quality train-
ing. It helps to make powerplant
operations more predictable, he said.
You want procedures, such as start-
ups and shutdowns, to be repeatable;
no mistakes. Simulators are a big
help in this regard, he continued.
They require that the trainee make
decisions in real time based on mul-
tiple inputs. In so doing, simulators
improve their knowledge and develop
the necessary operational skills.
Most people agree that one learns
from his or her mistakes; also that it
is far better to learn from mistakes
made on a simulator than in the con-
trol room of an operating plant.
Ulozas said a quality simulator
is a valuable tool beyond practicing
startups and shutdowns and how
to respond to abnormal events and
accidents. It can be used to evalu-
ate options for improving heat rate,
teach teamwork, train personnel on
the proper procedures for running
equipment/system diagnostics, assist
in the development and validation of
new operating procedures, etc.
For those unfamiliar with simulators,
Ulozas made it a point to differenti-
ate between emulation and stimula-
tion. In the former, the DCS (dis-
tributed control system) software is
replicated within the simulator code;
in the latter, actual DCS software is
used to interface with the simulator
code.
The difference between these alter-
natives is important, he stressed. To
illustrate: The stimulation option
permits the training program for
E&I technicians to practice control-
ler tuning on the simulator; for the
engineering staff, it allows testing of
proposed plant modifications prior to
implementing changes. In addition,
it is useful for systems and integrat-
ed-plant training.
Ulozas suggested that anyone
considering the purchase of a simu-
lator should review EPRI (Electric
Our ability to offer innovative answers for complex technical problems has allowed
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34 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
Power Research Institute, Palo Alto,
Calif) report AD-103790, Simula-
tor procurement guidelines for fossil
powerplants. It contains a detailed
procurement specification, including
payment schedule and methodology.
Whats particularly important for
ensuring that your simulator is of the
highest quality and greatest benefit
to your staff is to make actual plant
data available to developers. If you
manage an old plant, like Sheldon
Station, consider running detailed
performance tests to provide accu-
rate information.
Ulozas said simulator cost varies
with its fidelity. A low-fidelity suit-
case simulator thats acceptable for
training operators on startups and
shutdowns can be had for a few hun-
dred thousand dollars. Medium fidel-
ity, which allows you to change vari-
ables, can cost upward of a million
dollars. A high-fidelity simulator
the one you really wantcan run a
million and a half, or more. However,
its tough to get that degree of corpo-
rate financial support.
Dont forget, Ulozas reminded, that
instructors must be trained on how to
use the simulator for training plant
personnel, how the models work, and
what assumptions were used in their
development, etc.
Next, he presented a case history on
the development of a simulator for
Sheldon Station and implementa-
tion of an effective training program.
The first attempt, Ulozas confided,
fell short and offers good experience
for others. Thorough planning, com-
mitment, and attention to detail are
critical to the success of your project,
he continued.
First work on an emulator for
Sheldon began in 2000. Plant data
(drawings, design-basis information,
test results, etc) were generally poor,
resulting in the design of a substan-
dard simulator. Its capability essen-
tially was limited to startups and
operators had a low opinion of the
models validity.
Ulozas and his supervisors went
back to the drawing board knowing
full-well that some 30-year veterans
were planning their retirement par-
ties. Modifications were made to the
simulator, fidelity improved, and its
use in a formal training program com-
menced. First goal was to have each
watch crew develop more completely
as team. It required practice in diag-
nostics, communications, and conser-
vative decision-making.
Each crew member keeps a note-
book to record improvement areas
and lessons learned during train-
ing, which is conducted during the
watch. Design of logical scenarios
for personnel development is impor-
tant to achieving objectives. One of
the challenges facing supervisors
is to identify training opportunities
within the scenario. For example, if
the scenario includes transfer of the
voltage regulator to manual while a
load change is in progress, it offers
the opportunity to review the theory
voltage regulation.
It also offers the opportunity for
system reviewthat is, a review of
drawings to determine what will
cause the voltage regulator to trans-
fer to manual. Team performance
can be evaluated, too, by reviewing
how well the crew communicated and
practiced peer-checking during the
event.
A scenario begins when the instruc-
tor gives the crew a turnover sheet
with initial plant conditions and the
crew announces that they have the
watch. Important to note is that a
scenario can be put on hold by any
crew member, or the instructor, to
clarify points, to explain something,
etc. When the scenario is completed,
the instructor summarizes what was
achieved and the crew critiques itself
using a worksheet provided. The
worksheet is comprehensive.
For example, one of the competen-
cies that must be evaluated is con-
trol-board operation. Here are some
of points requiring evaluation:
n Ability to locate the controls
required to handle the event.
n Manipulate the controls accurate-
ly and in timely fashion.
n Act appropriately in response to
instruments.
n Take manual control when appro-
priate.
n Demonstrate self and peer checks.
Other competencies included on
the training critique worksheet are
these:
n Diagnosis of events.
n Unde r s t a nd pl a nt / s y s t e m
response.
n Adherence to and proper use of
procedures.
n Communications.
n Understand and interpret alarms.
n Direct shift operations.
Ulozas is the first to admit that
learning how to use the simulator
as a training tool is half the battle.
Since that was achieved at Sheldon,
tremendous benefit has been real-
ized.
Users working
collaboratively
Pat Myers, plant manager of Ameri-
can Electric Power Co s Ceredo
Generating Station in Huntington,
WV, is a frequent speaker at 7EA
User Group meetings and known
among peers as a person willing
to share his considerable knowl-
edge. His presentation at the San
Francisco meeting was aimed at
getting others to do the same by
participating in a formal program of
experience-sharing and preventive-
maintenance (PM) planning that he
volunteered to lead.
Myers opened with a question:
What should you be doing regard-
ing PMs? His observation: Theres
not enough staff at any gas-turbine-
based plant to comply with all the
manufacturers recommendations.
Thats a problem for some of the less-
experienced supervisors, he said.
Simplified combined cycle looking for a 7EA host
I
nternational Power Services Co
(Power), Fremont, Calif, pre-
sented its simplified combined
cycle (SCC) technology to the 7EA
Users Group in San Francisco with
the hope that owners would view
it as a viable uprate idea for one
or more simple-cycle gas turbines
(GTs) in their portfolios. SCC makes
use of steam injection technology
previously referred to as the Cheng
Cycle, which was named for its
inventor.
Two former Calpine execu-
tives, Peter Cartwright and Tom
Mason, launched Power in 2006
and obtained exclusive rights to the
patented SCC technology. Marrying
their business and project-develop-
ment skills to the engineering capa-
bilities of Cheng Power Systems
may finally take SCC to the next
levellarge frame machines.
The system is relatively simple
in concept. A heat-recovery steam
generator (HRSG) supplies steam
that is premixed with both fuel and
air before each is injected into the
GTs combustor. Benefits are an
increase in power output and a
favorable emissions profile, plus
a lower turbine inlet temperature.
Last contributes to longer lifetimes
for hot-gas-path parts. However,
upwards of 50,000 gal/day of demin-
eralized water would be lost to the
atmosphere in a 7EA application.
Power considers the incremental
GT capacity provided by SCC as
green because no additional fuel
is consumed. For more information,
visit www.ipscllc.com.
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 35
Overwhelmed by the challenge of
having to do everything, they tend to
do little more than focus on manage-
ment and regulatory directives.
But somewhere between nothing
and we have to do all this is the
answer, Myers continued. Having
best-practices guidelines for preven-
tive maintenance would help virtu-
ally everyone in the group improve
his or her plants performance and
probably reduce expenses as well.
