GE Frame 9E First Fire and Maintenance https://control.

com/thread/1423744440

GE Frame 9E First Fire and Maintenance

GE FRAME 9E TURBINE TG AND HGPI

By redstar on 12 February, 2015 - 7:34 am

Hi

I am working as an operation engineer in Najybia power plant start-up team. We have four GE frame 9E
dual fuel 125 MW gas turbines. We plan to first fire a unit in two weeks. I want to learn that how long
before the unit put into TG rpm?

After TG period completed, unit will start in CRANK mode. Is there any test in CRANK mode? Does unit
need to do WW before fire start?

If anyone has GE manual about this progress, can share us?

By CSA on 12 February, 2015 - 11:34 am

Hello,

If you're re-starting a unit after a maintenance outage, that's technically not a "first fire" event. First fire
refers to the first time a gas turbine is ever started during installation/commissioning. There are a LOT of
tests to do prior to and during first fire, some of which are appropriate after a maintenance outage, but
some of which are not.

Operation on turning gear for approximately 8 hours is usually recommended prior to starting a gas
turbine after a maintenance outage where the rotor has been removed and/or has been stationary (at zero
speed) for several weeks. (Rotation for removal/installation of turbine buckets and tightening coupling
bolts doesn't count.)

What you want to test after a maintenance outage, particularly a large-scale maintenance outage (which
I personally classify as a HGPI or a Major) is that lube oil is flowing to all bearings, that the unit will go
on turning gear (cooldown) without any problems from zero speed, that the unit will go on CRANK
without any problems, that vibrations while on CRANK are not excessive, and that the unit will go back
on cooldown after rotation. (Some newer units won't automatically put the unit on cooldown after being
above zero speed unless flame was detected; this logic to enable cooldown operation after flame was
detected can easily be forced to ensure the unit will automatically go on cooldown once it reaches or
gets near zero speed (depending on the type of cooldown mechanism/turning gear provided/used with
the turbine).

Depending on the type of fuel being burned, it's advisable to do a false fire (put the unit if FIRE mode
with the spark plugs/ignitors disabled) to fill the fuel lines to the combustors. This is also a go/no go test
for fuel leaks (it shows major fuel leaks pretty quickly, especially for liquid fuel systems). And this false
fire (some people falsely call it a "dry fire") test also confirms the fuel control system's ability to limit
fuel flow during starting after fuel valves may have been removed/refurbished/replaced. But, it's most
useful for filling fuel lines--particularly liquid fuel lines. I occasionally "force" the firing timer to extend

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it to 60-90 seconds to allow sufficient time for leak checks and to fill the fuel lines, then returning the
timer back to its normal value before enabling the spark plugs.

As for water washing, well, it's quite often done before a maintenance outage, but if not then it's usually
done after a maintenance outage before re-starting just to clean the axial compressor as best as possible.
It's not always done, either--but this is as good a time as any if one was not done before the start of the
outage to do one, since the unit is already down and cool.

As for manuals/procedures from the OEM/packager, good luck with that. There's very little written by
the OEM--or followed--by commissioning or plant personnel, and what is written and followed is
selectively followed and modified as felt necessary by the individual performing the activity.

As long as you use good judgement and take into account the possible problems which might occur after
an outage based on the work done during the outage then you will be safe.

Anyway, that should about cover it. If you have any other questions, we're here to try to answer those
questions.

Hope this helps!

By redstar on 13 February, 2015 - 12:15 am

Thanks a lot for your assistance. We have four turbine, and construction is very close to completed. We
will give first fire to one unit.

In fact I have added one more question. How I can calculate unit HGPI and MI hours? Our turbines
can run with fuel gas, LDO or HFO. Unit will run mostly with HFO and water injection system will be
in service. My previous plant was ENKA Gebze Combined Cycle PP in Turkey and we were operating
GE 9FA and they were running just fuel gas. I have not experience liquid fuel turbines unfortunately.
To reach the necessary documents very difficult in Iraq. Your comments is very important for me.

