Feb Issue

TRB010218 000 Cover_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:07 AM Page cv1
T H E G L O B A L J O U R N A L O F E N E R G Y E Q U I P M E N T
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • VOL. 59 NO. 1 • $7.50 turbomachinerymag.com
PowerGen Show Report

Turbomachinery Symposium Show Report
Also in this issue:
Turbine Lubrication • Mobile Power • Virtual Prototyping
Centrifugal Pumps • Distributed Generation • Market Trends
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TRB010218 001-2 TOC_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:08 AM Page 1
January/February 2018
CONNECT WITH US:
www.turbomachinerymag.com
Features
www.turbohandbook.com
Richard.Zanetti@UBM.com
Drew.Robb@UBM.com
20 26
SHOW REPORT OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE
20 DISTRIBUTED 26 UPGRADING TURBINE
GENERATION RULES LUBRICATION TO
POWERGEN REDUCE TCO
Conventional power sources such Pure hydrocarbon
16 as coal and nuclear are being base oils can be created with a
displaced by renewables and narrow molecular distribution, a
COVER STORY battery power.This is turning the high viscosity index and a low
TURBOMACHINERY power market on its head. Yes, level of contaminants (such as
SYMPOSIUM: large plants will continue to be nitrogen and sulfur). These latest
The Turbomachinery Laboratory at built, but their frequency will gas-to-liquid base oils respond
Texas A&M University hosted probably lessen. But distributed well to performance additives,
another recordbreaking generation (DG) is gathering enabling the production of turbine
Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia momentum. oils with good performance even
despite a three-month delay due to Drew Robb under severe operating conditions.
Volker Null
Hurricane Harvey. The 45th
Turbomachinery and 33rd CENTRIFFUGAL PUMPS
International Pump User’s 23 AFTERMATH OF
Q&A
Symposia (TPS 2017) took place in 28 RELEVANT POWER
December In Houston, Texas. It THE GLOBAL OIL LAUNCHES MOBILE
featured updates on enhanced oil CRISIS GENSET
recovery (EOR), component Centrifugal pump demand from
the oil and gas sector has Siemens wanted a large mobile gas
selection, supercritical CO2, steam turbine generator in its product
turbines, API standards, valve plummeted, but that could soon
be changing. lineup. The SGT-A45 was
sizing and centrifugal developed for this purpose. To
compressors.The big news from the Joanne Goh
build the SGT-A45 gensets,
show, however, was Siemens manufactures the gas
the retirement of Dr. Dara W. generator and power turbine
GAS TURBINES
Childs, Director of the Turbo Lab hardware in Montreal. The GT is
since 1980 and chair of the 24 VIRTUAL shipped to Relevant Power
TPS advisory committees. He was PROTOTYPING Solutions in Houston for trailer
honored with a banquet dinner The 3D multi-physics-based mounting, package assembly and
during the Symposia. approach to virtual prototyping of genset testing prior to shipment.
Drew Robb gas turbines represents a more Richard Wolf, President &
accurate characterization CEO of Relevant Power Solutions,
of the system, enabling engineers discusses this new startup venture
to analyze and explore novel and the launch of a new 45 MW
concepts beyond the scope of mobile gas turbine generator
correlation-based methods. product.
Chad Custer
TurbomachineryMag.com • JanuaryFebruary 2018 1

TRB010218 001-2 TOC_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:08 AM Page 2
January/February 2018
Departments
8 INDUSTRY NEWS 29 NEW PRODUCTS COLUMNS
TURBO SPEAK
• Lead story: ABB’S digital
strategy 6 INDUSTRY IN FLUX
• Opra acquired Recent announcements from GE and
• Elliott LTSA Siemens appear to have dampened
• LNG startup hopes of a revival of fortunes in the
• Siemens slashes jobs power industry. Layoffs and bleak
• Gas processing plants forecasts are one thing. But what
• LNG carriers appeared to be missing was any GT-
• MHPS digest 29 focused strategy to combat
• Parker factory competitiveness from elsewhere.
• New geothermal plant Drew Robb
• Lead story: Fuel gas booster
• Aussie power plants • 3D printer
• Keeping Rawhide rolling • Degreaser TURBO TIPS
• Ansaldo partnership • Axial compressor
• Oil and gas cloud • Cybersecurity 15 HAZARD AND
• Ethos contract • New controller OPERABILITY ANALYSIS
• Subsea VSD • Sight glass Hazard and Operability Analysis
• GE digest • Proximity sensor (HAZOP) is a structured and
• MAN digest • Explosive atmospheres systematic technique for package
• Steam turbine • Bearing design tool examination and risk management.
• Industry giant retires • Particle analyzer It is used to identify potential hazards
• Filters for high humidity • Fluid couplings in a system or package as well as
• Saudi Aramco order • Voltage stablizer operability problems likely to lead to
• Linear position sensor nonconforming operation. design
• Fireproofing turbomachinery.
• Temporary maintenance hall Amin Almasi
• Health monitoring
• Microturbine filtration
MYTH BUSTERS
36 GAS TURBINES
VERSUS GAS ENGINES:
WHICH ARE BETTER?
There are obvious differences between
gas turbines and gas engines. Each has
their advantages and disadvantages,
depending on the application.
Regardless, when deciding between
gas turbines and gas engines one
should always look at the whole
system performance, including
total system efficiency, reliability,
availability, maintenance, emissions,
footprint, weight, modularity, noise,
and so forth, rather than simply and
singularly the driver’s efficiency.
Rainer Kurz & Klaus Brun
8 Cover photo: Courtesy of Siemens
2 TurbomachineryMag.com • January/February 2018

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TRB010218 004 Masthead_Turbomachinery International 2/7/2018 9:55 AM Page 4
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TRB010218 006 Turbo Speak_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:07 AM Page 6
TurboSPEAK
INDUSTRY IN FLUX
ecent announcements from GE and Siemens appear to
R have dampened hopes of a revival of fortunes in the

power industry. Bad news, it seems, is everywhere: The
gas turbine (GT) market is experiencing heavy pressure
from the renewable sector. Wind power and solar are going from
strength to strength. Both are taking business away from GT
manufacturers. If that wasn’t enough, battery power is now
emerging as yet another threat. Backed by grants and legislative
mandates, batteries are advancing rapidly in terms of technology,
battery life and cost.
Gas engines, too, are seizing market share from GTs in the
lower end of the market. But their manufactuers can sense more
opportunity and are moving upwards, collaborating on the design
of combined cycle plants which use multiple gas engines to
provide power plants of 100 MW and more.
The industry response? Siemens announces lay offs of 7,000;
GE says it will lay off more than 10,000. Predictions of tough
It may be time times and slumping sales prevail. Layoffs and bleak forecasts
are one thing. But what appears to be missing is any GT-
for the industry focused strategy to combat competitiveness from elsewhere.
Having just returned from the Baker Hughes (formerly GE Oil
to step back & Gas) conference in Italy, I was briefed on how the NovaLT GT
is being sold successfully into the power industry. The company
and reevaluate conceived it as an oil & gas product to drive compressors. Yet its
light footprint and other features have led to a surge in sales for
its place in the power.
This got me thinking. It may be time for the industry to step
power market.’’ back and reevaluate its place in the power market. What does the
market actually need and want? Baker Hughes is succeeding with
the NovaLT. MHPS is making serious headway with its J-class
machines. Both represent wins in the marketplace. There are
surely others.
The MHPS machine is a large-scale GT, while the NovaLT
serves the lower-end. So any pronouncements about “the end of
the large frame market,” or there being “no hope for small
turbines” appear to be little more than defeatist talk. How about
we find out what the market really needs and develop steps to
provide it rapidly?
DREW ROBB
Editor-in-Chief

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TRB010218 008-14 News_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:11 AM Page 8
INDUSTRYNEWS
ABB’s digital strategy ABB offers the Ability Symphony Plus