He spent a considerable amount of
time compiling a presentation that
identified about a dozen issues/tasks
tackled by plant supervisory person-
nel that might be resolved/facilitated
by developing best practices based on
7EA user experience. Myers started
with lube-oil filtration, which when
done correctly can help mitigate var-
nish formation.
One of the first things the group
should investigate, he suggested, is
why some units are more prone to
varnish formation than others. Some
of the reasons would come later in
the program during a panel discus-
sion on the subject. Myers said his
experience indicated that tighter
control of the main lube-oil filtration
package might be all thats needed.
In 2005, Ceredos main filters were
upgraded to ones with a beta-ratio
rating that would ensure removal
of 99.5% of all particles 3 microns
and larger. Lube-oil health with the
new filters compared favorably with
that for two units onsite equipped
with additional kidney-loop polish-
ing filters that ran continuously for
six months.
Other information and findings
important to this discussion: Plant
has used Chevron GST 32 since com-
missioning in 2001. Units average
approximately 250 starts and 1000
operating hours annually; they also
average about eight hours weekly on
the ratchet. Varnish potential rating
is well below 10 and ISO 16/14/11 is
the cleanliness standard maintained.
Findings: no varnish buildup in last-
chance filters; no control problems
related to varnish deposition. The
question: If the Ceredo 7EA plant
is having excellent success why are
other plants having trouble?
Regarding the ISO spec, it is the
suggested hydraulic fluid standard
to help prevent fouling of servo
valves. Translation: The 16 means
the permissible number of particles 4
microns and larger in a lube-oil sam-
ple of 1 milliliter (ml); 14, particles 6
microns and larger; 11, particles 14
microns and larger, as indicated on
the ISO Code table.
Myers recommended several other
issues/tasks that would benefit from
the development of best practices,
including these:
n Battery capacity testing, because
of the problems that Ceredo
observed in its first five-year test.
In response to the issues identi-
fied, the plant assembled emer-
gency battery jumper cables,
and an emergency battery discon-
nect for use in situations where
batteries or chargers may fail.
n Dc lube-oil pump testing and
operation. Myers strongly recom-
mended annual testing. His pre-
sentation mentioned the value of
TIL (technical information letter)
1469-2R1, which addresses annu-
al inspection. He also discussed
his plants modifications of pump
operating logic to incorporate an
automatic dc-pump test at each
start, and the steps to incorporate
the latest updates recommended
by the OEM (such as those in TIL
1420-2). Further, that fleet expe-
rience be shared to be sure any
anomalous operating condition
which might compromise proper
dc lube-oil pump operation be
identified so others could make
logic changes to prevent its occur-
rence.
n Compressor bleed-valve trips. Cere-
dos experience is one trip caused
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36 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
by a bleed valve not closing in time
during a start in extremely cold
weather and six trips caused by
bleed valves not opening in time.
Myers and his staff believe that
the root cause of all the trips
attributed to valves not opening
in time was improper operation
of solenoid valves caused by use
of the wrong spring material in
the valves. He showed pictures of
dissected valves to illustrate the
wear and tear of the all-important
solenoid spring and noted findings
(from another user) of bleed valve
cylinder sealing O-ring distress,
Viton seal-ring failure, bearing
failure on turning yoke, and shaft
bushing displacement.
Myers asked the group: What is
the proper time to replace hard-
ware/consumables? What are the
best techniques for repair/replace-
ment? Has anyone installed a sys-
tem to trend valve motion versus
solenoid energize/de-energize?
Obviously, his point was that
everyone was dealing with the
same challenges and the wheel
was being reinvented in each
plant, and for what reason? The
7EA users certainly could come
up with a best practice for sole-
noid testing and maintenance that
would improve fleet starting reli-
ability.
n Torque-converter spool setting
to ensure proper purge cycle.
Myers discussed a problem that
he encountered on a Voith hydrau-
lic drive that caused increasingly
slower unit start times. What he
found was a loose stop screw that
caused the spool to have less and
less travel on successive starts.
n Ratchet diagnostics. Myers asked
the group, Does anyone have any
kind of automatic shaft-movement
verification and alarm when the
unit is on ratchet [turning gear]
but the shaft is not moving? He
then discussed his plants experi-
ence with the old-style hydraulic-
ratchet pressure switches, which
are prone to diaphragm failure,
and the new-style, which are
much more reliable.
Myers also mentioned logic
changes to Ceredo s standard
Mark V control system to improve
ratchet operational reliability. You
knew from just looking around the
room that everyone had not made
all these logic changes and that
a 7EA Best Practices initiative
would be beneficial.
Some very ugly photos of oil spills
caused by fittings breaking on the
hydraulic ratchet were shared.
Myers reported after his presenta-
tion what he had learned from a
Voith representative at the ven-
dor fair: A setting on the control
of 7 or less and reinforcement of
the piping should help. Myers will
share a piping-support design he
has underway with the 7EA users
via the groups message board.
n Secondary flame scanners. He
gave a brief history of how the
secondary flame scanners view
tube was significantly shortened
to increase flame counts.
n Testing of the fire protection
system. A detailed listing of
Chemtron checks and a recent
inspection report were shared, as
was a relay wiring modification
implemented to improve reliabil-
ity of the ice cube relays on the
Chemtron panel.
n IGV (inlet guide vane) block to
ensure personnel safety with
lock out/tag out in effect. Myers
shared a locking-block design that
was implemented at Ceredo for
a reliable LO/TO when working
through IGVs during borescope
and other inspections.
n Icing detection. He proposed a
new design for the bellmouth door
to assure positive visual identi-
fication of icing. The door design
is much lighter than the original
duct door and provides visual
access to detect water in the duct
and to observe IGV icing.
n Turbine trips and run-backs. How
deep do you go in verifying proper
operation of turbine trip devices?
How deep should you go? After
listening to Myers for a couple of
minutes, you realized that this
might well be another area that
would benefit from a best practice.
He provided a detailed listing of
trips and runbacks that can be
used to design a plant-specific tur-
bine trip check protocol.
n Overspeed testi ng. Next, he
shared a proposed procedure for
electrically testing overspeed test
circuits without actually stressing
the rotor with an actual overspeed
event
n Transferring to premix steady
state during a start in very cold
weather Myers finds can be prob-
lematic. He described a problem he
is having with one of his units and
believes that collaboration among
users could help everyoneeven
him.
n To close his presentation, Myers
shared a lone worker alarm
system he has implemented at
his plant to add an additional
level of safety communications for
employees required to be on site
and work solo.
Other user
presentations
Olaf Barth of Dominion Energy Incs
CT Operations unit reviewed his
companys spring outage experience,
focusing on areas of concern in both
the compressor and turbine sections
of its 7EAs. Paul Beatty, O&M super-
intendent for Duke Energys Lin-
coln, Mill Creek, and Buzzard Roost
peaking stations, updated the group
on test runs of one 7EA on 100%
biofuel.
.
Environmental
stewardship
A
virtue of gas-turbine-based
plants is that they require
much less water for operation
than fossil-fired and nuclear steam/
electric plants. This is particularly
important today because water con-
sumption has become a high-profile
discussion topic at siting hearings
nationwide. Constrained potable
water supplies in unlikely places,
such as Atlanta, are a reason for
growing public concern.
Use of so-called grey water now
is mandated for powerplants in many
areas, by law or by just good business
sense. Plus zero-liquid-discharge
(ZLD) and near-zero-liquid-discharge
systems have become necessary add-
ons where owners want their new
generating plants licensed in timely
fashion. These systems protect the
environment against potentially
harmful liquid discharges; however,
their real reason for being, in most
cases, is to wring out and recycle
every last drop of water from the
powerplant waste stream.
