FRANKFURT, Germany - GE Industrial AeroDerivative Gas Turbines (GE-IAD) now offers on-line remote diagnostics for its LM line of aeroderivative gas turbines equipped with GE-IAD's Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion systems. This program allows for ongoing analysis of key operating data for gas turbines located anywhere in the world.
"The remote diagnostics system is an extension of our service and support activities that enable GE-IAD to electronically visit customer sites when necessary, 24-hours-a-day, 7-days-a-week," said Rich Frantz, manager of fleet programs for GE-IAD. "The system allows GE gas turbine engineers to monitor engine data during the critical site start-up phase, and from that time on, while the engine is operating. GE-IAD believes that close monitoring of operating data contributes to reduced downtime by significantly improving our ability to react to emerging problems," Frantz added.
The remote diagnostics service has also given GE-IAD an early warning tool that allows diagnosis of developing problems, enabling proactive intervention with the operators to help them take corrective action.
GE-IAD currently offers this on-line support free of charge to operators of all new DLE-equipped GE aeroderivative gas turbines during the warranty period. For those customers that do not operate DLE units, the on-line service may be purchased as part of GE's long-term service agreements.
Features
GE-IAD provides customers that use this system with an On-Site Monitor (OSM) for each gas turbine site to gather operating data and to provide a communication interface with the Remote Monitoring Center at GE-IAD's Evendale, OH headquarters. Up to 1,000 parameters may be monitored on each gas turbine, including variable data from sensors and controls and status data such as alarms, trips and equipment on-off conditions. The OSM also provides an on-site data interface for GE Field Service Representatives to use in local troubleshooting and combustor mapping procedures.
The OSM is electronically linked to the site's gas turbine control system either through a dedicated RS422/RS232 serial bus or an Ethernet connection. The OSM can also be connected to site vibration monitors, allowing remote viewing and analysis of vibration signals. OSMs may be installed by the gas turbine packager at the factory, or by field technicians on site.
The OSM continually archives the last month's parametric data for frequent retrieval and analysis. This data helps evaluate the mechanical health of the gas turbine in order to avoid forced outages, minimize outage downtime and reduce the extent of repairs needed.
GE also has the ability to instantly update the operational status of every gas turbine in its diagnostics fleet. By applying statistical tools to this time-based operational update, GE can identify abnormal changes in engine performance that may be indicative of an incipient gas turbine or site problem.
Case Histories
The case histories below illustrate how the remote diagnostics system has helped several customers:
- Two LM6000 gas turbines operating at a cogeneration facility in the U.S. were observed to be operating for long periods of time with excessive exhaust gas temperature levels. An investigation indicated that the turbine control system was not properly limiting operating levels. The operator was alerted to manually limit the exhaust gas temperatures until modifications could be made to control software. This adjustment helped prevent turbine overheating.
- An LM1600 gas turbine at a compressor station in Canada was experiencing a problem with control system logic, causing a cycling of fuel control hardware. However, no symptoms were displayed to site operating personnel. Through the remote diagnostics systems, engineers discovered the problem and dispatched field service personnel to correct the issue. This was done prior to any hardware failures or before a protective trip could cause a forced outage.
- Using analysis of temperature profiles, diagnostic engineers were able to identify the most likely fuel nozzles to be clogged in an LM6000 operating at a Canadian cogeneration plant.
GE-IAD is part of GE Power Systems, and is headquartered in Evendale, OH. GE-IAD is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of power generation and gas compression applications.