EVENDALE, OH - Testing of GE Marine & Industrial Engines' (M&I) uprated LM6000 has verified the aeroderivative gas turbine's power output and dual-fuel Dry Low Emissions (DLE) capabilities. The extensive three-phase testing program for the uprated LM6000 was conducted at M&I's Evendale, OH test cell from May through July 1997.
Phase I - power generation (engine performance, engine mechanical integrity) Tests confirmed that the uprated unit can provide more power than the current model LM6000. Depending on the ambient temperature, actual power increase can range between 5% and 20%. A heat rate improvement between 4% and 6%, dependent on the ambient temperature, was also confirmed. These power and efficiency gains (see Figures 1 and 2 attached) are possible through improvements in the last three stages of the LM6000 low-pressure turbine - all without an increase in the gas turbine's firing temperature.
Phase II - mechanical drive (LPT aeromechanics, DLE operability) Changes to the low-pressure turbine enhanced the gas turbine's operation at output speeds from 2000 to 3780 rpm. The test proved that the uprated LM6000 is ideal for variable speed applications such as pipeline compression, gas re-injection, and ship propulsion.
Phase III - dual fuel DLE (fuel transfers, purge system, emissions) Fuel transfers for low, medium and high power were successfully demonstrated and the fuel management system performed well with the new dual-fuel DLE combustion system. Testing demonstrated the design objective that NOx levels of 25 ppm on natural gas and 42 ppm on distillate can be achieved. M&I plans to build and ship 34 uprated LM6000s by the end of 1997, and about one-third of these units will feature DLE combustors. Four uprated LM6000s will be operational by the end of this year. An uprated LM6000 was recently sold by European Gas Turbines' (EGT) Gas Turbine Group Limited, Lincoln, England, for use at a combined-cycle cogeneration facility to be built by British Sugar plc, Peterborough, England. The unit will be the first uprated LM6000 to employ M&I's completely dry dual-fuel DLE system. Commercial start-up of the unit at British Sugar's Wissington beet sugar factory in eastern England is slated for July 1998.
GE M&I is part of GE Aircraft Engines and is headquartered in Evendale. M&I is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of power generation, gas compression and commercial/ military marine propulsion applications.