Most owner/operators are not
familiar with todays wastewater
treatment systems, but they should
get to know more about them sooner
rather than later. These systems
deserve your greatest respect. They
can be extremely complex and pose
O&M challenges not encountered
in the electric power industry since
Barth Beatty
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 37
the introduction of SO
2
scrubbers on
coal-fired stations in the early 1970s
(Fig 1).
Among the 7EA users, perhaps no
one understands this better than
George Davies, combustion turbine
department manager for Turlock
(Calif) Irrigation Districts Walnut
Energy Center, and former member
of the groups steering committee.
Walnut is a 250-MW, 7EA-powered
2 1 combined cycle with a state-
of-the-art ZLD system. It also is the
only powerplant
kno wn t o t he
editors that has
outsourced ZLD
o pe r at i o n and
maintenance to a
third-party ser-
vices firm (CH2M
Hi l l subsi di ary
Operations Man-
agement Interna-
tional, known as
OMI).
Credit the steering committee for
its forward thinking in recogniz-
ing the future information needs of
the organizations members and for
inviting Dan Sampson, Nalco Cos
(Naperville, Ill) power-industry tech-
nical consultant, to speak about the
challenges presented by ZLD. Samp-
son, one of relatively few experts on
the subject, has been involved hands-
on in powerplant wastewater treat-
ment for well over a decade. Before
joining Nalco, he was with Calpine
Corp, San Jose, and had direct
involvement in system installation,
commissioning, and redesign to cor-
rect deficiencies.
GT users have to bring their
Sampson
Demin water
Condensate Cooling-tower
blowdown
RO feed
Brine
tank
Weak-acid cation
(WAC) units
Multimedia
filters
Crystallizer
Soda
ash
Lime Clarifiers
Sludge thickener
WAC tank
Wastewater
collection
tank
Wastewater
collection
tank
1. Complexity of ZLD systems is evident from this photo of key components
required to serve a 1 1 7FA-powered combined cycle in California
38 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
A-game listening skills to a Samp-
son presentation. Most have had
little exposure to water-treatment
technology and terminology, and
ZLD certainly is a step beyond the
norm. Blink and you can be lost for
the rest of the presentation: Thats
how complex the practical applica-
tion of this technology is. Its fair to
say that if this was an attendees first
exposure to ZLD and he or she wasnt
intimidated the user has to be an
extraordinary individual.
Perhaps the best place to begin is
with Sampsons concluding remarks.
You are not alone, he said, just
about everybody hates the ZLD sys-
tem they have. All ZLD systems
have problems, Sampson continued,
vendor designs havent improved
much over time. Problems identified
a decade ago are still evident in new
installations.
To stay current and to get the prac-
tical advice needed to ensure continu-
ity of operations, he suggested active
participation in user groups that
address ZLD issues. Keep in mind
that ZLD systems are must run
facilities, just like SCRs (selective
catalytic reduction) for NO
x
control.
If those systems do not operate, in all
probability, neither can the generat-
ing plant.
Sampsons 45-min presentation
was one of the most comprehen-
sive youd hear at any user groups
meeting. His format was problems/
solutions in the following subject cat-
egories: general, clarifier/softeners
and filters, ion exchange, wastewater
reverse osmosis (RO), and thermal
systems (brine concentrator and crys-
tallizer).
To give you an idea as to the depth
of coverage, heres what Sampson
had to say about membrane fouling,
which many users have experienced
(Fig 2). The first segment of the two-
part presentation covered fouling
typically encountered. He said it usu-
ally results from calcium sulfate and
carbonate scales, ineffective removal
of suspended solids and iron ahead of
the RO unit, and silica.
These problems generally are miti-
gated by changes to the operation of
both upstream equipment and chem-
istry. For example, do a more effec-
tive job in removing calcium through
better operation of the cold-lime
softener, sodium zeolite softener,
2. Reverse osmosis (RO) system is used to concentrate
the waste stream at this plant before it flows to a brine
concentrator
3. Weak-acid cation (WAC) cooling-tower blowdown soft-
eners (sodium cycle) are arranged in a 3 50% scheme at
left; polishing WAC softeners (H+ cycle), are in a 2 100%
scheme at right
4. Handling chemicals is a way of life for the ZLD operations team
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 39
and hydrogen-cycle WAC (weak-acid
cation exchanger, Fig 3). If alkalin-
ity is problematic, check both the
decarbonator and the acid feed to the
decarbonator for proper operation.
Improving the removal of suspend-
ed solids and iron demands proper
ferric coagulant feed, anionic poly-
mer feed, and TSS (total suspended
solids)/SDI (silt density index) moni-
toring (Fig 4). Stabilization of silica
is assured by upstream removal or
high-pH operation. Other recommen-
dations include:
n Monitor normalized data.
n Keep a spare set of membranes
onsite.
n Perform frequent membrane
autopsies.
n Provide a wash skid that allows
you to clean membranes in place.
High pH. For ZLD systems operat-
ing with an RO feed pH above 10,
even a small amount of hardness
causes membrane scaling. To com-
bat the formation of a debilitating
scale, Sampson recommends periodi-
cally reducing the water recovery of
the RO train to 60% to 75% of the
design operating value, or less, and
also injecting some acid into the feed
line.
Oftentimes, just stopping the
flow of caustic used to raise the pH
of water entering the RO unit is
sufficient. Reason is that the decar-
bonator, located immediately ahead
of the RO unit, typically discharges
water at a pH low enough to meet
requirements. Run the RO unit for a
short period at the lower pH to dis-
solve carbonate scale. The calcium
sulfate scale formed during this step
is dissolved when you return the sys-
tem to high-pH operation. Final step
is to ensure the recommended flow of
anti-scalant.
Sampson stressed that manpower is
at the root-cause of many ZLD prob-
lems. The most common mistake, he
said, is assuming that ZLD systems
can be operated with the same staff
as a typical water plant. Not so. ZLD
systems are much more complex and
the manpower requirement varies
with complexity.
Si mpl e ZLD systems al one
require from seven to nine expe-
rienced and dedicated personnel.
Positions include one operator 24/7,
half-time mechanic, half-time I&C
technician, and a full-time manager
(either a plant chemist or O&M man-
ager). Complex designs require
12-14 people beyond the normal pow-
erplant complement, specifically: two
operators 24/7, full-time mechanic,
full-time I&C technician, and man-
ager.
No ZLD system runs itself, Samp-
son barked. Vendor sales pitches
have created the wrong impression.
You need at least one experienced
person constantly monitoring operat-
ing parameters and running chemis-
tryno other dutiesplus at least
one other person available to respond
immediately to operating problems
and correct them. He noted that it
takes only a matter of minutes to foul
up system chemistry to the point that
it can take days to correct.
With many attendees looking ahead
to their first experiences with ZLD,
Sampson offered a few rules-of-
thumb in case these users are in a
position to influence design decisions.
Developers, he said, are prone to buy
the lowest-price system designed to
handle the required flow. One prob-
lem with this approach is that the
reference water analysis for design
work usually is uncertain and any
deviation from design almost always
translates to a loss in capacity. Con-
sequently, ZLD systems almost never
meet their nameplate ratings.
For decision-making, assume the
following:
n Mechanical reliability, 75% to
95%; assume a nominal 80%.
n A 20% degradation in output
between system overhauls/clean-
ings.
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40 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
This translates to an effec-
tive capacity for the ZLD
system of 64% (0.8 0.8). In
simple terms, if you need a
system to handle a 300-gpm
waste stream, specify 500
gpm. This is the best case for
effective capacity; more com-
plex designs have more things
to go wrong and the design
margin must be greater.