Thanks a lot again

By CSA on 13 February, 2015 - 11:28 pm

Try this:

https://powergen.gepower.com/content/dam/gepower-powergen/global/en_US/documents/technical
/3620M_0215.pdf

By redstar on 16 February, 2015 - 12:33 am

>https://powergen.gepower.com/content/dam/gepower-powergen/global/en_US/documents
/technical/3620M_0215.pdf

Thanks for your assistance. I have found this document from internet before. I calculated the

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maintenance period for different fuel. I wanted to confirm my calculation, because maintenance
period seemed me very short.

Fuel Gas

1 year = 8760 hours

Maintenance Interval = 24000 / Maintenance Factor

Maintenance Factor = Factored Hours / Actual Hours

Maintenance Factor = (1)*(8760+0+0+0)/(8760) = 1

Max Maintenance Interval for Fuel gas = 24000 / 1 = 24000 hours

LDO

1 year = 8760 hours

Maintenancve Interval = 24000 / Maintenance Factor

Maintenance Factor = Factored Hours / Actual Hours

Maintenance Factor = (1,9)*(0+(1,5*8760)+0+0) /8760 =2,85

Max Maintenance Interval for LDO = 24000 / 2,85 = 8421 hours

HFO

1 year = 8760 hours

Maintenance Interval = 24000 / Maintenance Factor

Maintenance Factor = Factored Hours / Actual Hours

Maintenance Factor = (1,9)*(0+0+(2*8760)+0) / 8760 = 3,8

Max Maintenance Interval for HFO = 24000 / 3,8 = 6315 hours

For HFO 6315 hours means 263 days. Approximately each 9 months, unit needs HGPI. I think this
period is very short. In addition manual says if vanadium addition system is in service, turbine wash
should be performed every 250 hours. As well, HFO should be treated by demulsifier system. I can
not understand how HFO operation has lower operation cost.

By CSA on 16 February, 2015 - 12:46 pm

If you've followed the instructions in the manual, then you have calculated correctly. I see you've
learned the "dirty little secret" about HFO (Heavy Fuel Oil; "bunker"; residual fuel oil; etc.). It
might be cheaper from a fuel price perspective, but it's not very good for the turbine and
auxiliaries and so the intervals between maintenance outages are usually shorter than for other

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fuels. Which means parts need to be ordered more frequently, and the machine must be taken
down more frequently--all of which adds to the overall cost when operating with a less expensive
fuel.....

It's not what everyone expects, but, it seems like someone didn't do their homework when
choosing this fuel and expecting it to be "cheaper" in the long run. It may be less expensive over
decades as opposed to LDO (Light Distillate Oil; "diesel"; distillate fuel), but it still requires more
maintenance outages/parts than other fuels--even LDO. It's just not a great fuel; it can be
corrosive, it has heavy metals which even with the best emulsifiers can still plate out on the
turbine nozzles/buckets; it is erosive (to fuel nozzles and liquid fuel flow dividers and high pressure
liquid fuel pumps--more so than LDO). Not to mention, it usually requires heating to make it flow
and easier to atomize, and sometimes it requires other treatments as well (separators or
centrifuges).

By muz_sidhu on 16 February, 2015 - 3:44 pm

Hello everyone!

Sorry, if I step in the conversation, actually we are experiencing HGPI in our plant for one machine and
other will start in few weeks. I want to ask about the Pre-Start checks (as being Control engineer) that
we must perform before going for start-up after completion of HGPI. We don't have any major activity
regarding control system during this maintenance activity. Just for protection we have removed some
cabling from marshaling and the instruments from turbine hall which is a normal routine.

During this maintenance activity, we are just checking all the junction Boxes for cabling tightness and
other activities according to PM schedule. My point here is what different type of test we must perform
before start-up. Like if I can list few of them; Spark plug testing, Compressor Bleed Valve Solenoid,
etc. Ours machine is FRAME-9E, Open cycle and main (Operating) fuel is Crude Oil.

Thank you,

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