portfolio of digital solutions for the
Digitization, big data and analytics may power industry
offer a way to address today’s industry
challenges:
• Ever-widening regulations
• Large-scale integration of renew-
ables and distributed energy re-
sources
• Risk of cyberattack
• Generational shift in the workforce
• Aging plant equipment
• Volatile dynamic pricing and busi-
ness model disruption.
They can also give power companies
insight into the performance of their
equipment, plants and fleet that open new
ways of operating more competitively.
“Digitization brings about gains of 10%
for productivity, maintenance and reliabil- efforts in sustaining and maintaining se- • System hardening: Monitoring and
ity compared to 1-2% when digitization is curity best practices. reporting, including identification of un-
not embraced,” said Matthew Littlefield, It complies with national and interna- necessary software, components, ports,
President and Principal Analyst at LNS Re- tional regulations and recommended secu- services and programs, including status
search. “Some 35% of power generation rity best practices. With it in place, power showing present, removed or disabled
companies have invested in the Industrial generators can enforce corporate indus- • Patch management: A centralized
Internet of Things (IIoT) in 2017.” trial control security policies and improve service for auditing and deploying secu-
ABB claims the world’s largest in- visibility into the status of security without rity patches, which validate applicability
stalled base of digitally enabled industrial burdening plant personnel. and compatibility. It includes documented
products and devices. It has developed for “Industrial control systems that in- procedures for patching. Patches are vali-
the power industry the Ability Symphony creasingly use open standards and com- dated, packaged and delivered securely,
Plus portfolio of digital solutions. mercial technology have introduced major enabling customers to meet chain-of-cus-
More than 6,800 Symphony Plus sys- operational benefits, but also cyber secu- tody requirements
tems have been installed in the past 35 years rity concerns,” said Kevin Kosisko, Man- • Malware protection management: A
and more than 60 GW of additional power aging Director of ABB’s Power centralized service for auditing and de-
capacity has been installed during the last Generation & Water business, part of the ploying antivirus signature updates, which
six years, much of it in the power generation Industrial Automation division. “ABB’s are evaluated, tested and verified to not
and water sectors. The company reports that security solution gives customers a way to contain false positives which could cause
around one-third of the 70 million ABB- embrace foundational security practices a system to stop on their deployment.
connected devices in existence are linked while minimizing time demands on plant • Backup and recovery management:
with power generation control systems. personnel, who are facing growing de- Automated and supported by best prac-
One key area of ABB’s portfolio is the mands associated with security, regulatory tices, procedure documentation and au-
Cyber Security Workplace. It provides a compliance and corporate risk.” tomation to backup and recover from a
suite of security applications and automa- The ABB Ability Symphony Plus and system failure. Maintains a detailed
tion to reduce cyber security risks, in- Ability System 800xA 5.1 distributed con- backup strategy, including recovery plan,
crease system reliability and minimize trol systems (DCS) provide: according to business continuity needs.
Philippines adoption Additionally, ABB will supply its Upon commissioning, Symphony Plus will
ABB recently won an order to supply a high- Symphony Plus distributed control system offer plant performance monitoring of the
fidelity operator training simulator from its to the largest solid refuse fuel power plant boiler, turbine and its auxiliaries to provide
Symphony family of control systems to a in South Korea. Construction of the plant, actionable insights based on data analysis.
power plant in the Mauban municipality of owned by Naepo Green Energy, has begun ABB and Hewlett Packard Enterprise
the Philippines. Quezon Power, owner of in Naepo New City, around 100 km south- (HPE) have also announced a strategic
this 460 MW coal-fired facility, will use the east of Seoul. partnership that combines ABB’s Ability
simulator to ensure operator competence. Scheduled for commissioning in 2019, digital offerings with HPE’s information
The simulator will offer a virtual re- the 66 MW plant will provide heat and technology solutions. The partnership will
creation of the Quezon plant, including electricity for the local district, producing provide solutions that generate actionable
non-standard scenarios and faults. This al- it from domestic waste. ABB will provide insights from vast amounts of industrial
lows operators to become more familiar design, engineering, commissioning and data to increase the operational efficiency
with their working environment and learn training for its Symphony Plus DCS, in- and flexibility.
how to react in challenging situations. cluding the latest generation of SD Series ABB’s domain expertise in operations
Quezon Power also upgraded the facility’s energy-efficient control and I/O modules. technologies (OT) and HPE’s in IT will be
human-machine interface (HMI) to ABB The modules use less than 50% of the merged to turn industrial data into insights
Ability Symphony Plus Operations. energy required by others in the market. (Continued on p. 10)
8 Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 www.turbomachinerymag.com
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INDUSTRYNEWS
and automatic action, combining cloud open cycle power plant equipped with two
platforms, such as Microsoft Azure with F-class GTs, and a 690 MW open cycle
IT systems running in corporate data cen- power plant in Tripoli West with four E
ters and at the edge of the network. class GTs.
Siemens has received a contract to ex-
Opra acquired pand the Genelba gas-fired power station
Opra Turbines has been acquired by the in Argentina. Working with its Argentine
Dalian Energas Group. Jan and Hiroko partner Techint, it will expand the power
Mowill who founded OPRA in 1991 have station for Pampa Energía. Known as
While European and North American markets
retired from the company. Opra Turbines are sluggish, Siemens continues to sign deals in
Genelba Plus, it involves converting the
will continue its operations at a new head- other regions, such as one for a new plant in
existing power station in Marcos Paz,
quarters in Hengelo as a member of Ener- Argentina Buenos Aires Province, into a CCPP.
gas Group. This will increase capacity from 168
The company develops, manufac- MW to 364 MW. The plant is scheduled
tures, markets and maintains generator Siemens slashes jobs to be commissioned in mid-2019. Genelba
sets in the 2 MW power range using the Siemens is cutting 6,900 jobs worldwide, Plus is a multi-shaft CCPP, in which two
OP16 series of radial gas turbines. This half of them in Germany. This comes just GTs and one ST each drive their own gen-
compact industrial gas turbine (GT) is a few weeks after GE Power announced erator. Siemens will supply one SGT5-
used in oil and gas as well as industrial job cuts in excess of 10,000. Siemens cited 2000E GT, one SST-5-5000 ST, and two
markets. falling GT demand amidst a growing mar- SGen-100A generators, in addition to two
The generator sets can be installed as ket for renewables as a primary reason. NEM high recovery steam generators
single or multiple units to cover installa- Declining global demand for large GTs (HRSGs), the SPPA-T3000 distributed
tion requirements from 2 MW to 10 MW. (more than 100 MW) is expected to level control system, and medium and high-
Generator sets can be provided with low out at around 110 turbines a year. By con- voltage components.
emission and dual or multifuel capabili- trast, the manufacturing capacity of all Siemens has signed contracts with
ties. Dalian Energas Group headquartered producers worldwide is estimated at Iraq’s Ministry of Electricity. The project
in Dalian, China, includes Dalian Energas around 400 turbines. will see the maintenance and upgrade
Gas System, Dalian Energas New Energy The power generation business will ac- services of seven power generating units
Development, Calorifer Engineering, count for 6,100 job losses. In Germany, inside four power plants. The Iraqi Min-
RMG Messtechnik and Opra. plans call for an adjustment of around istry of Electricity is working towards
2,600 jobs and the closure of the Görlitz improving the availability and reliability
Elliott LTSA location (currently about 720 jobs) and the of power supply, while minimizing
Elliott Group has signed a long-term serv- Leipzig location (around 200 jobs). power losses.
ice agreement (LTSA) to provide service In addition, the solutions businesses Siemens will carry out service and
and support for Borealis Group’s fleet of (Solutions) of the Offenbach and Erlangen maintenance works across the four plants.
rotating equipment in Europe. The five- locations will be combined. These three The outage and upgrade services will en-
year contract includes general service, measures will lead to the elimination of hance the reliability and efficiency of these
equipment upgrades, rotor repairs, techni- 1,600 jobs in total. For the location in Er- units, helping them collectively generate
cal support, emergency response, and furt, several options are under review, in- more than 1 GW, 400 MW more than today,
turnarounds for all of Borealis’ European cluding a sale. Around 640 jobs are to be and save up to 10% in fuel consumption.
production facilities. cut in Mülheim an der Ruhr and about 300 Iran has taken delivery of the two F-
Borealis is one of Europe’s largest pro- in Berlin. class GTs from Siemens for use at a 600
ducers of base chemicals and polyolefins, Outside Germany, the restructuring MW power station under construction in
with operations in Europe, the Middle measures will eliminate a total of just over Bandar Abbas. The contract covers two
East, and the U.S. Elliott will service the 1,100 jobs in European countries. In coun- SGT5-4000F GTs and SGen5-2000H gen-
contract from their repair facilities in the tries outside Europe, another 2,500 jobs erators and the associated power plant in-
UK and Italy. Preparation is already under- will be affected, including 1,800 jobs in strumentation and controls.
way for a planned turnaround in the spring the consolidation of production facilities Siemens has opened a new MindSphere
of 2018 at a Borealis site in Linz, Austria. and administrative functions in the U.S. Application Center for Power Generation
“The power generation industry is ex- Services. It has been designed so that en-
LNG startup periencing disruption of unprecedented ergy customers, software engineers and
A 490 MW onshore combined cycle scope and speed,” stated Lisa Davis, mem- Siemens engineers could explore the value
power plant (CCPP) near Darwin, Aus- ber of the Managing Board of Siemens offered by digital tools. It also showcases
tralia, has started up, providing power AG. “With their innovative strength and digital offerings such as a Digital Power
for the $34 billion Ichthys LNG Project. rapidly expanding generation capacity, re- Plant running on MindSphere.
This will allow LNG processing trains newables are putting other forms of power Siemens has received an order from
to cool and liquefy natural gas. The fa- generation under increasing pressure.” Nizhnekamskneftekhim to build a CCPP
cility will use natural gas from the Siemens sees little future in large GTs, in Tatarstan, Russia. Siemens will cooper-
Ichthys Field. and is cutting back in several other areas ate with the Turkish company Enka to
It features five GTs and three steam of its manufacturing empire. However, the build the 495 MW facility. The contract
turbines (STs). The Ichthys LNG Project company continues to ink deals around the includes the delivery of two SGT5-2000Е
will have peak capacity of up to 8.9 mil- world. It has signed contracts with the GTs, one SST-600 ST and the correspon-
lion tons per annum (MTPA) of LNG, up state-owned utility GECOL to expand ding power distribution systems as well as
to 1.65 MTPA of liquefied petroleum gas Libya’s power generation capacity by 1.3 a 13-year service agreement. The plant is
and 100,000 barrels of condensate a day. GW. The company will build a 650 MW scheduled to begin operation in May 2021.
INDUSTRYNEWS
Gas processing plants and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Com- Parker factory
Rockwell Automation is main automation pressor (MCO) have successfully com- Like many engineering firms, Parker Han-
contractor (MAC) for Encana as it builds pleted testing of MHPS’s 2-shaft 120 MW nifin has established a new factory in
three new gas processing plants in the H-100 GT. The H-100 uses the latest com- Dammam, Saudi Arabia, in partnership
Montney region of Canada. All three En- bustor technology and offers single digit with Tamimi Energy. This will facilitate
cana facilities have begun production. ppm NOx for full-load operations. the production of inlet filters for GTs in
Rockwell Automation provided control MHPS has been technically selected Saudi Arabia and the surrounding region.
systems, safety instrumented systems and by Gaz Et L’Energie (GEL) for the Humay
interfaces to the third-party OEM skids in Power Station project in Peru. The project
each facility. includes one M501JAC GT, an HRSG,
and an ST. The projected completion is
LNG carriers 2020. The facility will produce 500 MW.
GTT has received an order from the Chi- MHPS has received an order for two H-
nese shipyard Hudong-Zhonghua Ship- 25 GTs for an 80 MW LNG-fired CCPP
building for two dual purpose vessels project developed by Qingdao Energy
capable of operating as LNG Carriers and Kaiyuan Thermoelectricity. The turbines are
Floating Storage and Regasification Units scheduled to begin operations in December
(FSRUs). These vessels will be built at 2018 and will be the core components of the
Pico Alto Geothermal Plant
Shanghai, China, for the owner Dynagas. cogeneration plant, which will provide
Their delivery is due in 2021. GTT power and heat for industrial processes.
will design the LNG tanks of both units, The facility requires GTs, STs, genera- New Geothermal plant
each representing a capacity of 174,000 tors, and exhaust heat recovery boilers. Exergy has inaugurated the Pico Alto 4 MW
m3. A membrane cryogenic containment MHPS will produce two 32 MW H-25 GTs, geothermal power plant in the Azores.
system with glass wool insulation will be and supply them through the local main con- Owned by EDA, the Azores power utility
used for the LNG storage on board. Cur- tractor Harbin Guanghan Power Technology company, it is now in commercial operation.
rently, 14 vessels in operation and 42 on Development. Using an energy-step-utiliza- The plant uses a geothermal high-enthalpy
order use this technology. tion process, high-temperature waste heat resource, exploiting the heat available both
from the GTs will be converted into steam in steam flow and geothermal brine. An air-
MHPS digest by the exhaust heat recovery boilers and that cooled ORC unit is equipped with an Ex-
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), Mit- steam will be sent to the ST. The extracted ergy radial outflow turbine.
subishi Hitachi Power Systems (MHPS) steam will also be used for heating. (Continued on p. 12)
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www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 11

INDUSTRYNEWS
Aussie power plants vides increased flexibility, GE LMS100
APR Energy has commissioned two new availability and risk reduction.
power plants in South Australia to defend Using open-architecture solu-
against summer power outages. In August tions, this allows the control
2017, SA Power Networks contracted system to be tailored to spe-
APR Energy to install and operate power cific needs.
plants in the suburbs of Adelaide that EthosEnergy has also been
would add 276 MW in advance of peak awarded a three-year contract
seasonal demand. The plants feature the by ITM O&M for refurbish-
latest generation of GE TM2500 mobile ment at the Umm Al Nar sta-
GTs of 30 MW capacity. tion in Abu Dhabi. This entails butterfly three HRSGs at the PS 5 facility, a 1,792
valve refurbishment at the station with re- MW CCPP with an efficiency of 54%.
Keeping Rawhide rolling pair & services work carried out at the The Gama Consortium is the engineering,
Using simulation technology embedded in EthosEnergy Abu Dhabi workshop and procurement and construction (EPC) con-
Emerson’s Ovation control system platform, on-site. tractor.
Platte River Power Authority has enhanced GE Power said its 9HA.02 GT has ex-
operator proficiency and boosted plant per- Subsea VSD ceeded 64% efficiency in CCPPs. The
formance at Rawhide Energy Station Unit A variable speed drive (VSD) has under- company attributes part of the achieve-
1 in Wellington, Colorado. In the first four gone testing in a simulated harsh subsea ment to advances in additive manufactur-
months, operators experienced a 44% re- environment to investigate its reliability. ing (3-D printing). Some 18 months ago,
duction in startup and shutdown time. This was carried out in a sheltered harbor the EDF Bouchain facility in France en-
This 300 MW baseload Rawhide Unit in Vaasa, Finland. A VSD is needed to tered commercial operation at 62.22% ef-
1 uses the system to test control logic boost the productivity of oil and gas ficiency. New 3D printed blades have
changes without risk to the actual plant, processes and improve energy efficiency. improved fuel-air mixing in the latest ver-
verify patches prior to install and to im- The test is the latest in a five-year Joint In- sion. The 9HA.02 has an output of 826
prove plant operating procedures. dustry Project between Statoil, Total, MW in 1 x 1 CCPP configuration.
Chevron and ABB. GE Additive has acquired GeonX, a
Ansaldo partnership It aims to develop transmission, distri- privately owned developer of simulation
Simest, which with SACE forms CDP bution and power conversion systems for software. Headquartered in Belgium,
Group’s Export and Internationalization subsea pumps and gas compressors, oper- GeonX provides software for engineers
Center, has acquired an 11% stake in ating at depths of 3,000 meters and over when developing new products, to simu-
Ansaldo Energia Switzerland. Simest has vast distances. By providing the large late additive manufacturing, welding, ma-
also made an interest contribution against power needs closer to the reservoir, pro- chining and heat treatment processes in
a €60m loan granted by UBI Banca, offer- duction improves due to the increased various industries such as aerospace, au-
ing financial coverage for Ansaldo Ener- flow and pressure of the stream. tomotive and energy.
gia Switzerland’s capitalization and The subsea variable speed drive, de- GeonX’s simulation software tool, Vir-
investment plans. This will provide sup- signed for subsea gas compression, was fac (Virtual Factory), assesses products
port for Ansaldo Energia Group’s invest- operated, over three weeks in a back-to- prior to production, predicting defects, dis-
ments in research and development back configuration directly with the grid, tortions and stresses and the impact man-
relating to GT technology (class F and H) without motor loads. The subsea VSD fea- ufacturing has on durability. This helps to
and service work on operating GTs. tures a pressure compensated design, reduce the number of prototypes built dur-
whereby all its power components are ing the development phase, while improv-
Oil and gas cloud cooled by being submerged in oil. ing the quality and lifetime of the
The oil and gas cloud applications market The water test proved that the elec- manufactured products, minimizing time-
is expected to grow from $3.33 billion in tronic and power components can meet to-market and development costs.
2017 to $5.68 billion by 2022, at a Com- the thermal performance demanded. Prior
pound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of to the test, the main drive sub-assemblies MAN digest
11.3%, according to the new market re- and components were pressure tested at MAN Diesel & Turbo has won an order
search report, “Oil and Gas Cloud Appli- 300 bars in Statoil’s R&D facility in for nine compressor trains for the state-
cations Market - Global Forecast to 2022,” Trondheim, this test performed to demon- owned Kuwait Oil Company (KOC).
published by MarketsandMarkets. strate that the drive can tolerate a pressur- MAN technology will be deployed in
Major drivers of this market are the ized environment. Kuwait’s Burgan field. The British plant
slump in oil prices and the emergence of manufacturer Petrofac has been contracted
big data and advanced analytics for foster- GE Digest by KOC to build a gas gathering center to
ing and enhancing operational efficien- GE Power has been selected by Jiangsu process accompanying gases and to im-
cies. Growing trends of mobile computing Etern to supply its LMS100 GT for an up- prove the quality of the oil produced.
and rapidly increasing adoption of hybrid coming 100 MW simple-cycle natural gas- Nine electric motor-driven MAN type
cloud are the key opportunities that would fired plant in the city of Shahjibazar in RB35 and RB28 compressors are de-
fuel the market growth. Bangladesh. The project is expected to be signed to handle sour and wet gas; high
commissioned in the second quarter of proportions of hydrogen chloride and hy-
Ethos contract 2019. The embedded dual-fuel capability drogen sulfide mean demanding require-
EthosEnergy has been awarded a contract gives enables the GT to operate on natural ments for machines and materials.
in South Korea for a controls system up- gas and LPG. MAN has received orders for compres-
grade on a Pratt & Whitney FT4C-3F Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) has in- sor systems from steel producers Tata and
TwinPac GT. The new control system pro- stalled three GE 9HA GTs, three STs and JSW, where they will be used as blast fur-
INDUSTRYNEWS
nace blowers. JSW Steel has ordered two in the second half of 2017. The back-pres- ery & 33rd Pump Symposia (TPS), after
MAX1 compressor trains for the expan- sure bleeding ST in Plock is now in full 55 years of research and teaching.
sion of its steel works in Dolvi, India. operation. The order also included build- Childs got his start in NASA’s Ameri-
Each system comprises an axial coming work on the site. can Society for Engineering Education
pressor with an electrical motor, as well as (ASEE) program, whose focus was to de-
auxiliaries and supply units. Another order Industry giant retires velop the space shuttle main engine. He
has come from Indian steel producer Tata. Dr. Dara W. Childs has stepped down as then landed a NASA-Marshal Space
MAN is supplying a MAX1 compressor to Director of the Turbomachinery Labora- Flight Center contract in 1975 to analyze
one of Tata’s largest production sites in the tory at Texas A&M University, and chair the vibration characteristics of the high-
Dutch city of Ijmuiden. An ST acts as driver, of the Turbomachinery & Pump Advisory pressure oxygen and fuel turbo pumps of
converting waste heat into rotating energy. Committees following 46th Turbomachin- the engine. (Continued on p. 14)
The offshore production platform Ivar
The offshore production platform Ivar Aasen,