Recommended sizing crite-
ria based on maximum peak
flow:
n Simple designs (those relying
only on a brine concentrator), rec-
ommend two 60% trains.
n Complex designs (those using
RO to concentrate the wastewater
stream before it flows to a crystal-
lizer or other downstream equip-
ment, Figs 5, 6), recommend two
100% trains.
Risk assessment must be part of
the initial plant design effort, contin-
ued Sampson, and your cost analysis
should include redundancy. Dont for-
get to perform a single-point failure
analysis and to purchase additional
shelf or installed spares (pumps,
filters, etc) regardless of system
design.
DLN-1
troubleshooting
M
itch Cohen, a senior sys-
tems engineer for Orlando-
based Turbine Technology
Services Corp, is respected by many
readers for his knowledge of large
frame fuel systems (visit www.com-
binedcyclejournal.com/archives.
html, click 3Q/2005, click Improve
GT operating flexibility, reliability
with fuel-system mods. At the 7EA
User Groups San Francisco meet-
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5. Brine concentrator (tall tower in
background above) takes the RO
reject stream containing from 30,000
to 60,000 ppm TDS and reduces it to
a slurry of 150,000-200,000 ppm TDS.
This slurry then flows to the crystal-
lizer (smaller vessel in front of the BC),
where it is concentrated to about 50%
total solids
6. Belt filter press (right) operates on
the crystallizer waste stream to pro-
duce a cake suitable for landfilling
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 41
ing he conducted an hour-long clinic
on troubleshooting DLN-1 operating
problemsa specialty of histhat
was well-received by attendees.
Cohen spends a great deal of time
in the field so he knows well the com-
bustion-related issues that confront
plant personnel during normal
operation, plus those that torment
plant managers as they try to bring
their units into air-permit compli-
ance after a maintenance outage.
Think of him as a country doctor
for GTs. During the presentation,
Cohen asked on several occasions,
Has anyone experienced this prob-
lem or one like it? A couple of times,
users described incidents of concern
and he offered diagnoses and next
steps to resolve them. Owner/opera-
tors who dont participate in the user
group for their engine model miss
out on opportunities such as this to
access the expertise of the industrys
top solutions providers.
Cohen began his presentation with
three schematics for the 7EA DLN-1
to get attendees on the same page:
combustor (Fig 7), fuel system origi-
nal configuration (Fig 8), and the
new configuration for the fuel sys-
tem (inset gas skid with Fig 8). Most
users had units outfitted with the
original fuel-system configuration.
It has one gas control valve to serve
the primary, secondary, and trans-
fer fuel streams, plus two three-way
splitter valves. The new configura-
tion features three gas control valves
arranged in parallel, each dedicated
to a given fuel stream.
Fig 9 illustrates combustor opera-
tion in the premix mode, meaning
that fuel and air are mixed upstream
of the burner. Premixing is condu-
cive to lean fuel/air mixtures which
minimize flame temperature and the
formation of so-called thermal NO
x.

Of the three mechanisms associated
with NO
x
formationthe other two
being prompt NO
x
and the reaction
that converts nitrous oxide (N
2
O) to
nitric oxide (NO)thermal NO
x
is
the dominant mechanism in most GT
combustors.
Note that sub-pilot fuelapprox-
imately 1% of total fuel flowis
bled off the secondary fuel line and
its flow rate is not controllable. The
purpose of the sub pilot is to create a
small-scale diffusion flame for stabi-
lizing the premixed secondary flame
which, in turn, allows the premixed
primary flames to ignite.
Cohen stressed that the DLN-1
combustor designed for 9-ppm NO
x

demands very tight control of the
fuel/air ratio over the entire load
Venturi
Dilution
hole
PRIMARY
FLAME ZONE
SECONDARY
FLAME ZONE
Transition piece
Staged dilution hole
Transfer-fuel
holes
Flow sleeve
Spark plug (chambers 1 and 10)
Primary fuel
nozzle
Secondary
fuel nozzle
Secondary
flame detector
(chambers
3, 4, 7, 8)
Secondary
fuel holes
Center body
Combustor casing
Primary flame detector
(chambers 3, 4, 7, 8)
End cover
7. An ability to troubleshoot DLN-1 combustors is an important skill for O&M
personnel at any 7EA-powered plant
42 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
range, much tighter control than is
required for the older 25-ppm-NO
x

DLN-1. Two terms to remember, he
said, are these:
n Lean Flammability Limit, or the
point at which the fuel/air ratio is
too lean (that is, too low in value)
to support combustion.
n Equivalence Ratio, which is the
actual fuel/air ratio divided by the
stoichiometric fuel/air ratio. DLN
combustors operate very close to
the Lean Flammability Limit and
have a very narrow Equivalence
Ratio operating range.
Cohen continued the primer por-
tion of his presentation by re-famil-
iarizing attendees with 11 air flow
paths associated with the DLN-1.
One look at Fig 10 and all the ave-
nues for air entry into the combustor,
each with its own purpose, illustrates
why it is so difficult to tune these
systems and keep them operating
on-target.
Consider liner dilution holes, for
example. The total area of all dilution
holesless for the 9-NO
x
than for the
25-NO
x
DLN-1 tunes the amount
of air used for head-end premixing.
Good penetration of dilution air is
needed to achieve good mixing and
CO burn-out. Fewer holes of large
diameter are more effective for con-
trolling CO than more holes of small-
er diameter. Cohen mentioned that
the 9 NO
x
system has three dilution
holes, the 25 has four. Dilution holes
may be of unequal size to achieve a
proper exit-temperature profile when
staged dilution is used.
Staged dilution is designed into
transition pieces (TPs) for the 9 NO
x.

It consists of two 1-in.-diam holes on
the inner panel of the TP about 9.5
in. from the exit. Staging here sepa-
rates dilution into two zones for the
purpose of improving CO burnout
without affecting NO
x
emissions.
Specifically, what it does is increase
gas temperature in the TP by about
40 deg F for 10 milliseconds.
Primary/secondary fuel split. Next,
Cohen displayed two figuresone for
the 9-NO
x
combustor (Fig 11), one for
the 25-NO
x
to illustrate the emis-
sions trends versus fuel-split charac-
teristics common to both. Specifically,
a minimum-NO
x
split always exists,
and CO continuously decreases with
increasing split. Furthermore, the
split that achieves optimal NO
x
for
a given combustor is not necessarily
the split that produces the optimal
CO.
Basics in hand, Cohen was ready
to show users how to troubleshoot
variations from the norm in fuel/air
ratio that often are experienced after
a combustor inspection (CI) or other
outage. When such variations throw
emissions out of compliance you have
to move quickly, and in an organized
manner, to identify and correct the
root cause of the problem to assure
continuity of operations.
First step is to plan your trouble-
shooting initiative. Look for the cause
of variations in fuel/air ratio in the
following places, he suggested:
n Overall flame zone. Check turbine
firing temperature, combustor air
flow distribution, and/or turbine
air flow distribution.
n Can to can. Check for variations in
fuel/air ratio among the combus-
tor cans. Anomalies often can be
traced to variations in the effec-
tive fuel-nozzle areawhich is an
important reason to flow-test fuel
nozzles regularly.
n Within each combustor. A varia-
tion in fuel split often is the root
cause here.
Cohen jumped ahead a bit telling
the users that when called to plant
experiencing high emissions fol-
lowing a CI, first thing he checks is
the fuel split. Next, he looks at the
exhaust spread, where a variation
from the norm probably would indi-
cate theres a fuel-nozzle problem.
