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LM2500 to LM2500+DLE
Gas Turbine Combined Cycle
Plant Repowering
Authors:
Michael T. McCarrick
GE Energy
Kenneth MacKenzie P.Eng.
City of Medicine Hat
LM2500 to LM2500+DLE Gas Turbine Combined Cycle Plant Repowering
Michael T. McCarrick Kenneth MacKenzie P.Eng.
GE Energy City of Medicine Hat
Abstract
The province of Alberta, Canada developed annual emission engine driving a generator. Over the intervening years, the plant
intensity limits for the power generation sector in order to grew into a strictly Rankine-cycle steam plant and finally into
preserve air quality by reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide (SOx), todays configuration, a fully combined cycle plant.
nitrogen dioxide (NOx), and primary particulate matter. Effective
January 1, 2006, all new gas-fired power plants were required to The present configuration of the plant is shown in Figure 1. Units
meet Annual Emission Intensity Limits for NOx. In the Spring of 10 and 11, the subject of this paper, were originally installed in
2006, the City of Medicine Hat (COMH) LM2500 gas turbine units 1990 as refurbished General Electric (GE) Frame 5M gas turbines
were due for their 50,000-hour major overhaul cycle, and COMH operating in simple cycle with a heat rate of 13,900 BTU/kWe-Hr
was faced with this new NOx emission requirement, along with (LHV). A summary of past and present unit configurations is
an increasing power load demand for the city. Working closely shown in Table 1.
This paper will describe the engineering design challenges to Figure 2 shows the heat balance for the 1993 configuration.
Simple Cycle Gas Turbine HRSG Steam Turbine Combined Power Combined Cycle
Heat Rate LHV Generator HP Steam (MWe) (MWe) Heat Rate LHV
BTU/MWe-Hr) Power (MWe) (lb/hr) BTU/MWe-Hr)
Table 1 Units 10 and 11 Performance Summaries (at 15C 60%RH 666m el.)
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Figure 1
Figure 2
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Figure 3
LM2500 Gas Turbine History and Evolution In 1997, the LM2500 was upgraded to the LM2500+ when a zero
stage blisk was added to the front end of the compressor section
to the LM2500+/+G4
to provide a total of 17 stages of compression and boost the
In the early 1970s, the LM2500 gas turbine was derived from
compression ratio from 20:1 to 23:1. Some material changes in
the CF6-6 flight engine, which to date has accumulated over
the HP turbine section and enlarging of the free power turbine
300,000,000 flight hours on a variety of commercial aircraft.
flow function raised the ISO power rating to 31.3 MW with 39.5%
The LM2500 utilized a 16-stage compressor section with inlet guide
simple cycle efficiency. The major differences between the
vanes and 6-stages of variable stator vanes with a 2-stage
LM2500 and the LM2500+ gas turbines are shown in Figure 4.
high-pressure turbine (HPT) section exhausting into a 6-stage free
power turbine. The original design had twin-shank HPT blades and
The LM2500+G4 gas turbine, the most recent uprate to the
an ISO power rating of 17.9 MW with 35.8% simple cycle thermal
LM2500 family, was introduced in 2005. The LM2500+G4
efficiency. In 1992 a single-shank HPT blade was introduced that
provides approximately a 10% power increase over the LM2500+
allowed for a higher firing temperature while maintaining the
model and was considered for this use in this project, however,
expected 25,000-hour hot section life on natural gas. The ISO power
the electric generator could not handle the LM2500+G4 output
rating was correspondingly increased to 23.8 MW with a 37.5%
across the full range of ambient conditions, and the LM2500+
simple cycle thermal efficiency.
was selected for the COMH Repowering Project.