run by Aker BP, is the first to use the
hermetically sealed HOFIM compressor system
Aasen, run by Aker BP, is first to use the

hermetically sealed HOFIM compressor
system. The HOFIM compressor system
is similar to MAN’s subsea compressors,
in operation at Statoil’s Åsgard field in
300 m water depth with more than 30,000
running hours.
The Ivar Aasen field lies in the Norwe-
gian North Sea, about 175 km west of
Karmøy, and contains about 200 million
barrels of oil equivalents. Oil and gas from
Ivar Aasen will be transported via
pipelines to the Edvard Grieg platform,
where it will be processed and exported to
the market.
It is anticipated that the field will have
an economic lifetime of about 20 years.
MAN’s compression system for Ivar
Aasen comprises a multi-stage radial com-
pressor (1×100%) arranged in tandem
configuration around a centrally posi-
tioned 9.5 MW, high-speed electrical
motor. The integrated active magnetic
bearings are provided by Mecos, a MAN
company.
Steam turbine
A new 70 MW steam turbine from Doosan
Škoda Power provides steam and electric-
ity for one of the largest petrochemical
plants in Europe. It was delivered to
Poland’s petrochemical giant PKN Orlen
INDUSTRYNEWS
Through his research, he found the formance and reliability. The TRC has 38 Saudi Aramco order
shuttle’s main engine to be unstable. member companies and 17 active projects. Baker Hughes, a GE Company, gained an
NASA offered Childs funding for a re- Childs was honored with a banquet at TPS order from Saudi Aramco with 27 gas
search program, which he established at in December 2017. The search for a new compression trains for the Haradh and
the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Turbo Lab director is underway. Hawiyah gas fields. The goal is to double
Station (TEES) in 1980. gas production in the region to 23 Bcfd
“My research career was built from the Filters for high humidity (0.65 X 109 m3) over the course of the
one 1975 study I led that predicted the Between May and October, humidity in next decade. The trains comprise centrifu-
space shuttle main engine pump would be parts of Thailand remains above 80%. Fil- gal compressors, gearboxes, electric mo-
unstable,” said Childs said, referring to the ters without permanent moisture protec- tors and loop oil systems. They will be
37,000 square foot high-bay Turboma- tion quickly lose their separation manufactured in Italy and packaged in
chinery Laboratory research facility, adja- efficiency under these conditions and wear Saudi Arabia.
cent to Texas A&M’s main campus. out faster.
While other turbomachinery research As a result, penetrating moisture can Malaysian combined cycle
labs have downsized, the Turbo Lab contin- pollute the machines and damage them. Pöyry has bagged an engineer services
ues to flourish because of funds from the Two GT power plants in Ratchaburim, contract for a 1,440 MW CCPP in Johor,
TPS. Childs chaired the TPS turbo and pump Thailand had to be changed out to better Malaysia. The plant is operated by South-
advisory committees since 1984, when he handle these climatic conditions. ern Power Generation. The project con-
was named Director of the Turbo Lab. They selected filters from Freuden- sists of two 720 MW natural gas-fired
“Almost all professors end up work- berg Filtration Technologies (Viledon blocks, each powered by a GE 9HA.02 GT
ing only with other professors, and I have GTS Pulse-Jet filter cartridges of filter with a triple pressure reheat, once-through
the privilege of working alongside suc- class F 9 / ISO ePM1 80 %). The syn- heat recovery and ST in single shaft con-
cessful industry engineers,” said Childs. thetic organic filter material serves as a figuration. Pöyry’s assignment includes
“These advisors are the best in their fields coalescer and protects the filters and tur- assistance in project management, design
in the world. The advisory committees bines against excessive moisture and pen- review, site supervision services, quality
are the single greatest resource that the etrating water. assurance and quality control, commis-
Lab has.” Coarse dirt particles are also trapped by sioning supervision services and services
In 1984, Childs co-founded the Turbo- the protection. While the previous filters during warranty period. Pöyry is assisted
machinery Research Consortium (TRC). had to be replaced in the rainy season after in the assignment by its local partner, Min-
This is an organization of developers and three months, the new filter cartridges have consult Sdn Bhd. The overall schedule for
users that evaluate turbomachinery per- been functioning for two years. Pöyry’s services is about four years.
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TRB010218 015 TurboTips_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:10 AM Page 15
turbotips
HAZARD AND OPERABILITY ANALYSIS

azard and Operability Analysis analyzed, recorded and followed. Safety cerns or potential problems. Vendor repre-
H (HAZOP) is a structured and sys-

tematic technique for package ex-
amination and risk management.
It is used to identify potential hazards in
a system or package as well as operabil-
and risk aspects are identified to determine
if adequate measures have been taken to
prevent major accidents. Communication
and qualitative evaluations are the primary
facets of HAZOP procedures.
sentatives reply to questions and clarify
such issues. Others observe and participate
in discussions when needed.
Ideally, a HAZOP chairman is from
an independent HAZOP specialist com-
ity problems likely to lead to noncon- A specialized HAZOP chairman should pany or consulting firm. He or she is sen-
forming operation. guide the review team. Sequential failures, ior to other review team members. The
HAZOP is based on a theory that as- operability features and operational control chairman and at least 30% of the review
sumes risk events are caused by deviations methods, for example, can be investigated team are not directly involved in the fa-
from design specifications or operating in- for potentially varying conditions. cility or package design. This allows them
tentions. The identification of such devia- to offer an independent assessment of the
tions is facilitated by using sets of “guide review process.
words” as a systematic list of deviation per-
spectives. This approach is a unique feature
“Hazard and Typically, the constraints of manpower
availability dictate that most of the HAZOP
of HAZOP methodology that helps stimu-
late the imagination of team members
Operability team is composed of those familiar with
project design as well as vendor represen-
when exploring potential deviations.
HAZOP reviews are intended to reduce
Analysis (HAZOP) tatives. In any meeting, consultants should
be included to ensure evaluation independ-
the probability and consequences of a
major incident that would have a detrimen-
is used to identify ence. Vendor representatives should be au-
thorized by the vendor to negotiate and ac-
tal impact to operators, facilities, the pub-
lic’s wellbeing, and the environment. The
potential hazards cept changes to turbomachinery packages.
The role of risk engineers or safety rep-
target of HAZOP is continued business op-
eration and long-term profitably.
in a system or resentatives is also important. They pro-
vide risk evaluation, safety assurance, loss
The analysis looks for major incidents
with potential for severe impact as opposed package as well prevention, and environmental policies
and practices to the HAZOP review meet-
to minor issues of limited consequence.
Such reviews should be updated and reval- as operability ing. They also confirm the underlying phi-
losophy concerning risk acceptance and
idated every six to ten years for machinery protection methodology. These experts
in operation, particularly if major changes problems likely should have reviewed cases of recent loss
have been made. incidents applicable to similar turboma-
As a risk assessment tool, HAZOP con- to lead to chinery packages.
tains brainstorming techniques and quali- HAZOP reviews should be conducted
tative risk assessments. The success of a
turbomachinery package review relies on
nonconforming in a timely, efficient and cost-effective
manner. Meetings for all turbomachinery
the ability of rotating equipment engineer,
operators, safety and risk advisors, and
operation.” packages from the same vendor should be
done in one session and completed within
other subject matter experts. one week, if possible. 
They predict deviations based on past Representatives from the client and op-
experience and comprehensive knowledge eration teams should attend a HAZOP
of package operation. This should not re- meeting, as well as engineers and experts Amin Almasi is a
place or duplicate design reviews. Rather, from the contractor and vendor side. They Chartered
it is a formal safety and risk audit review should be supported by someone to record Professional Engineer
to reduce or eliminate the possibility of the information and facilitate the overall in Australia and U.K.
major incidents. process. A well organized and properly (M.Sc. and B.Sc. in
manned HAZOP team should consist of at mechanical
Turbomachinery packages least seven people. engineering). He is
HAZOP reviews are communication exer- During a HAZOP meeting for turbo- a senior consultant
cises. Information and data about turboma- machinery packages the HAZOP chairman specializing in rotating equipment,
chinery packages are presented, discussed, and operation representatives raise any con- condition monitoring and reliability.

TRB010218 016-19 Cover Story_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:10 AM Page 16
Coverstory
he Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas
TURBOMACHINERY T A&M University hosted another record-

breaking event despite a three-month
delay due to Hurricane Harvey. The 45th
SYMPOSIUM Turbomachinery and 33rd International Pump

User’s Symposia (TPS 2017) took place in De-
cember In Houston, Texas.
The exhibition hosted 359 companies and
spanned 216,000 square feet. Some 4,620 dele-
UPDATES ON ENHANCED OIL gates representing 46 countries visited the exhi-
RECOVERY, COMPONENT SELECTION, bition or attended technical sessions.
The Symposia comprised 15 short courses, 23
SUPERCRITICAL CO2 , STEAM TURBINES, lectures, 16 tutorials, 23 discussion groups and
21 case studies. Topics included compressors,
API STANDARDS, VALVE SIZING AND steam and gas turbines, expanders, pumps and
drivers, and auxiliary equipment, such as cou-
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS plings, bearings, gearboxes, dry gas seals and an-
BY DREW ROBB nular seals.
The big news from the show, however, was the
retirement of Dr. Dara W. Childs, Director of the
Turbo Lab since 1980 and chair of the TPS advisory
Component Selection
Garry Studley, Process Simulation Engi-
neering, Dresser-Rand business, part of
Siemens Power and Gas, delivered a ses-
sion on optimizing component selection in
synchronous motor compressor trains.
Compressor trains driven by constant
speed synchronous motors need to be de-
signed to withstand high levels of oscillat-
ing torque during startup. The importance
of accurately predicting peak torque levels
at resonance is critical for proper compo-
nent selection.
Studley offered various tips during the
tutorial: The motor and shaft line need to be
designed for startup and steady-state oper-
ation. The peak torque capacity of the flex-
ible coupling elements is typically the weak-
est link. The shaft diameter and the overall
stress concentration must be considered to
determine weak-link locations. Integral
Dara Childs
flanges are best suited for the motor and gear
shaft ends as they have good torque capacity
and fatigue characteristics.
committees. He was honored with a banquet Pipelines transport CO2 from external
dinner during the Symposia (pp. 13). sources to the oil fields where it is used for Supercritical SCO2 power cycles
The keynote by Jody Elliott, President of EOR. Elliott reported that 5% of total U.S. Another tutorial by Timothy Allison, Man-
Oxy Oil & Gas, covered Enhanced Oil Re- domestic oil production is already coming ager of Rotating Machinery Dynamics at
covery (EOR). Oxy has over 2 million horse- from CO2-based EOR. Much of this is Southwest Research Institute (SwRi) delved
power of compression assets:30% centrifugal from the Permian Basin. into supercritical (SCO2) power cycles. A
compressors, 60% reciprocating compressors It is all about maximizing value from fluid is considered to be supercritical if its
and 10% screw compressors. All are used in existing oil fields. Primary oil produc- pressure and temperature are greater than
upstream operations. Some of these machines tion only recovers about 15% of avail- its critical values. This produces a very
are involved in EOR compression. able oil reserves in conventional fields. dense fluid, which acts both like a liquid
Oxy is the largest operator in the Per- A method known as waterflood EOR is and a gas. From a thermodynamic power
mian Basin, which spans New Mexico and used to extract another 30% of the oil. cycle perspective, fluids such as SCO2 can
Texas. CO2 is used to boost oil production After that, CO 2 EOR is needed to take be superior to water and air, he said. Its
in developed fields. The CO2 mixes with out another 15%. higher density, means smaller equipment,
and releases the oil, then it is separated and “Other technologies will add to that to lower costs, lighter weight and better en-
reinjected in a closed-loop process. Most get above 60% of the actual oil present,” thalpy. SCO2 takes less energy to compress,
of the CO2 comes from natural under- said Elliott. “For unconventional resources, but when it expands, it produces an abun-
ground domes, but captured emissions primary oil production only brings out dance of energy. Its low viscosity means
from power plants are also employed. 6.5%, so that is a big opportunity for EOR.” there is little pressure drop in the system.
One of the many discussion group sessions