Liner inspection, testing. Then he
outlined a game plan plant personnel
could use to guide their troubleshoot-
ing efforts. Liner inspection was at
the top of the list. Cohen said the
liner refurbishment process can alter
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 43
the effective area of dilution and cool-
ing holes. For example, poor quality
control in applying the thermal bar-
rier coating (TBC) to the liner head
can reduce the area of film cooling
holes, which are only about a tenth
of an inch in diameter. Look also for
dings or TBC on the edges of the dilu-
tion holes; edges must be sharp.
Liner flow testing normally is not
done, he continued, but it is something
to consider when writing a specifica-
tion for refurbishment. However, sim-
ply running a test is not a recipe for
success. To illustrate the point, Cohen
put up a slide that reviewed a flow test
by a repair vendor that did not prop-
erly evaluate test results. In this case,
CO emissions were above the permit-
ted limit because of high excess air in
the head-end premixer and too little
excess air in the flame zone.
The vendors error was to assume
that because the percent variance
in total hole area for each can, com-
pared to the average for all 10 cans,
was less than the specified allow-
able percentage everything was fine.
Not true in this instance because
the measured area of the holes after
refurbishment was 13% greater than
the as-received measurement, allow-
ing more air than planned into the
head end and increasing CO.
Barometric pressure has a very sig-
nificant impact on how your turbine
fires and on overall fuel/air ratio.
Proper laboratory calibration of
barometric pressure transducers is
important. Do not try to save money
by calibrating yourself using airport
or Internet information. These val-
ues generally are altitude-corrected
and will read about 30 in. Hg. For
example, the Denver airport most
likely would tell you that the baro-
metric pressure there is 14.7 psia (or
29.92 in. Hg)the sea-level value
when, in fact, its really about 12.2.
Rule of thumb: For each 500 ft
above sea level, a control system
using sea-level barometric pressure
will increase turbine inlet tempera-
ture by 10 deg F. Overfiring increas-
es NO
x
production and also shortens
the lifetimes of HGP components.
Delta p. Regarding errors in mea-
suring inlet pressure drop, Cohen
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GAS SKID
TURBINE COMPARTMENT
Primary
Secondary
Transfer
Purge air from
compressor
discharge Purge
valve
Vent
Stop/speed
ratio valve
GAS SKID
Purge air from
compressor
discharge Purge
valve
Purge
valve
Vent
Stop/speed
ratio valve
Transfer-gas
control valve
Primary-gas
control valve
Secondary-gas
control valve
Primary
splitter valve
Gas
control
valve
Transfer splitter valve
Purge
valve
8. DLN-1 in the original configura-
tion had three fuel streams controlled
by one gas control valve and two
three-way splitter valves. Only the gas
skid changed in the new configura-
tion, which features three gas controls
arranged in parallelone for each fuel
stream (inset)
44 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
had this to say: Many operators are
not aware that inlet delta p is an
input to that part of the control sys-
tem responsible for regulating tur-
bine firing temperature; also, that
pressure drop is measured by a single
transducerno triple redundancy
here. Note that a delta p of zero is
transmitted to the control system if
the transducer fails. That typically
results in a 5 deg F increase in firing
temperature.
CDP. Errors in measuring compres-
sor discharge pressure (CDP) are less
common than they are measuring
barometric pressure and inlet delta
p. Most operators understand the
importance of CDP and calibrate the
triple-redundant transducers regu-
larly.
However, Cohen cautioned that a
system calibration is far more mean-
ingful than a standard instrument
calibration using a digital voltmeter
(DVM). Reason is that control system
cards drift over time. You need two
people for a system calibration: one
in the field to apply the test pressure
and the other in the control room to
read the output on the HMI (human/
machine interface).
Performance. Cohen recommended
gathering performance data before
and after every HGP and major
inspection. When emissions are off-
Fuel Gas Conditoning
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LIQUIDS REMOVAL
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Sub-pilot fuel
(about 1%)
Primary fuel
(78%-87%)
Secondary fuel
(13%-22%)
TP dilution holes
Liner
dilution
holes
Liner aft cooling
Venturi
cooling
Primary film
cooling
Primary
mixing
Primary
swirler
Secondary
premixing
Center-body
film cooling
Center-body swirler
Cap cooling
9. DLN-1 in pre-
mixed mode of
operation. Sub-
pilot diffusion
flame stabilizes
premixed flame
(left)
10. The many air
flow paths for the
DLN-1 illustrate
how difficult it can
be to troubleshoot
this combustor
(below)
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 45
target following an HGP
or major, he continued,
there are many more things
to check than for the CI
case. Generally whatever
impacts turbine efficiency
will impact fuel/air ratio.
Examples include condition
of HGP components, inter-
nal leakage rates, bucket
tip clearances, etc. Without
detailed test data its virtu-
ally impossible to pinpoint
the reason(s) for deviation
in fuel/air ratio in timely
fashion.
Can-to-can. Regarding
variations in fuel/air ratio
from can-to-can, Cohen
said one possible cause is plugged
or partially plugged gas metering
holes. The example he gave during
this part of the presentation showed
that while a large frame may look as
indestructible as a heavy tank, its
operation within permit limits dic-
tates the treatment one might give a
fine watch.
The example: Each dual-fuel pri-
mary nozzle for a DLN-1 has six
metering orifices for gas or a total of
360 orifices per machine. At one site,
a total of three orifices in two nozzles
for one combustor can were partially
plugged with debris (about the size
of a small pea) from a primary purge
during operation on liquid fuel.
Partial plugging of three of the
360 metering orifices caused CO to
increase from 15 to 35 ppm. Flow
data revealed that the effective ori-
fice area in the affected combustor
was only 3.2% lower than that of
the 10-can average. A reasonable
assumption: If one of 10 combustors
was affected and engine CO emis-
sions increased by 20 ppm, the bad
combustor was producing about
200 ppm CO. Despite the dramatic
change in operation of this combus-
tor, there was no discernable cold
spot in the exhaust tempera-
ture spread.
As Yogi Berra mi ght
have said: If you dont know
where to look or what to look
for, youll never find it. No
substitute for experience in
plant operations and trou-
bleshooting.
If you have 9 NO
x
DLN-1
combustors, Cohen recom-
mended a maximum of 1%
(plus or minus) variation in
the total effective area for
both new and refurbished
fuel-nozzle assemblies. More
than that on primary noz-
zles, he said, and you might
not be able to meet emis-
sions expectations. This spec should
be relatively easy to achieve for pri-
mary nozzles, more difficult for sec-
ondary nozzles.
Flow-test fuel nozzles before disas-
sembly, Cohen advised. Identify
nozzles with area variations signifi-
cantly larger than the norm. If any,
disassemble and inspect with the
goal of pinpointing the cause and cor-
recting it. Post-assembly flow testing
is a given. Make sure all nozzles meet
the area target.
Keep in mind that the presence of
liquids in the gas stream is a com-
mon cause of nozzle fouling. Most gas
Under New Ownership
77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85
Primary-fuel split, %
NOx minimum
C
o
n
t
in
u
o
u
s
ly
d
e
c
r
e
a
s
in
g
C
O
N
O
x

a
n
d

C
O
,

p
p
m
v
d

25
20
15
10
5
0
11. Emissions of NO
x
and CO associated with the 9/25
DLN-1 are plotted against the primary fuel split
46 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
cleanup systems are designed based
on the gas suppliers fuel spec, which
often is inadequate for GT operations
because of unexpected liquid slug-
ging. If your nozzles suffer abnormal
wear and tear and/or if hydrocarbon
slugging is apparent, install an onsite
gas pretreatment skid designed to
your specific requirements.
In addition to liquids and solids
(such as pipe scale and rust) that
may accompany the gas you have
under contract, review maintenance
practices to be sure debris is not
falling into open fuel or purge lines
during outages; also, that there is no
carryover of lube oil from an onsite
gas compressor.