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Figure 4 LM2500 vs. LM2500+ Cross-Sectional View (SAC Versions Shown)
Standard Annular Combustor (SAC) vs. was introduced to achieve 25 ppmvd NOx emissions without
Dry Low Emissions (DLE) Technology water or steam injection. The DLE combustor uses 30 premixers
The original LM2500 gas turbines operated with a standard comprised of 75 staged injectors and a 4-passage compressor
annular combustor that utilized a single compressor diffuser pas- diffuser. The LM2500+DLE gas turbine has over 2,400,000
sage and a single row of 30 fuel nozzles, and NOx emissions operating hours, and can achieve 25 ppmvd NOx and 25 ppmvd
abatement was accomplished with water or steam injection to CO from 75% to 100% load. The SAC and DLE Combustors are
suppress the firing temperature and reduce the formation of compared in Figure 5 below.
Figure 5 DLE (Triple Annular Combustor) vs. Single Annular Combustor (SAC)
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Repowering Drivers and Benefits 2. Increased Power Output
The original LM2500-PE gas turbines were scheduled to achieve The COMH electrical load in the 21st century has been growing
their 50,000-hour major overhaul cycle in 2006, and the COMH at an average of 2% per year, with corresponding increases in
was faced with four options: air-conditioning load peaks during the summer months.
abatement technologies implemented on Units 10 and 11 prior turbine compartments to fit the longer engines. As shown in
to renewal of the environmental permit in 2009. Figures 6 and 7, the plenum wall was moved 13-13/16 and the
main structural base was extended a proportionate amount.
The LM2500-PE units had historically and consistently produced The front engine mounts were changed from the top-hung
NOx emissions of approximately 170 ppmvd, equivalent to a "horseshoe" frame to a link style system supported from the
mass emission of 125 pounds per hour of NOx. subbase, which also required extension.
Under the AENVs 2006 Emission Intensity Limits for NOx, new The original turbine compartment crane was removed and
units in the 20 to 60 MW range (that range covers the LM2500 replaced with a higher capacity unit due to the increased weight
models) would be required to achieve an intensity of less than 0.4 of the PR engine. The engine-lifting beam required extensive
kg/MW-Hr. modifications as a result of reduced headroom from the
modifications.
As shown in Table 2, the original LM2500-PE units produced NOx
emission intensities well in excess of the 2006 Limits. NOx 2. Capacity of Generator
abatement equipment such as Selective Catalytic Reduction The generator supplied in 1998 with the original LM2500-SAC
(SCR) or water/steam injection would have been necessary to package is a Brush Electric Machines Ltd. Type BDAX-7-167ESS
achieve the 2006 limits using the LM2500 SAC engine. rated at 35,412 KVA at a 0.85 Power Factor.
The LM2500-PR was predicted, and has proven capable in On cold winter days, the LM2500-PR turbine is capable of
meeting the 2006 limits. producing 30.1 MW with a corresponding turbine inlet temperature
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Figure 7 LM2500 vs. LM2500+ Turbine Compartment Elevation
Performance Testing
Both new gas turbines were tested in general accordance with The actual combined cycle unit heat balance for Units 10 and 11
ASME PTC-22, "Gas Turbine Power Plants." is shown in Figure 8. The combined cycle heat rates for Units 10
and 11 improved from 7.5 to 7.1 BTU/MWe-Hr, an improvement
Table 3 summarizes corrected power output and heat rate of
of 5.6%. Figure 9 is compiled from plant data and contrasts the
the two LM2500+DLE 6-Stage (PR) units. The guaranteed power
respective combined cycle heat rates with those of the sister
output is 26,903 kW. The guaranteed heat rate is 9,248 Btu/kW-
unit, an LM6000-PD.
hr (9,757 kJ/kW-hr). The tested units yielded corrected power
output and heat rate better than guaranteed values.
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Figure 8
Conclusion
In general, the two units have been performing very well and
have delivered a 30% increase in power output, and over
a 5% reduction in combined cycle heat rate.
Unit availability and reliability for the first two quarters of 2007
have been very high at 98.7% and 99.9% respectively. Figure 9 Comparison of Heat Rates and Load
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References
1. Alberta Regulation No. 33/2006, Environmental Protection
and Enhancement Act, Emissions Trading Regulation.
GEA18640A (10/2012)