at the Turbomachinery Symposium

Coverstory
Steam turbine in ethylene service (Courtesy of

Elliott Group)
Size comparison of 20 MW steam turbine with a 14 MW sCO2 turbine
SCO2 power cycles offer high effi- one application may not be good for an- Tips on the use of suction throttle
ciency and power density relative to in- other. An ST in a refinery may operate at valves (STV) were also provided. As the
cumbent steam Rankine and air Brayton 40 bar and 400°C at less than 20 MW, STV closes, it creates a higher pressure
cycles for power generation over a wide whereas a cracked compressor in ethylene drop across it. This causes the inlet pressure
range of applications, said Allison. These service may need steam operating at 100 to the compressor to drop accordingly with
include waste heat recovery, concentrating bar, 510°C and 85 MW. the consequence that the pressure ratio
solar power (CSP), geothermal, nuclear Condensing STs run below atmospheric across the compressor rises.
and fossil energy. pressure at their exhaust, while back pres- This causes the flow through the com-
Above 500°C, SCO2 is 2% to 4% more sure STs run above atmospheric pressure. pressor to fall. For performance maps,
efficient than steam. Below that, a conven- Whichever type is involved, the API 612 closing the STV leads to the curve shifting
tional Rankine cycle is probably a better op- standard requires sizing for worst steam vertically downward. This shift should not
tion. As CSP deals with temperatures of up conditions in power requirements. go down to the point where a surge can
to 1,000°C, it is ideal for SCO2. While many “As a contractor, we don’t want a to- happen.
of these applications have not progressed be- tally new product, but at a minimum, a ref- Another compressor session authored
yond the laboratory stage, waste heat recov- erenced part” said Emmanuel Bustos, Head by Patrick Smith, Principal Engineering
ery has made the greatest headway with sev- of Rotating Machinery Department at Associate at Air Products & Chemicals, of-
eral commercial projects already operating. TechnipFMC. “We check the casing and fered strategies to prevent catastrophic
“Compact machinery reduces material blades size, tip speed and existing applica- compressor failures during transient oper-
costs and is beneficial in low space and po- tions, especially for the last blades.” ating conditions. “Simple changes in ma-
tentially low weight applications,” said Allison. chinery condition monitoring, machinery
However, the combinations of pressure, Valve sizing protection and maintenance strategies could
temperature and density in SCO2 power Controls dedicated to centrifugal and axial have prevented many failures,” said Smith.
cycles lies outside the experiential base of compressors require different valves, “Hot gas bypass valves are needed when
existing turbomachines. Common chal- which are the final element in the control a machine trips.”
lenges in the design of SCO2 turbomachin- loop. These include anti-surge (recycle),
ery include rotordynamics, pressure con- suction throttle, hot gas bypass and quench API standards
tainment, sealing, thermal management, control valves. Brüel & Kjær Vibro held a press confer-
and transient/off-design operation. Wayne Jacobson, Global Technology ence on the evolution and application of
Manager Compressor Control Corp. (CCC) API 670. Steve Sabin, Brüel & Kjær
Steam turbines explained the objective of each type of Vibro’s SetPoint Product Manager, who
Many large steam turbines (STs) are de- valve, its ideal location relative to the com- served as secretary of 4th and 5th edition
ployed in oil and gas applications. They pressor and the optimum performance char- task forces, summarized the development
are used to drive compressors and pumps, acteristics for the valve. of the standard since its beginning.
and produce electricity. The Prelude float- Anti-surge control valves, he said, are “If a standard is good, it will have
ing LNG vessel, for example, only has STs heavily influenced by piping layout as this in- many editions and updates,” said Sabin.
driving its compressors. STs in LNG were fluences controllability. The discharge volume “The 6th edition will be coming out in a
the norm until the eighties when gas tur- of the compressor should be reduced to min- couple of years.”
bines became more popular. imize the system’s dead time and lag time. API 670 is an instrument standard
Within the sector, many different steam “Make the distance as short as possible measuring vibration. It highlights a major
turbine conditions exist. What worked for between the compressor and the recycle upgrade compared to the early days of put-
take off, and from there to the check ting a screwdriver on a bearing housing to
valve,” said Jacobson. He offered several listen for vibration. In those days, it was
tips: In multistage compressors, anti-surge all about being outside and inferring what
valve calculations are more complicated was going on inside.
and can lead to oversizing of valves down- Then along came Don Bently with the
stream in multistage compressors. idea of putting proximity probes inside a
When the impellers are matched, the bearing housing that could measure shaft
surge limit line and the choke line will vibration. Initial systems were complex,
likely be covered by one anti-surge valve. composed of many different cable lengths,
Fast and precise stroking of the anti-surge each with specific parts.
Efficiency comparison of steam Rankine and sCO2 valve is needed (two seconds or less stroke In addition, the ST, gearbox and com-
recompression Brayton (RCBC) cycles (DoE) to time to open and close). pressor of the same train had different
Edition Date Scope
1st Jun 1976 Radial vibration and axial position systems using proximity probes only
2nd Jun 1986 Added bearing temperature measurements
Merged content from API 670 and API 678 (accelerometer-based vibra-
3rd Nov 1993 tion monitoring) into a single harmonized 670 standard and discontin- Vaned diffuser
ued 678; added digital link for DCS / control system communications
Allowed for “blind” monitoring systems with DCS communications as widely variable because there are many
primary HMI; allowed for 4-channel instead of 2-channel monitors; styles, each with a different performance
4th Dec 2000
added reciprocating compressor measurements; added overspeed characteristic.
measurements “Range and peak efficiency are typi-
cally mutually exclusive,” said Sorokes.
Added Safety Integrity Level (SIL) content; added recip annex; added “You can attain high peak efficiency at the
5th Nov 2014 condition monitoring annex; added wireless content; added surge detec- expense of flow range or vice versa. But
tion and emergency shutdown (ESD) systems in most cases, it is a compromise.”
Component designs are based on the
choices made: impellers, guide vanes and
probes and systems. API 670 was intro- Range versus efficiency diffusers. However, the impeller is by far
duced, in part, to provide standardization Striking the proper balance between range the most critical decision, followed by the
and simplification. The first version spec- and efficiency was the topic of choice by guide vane.
ified how many sensors were needed and Jim Sorokes, Principal Engineer at Dresser- Users and designers, then, must com-
where so OEMs could standardize (Table). Rand, a Siemens business. promise between machine requirements
“API standards reflect acceptable op- “A balance between peak attainable ef- and what the OEM can deliver. To achieve
erating practices rather than catering to the ficiency and overall operation range must that, both should each a strong agreement
least common denominator,” said Sabin. be addressed when specifying, designing on nomenclature.
The 6th edition is likely to include and selecting centrifugal compressors,” For example, one party might be talk-
changes related to SIL, wireless guidance, said Sorokes. ing about turndown while the other re-
cybersecurity, rolling element bearing mon- Engineers, overly dependent on com- sponds about aerodynamic stability. There-
itoring, cylinder pressure sensors, and over- puters and CFD data, can occasionally before, it is important to define terms and
speed enhancements. come lost in a computational haze, he not make any assumptions. Another ex-
“Wireless is good for condition moni- said. Such data must be interpreted cor- ample: different flow coefficients used
toring but is not yet good enough for safety rectly against the fundamentals of aero- within the same firm — one by the Euro-
systems,” said Sabin. “Wired systems are dynamic design. pean branch that was different from what
still the standard for machinery protection.” Compressor user requirements can be was used in the U.S. 
The exhibition hosted 359 companies and spanned 216,000 square feet

TRB010218 020-22 Show Report_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:16 AM Page 20
showreport
DISTRIBUTED GENERATION
RULES POWERGEN
CONVENTIONAL POWER SOURCES, SUCH AS COAL AND NUCLEAR
ARE BEING DISPLACED BY RENEWABLES AND BATTERY POWER
BY DREW ROBB
he annual PowerGen International
T show has traditionally been the