Options for
preventing,
eliminating
varnish in
hydraulic, lube-oil
systems
L
ubricant varnish continues to be
a topic of great interest at gas-
turbine (GT) user-group meet-
ings. Reason: It is the primary cause
of the servo-valve sticking/seizing
in control circuits blamed for many
starting problems and turbine trips.
One of the first presentations to
this industry segment on the sub-
ject was by ISOPur Fluid Technolo-
gies Incs (Pawcatuck, Conn) Chuck
Mitchell at the 2004 meeting of the
501D5/D5A Users in Hartford. Mitch-
ells objective was to raise awareness
regarding varnish and why it occurs.
Obviously, he had a solution to the
problem.
Mitchell stressed the importance
of eliminating fine particulates from
hydraulic and lubricating oils in sys-
tems equipped with standard filtra-
tion equipment. Conventional filters,
he said, were effective for removing
particles 10 microns and larger; fine
filters could extend that coverage
down to about 3 microns.
However, Mitchell continued, par-
ticle-size analysis of representative
lube oils suggested that roughly half
of the particulates present ranged in
size from 0.1 to 5 microns. Given that
clearances can be 1 micron in loaded
bearings, many of the particles escap-
ing removal by standard filters could
wedge between the shaft and journal
and do damage.
The ISOPur solution, he explained,
relies on Balanced Charge Agglom-
eration (BCA), which grows small
and sub-micron particles to filterable
size so they can be removed by exist-
ing filters in the systemthereby
reducing wear and eliminating the
source of varnish. Mitchell seemed
to initiate a flood of presentations on
varnish and how to deal with it.
A frequent participant in user-group
meetings has been Greg Livingstone,
formerly of Analysts Inc, Torrance,
Calif, and now with Calgary-based
EPT Inc. Analysts developed the
QSA (quantitative spectrophoto-
metric analysis) test to determine
the presence or likelihood of sludge
and varnish buildup on critical com-
ponents; EPT offers filters and other
solutions to remove contaminants
from lube and hydraulic oil as well as
related services.
Livingstone says a primary cause
of lubricant varnish is auto-degrada-
tion, which he defines as the creation
of soft contaminants in a static body
of oilsuch as a shut-down lube-oil
system serving a cycling or peaking
GT. Soft contaminants, he contin-
ues, often are more troublesome to
remove than the hard particulates on
which lubricant experts traditionally
have focused.
Livingstone adds that varnish-
potential testssuch as QSAalone
will not tell you if auto-degradation is
occurring, though such tests remain
essential to your overall oil-condition
monitoring program. Similarly, elec-
trostatic separators, seen by many as
a one-step cure-all, will not elimi-
nate the problem. Note that the term
electrostatic separators as used by
Livingstone includes electrostatic oil
cleaning, BCA, electrostatic filtra-
tion, etc.
To fully understand if your lubri-
cant is undergoing auto-degradation,
he continues, you need to assess
the antioxidant health of the fluid
and examine it for specific types of
degradation byproducts. If auto-deg-
radation is identified, youll need a
holistic approach that includes moni-
toring of initial oil quality, analysis
and additive replenishment for in-
service oil, and the installation of
appropriate oil-cleaning technology
to remove existing varnish and slow
the degradation process.
More background on lube-oil test-
ing and quality improvement is
available in the following articles
accessible through www.combinedcy-
clejournal.com/archives.html: Sum-
mer 2004, click on cover Maintain
lube oil within spec to ensure high
reliability; 3Q/2005, click The low-
down on the sticky subject of lubri-
cant varnish; 3Q/2006, click Gas-
turbine valve sticking. . .the plot
thickens.
The 7EA Users Group has identified
varnish and other lube-oil issues as
an area of significant interest to its
membership. It should be. There are
more than 1000 Frame 7s (model As
through EAs) in operation world-
wide, 70% of those in the US. About
60% of the total population is used
in peak-power applications, mean-
ing the majority of the units in the
fleet are particularly susceptible to
Are You Experiencing
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Contact: Steve Golya, Power Generation General Manager
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1809 Fashion Court
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410-679-1666
sgolya@applied.com
deesuidpower.com
A Division of Applied Industrial Technologies
Dees Fluid Power
12. Spark generated by the release
of static energy that can build up
on a lube-oil filter element surprises
many powerplant engineers
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 47
varnish formation based on Living-
stones experience described above.
There was a varnish-related for-
mal presentation at the organiza-
tions 2006 meeting in San Diego.
A representative of Pall Corp, Port
Washington, NY, brought the group
up to date on a new filter media
designed to minimize the potential
for electrostatic discharge in hydrau-
lic, lubricating, and fuel systems.
Recall from the references sug-
gested above that electrostatic spark
discharge (ESD) from filters has
been observed and documented in
several powerplants worldwide. It
is described this way: As oil flows
through the small openings of a fil-
ter, molecular friction is produced
and it creates static electricity. When
the electrical charge in the fluid accu-
mulates to a given point, the energy
is released in the form of a spark, arc-
ing from the sharp edges inside the
filter housing (Fig 12).
The locally high temperatures
produced by ESD oxidize the oil; the
byproducts of this oxidation include
varnish. It follows then that a filter
medium capable of limiting ESD
would have a positive impact on oil-
system health.
The speaker explained that the
potential for electrostatic charging
increases with decreased conductiv-
ity, increased flow rate or velocity,
and the additive package. Also that
fluid conductivitywhich helps with
charge dissipationincreases with
temperature (lower viscosity), water
content, additive concentration, and
the amount of dust and other impuri-
ties in the oil.
Next, he described Palls test setup
for measuring electrostatic charge,
explained the charge collector, and
presented the characteristics of the
four oils tested. Regarding the last,
the products evaluated were one tur-
bine lube oil, two commercial hydrau-
lic oils, and a hydraulic oil for the
military. Additive packages included
R&O, antiwear, and antiwear/anti-
oxidant. Viscosities varied from 14
to 47 centistokes, dielectric strengths
from 15.5 to 27.3 kV, and conduc-
tivities from 39 to 1460 picoSiemens/
meter (pS/m).
Results were presented as average
charge generation in nanoamps for
three filter materials: standard glass
fiber, surface-modified glass fiber,
and Pall s new glass-fiber-based
ESD. One set of tests was run on
these materials after heat-soaking at
300F for one hour; a comparable set
of tests without heat soaking prior
to use. All tests were conducted with
the oils at ambient temperature.
Here are the results of greatest
interest to plant personnel:
n Charge generation for the stan-
dard and surface-modified glass
fiber materials was about two
times greater after heat soaking.
By contrast, charge generation
for Palls new filter media was the
same whether heat-soaked or not.
n For the heat-soaked samples,
charge generation for the new
ESD media was a factor of 15 less
than that produced by the stan-
dard glass fiber and six times less
than that produced by the surface-
modified glass fiber media.
Field trials supported the test
results. In sum, the new Pall filter
substantially reduced chargingand
eliminated all signs of noise, spark-
ing, and filter damageboth in the
laboratory and in field tests. Specifi-
cally:
n In a manuf acturi ng pl ant s
hydraulic system, the new filter
media lowered the charge gener-
ated to a negligible amount and
eliminated both noise and spark-
ing.
n In an injection molding hydrau-
lic system, the new filter media
eliminated noise and burn marks
and reduced the charge gener-
ated by about 75%. It did the
same in a paper-mill hydraulic
system except that the reduction
in charge produced was 98%.
n In a powerplant lube-oil system
a distinct clicking noise that was
apparent before the change in fil-
ter medium disappeared.
In his conclusions, the speaker
said that electrostatic charging
can be a problem in hydraulic and
lube-oil systems using any manu-
48 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
facturers standard glass-media
filteralthough it occurs relatively
infrequently. Also, that grounding
housings and pipes do not reduce the
charge generated.
The editors followed up with the
filter experts at Pall following the
San Francisco meeting and learned
that the companys electrostatic-
discharge-resistant filter media is
now available commercially in vari-
ous cartridge configurations and in
several porosity grades. A company
spokesperson said, These filters
have been employed in various indus-
tries and applications and have a
track record of resolving the tough
problem of electrostatic discharge
and its associated damage while pro-
viding highly reliable fine filtration.
Alternatives for varnish
mitigation
A feature of the 7EA Users 2007
conference was a three-vendor panel
describing alternative solutions for
preventing varnish formation and for
clean-up of existing deposits.
It was developed by Julie
Turner, plant manager of
Progress Energy Florida Incs
Intercession City facility.
The editors believe this
was the first time a user
group provided owner/opera-
tors the opportunity to com-
pare the various offerings
on a level playing field. Pre-
senters were ISOPur; the
Hilco Div of Hilliard Corp, Elmira,
NY; and C C Jensen Inc, Tyrone, Ga.
These companies, plus the participa-
tion by Pall last year and the avail-
ability of Kleentek Inc (Cincinnati)
and EPT personnel at the vendor fair
in San Francisco, allowed 7EA users
to access information first-hand on
perhaps all of the leading
commercial varnish solu-
tions. Analysts Inc and
Chevron Lubricants were
at the vendor fair as well
to answer questions on test
procedures and lubricant
properties.
Mike Long, Hilliards prod-
uct engineering manager,
focused his presentation on
the elimination of varnish
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13. One anti-static
element for fluid con-
ditioning (the Hilco
size 718 shown) can
treat up to 3000 gal of
lube oil (left)
14. Vacuum dehy-
drator/degasser
produces dramatic
reductions in moisture
and dissolved gases
(right)
Long
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Mitigation
Electrostatics alone
will not solve GT
varnish problems.
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COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 49
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
root causes rather than its removal
after formation. You knew where Long
was headed from the get-go when he
said, Static discharge is not a fluid
problem and not a cartridge prob-
lem. Its root cause is the use of API
(American Petroleum Institute) Type
II lubricant base stocks and low fluid
conductivityless than 35 pS/m.
Long added that traditional static-
discharge control techniquessuch
as use of conductive filter elements
or of large-diameter filter elements
to reduce velocity through the screen
and lower fluid shearare not the
complete answer because they do
not address low fluid conductivity.
Then he introduced his companys
new anti-static element for lube/
hydraulic-oil conditioning, which
Long said was capable of raising fluid
conductivity above 200 pS/m (Fig 13).
It is designed for kidney-loop service.
Note that fluid conductivity deter-
mines when to replace filter elements
of this type, not pressure drop.
Next he discussed microdieseling,
which contributes to varnish forma-
tion. It is caused by dissolved gases
in the lube oilmostly nitrogen and
oxygen. When gas bubbles
transition from a region of
low pressure to one of high
pressure, the gases implode,
generating sufficient heat
to thermally degrade the
fluid. Oil analyses from three
F-class machines from dif-
ferent areas of the country
showed similar dissolved-
gas compositions. A vacu-
um dehydrator/degasser
removes both moisture and dissolved
gases (Fig 14).
Thus an effective system for pre-
venting varnish formation would
combine an anti-static filter element
and dehydrator/degasser. A three-
week trial of an F-class kidney loop
equipped with both the dehydrator/
degasser and anti-static filter ele-
ment produced these dra-
matic results:
n Fl ui d conduct i vi t y
increased from 19 to more
than 500 pS/m before it
began drifting backward.
The parameter is measured
in-situ by a digital conduc-
tivity meter that meets the
ASTM D2624 test stan-
dard.
n Moisture content of the
Next-generation exhaust systems promise greater durability
G
E Energy, Atlanta, brought
along some of its experts
to update users on the 7EA
product line. Discussion points
included operational/fuel flexibility,
rotor end-of-life, content of techni-
cal information letters (TILs), DLN1+,
condition-based maintenance, and
controls issues.
One subject not on this years
agenda was exhaust systems, which
can take a beating given todays
demanding operating environ-
ment. However, there was interest
in the topic by some attendees
who remembered David Claridas
presentation at the 2006 meeting
in San Diego. He is the commercial
leader for the companys air-inlet
and exhaust systems used on frame
engines. Official title is CHROEM
product line leader; the cumbersome
acronym stands for Corrosion- and
Heat-Resistant Original Equipment
Manufacturer products.
Exhaust plenum. Clarida (david.
clarida@ge.com, 678-687-5194) said
that over time the OEMs early exhaust
plenumsthose using fixed, non-
floating inner liners (so-called insula-
tion pans)may crack from thermal
stresses. Easiest way to deal with the
wear and tear is to replace the exist-
ing exhaust plenum assembly with
one featuring floating liners. They are
designed to grow (thermally) inde-
pendent of each other and create a
continuous floating seal that protects
the outer shell from the hot gases
inside the plenum assembly. The new
exhaust plenum can be installed on all
MS7001 models from the B through
EA with both the rotor and exhaust-
frame assembly in place (Fig A).
One of the issues with the origi-
nal insulation-pan design was so-
called hot flanges. It occurred
because distortion of the pans over
time allowed the high-temperature
exhaust gases to contact the outer
shell, thereby contributing to shell
distortion and cracking. Float-
ing liners feature cold flanges,
which have field-installed wrapped
insulation pillows and liner plates.
This design creates a continuously
sealed thermal insulation barrier
conductive to a cooler interface.
The exhaust-frame assembly
provides support for the GT bear-
ing and diffuses the exhaust gases
through the plenum described
above. It consists of a frame (Fig B)
and aft exhaust diffuser (turning-
vane assembly). The OEMs upgrade
package includes all parts and
consumables needed to improve
exhaust-frame cooling, lower its
general repair costs, and address
load-tunnel over-temperature issues
by reducing exhaust-gas leakage.
Note that the upgraded exhaust dif-
fuser shown in Fig C is designed to
prevent cracking associated with the
early design.
A. New exhaust plenum features float-
ing liners for long life and personnel
safety. It can be installed with both rotor
and exhaust-frame assembly in place
B. New exhaust frame addresses
leakage problems, allows users to
take advantage of recent gas-tur-
bine upgrades
C. Upgraded exhaust diffuser
addresses cracking issues identified
with the earlier design
Cummings
50 COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
oil was reduced by 80%.
n Dissolved gases were reduced by
more than 50% as confirmed by a
third-party laboratory.
n Improvement in ISO-4406 clean-
liness codes from 20/18/15 to
18/16/14
Long estimated the cost of the
varnish prevention system described
at somewhere between $25,000 and
$50,000 depending on throughput.
Annual operation and maintenance
including electricity and consumables
(filter elements, gaskets, etc)would
be less than $5000, assuming quar-
terly filter replacements.
ISOPurs David Cummings told the
group that key to preventing varnish
issues are a good oil supplier, good
filtration system, proactive user,
and a good laboratory. Regarding
filtration, he said, the BCA improves
filtration efficiency by making both
hard and soft particles larger (Fig
15), plus it prevents varnish buildup
and removes existing varnish. Sys-
tem effectiveness is illustrated by Fig
16, which shows how average particle
size increases with each pass of the
oil through the kidney loop.
A free-standing oil conditioning
skid that would be piped into a kid-
ney loop off the main lube-oil reser-
voir is shown in Fig 17. It consists
of a prefilter, charging/mixing unit,
collection filter, and variable-speed
gear pump. The ultra-clean oil pro-
duced acts as a solvent and pulls
back into the oil the sludge and var-
nish hiding out in servos, gearboxes,
sumps, etc.