showcase for large power plants.
Coal facilities and more recently,
combined cycle and natural gas-driven
peaking plants have been the focus. But
that changed this year with distributed
generation (DG) stealing the spotlight.
The concept is simple. Instead of large
centralized plants, localized pockets of
power generation predominate to replace
or augment these facilities. These include
wind, solar, combined heat and power
(CHP), and battery systems. These re-
sources can operate as part of the overall
grid, as a separate power island, or as
backup power. Further, groups of DG as-
sets are collaborating to create micro-grids
to serve specific areas.
This is turning the power market on its
head. Yes, large plants will continue to be The PowerGen exhibit floor included over 1,100 booths
built, but their frequency will probably
lessen. However DG is gathering momen-
tum. A couple of years back, the idea was in on the data-intensive nature of trying to receive too much data too fast,” said
to support renewable resources with large, efficiently manage solar, battery storage, Kennedy. “You have to build a toolset that
flexible gas turbine plants that could come fuel cells, and traditional generation systems. allows many different data sets to be ana-
online rapidly as wind and solar capacity “Things are heading towards the cre- lyzed at various points in the value chain.
dropped off the grid (Turbomachinery In- ation of community systems or grids,” said Cloud providers are already making these
ternational, May/June 2017, p. 24). Now, Kennedy. “But this trend is being held back tools available in ways that may be more
it is up to the GT marketplace to find a role by problems related to who owns the data.” cost effective than building your own.”
within DG. This will probably involve For example, is the data coming from Replacing outdated infrastructure and
smaller GTs operating as either backup a smart meter, owned by the utility, or the legacy controls increases productivity, ac-
power, for rapid start and stop, or when fa- home or business owner? Is power plant cording to Blake Moret, Rockwell’s CEO
vorable prices prevail. data about turbine operation owned by the and President. By adding software tools to
Companies, such as Mitsubishi Hitachi plant or the OEM? the Eight Flags CHP Plant in Fernandina,
Power Systems (MHPS), OSIsoft, Rock- “Ownership rights for data have to be FL, for example, Rockwell Automation was
well Automation, Wärtsilä, Hydro Quebec, established for distributed generation to re- able to quickly collect and interpret data,
Beaufort Rosemary, Pacific Power and alize its potential,” he said. resulting in increased efficiency, he said.
SVG Consulting had plenty to say about Cost and data management are also se- “We are seeing the convergence of IT and
distributed generation during the show. rious concerns. Billions of sensors are Operational Technology (OT),” said Moret.
being added to components, equipment and “IT used to be separate from the processes
Keynotes facilities, added Kennedy. But any analytics on the plant floor, but that is changing.”
The 2017 PowerGen show took place in engines seeking to harness this information Moret does not believe everything
December in Las Vegas. A 1,100-vendor must be cost effective. That requires the should go to the cloud, however. Some
exhibition and 60 technical sessions an- establishment of multiple tiers of data. functions will go there while others will re-
chored the show. Several keynotes kicked Some tiers will be based in the cloud, oth- main on-site. But he foresees more analytics
things off. ers within the plant or fleet, and others will at the smart device level, and being able to
Dr. J Patrick Kennedy, CEO and be in the hands of small DG assets. add insight across multiple facilities. The
Founder of OSIsoft, took up DG. He zeroed “If everything comes to one point, you benefits are said to include lowered down-
time, faster response to market demand, im- in Asia, due to the presence of newer coal
proved plant availability, greater regulatory plants in the region. Utilities in Asia need
compliance, reduced operational costs and to recoup their investment, while in the de-
secure access to IT and OT systems. veloped world, they are more willing to re-
“It all starts with real-time data on volt- tire aging facilities.
age, kWh, running time, temperature and Browning sounded a positive note
vibration,” said Moret. “That is turned into about the North American market, which
useful information which has context in is shifting from the F-class to next-gener-
terms of energy. Only when you have that ation turbines. Along with higher inlet tem-
can analytics come into play.” peratures and pressures, these machines
The power market is undergoing rapid are more intelligent and more connected.
change, according to Paul Browning, Pres- They include analytics functions and the
ident and CEO of Mitsubishi Hitachi ability to create digital turbines which are
Power Systems Americas (MHPSA). In an exact mirror of their physical equivalent.
the developed world, the levelized cost of “The physical and digital turbines travel
solar and wind have fallen dra- together through the lifecycle of
matically, he said. Over the the machine to help predict what
past decade, wind power has will happen in the future and to
experienced a 12% per year streamline maintenance,” said
drop, while the price of utility- Browning. “Thus, we are tran-
scale photovoltaic (PV) solar sitioning from real-time moni-
has been going down at 20% toring to complete operations
per year. and maintenance support, as
What has been largely un- well as performance optimiza-
noticed, though, is that natural tion at the fleet level. Eventually,
gas combined cycle power has we will arrive at autonomous
decreased 12% per year over Paul Browning operation across the entire gen-
the past ten years. Part of that is erating portfolio, under auto-
due to new drilling technologies that have matic grid control.”
resulted in a 70% reduction in the price of The cost of wind and solar is now com-
gas, part from a 30% reduction in the $/KW parable with coal and natural gas, said Stefan
installed cost of large combined cycles, with Bird, President and CEO of Pacific Power,
the rest coming from significant efficiency He advocated regional diversity to lower risk
gains. Browning cited a price for a 50%- from intermittent resource generation.
50% mix of gas and renewable power cost- The need for regional diversity is appar-
ing $41 per MWh and being 85% more car- ent when you consider that the grid is grad-
bon efficient than retiring coal-fired power. ually becoming more unified. Pacific Power,
The Grand River Dam Authority’s for example, is partnering with the Califor-
(GRDA) Grand River Energy Center 3 in nia Independent System Operator (CAISO)
OK is a 505 MW example of this mix of and others to create a unified western energy
renewables and natural gas. It is a com- market (back in 2014, the Western U.S. con-
bined cycle power plant (CCPP) equipped sisted of 38 relatively independent balancing
with a MHPS M501J GT, operating at 62% areas). By adding software, integration and
efficiency. The plant replaces an aging coal analytics between the system nodes, greater
facility and works in conjunction with the efficiency is possible.
abundant wind energy resources that are California has invested heavily in re-
present in Oklahoma. newables and at times, produces more
“Retiring old coal and adding a carbon- solar or wind power than it consumes.
efficient combination of gas turbines and With a unified grid, fossil facilities in Ore-
renewables, is the way forward,” said gon could be throttled down with Califor-
Browning. nia handing off its excess power to the Pa-
In the developing world, the picture is cific Northwest. Similarly, California could
a little different. There, said Browning, call on natural gas or coal resources out-
buyers used to gravitate towards older tech- side of the state due to a rapid drop in re-
nology. However, now they are opting for newable generation.
the newest and most efficient products “Pacific Power is adding digital con-
available, including a big shift to more af- trols to make coal more responsive,” said
fordable Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). Its Bird. “This will enable operators to fine
price has dropped in some parts of Asia tune its operating range, double its ramp
from $16 to $8 per million BTUs. rate and improve coal economics.”
While many carbon capture, projects
have underperformed in Europe and North DG investment
America, he highlighted the recent success Traditional utilities should consider invest-
of NRG’s Petranova project in Houston. ing in DG assets, such as localized gener-
Carbon capture will be a critical issue ation of solar and wind, instead of installing
showreport
new substations or adding new circuits,
said Subbarao Govindaraju, President of
SVG Consulting.
“Instead of building transmission lines
and substations to bring the power to load
areas, establish localized generation at the
distribution level, beside or within the load
areas,” he said.
That means changing power generation
from being a one-way flow from the
provider to the customer, to being bi-direc-
tional. But, in turn, that brings up safety
and reliability issues for the electric net-
work that must be addressed.
“Utilities need to be able to monitor,
predict and control distributed generation
sources,” said Govindaraju. “Each type of
DG has different parameters.”
Such assets installed on the grid will pro-
vide additional intelligence to planners, en-
gineers and operators to help them manage
the grid more efficiently. This control is fea-
sible through added automation that helps Back in 2014, the Palo Verde coal plant in Arizona was profitable 228 days of the year. In 2017,
manage the precise orchestration of various that fell to only 21 days.
assets to manage emerging grid conditions.
Large amounts of data must be “They are on the cutting edge as they Wärtsilä, meanwhile, is hoping to
processed to make automated decisions are willing to pay more for reliability and gain from these market forces by offering
or rapidly provide options to the operator redundancy,” said Casey. “But microgrid flexible power options using its recipro-
on possible next steps. Ultimately, how- reliability may require potentially complex cating engines, while also expanding into
ever, many of these decisions need to be integration and that probably requires util- energy storage business via its subsidiary,
automated. ity assistance.” Greensmith.
“Data must be collected and communi- Wärtsilä and Tucson Electric Power
cated to back-office systems in near real time Market shifts have agreed on 10 x Wärtsilä 18V50SG
for proactive control,” said Govindaraju. “The American utility industry is in the natural gas engines to be installed at the H.
“Technology needs to be revamped to ac- midst of an energy transition,” said Matti Wilson Sundt Generating Station in Tuc-
commodate and act on the additional intel- Rautkivi, Director of Marketing and Sales son, AZ. The project will provide 200 MW
ligence being obtained from grid assets.” at Wärtsilä. “Traditional baseload capacity of flexible capacity to integrate more re-
He called for greater investment in (coal and nuclear) is being replaced by renewable energy.
planning and operations system, load and newables and flexible gas capacity.” The utility is also investing in solar
DG forecasting, power flow optimization, Two-thirds of added capacity last year power resources. Greensmith is helping
high-speed communications, cybersecurity, came from renewables, he said. While that Tucson Electric with the development of a
integration of customer and grid technolo- was mainly wind, solar is coming on fast solar plant combined with batteries to pro-
gies, and substation modernization. and will probably take the lead. The dom- duce power at a cost of 4.5 cents per kWh.
The DG theme continued with Kevin inance of renewables should continue as “We see ourselves more as an integra-
Casey, Managing Director at energy con- the price per MWh continues to fall. tor to gain flexibility rather than as a com-
sultancy at Beaufort Rosemary. He covered This is causing havoc with fossil gen- pany that is selling engines,” said Rautkivi.
the challenges inherent in expanding the eration, particularly coal. PSEG, for exam- Sacramento Municipal Utilities District
quantity of small distributed energy re- ple, has shuttered its last coal plant, said (SMUD) is also investing in solar and bat-
sources, such as solar, wind, batteries, CHP, Rautkivi. Similarly, Luminant has recently tery power. According to Nancy Bui, Mem-
hydro, fuel cells, microturbines and the mi- shut down some of its large coal plants, ber of the SMUD Board of Directors, it in-
crogrid. They add value that goes beyond and the coal plants in Arizona are finding tends to install 75 MW of battery storage
the MW they produce: ancillary services, it almost impossible to operate profitably over the next ten years as well as more
grid independence, and lower or more pre- See the figure above. solar resources.
dictable costs in some cases. It boils down to simple economics, as While battery technology still has a
However, traditional large-scale power the coal plants are running less and not able way to go in terms of cost, reliability and
developers typically do not do well devel- to cover their costs. And with renewables time of storage, Hydro Quebec believes it
oping resources, such as residential solar. becoming “the new baseload,” coal plants has the solution. It is positioning its hydro-
Despite steadily falling prices, existing reg- have to deal with a lot more cycling. electric resources as the battery for the East
ulatory constructs and financing options “Even combined cycle gas is strug- of Canada and the Northeast U.S.
can hamper the expansion of DG. gling,” said Rautkivi.” “We offer a huge reservoir of power
Take the example of microgrids. Facili- PNM, a utility in New Mexico found which can act as the battery for New Eng-
ties, such as data centers, hospitals, military the cost of CCGTs would have to be less land, Ontario and New York,” said Gary
bases, research labs, and fire stations are than $250 per kW to make economic sense. Sutherland, Director of External Relations,
among the leaders because they value energy Most CCGTs come in at anywhere from Hydro Quebec. “We are able to provide
independence, redundancy and reliability. three to four times that. electricity at a cost of 6 cents per kWh.” 
TRB010218 023 Cent Pumps_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:15 AM Page 23
CentrifugalPumPs
AFTERMATH World market for centrifugal pumps by revenues

$40 30%
Revenues ($ billions)
Growth rate (%)

OF THE GLOBAL $30
$20
15%
0%
OIL CRISIS $10
$0
-15%
-30%
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
OPPORTUNITIES EMERGE FOR Revenues ($ millions) Growth rate (%)
PUMP SUPPLIERS AS THE MARKET Source: IHS Markit © 2017 IHS Markit
STRUGGLES TO RECOVER Centrifugal pump demand from the oil and gas sector has plummeted,
but that could soon be changing
BY JOANNE GOH
he latest Centrifugal Pump Database from IHS Markit Europe, the Middle East and Africa will experience an increase
T shows that the global centrifugal pump market at $25.8

billion in 2016, down 3.4% from 2015. Current revenue
is forecast to grow at a 4.1% compound annual growth
rate (CAGR) to $32 billion by 2021. The market is not ex-
pected to reach 2014 revenue levels until 2021.
in commercial building construction, spearheaded by Qatar and
its preparations for the upcoming World Cup, as well as an ini-
tiative to diversify its economy. Furthermore, rapid urbanization
and infrastructure development in the Middle East continue to in-
crease demand for pumping systems.
The oil and gas industry collapsed towards the end of 2014, In the municipal water and waste water section, growth op-
which led to revenue declines for several major pump suppliers portunities are mainly in emerging countries, driven by rapid
heavily exposed to the energy sectors. Manufacturers that rely on growth in industrialization, despite the lingering financial and
the commercial and domestic markets gained market share, as global economic crisis in many regions.
these industries outperformed the overall average. The same goes for the centrifugal pump market in the food
New project announcements for both the upstream and down- and beverage sector; developing markets in Asia-Pacific continue
stream industries dropped 5% from 2015 to 2016, and project- to be the backbone of market growth. Urbanization and the grow-
detailed design activity in engineering, procurement, and con- ing number of restaurants, restaurant chains, and fast food centers,
struction (EPC) firms was low. along with the increased number of food processing facilities,
With significantly decreased order activity, the average selling create increased opportunities for centrifugal pumps in food and
prices (ASP) for all types of equipment used in the oil and gas beverage on a global level.
industry declined sharply, including the ASP of centrifugal pumps,
estimated to have declined by about 10.7% from 2015 levels. World market for centrifugal pumps by industrial sector
The centrifugal pump market in oil and gas applications con- Commercial HVAC Oil and gas
tinued to decline in 2017, with revenues down 8% from 2016. 18% 16%
Despite a recent recovery in oil prices from a low point in January
2016, IHS Markit expects the OPEC price is unlikely to rise above
$60/bbl in 2018. Municipal water Domestic/residential
and wastewater applications
Investor confidence has not fully recovered; therefore, the de- 22% 9%
mand for centrifugal pumps remains subdued. The forecast is for
slight growth of about 1% for centrifugal pump revenues in 2018. Power generation
On the other hand, onshore upstream capital expenditure (fossil fuel, nuclear
Other industries and renewables)
(CapEx) increased by 16% in 2017, leading to stronger upside 27% 8%
demand for centrifugal pumps in this application. The centrifugal
pump market in onshore upstream applications will have the fastest Source: IHS Markit © 2017 IHS Markit
growth among other oil and gas processes, with revenue growth Centrifugal pumps are in highest demand in the water industry, followed
of 5.1% predicted for 2018. by commercial HVAC and oil & gas
Urbanization and population growth Competitive environment

While centrifugal pump demand in many regions and industries Mergers and acquisitions will increase as larger centrifugal pump
declined, high-performing markets, such as commercial HVAC, companies acquire smaller companies due to strong competition
domestic, and municipal water and wastewater sectors offset the and fluctuating commodity prices.
losses in 2016. This acted as a counterbalance against the decline
in oil and gas in recent years.
The commercial HVAC market for centrifugal pumps is fore-
cast to expand quicker than other industries. Growth of the cen- Joanne Goh is a Manufacturing Technology Analyst at IHS Markit,
trifugal pump market in this sector will grow the fastest in the a market intelligence provider for industrial automation equipment,
Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines and Vietnam are expected with an expertise in motors and motor controls. For more informa-
to be the fastest growing countries in 2017 and 2018, a result of tion on the centrifugal pump market, visit
rapid expansion in technology and manufacturing sectors. https://technology.ihs.com/582278
www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/february 2018 23