Cummings (dcummings@isopur.
com, 860-599-1872) agreed with Liv-
ingstones comment above that peak-
ing systems do create a more difficult
environment for varnish removal/
control. All of the conditions that
create the precursors to varnish can
increase when the turbine is on turn-
ing gear, he added. Time on turning
gear and the level of antioxidants in
the oil impact varnish production,
removal, and control, he continued.
For best results, the BCA system
should remain in operation when
the unit is on turning gear to remove
oxidized material, extend oil life, and
minimize varnish.
ISOPur conducted 19-week BCA
performance tests in parallel on
seven GE 7FA engines equipped with
the system at Tampa Electric Cos
Bayside Power Station. Each of the
units has a 6000-gal main lube-oil
tank, meaning the 10-gpm kidney
loop provides about 2.5 reservoir
turns daily. Average varnish-poten-
tial rating dropped from 38 to 23 dur-
ing the period, with the range of unit
end of test VP ratings extending
3
3
2
2
1
1
+Vdc electrodes
Vdc electrodes
Small
particles
Agglomerated
particle clusters
Filter
or
Centrifugal
separator
Particles are passed across high-voltage electrodes, inducing a charge on the
particles (+) and () in separate paths
Oppositely charged particles are mixed and are attracted to each other, forming
cluster (essentially larger particles)
Particle clusters are easier to filter out or remove using centrifugal separators
15. Balanced Charge Agglomeration technology improves filtration effi-
ciency by making both hard and soft particles larger
P
e
r
c
e
n
t
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Size, microns
0.01 0.1 1 0.1 1 10 100 1000 0.1 1 10 100 1000
16. BCA system effectiveness is illustrated by the increase in average particle size with each pass of oil through the
kidney loop
Oil flow
Varnish particles
Adsorbent
fibers
Clean oil
Cellulose
molecules
Step 1: Film diffusion. Varnish
particles are transported from
the oil to the boundary of the
fiber bundle (adsorbent)
Step 2: Macropore
diffusion takes place
within
the adsorbentamong
or between cellulose
molecules
Step 3: Micropore diffusion occurs when
varnish particles diffuse from the fluid onto
the cellulose molecule
17. Free-standing oil conditioning
skid is piped into kidney loop off the
main lube-oil reservoir
18. Adsorption of varnish is described
by the sketch above. The clean oil leav-
ing the cellulose filter helps to dissolve
remaining deposits in the system so
they, too, can be removed
19. Cross section of a cellulose
fiber illustrates how the diffusion
process works to capture and retain
varnish particles
COMBINED CYCLE JOURNAL, Third Quarter 2007 51
SPECIAL ISSUE: OUTAGE HANDBOOK 7EA USERS GROUP
from 8 to 33. VP numbers at the start
of the test were between 32 and 42.
Gravimetric analysis numbers
were more tightly bunched at the
end of the testbetween 0.18 and
0.32 and averaging 0.25after start-
ing in the 0.4 to 0.6 range with 0.5
as the average. Total count of 0.2-
to 2.0-micron particles averaged
200,000 at the start of the test pro-
gram and all but one of the units (test
stopped early) finished the program
at 25,000. Likewise, water content of
the oil averaged 40 ppm at the start
and all but one unit with suspect
numbers ended at about 10 ppm.
Cummings recommended that
filter elements be inspected and
replaced at frequent intervals. He
offered a change-out plan for both
prefilters and collection filters for
older (used) oils and new. For units
with used oil, your total Year
One expense will be equip-
ment capital cost and about
$1650 in replacement filters;
for new oil, the capital cost
is the same but replacement
filters should not cost more
than about $1000 the first
year. Replacement filters for
both new and old oil every
year after the first will run
about $700.
Testing should include submi-
cron particle count/distribution; VPI
or QSA; FTIR (Fourier Transform
Infrared Spectroscopy) to evaluate
an oils condition and the presence
of contaminantssuch as water;
and the so-called RULER test, to
measure the concentration of antioxi-
dants present in the oilprimarily
phenols and amines. Based on initial
findings, an ongoing retest program
can be developed.
Cummings closed by saying that
BCA technology has been validated by
GE Energy and other OEMs. Specifi-
cally, GE TIL 1528-3 (Nov 18, 2005)
stated, GE has performed extensive
studies to validate the use of BCA
technology. . .this technology can be
used to mitigate a current
varnishing issue or to pre-
vent the occurrence of it.
System components have
GE part numbers and can
be ordered online through
GE PartsEdge.
Justin Stover, C C Jens-
ens sales manager, closed
out the program with a
presentation on the value
of cellulose filter media
for adsorbing varnish. C C Jensen,
a 50-yr-old company with Danish
roots, is a relative newcomer to the
US electric power industry. How-
ever, its filtration systems are par-
ticularly well known in the global
marine and oil and gas industries.
More recently, several manufactur-
ers of wind generation systems have
standardized on C C Jensen filtra-
tion packages for their gear-oil and
hydraulic pitch-control systems.
Tens of thousands of these currently
are in service worldwide.
Stover began with the basics,
including a review of adsorption
physics. Recall from your formal
education that adsorption is all
about using solids to remove specific
substances from gases and liquids;
molecular attraction is what makes
the process of absorption work. Spe-
cific to this discussion, when varnish
passes by an adsorbent, it attaches to
its surface (Fig 18).
Cellulose is particularly effective
in this regard; its high polarity is
well suited to attracting oxygenated
moleculessuch as varnish. Stover
stressed that this was a natural
processno voltage required, no
control system, etc. Capacity is deter-
mined solely by surface area. He said
that just one gram of cellulose has
a surface area of about 4000 ft
2
and
that a standard filter cartridge con-
tains 3600 grams of cellulose; you do
the math.
Exactly what happens inside the
filter media is described in Fig 19.
Heres a more detailed explanation of
the terms used in the drawing: Diffu-
sion is the transport of matter (var-
nish in this case) from one point (the
oil) to another (the filter media). Film
diffusion describes how the varnish
molecules are drawn to the bound-
ary of the cellulose fiber by means of
the inherent physical forces (polar-
ization, electrostatic, and hydrogen
bonding).
Once inside, the varnish mol-
ecules move among, or between, the
cellulose molecules in open spaces.
The spaces are large relative to the
size of the molecules, hence the term
macropore diffusion. Next, the var-
nish molecules come to rest on the
adsorbent surfacethat is, they dif-
fuse from the fluid onto the cellulose
molecule (micropore diffusion).
Stover said the filtration system
is easy to operate and maintain and
that it is installed in a kidney loop
like the other offerings described
above (Fig 20). To illustrate perfor-
mance on a 7EA, he used centrifuge
samples and color values of the oil
taken between September 2006 and
March 2007 (Fig 21). The color value
at the beginning of the test was a
63. More specifically, the number of
particles in the size range of 0.2 to
1 micron was more than 20 million.
At the end of the test, color was 0
and the particle count was less than
3400.
The capital cost of a fixed filtration
system serving a 7EA in a typical
low-varnish environment is about
$7000. Annual filter costs are a nomi-
nal $1000 for peaking turbines; less
than half that for unit in base-load
service. ccj
Housings are
easy to remove
to change
filter inserts
Pump and
motor are
accessible
Shutoff
valves
provide full
isolation
Beginning of
test program
End
Color value: 63 Color value: 0
Stover
20. Filtration system is available
in three configurations: fixed, skid-
mounted, and mobile
21. Centrifuge samples and color values of oil sampled during a seven-month
test run illustrate a pattern of continual improvement