TRB010218 024-25 Gas Turbines_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:14 AM Page 24
GASTURBINES
VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING
USING 3D MULTIPHYSICS-BASED VIRTUAL PROTOTYPING
TO IMPROVE GAS TURBINE EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY
BY CHAD CUSTER
as turbines (GTs) must be designed higher than the melting point of the blade The process begins by specifying the
G to produce energy as efficiently as

possible, with components that
must sustain reliable operation
under extreme conditions. Complex aero-
dynamic and thermodynamic interactions
metal. Efficient operation relies on cool-
ing provided by air routed through internal
passageways.
The goal of cooled turbine blade sim-
ulation is to accurately determine metal
cooling air being delivered to the blade and
the aerodynamic conditions the blade will
experience (boundary conditions). Addition-
ally, a blade wall temperature is assumed.
These data are used to determine the
are a major determinant of a turbine’s temperatures throughout the blade. These internal and external flow field. They pro-
performance. As such, flow and thermal temperatures and the predicted aerody- vide the necessary boundary conditions for
analysis methods are fundamentally im- namic loads allow for stress predictions to a 3D FEA analysis, which will result in a
portant to the design process. be performed. This helps establish the blade surface temperature distribution.
Some analysis methods rely on 1- and durability of the blade. This analysis cycle is repeated until the
2-dimensional correlation-based approxi- The following analysis methods are predicted blade surface temperature agrees
mations. These approximations limit the ac- used to predict the temperature of a can- with the assumed input (Figure 1). Each it-
curacy of temperature predictions. didate blade design: eration is fast due to the simplicity of the
3-dimensional computational fluid dynam- models used, but accuracy can suffer.
ics (CFD) simulations can be used to predict LEGACY DESIGN SYSTEM The correlation methods also rely on
complex flow fields and turbine blade metal In this method, internal and external tur- engine test data for correlation, meaning
temperatures accurately. This can be of as- bine blade flow fields are approximated that experiments must be performed and
sistance in improving gas turbine design. using 1D correlations obtained from ex- only designs like those tested can be con-
perimental data and simple relations. Re- sidered. Additionally, the analysis process
Harsh environments sults are used as inputs to a 3D finite relies on the maintenance of multiple
Turbine blades operate in harsh environ- element analysis (FEA) to predict blade tools, and the transmission of data be-
ments, with temperatures significantly temperatures. tween tools.
TRB010218 024-25 Gas Turbines_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:14 AM Page 25
Predictions are compared to experi-

mental data from engine tests to verify ac-
curacy. Tests are done, for example, on
single and multi-jet impingement, flow
through ducts with ribbed surfaces to pro-
mote convective cooling (called turbulated
ducts), and pin fins using measurements
of the solid blade temperature of an H-
class engine’s vane 1.
Figure 1: Legacy Design System: 1D
The relative difference between the
correlations allows for flow field prediction predicted and observed temperatures has
a maximum deviation of 8%. Thus, the in-
tegrated CHT/CFD workflow is capable
of accurately predicting turbine blade
metal temperatures.
The 3D multi-physics-based approach
represents a more accurate characterization
of the system, enabling engineers to ana-
lyze and explore novel concepts beyond
the scope of correlation-based methods. 
Figure 2: CFD-based Design System: Use of

3D CFD improves accuracy, reduces reliance
on test and eliminates maintenance of Dr. Chad Custer is Prod-
correlation based tools uct Manager, Gas Tur-
bines, at Siemens PLM
Software. For more in-
formation, visit
www.plm.automation.
siemens.com/global/en/
Figure 3: CHT/CFD-based
Design System: A single
virtual prototype platform is
used to calculate fluid-flow
and metal temperature
CFD-BASED DESIGN SYSTEM CHT/CFD DESIGN SYSTEM

In this method, correlation-based flow It is possible to perform the entire analysis
field predictions are replaced by separate within one virtual prototype platform, if
3D CFD simulations of the internal and the platform can compute the heat transfer
external blade flow paths. Results are used between the solid and fluid domains as
directly as inputs to 3D FEA analyses to part of the CFD simulation.
obtain metal temperatures. This is commonly referred to as Con-
The use of CFD allows 3D effects to jugate Heat Transfer or CHT. This ap-
be captured and accounted for in design it- proach provides more accurate results and
erations, reducing the reliance on proto- a simplified workflow. A single 3D multi-
type testing. The simulations of the physics simulation can model the aerody-
internal and external flows can be per- namics of the internal and external flow
formed simultaneously, but are not tightly fields, as well as solid conduction. This
coupled (Figure 2). shortens design time (Figure 3).
The workflow has not changed from
the legacy design system. The only change Validating the design system
is that the correlation methods used for Validation of the CHT/CFD methodology
flow-field prediction have been changed occurs in two stages. Simulations of individ-
to physics-based CFD models. Accuracy ual turbine blade features are compared
and design capability are improved, but against experiments to determine best prac-
the workflow remains cumbersome and tices for subsequent simulations. Further
error-prone. simulation of blade geometry under engine
operating conditions use these best practices.
TRB010218 026-27 Shell_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:15 AM Page 26
OperatiOns&Maintenance
Today’s turbines operate under demanding conditions. This places heavy stress on lubricants.
UPGRADING TURBINE LUBRICATION

TO REDUCE TCO
THE SELECTION AND MANAGEMENT OF TURBINE OILS
IS CRITICAL TO THE AVOIDANCE OF DOWNTIME
BY DR. VOLKER NULL
oday’s power generation turbines The ratio of megawatt output to oil vol- erating conditions. Gas turbines run under
T are working under more demand-

ing conditions than ever — from
continuous 24/7 running to fre-
quent stop-start cyclic operation. Turbine
oils must be able to cope with difficult
ume gives a good indication of oil stress.
The latest machines are seeing increases
of up to 400% in oil stress. This impacts
the types of lubricants required by power-
generation customers. Whether gas, steam
hotter temperatures, but typically without
moisture. In the past, different turbine oils
were developed for each application.
Lubricant developments
requirements, such as heavy stress, the or hydroelectric turbines, the number of Developments in base oil technology have
need to reduce downtime, extended oil- rapidly rotating metal surfaces generates been achieved with the gas-to-liquid (GTL)
drain intervals, hotter temperatures and high temperatures that can cause protective process. Production of Shell GTL base oils
higher loads. oils to degrade. This opens the door to begins with gasification, where the
Greater turbine output power, combined metal-to-metal contact and abrasive wear. methane from natural gas reacts with pure
with lubricant reservoirs of the same size The type of turbine, along with operating oxygen to produce synthesis gas.
or smaller, is also imposing more rapid conditions and lubricant quality, can affect The synthesis gas is fed through a reac-
cycle times on lubricants, resulting in the the frequency of oil changes. Steam turbines tor and converted to a liquid called syncrude.
need for optimized surface properties. run under high temperature and moist op- The liquid is fed into a hydrocracker to
TRB010218 026-27 Shell_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:16 AM Page 27
ters and prevent the turbine from starting. GTL-based turbine

oils typically exceed original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
specifications.
They can offer high performance, enhanced asset reliability
and the potential for turbine life extension. Users report significant
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) savings over the lifetime of the
equipment compared to traditional lubricants.
Even with a high-quality GTL oil, however, contamination control
remains a vital ingredient. How the lubricant is stored, handled and
transported through the site impacts the likelihood of contamination.
Storing drums in a sheltered place and wiping the top clean
before it is opened will help limit the risk of contamination by
water and particles. Filtration can also help to ensure product
cleanliness before oil enters the equipment.
Comparing the oxidative stability of different oils. Turbine Oil Stability Test Regular lubricant monitoring and analysis is another way to
(TOST) life provides a measure of how quickly different oils degrade keep the lubricant functioning well and fit for purpose. It can pro-
under severe conditions. As turbines have developed, oil has improved. vide early warning of turbomachinery malfunction, wear or lu-
Twenty years ago, turbine oil might have been expected to last to around bricant degradation.
5,000 hours, whereas today it lasts >10,000 hours. The lubricant can then be changed before issues escalate. Op-
erators are advised to pay attention to lubrication management best
break down molecules and form new ones and the new molecules practices, including monitoring, analysis and staff training. 
are distilled into GTL base oils for use in finished lubricants.
The result? The GTL process transforms natural gas into liquid
and solid hydrocarbons with high purity. Pure hydrocarbon base Dr. Volker Null is Shell Global Product Appli-
oils are created with a narrow molecular distribution, a high vis- cation Specialist, Turbine Oils. For more in-
cosity index and a low level of contaminants (such as nitrogen formation visit www.shell.com/lubricants
and sulfur). These GTL base oils respond well to performance
additives, enabling the production of turbine oils with good per-
formance even under severe operating conditions.
Compared with conventional mineral oil-based turbine oils,
this new class of lubricants slows down the rate of oxidative and
thermal degradation. In addition, these oils release air faster, resist
foaming and separate water more rapidly.
They also minimize the formation of oil-insoluble degrada- www.s‐k.com
2510 Metropolitan Drive | Trevose, PA 19053 | United States | Tel. 215‐639‐0900 | sales@s‐k.com
tion products, such as varnish that can deposit on valves and fil- 800‐752‐8558
Throttle Trip Valves

3” - 24” to 2500# Class
Non Return Valves
4” - 30” to 1500# Class
Designed in accordance
with applicable codes
1 +$'&
1
1 3
1

)-$ &) ($)%'+$'&*$&

/*%$!')&$& &&*0%-&$
Factors to consider in lubricant TCO.

TRB010218 028 Q&A_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:18 AM Page 28
Q&A
RELEVANT POWER SOLUTIONS

LAUNCHES MOBILE GENSET
Richard Wolf, President & removing the booster
CEO of Relevant Power So- compressor from the
lutions, discusses this new Trent 800, the air flow
startup venture and the through the gas turbine
launch of a new 45 MW would be just right for a
mobile gas turbine genera- 45 MW product. This
tor product. was a match for the ex-
isting RB211 power tur-
Tell us about the formation of bine, which was already
Relevant Power Solutions. developed and utilized
Relevant Power Solutions is a privately for power generation
owned startup with its two shareholders and marine service. The
being S&W Energy Solutions and Luther entire flow path of blades, vanes and com- ble of operating on natural gas fuel or
King Capital Management. S&W Energy bustors is identical to the ongoing produc- diesel fuel, most project are forced to
Solutions began working with Rolls Royce tion line with no prototype hardware. run on expensive diesel because natural
gas turbines during 2012 to provide support gas is rarely available in remote areas.
and technical assistance for the Trent gas What is the ISO rating of the SGT-A45? In short, fuel efficiency matters when
turbine generator set program. At an ambient temperature of 15°C and sea you are operating base load, simple cycle
After Siemens acquired the industrial level elevation, the SGT-A45 is rated at on liquid fuel.
gas turbine business of Rolls Royce, S&W 44.0 MW at the generator terminals with
expanded its role by providing balance of 40.4 % conversion of fuel input (LHV) to What are its service intervals?
plant (BOP) equipment for Trent projects 60Hz electricity. For 50Hz applications, The service interval for the SGT-A45 will
worldwide. In 2017, Relevant Power So- the rated output is 41.0 MWe with 39.0% be extended to 25,000 hours for liquid or
lutions was formed to further expand the efficiency. The gas turbine is physically natural gas fuel. This is possible as the
collaborative arrangement between identical for 50Hz and 60Hz applications. gas generator is operating at less than the
Siemens and S&W Energy. In addition, all the motors, controls and in- 65 MW capability of a Trent 800. Re-
struments on the package are dual-rated for duced firing temperatures associated with
How does the arrangement 60Hz and 50Hz. To change the product its 44 MW output will mean longer hot
work with Siemens? from 50 Hz to 60 Hz or vice versa is a sim- section life.
Siemens wanted a large mobile gas tur- ple software toggle. The lower firing temperatures also
bine generator in its product lineup. The allow the SGT-A45 to avoid a four-hour
SGT-A45 was developed for this pur- Tell us about the electric generator. “restart lockout” often associated with other
pose. To build the SGT-A45 gensets, The gas turbine drives the electric generator mobile gas turbine gensets. If the grid goes
Siemens manufactures the gas generator directly with no gearbox. It is the same black and forces the GT to be taken off
and power turbine hardware in Montreal. generator for 50Hz or 60Hz projects. It’s line, the SGT-A45 can restarted as soon as
The GT is shipped to Relevant Power So- a two-pole utility grade air cooled design the grid is re-stabilized.
lutions in Houston for trailer mounting, with brushless excitation. The generator
package assembly and genset testing air filter is set directly atop the generator What is your go-to-market plan?
prior to shipment. Relevant Power Solu- compartment. For those that want to purchase the SGT-
tions also provides balance of plant so- A45 mobile genset, contracting will be han-
lutions for Siemens’ gas turbine business How do you plan to differentiate dled by Siemens. If leasing is desired, Rel-
on a project basis. your product? evant Power Solutions with be involved.
The SGT-A45 has a much smaller footprint For practical purposes, a one-year lease
What can you tell us about the SGT-A45? per MW and a lower fuel consumption rate. term is the minimum for a mobile genset
The industrial Trent 800 gas generator is a Power output and fuel efficiency do not of this size.
two-shaft gas generator that Siemens uses fall off at high ambient conditions (mobile
for the land-based SGT A65 genset rated gensets are often delivered to job sites with When will it to go into service?
at 65 MW. However, the weight of a 65 hot ambient temperatures). The first SGT-A45 is on the test stand. We
MW trailer mounted genset exceeds the Water is generally not available for will load test every unit before shipment.
practical limits of highway transportation. evaporative cooling, so the electricity The product is designed to fit into an air
We calculated the practical upper limit to that you produce is what the GT can de- cargo carrier for rapid deployment. Genset
be 45 MW. liver with no boost from external cool- #2 is in the advanced stages of manufac-
Siemens engineers figured out that by ing. Even though all units will be capa- turing and packaging. 
TRB010218 029-32 Products rev_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:17 AM Page 29
NEWPRODUCTS
The Atlas Copco TurboBlock when the risk of cyberattacks against crit-
fuel gas booster ical infrastructure has grown exponen-
tially, the partnership is delivering as a
service to help companies secure and pro-
tect critical assets.
The stakes have never been higher when
it comes to cybersecurity for critical infra-
structure. The number of cyberattacks
worldwide continues to grow, with the in-
dustrial sector becoming a growing target,
now comprising 30% of all cyberattacks,
with a major impact on productivity, uptime,
efficiency and safety, according to recent re-
search conducted by Ponemon Institute.
Siemens.com
Fuel gas booster of dirt, oil, grease, sulfurized cutting oils

With an Atlas Copco centrifugal com- or metalworking fluids from a wide variety
pressor at its core, TurboBlock is a stan- of surfaces. With penetrating and wetting
dardized fuel gas booster option. It properties, this water-based cleaner and
boosts the fuel gas pressure through sin- degreaser can be used as a spray, as a soak,
gle or multiple stages to create the pres- and with pressure washers. It provides im- Emerson Ovation OCC100 controller
sure needed in the GT combustion proved results with less concentration.
chamber. TurboBlock core seal systems Safe on ferrous, stainless, aluminum and New controller
have been upgraded by reducing porting zinc alloys, it reduces the negative effects Emerson has launched automation technol-
and nitrogen usage, and simplifying the of over-use and multiple cleanings. ogy for utilities and independent power pro-
seal support system. Thanks to a compact madchem.com ducers that rely more on renewable energy
base frame, a separate oil tank, a single sources and the fast-growing microgrid
plate and frame oil cooler, piping reduc- Axial compressor market. The modular Ovation OCC100
tions and simplified components, the MAN Diesel & Turbo has introduced a tur- controller manages the flow of energy from
booster’s footprint is smaller than those bomachinery concept for the fertilizer in- various sources to ensure reliable generation
of its customizable counterparts. dustry which raises production efficiency for these emerging industries. Its small foot-
atlascopco-gap.com of nitric acid. The NAMAX is a type AG- print is also well-suited to critical water and
MAX1 axial compressor. While previous wastewater applications.
3D printer concepts used an intermediate gearbox to With renewable electricity capacity ex-
GE Additive unveiled the first Beta ma- couple the machines in the train, NAMAX pected to expand by over 920 GW through
chine developed as part of Project Addi- is direct drive and needs no gearbox. This 2022, according to a 2017 International En-
tive Technology Large Area System allows efficiency to be boosted by several ergy Agency report, the OCC100 controller
(ATLAS). The laser powder-bed fusion percentage points and operating costs for is attractive to power generators that rely
machine provides manufacturers with HNO3 production to be reduced. on a variety of distributed energy resources.
large 3D printed parts and components. Besides its MAN MAX1 air compres- The OCC100 offers remote monitor-
Suited to industries that require com- sor, the NAMAX concept consists of: a ing and control capabilities for wind farms
plex metal parts, such as aviation, automo- centrifugal compressor for NOx compres- spread out over a wide geographic area
tive, space and oil and gas industries, the sion, a MAN steam turbine and a MAN and the ability to operate in the higher am-
first models are being evaluated by a small axial expander. Grupa Azoty in Poland bient temperatures associated with solar
group of customers and will be more avail- will use it to expand its fertilizer produc- facilities. For microgrids, it provides a sin-
able for delivery in 2018. It can scale to tion in Pulawy, in eastern Poland. gle point of control for performance opti-
components more than 1 meter in length. dieselturbo.man.eu mization. Similarly, the new controller
ge.com/additive efficiently monitors and controls remote
Cybersecurity pump stations critical to collecting, treat-
Degreaser Tenable and Siemens are co-developing a ing, storing and distributing water to
Madison Chemical has introduced new solution for industrial asset discovery homes and businesses.
AquaBlue alkaline detergent for removal and vulnerability management. At a time (Continued on p. 30)
NEWPRODUCTS
Luneta headline dard proximity probes which are restricted eral and torsional rotordynamic analyses
Luneta, a developer of machinery lubricant to typically 5m and 9m systems due to the of rotating machinery. Until recently, the
inspection technology for machine condition required tuned circuit between the sepa- XLTRC software suite was missing a
monitoring and reliability, has announced rate driver and the probe. The PRI series thrust bearing element.
the release of the Bowl. It serves as both a can drive long cable distances (>500m) to XLTHBR offers a thermohydrody-
sight glass, and a bottom sediment and water the connecting equipment. namic model that couples a generalized
bowl. Made of impact-resistant Tritan, it is sensonics.co.uk Reynolds equation for the film pressure,
stronger than other drain port sight glasses, including cross-film viscosity variation, a
crystal clear and chemically resistant. Explosive atmospheres 3D thermal energy transport equation for
The contour design allows for imme- W. L. Gore & Associates has launched the film temperature, and a heat conduc-
diate visual inspection of the oil, along Gore PolyVent Ex+ as part of the Protec- tion equation for the pads’ temperatures.
with early detection of potential contami- tive Vents Screw-In Series. It is certified Predictions are benchmarked against
nation problems. Its rare earth magnetic according to explosion-proof safety stan- archival test data for a six-pad tilting pad
drain plug protects machinery by attract- dards, IECEx and ATEX. These certifica- thrust bearing (228 mm outside diameter)
ing and drawing wear particles to the bot- tions enable global integration of the operating under a specific load of 0.5 to
tom, preventing machine failure and product with fewer certification efforts. 2.0 megapascals (MPa) and with a shaft
enabling a drain of contaminants. Further, the PolyVent Ex+ offers addi- speed of 1.5 to 3.0 krpm (36 m/s maxi-
luneta.com tional protection performance for all non- mum surface speed).
mining, above-ground applications of The predictions agree with the test data
Middle East GT filter combustible gas and dust. The latest with a maximum difference of eight per-
Clarcor Industrial Air has released the membrane, made of ePTFE, delivers pres- cent for the peak pressure, 17% in maxi-
Clearcurrent PRO SP+ cartridge filter for sure-equalization while achieving the mum pad temperature, 20% in minimum
gas turbines (GTs) in the Middle East. It highest flammability rating in its category film thickness, and 8% in drag power loss.
offers superior dust-holding capacity and (UL 94 VTM-0). XLTHBR delivers bearing performance
pulse-ability, as well as low operating dif- gore.com predictions and displays 2D and 3D plots.
ferential pressure (DP). The PRO SP+ fil- Predictions include for a given set of axial
ter uses flexible pleats that release dust Bearing design tool loads and shaft speeds:
and debris better than standard filters. The The Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas • Drag power loss and torque
harsh conditions found in the Middle East A&M University has developed a compu- • Required supply flow rate
require a filter that maintains its DP for as tational design tool for tilting pad thrust • Peak pressure and maximum pad
long as possible to keep GTs operating bearings. XLTHBR facilitates rapid mod- temperature
normally. The pulse-ability of the PRO eling of thrust bearings over a range of op- • Fluid film thickness and pad tilt an-
SP+ allows it to have lower DP across the erating conditions, including surface gles
life of the filter. speed, load and fluid types. • Axial stiffness and damping coeffi-
clarcorindustrialair.com It allows the user to design, evaluate cients
and troubleshoot the performance of tilt- • Pivot elastic deflection
Sensonics PRI Proximity sensor ing pad thrust bearings, which control turbolab.tamu.edu/trc
rotor position in rotating machinery. Tilt-
ing pad thrust bearings consume less drag Particle analyzer
power and produce lesser temperature The new version of the LaserNet 200
rises in the fluid film and pads when com- Comprehensive Particle Analyzer Series
pared to rigid surface fluid film bearings. from Spectro Scientific provides analysis
Members of the Turbo Lab’s Turboma- of particles in lubricating and hydraulic
chinery Research Consortium (TRC) have fluids. Compared to earlier releases, it in-
Proximity sensor exclusive access to XLTRC software, a creases particle counting range up to 10
Proximity probes play an important role in suite of codes for executing complete lat- million particles/ml without dilution, and
machine shaft vibration, position and
speed measurements, providing operators
information on the rotating plant dynamic
performance and bearing condition. Sen-
sonics has released the PRI Series of prox-
imity sensors for this market. They use a
single probe assembly solution with direct
processed outputs, which eliminate the
need for a separate driver.
Coaxial connector interfaces are a
major failure point on standard proximity
probe systems. They are susceptible to the
ingress of oil and dirt resulting in intermit-
tent connection through either improper
installation or mechanical stresses.
Due to having no external driver and
tuned cable assemblies, the PRI series in-
creases sensor reliability. There are no
cable length restrictions compared to stan- Spectro Scientific’s new particle analyzer

includes a new set of ferrous particle LV-45 sensor from Alliance Sensors
measurements that gives users new in-
sights into the progress of machine wear.
The analyzer employs LaserNet Fines
laser imaging technology and dual magne-
tometers that characterize ferrous particles
larger than 25 microns as well as total fer-
rous particles. The new software enables
LaserNet to report ferrous concentration
in part per millions (ppm) for ferrous par-
ticles larger than 25 microns in diameter.
Together with total ferrous content in
ppm, new measurements such as larger
ferrous particle percentage and ferrous
wear severity index can be derived, pro-
viding a more simplified view of machine at voltages slightly higher or lower than Health monitoring
wear from a single in-service oil test. the actual rating, affecting sensitive down- Windrock, a Dover Energy Automation
Spectrosci.com stream loads. DVS fixes that issue in both company, has launched the Spotlight
single- and three-phase applications. Monitoring System. It leverages Industrial
Fluid couplings Solidstatecontrolsinc.com Internet of Things (IoT) principles to de-
Whether assembly instructions, informa- liver insights into the health and perform-
tion about nominal fill volumes, tutorials Linear position sensor ance of critical assets. It acquires
for fill level checks, or scheduling Alliance Sensors Group has released its high-speed rotating data which is sent to a
overviews for maintenance planning, the LV-45 series inductive, contactless linear Microsoft Azure cloud. Data visualization
TurboGuide online platform developed by position sensor using LVIT Technology. It software provides actionable insights and
Voith simplifies management and opera- is designed for measuring applications re- uncovers trends concerning the health of
tion of fluid couplings. quiring rugged devices, whether measur- the entire fleet of assets.
The online tool offers a central database ing position of steam turbine valves, Iot.windrok.com/spotlight
from which all important information and mounted in a paper mill head box or cal-
technical data regarding a coupling can be endar roll stand, or outdoors fastened to a Microturbine filtration
accessed. It makes it possible to schedule building, bridge or structure. Capstone Turbine has launched a clean-
upcoming maintenance work. Apart from It can withstand the high vibration and able severe environment air filtration sys-
basic data such as serial number, size, type, severe shock environment found in steel, tem for its line of microturbine products.
and fill volume of the coupling, TurboGu- aluminum and paper mills, as well as ex- It recently received an order for three
ide also offers the option to safely docu- tremes of temperature and humidity found C65 microturbines utilizing this new fil-
ment and access drive-related data, such as in most outdoor applications where many tration system for a flare gas reduction
output, speed, installation location and date other types of linear position sensors can- project in Oman.
of commissioning. It uses this information not survive. During sand and dust storms common
to calculate the current technical condition The LV-45 uses inductive technology to most hot arid desert areas, particulate
of the coupling and displays it by means of that allows it to replace traditional DC- concentrations close to the ground can
a traffic light system in green, yellow and LVDTs in most applications. Its coil de- reach levels 20,000 times those in typical
red. TurboGuide also features a notification sign permits the sensor to be both shorter U.S. cities. Even at an elevation of above
function that sends out an automated email and more rugged than its counterpart grade, particulate concentrations about
as a reminder for upcoming appointments. while operating over a wider temperature 1,000 times U.S. urban averages are fre-
turboguide.voith.com range. It is available with optional quently observed during sandstorms and
mounting flanges, rod eye ends, dust storms. Such dust and dirt loads can
Voltage stablizer connector or cable terminations, cripple conventional air filtration systems,
Ametek Solidstate Controls, a and a captive connecting rod as- cause massive maintenance expenditures
manufacturer of industrial sembly that cannot break loose. and allow excessive dust concentrations to
power inverters and uninter- Alliancesensors.com be ingested by the turbine.
ruptible power supplies (UPS), The filters are a scaled down version
has introduced a Digital Volt- Fireproofing of the filters used in much larger indus-
age Stabilizer (DVS) power Carboline has released Thermo- trial and aero-derivative gas turbines and
conditioner designed to work Sorb 263 and Thermo-Sorb E, allow operation for prolonged time peri-
in the most-extreme environ- which are VOC-compliant intumes- ods in desert environments like the Mid-
mental conditions and capable cent coatings. They provide a dle East. Pipeline Supply, Capstone’s
of single- or three-phase condi- durable fire protection for commer- distributor for Oman and Qatar, secured
tioning to conserve energy. cial and industrial applications. the order for multiple C65 cleanable se-
DVS accommodates a va- Thermo-Sorb 263 provides up to vere environment units. The microtur-
riety of incoming AC line four hours of cellulosic fire protec- bines will be fueled by the associated gas
voltages, while regulating and tion for interior structural steel. that is a natural byproduct of the oil ex-
conditioning the AC output to Ametek Thermo-Sorb E provides up to traction process. This gas, which can be
preset limits. In a typical dis- Solidstate three hours of cellulosic fire proof poor quality, is normally vented or
tribution system, the rated Controls DVS tection for exterior structural steel. flared into the atmosphere because it is
input voltage usually operates Power Conditioner carboline.com not of the quality to be put into natural gas
neWPROdUCTS
pipelines. Additionally, oil and gas
operations are typically in remote Ad Index
areas, which means there is no infra-
Apex Turbine Testing Technologies 5, 32 apexturbine.com
structure available to clean and cap-
ture the gas and bring it to market. Atlas Copco Comtex 3, 33 atlascopco.com
Capstoneturbine.com
Donaldson Company-GTS 14 donaldson.com
Temporary maintenance hall
Enerpac Heavy Lifting Technology Elliott Group Back Cover, 33 elliott-turbo.com
offers a self-erecting facility hall
(SEFH) for power generation plants Erie Bronze 25 eriebronze.com
that lack an on-site workshop, and
manufacturing sites that need addi- Fluid Energy Controls 4 fecintl.com
tional capacity. It is hydraulically ac- HRST, Inc. 21 hrstinc.com
tivated, 12.7 meters high and features
a heavy-lift strand jack as well as an Prawest 21 praewest.com
ancillary crane. It is ideal for power
plants servicing rotors that are 12 Regal Beloit America 11 regalbeloit.com
meters long and three meters in di-
ameter weighing up to 70 MT, or Rentech Boiler Systems Inside Front Cover, 34 rentechboilers.com
sites where space restrictions close to
the turbine hall rule out access for Schutte & Koerting 27 s-k.com
large cranes.
Sintavia Inside Back Cover sintavia.com
The Enerpac SEFH provides a
temporary facility to conduct mainte- Sohre 4 sohreturbo.com
nance. It can be assembled on-site,
and it contains a strand jack for lifting Waukesha Bearings 13 waukbearing.com
and up-ending the rotor, as well as a
10-tonne overhead crane to change York Process Systems 7, 34 JohnsonControls.com
rotor blades and lift ancillaries.
Enerpac.com  Young & Franklin 9, 35 yf.com

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Helping you handle

the pressure Atlas Copco Gas and Process
is headquartered in Cologne,
Germany, and designs,
Our newly released compressor solutions help to reduce CAPEX, lower OPEX
develops, manufactures and
and shorten delivery time by pairing standardized components with custom
maintains integrally geared
aerodynamics. AeroBlock™ and TurboBlock™ are strong additions to our family
turbocompressors, non-
of standardized products, which also includes the popular expander-compressor
geared compressors, positive
for natural gas processing, ECOTS™.
displacement compressors and
expansion turbines, as well as a
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RENTECH Boiler Systems delivers complete, engineered solutions
RENTECH Boiler Systems of Abilene, Texas, is an international duct-burner performance while utilizing catalytic oxidation and
provider of high-quality, engineered industrial boiler systems. SCR for control of emissions from the entire system.
RENTECH designs and manufactures its products in state-of-the-
art plants spanning nearly 70 acres. RENTECH boilers are Our packaged boiler design often has been specified for critical
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Offering a technology upgrade package Y&F’s EMA product line has been
consisting of the main gas turbine fuel designed to drop in and replace existing
and inlet air control devices, Y&F hydraulic products. Same Command.
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outthink their hydraulic predecessors. capabilities. From manual lathes to fully
programmable 5-axis horizontal CNC
Young & Franklin Inc. (Y&F), Founded in
mills with pallet loading ability, Y&F
1918 and headquartered in Liverpool, NY
prides itself on developing and
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highest quality, reliability and maximum
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www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/february 2018 35

TRB010218 036 Myth Busters_Layout 1 2/6/2018 11:18 AM Page 36
MythBusters
GAS TURBINES VERSUS GAS ENGINES:

WHICH ARE BETTER?
BY KLAUS BRUN & RAINER KURZ
hen following press releases need to replenish oil that is consumed, but advantages regarding cost and efficiency.
W from the recent past we find

frequent discussions about the
future of fossil-fueled engines.
There is public debate about the viability
of gas engines in automotive transporta-
it also prevents hydrocarbon soot emissions
from burned lube oil.
In a gas turbine, all parts of the turbo-
machinery train rotate rather than oscillate
as they do in a reciprocating gas engine.
The bigger the systems become, the more
the advantage turns to gas turbine systems
with lower maintenance cost and higher
achieved availability.
Furthermore, because gas turbines have
tion as well as other applications. This results in a significantly lower vibra- much higher mass flows than gas engines,
In our myth-buster column we usually tion load introduced to the machine’s they are better suited for waste heat recov-
do not write about automotive issues. But foundation. ery applications. Finally, gas turbine noise
we care about fossil-fueled engines for oil Particularly for offshore applications, emissions are easier to control since they
& gas and power generation applications, this can lead to a reduction in the amount create noise in a much narrower frequency
which currently face similar public discus- of structural steel required. But even on- band, and avoid low frequency noise.
sion and scrutiny from environmental reg- shore, there is a difference in the complex- So yes, there are differences between
ulatory agencies. ity of the required foundations between gas gas turbines and gas engines. Each have
In this context, it is important to under- engines and gas turbines. Finally, the dif- their advantages and disadvantages, de-
stand the fundamental principles of the oil ference in the level of vibrations and the pending on the application. Regardless,
& gas industry’s two primary fossil fuel number of moving parts also impacts the when deciding between gas turbines and
burning drivers: gas engines and gas tur- reliability of these machines. gas engines one should always look at the
bines. Specifically, we want to highlight the One of the key ingredients of emission whole system performance, including
technical and operational differences of gas reduction is the improvement of operational total system efficiency, reliability, avail-
turbines and gas engines that impact their efficiency. This includes the efficiency of ability, maintenance, emissions, footprint,
performance for industrial applications. components like the driver and the driven weight, modularity, noise, and so forth,
Both systems are basic thermodynamic compressor of a system. rather than simply and singularly the dri-
heat engines and work by compressing the Arguably, the biggest efficiency en- ver’s efficiency. 
working fluid air, adding and burning fuel hancements come from the capability for
for heat input, and extracting useful work smart operation. This requires optimal
by expanding the hot exhaust gas resulting matching of the compressors and their driv- Klaus Brun is the Ma-
from the combustion of air and fuel. ers with the pipeline system, gas storage chinery Program Di-
The difference lies in the fact that a re- system, or any other compression operation rector at Southwest
ciprocating engine performs combustion system. Research Institute in
intermittently, while a gas turbine performs Here, fast adaptability of the machinery San Antonio, Texas.
it as a continuous process. This means that system is a key requirement. There is a no- He is also the past
a gas turbine runs at significantly higher ticeable difference between gas engines Chair of the Board of
speeds, thus achieving a higher power den- and gas turbines. For compatibility reasons, Directors of the ASME
sity. For example, a 10,000 hp gas turbine gas turbines are usually matched to cen- International Gas Turbine Institute and the
weighs less than a 1,000 hp gas engine. trifugal compressors, while gas engines are IGTI Oil & Gas applications committee.
Continuous combustion allows for bet- typically the drivers of reciprocating com-
ter control of the combustion process, pressors. Rainer Kurz is the
which results in lower exhaust emissions So, while gas engines offer attractive Manager for Systems
of all criteria pollutants such as Nitrous levels of driver-only efficiency, this advan- Analysis at Solar Tur-
Oxides (NOx), Carbon Monoxide (CO), tage is reduced when the efficiency level bines Incorporated in
Unburned Hydrocarbons (UHC), and Par- of the overall package (i.e., the compressor San Diego, CA. He is
ticulate Matter (PM). A gas turbine’s com- and its driver) are compared, especially for an ASME Fellow
since 2003 and the
bustion system further allows for a com- pipeline applications, or if options with
chair of the IGTI Oil
plete separation of the combustion process waste heat recovery are compared. Also, and Gas Applications Committee.
from the engine’s lubrication system. hydrocarbon leakage is lower for centrifu-
Therefore, the combustion process can- gal compressors compared to reciprocating Any views or opinions presented in this article are solely those
not contaminate the lube oil, nor can the compressors. of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of Solar
lube oil participate in combustion. This not And yes, size matters. For low-power Turbines Incorporated, Southwest Research Institute or any of
only avoids frequent oil changes or the applications, reciprocating systems have their affiliates.

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www.sintavia.com
We’ve Joined Forces.

Elliott Group and
Ebara Cryodynamics
We turned to each other to provide

enhanced capabilities and a superior customer
experience in liquified gas applications.
From reliable refrigeration compressors to submersible cryogenic pumps and expanders, Elliott Group
and Ebara Cryodynamics have supported the LNG industry for decades with proven experience and
matchless expertise. Integrating the two businesses will provide a key advantage for our liquefied gas
customers. Who will you turn to?
C O M P R E S S O R S Q T U R B I N E S Q G L O B A L S E R V I C E The world turns to Elliott.

www.elliott-turbo.com

Feb Issue

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TRB010218 000 Cover_Turbomachinery International 2/6/2018 11:07 AM Page cv1

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018 • VOL. 59 NO. 1 • $7.50 turbomachinerymag.com

PowerGen Show Report

TurbomachineryMag.com • JanuaryFebruary 2018 1

8 Cover photo: Courtesy of Siemens

2 TurbomachineryMag.com • January/February 2018

“Our Atlas Copco fuel gas

Atlas Copco Gas and Process

ESTABLISHED IN 1959 GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND

UBM, PLC KOREA

NORTHEAST, MID ATLANTIC U.S.A. Publisher makes no guarantees or recommendations

4 TurbomachineryMag.com • January/February 2018

R have dampened hopes of a revival of fortunes in the

6 TurbomachineryMag.com • January/February 2018

CHEMICAL  PETROCHEMICAL  OIL  GAS  PHARMACEUTICAL  INDUSTRIAL

Even in normal environments, our compressors have

Our refrigeration and gas compression equipment…

Buy with confidence.

ABB’s digital strategy ABB offers the Ability Symphony Plus

a coupling could help

At Regal®... we engineer couplings for your applications.

Regal and Kop-Flex are trademarks of

www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 11

The offshore production platform Ivar Aasen,

Aasen, run by Aker BP, is first to use the

MORE POWER TO YOU

Replacement Filters and Components

© 2018 Donaldson Company, Inc.

14 Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 www.turbomachinerymag.com

HAZARD AND OPERABILITY ANALYSIS

H (HAZOP) is a structured and sys-

www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 15

he Turbomachinery Laboratory at Texas

TURBOMACHINERY T A&M University hosted another record-

SYMPOSIUM Turbomachinery and 33rd International Pump

One of the many discussion group sessions

www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 17

Steam turbine in ethylene service (Courtesy of

Edition Date Scope

2nd Jun 1986 Added bearing temperature measurements

www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 19

he annual PowerGen International

T show has traditionally been the

AFTERMATH World market for centrifugal pumps by revenues

Growth rate (%)

OIL CRISIS $10

T shows that the global centrifugal pump market at $25.8

Urbanization and population growth Competitive environment

www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/february 2018 23

G to produce energy as efficiently as

Predictions are compared to experi-

Figure 2: CFD-based Design System: Use of

CFD-BASED DESIGN SYSTEM CHT/CFD DESIGN SYSTEM

UPGRADING TURBINE LUBRICATION

T are working under more demand-

ters and prevent the turbine from starting. GTL-based turbine

Throttle Trip Valves

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www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 27

RELEVANT POWER SOLUTIONS

Fuel gas booster of dirt, oil, grease, sulfurized cutting oils

30 Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 www.turbomachinerymag.com

32 Turbomachinery International • January/February 2018 www.turbomachinerymag.com

CHEMICAL PETROCHEMICAL OIL GAS PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRIAL

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