THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

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Copyright 0 1996 by ASME All Rights Reserved Printed in U.S.A

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GE MS7001 GAS TURBINE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY UPRATE

Michael A. Cocca Arthur Stappenbeck

GE Power Systems Cogen Technologies ■ 111111111111111111111111
BREAK
I
James Van Wormer
GE Power Systems

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION
GE MS7001 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY UPRATE Turbine designs are influenced by basic research that is performed
Today's competitive world of Independent Power Producers and at corporate research and development centers and gas turbine product
electric wheeling has increased demand for lower operating and main- development for aircraft engines and heavy-duty gas turbines.
tenance costs and increased revenues. This need is driving gas turbine Developments such as improved materials and coatings, new cooling
research and development Application of advanced technology to oper- techniques and new design and manufacturing processes drive the intro-
ating units can increase output, improve total plant efficiency, increase duction of new machine designs such as GE's "F" and "H" technology
steam production and reduce maintenance costs. Cogen Technologies gas turbines. The development process can be taken one step further by
is one owner that has applied advanced technology to uprate five Frame transferring new technology to older units in the fleet. In this manner an
7EA gas turbines at its Linden plant and one unit at its Camden facility. older gas turbine can keep pace with the newer models and can avoid
At the Linden plant, total plant efficiency was improved by more than technological and economic obsolescence. This paper will discuss
2%. advanced technologies that have been successfully retrofitted at Cogen
This paper will discuss the components included in these advanced Technologies' facilities in New Jersey.
technology uprates, the gas turbine and combined-cycle plant perfor- Many of the improvements that have been incorporated into the
mance improvements that were realized, and an economic model that current production design MS700IEA gas turbines (Figure 1) can be
can be used to evaluate the potential benefits of an uprate. retrofitted into earlier MS7001 units in the field. New combustion sys-

GTD-222 2nd & 3rd

Chordal Hinge Stage Nozzles
let Stage Nozzle
I

Honeycomb shrouds &

'IC=
1 14k All Cutter teeth buckets

NPP Brush Seal

_.,gg
illir;
vI Mil I cl" ti111•1•1111

dLI;ri
;A ifi
DS 1st Stage Bucket

GT25407
Figure 1. MS7001EA gas turbine

Presented at the International Gas Turbine and Aeroextgine Congress & Exhibition
Birmingham, UK — June 10-13,1996
terns have been introduced, buckets and nozzles have been improved "Chordal Hinge" Stage 1 Nozzle
through the use of advanced materials and coatings, and new cooling The current production MS7001EA stage 1 turbine nozzle incor-
and sealing techniques have been developed. The application of these porates several new features, including a "chordal hinge." This new
advanced technology components not only increases unit reliability but design is an example of aircraft engine technology that has been suc-
allows units to be uprated by increasing firing temperature to 2035 F cessfully applied to heavy-duty, or "Frame," gas turbines. The chordal
(1113 C), thereby increasing the output and efficiency of the gas tur- hinge is a straight line seal on the aft face on the inner sidewall rail
bine. (Figure 3). This hinge seats against the support ring and provides a
Each owner of heavy-duty gas turbines has the opportunity to eval- straight seal on a curved surface, thus maintaining a constant sealing
uate the overall economics and applicability of the various uprate pro- surface when the nozzle rocks slightly. In addition to the chordal hinge,
grams. Even recently installed plants may benefit from performance sealing between nozzle segments and between the nozzle segments and

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enhancements. In evaluating the performance enhancements the owner the support ring interface has been improved. Together, improvements
should consider the value of increased output, improved total plant effi- in sidewall sealing and lower leakage losses result in improved effi-
ciency, increased steam production, and the potential to reduce mainte- ciency and increased output
nance costs. There are also several strategic system issues that should The overall nozzle cooling circuit has been improved by redesign-
be considered. For example, a base loaded plant with additional gener- ing the inner core plug and outer cooling hole pattern. To enhance film
ating capacity can be called on to meet peaking demands. This operat- cooling on the vane pressure side, the current cooling hole pattern was
ing reserve avoids the reliability risks ascoriated with starting a peaking replaced with a cooling slot scheme which lowers metal temperature
unit and eliminates the attendant capital, permitting, operating and (Figure 4). Reducing the metal temperatures minimizes cracking, airfoil
maintenance costs. Uprating older units with advanced technology ballooning and trailing edge bowing. The previous outer sidewall
components can increase their useful life and provide a cost-effective design had experienced a higher oxidation rate due to secondary flows
alternative to building new plants. removing the cooling film. To improve cooling and reduce erosion, an
improved sidewall cooling design was developed by moving some cool-
MS7001 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY UPRATE COMPONENTS ing holes on the outer sidewall and changing some cooling holes to slots
The MS7001 uprate to 2035 F (1113 C) firing temperature involves (Figure 5).
changes to most of the hot gas path components. Figure 2 provides a An improved tangential support arrangement consisting of an inte-
summary of the material installed on the Cogen Technologies units, grally cast support lug with a milled radial slot that engages into the
which is a typical application of this uprate package. The benefits and nozzle support ring was introduced. An improved single piece bush-
design improvements of individual components included in this uprate ing/tangential pin is used in conjunction with the support lug. A sim-
are discussed below followed by a brief description of additional com- pler flat plate retainer and lockplate is now used with two retainer bolts
ponents available to uprate Model 7001 gas turbines. These uprated (instead of one bolt). Figure 6 shows the new arrangement. Adding
components can be retrofitted into the MS7001 models C, E and EA. inner side wall tangential support improves the overall reliability of the
nozzle and, in situations where fillet cracks have started along the air-
foils, minimizes the effect of increasing frame stresses.

• Components Installed at Cogan Technologies

- Stage 1 DS Buckets Yes
- Stage 1 Chordal Hinge Nozzle Yes
- Stage 1 Shroud Blocks Yes
- Stage 2 GTD-222 Nozzles Yes
- Stage 3 GTD-222 Nozzles In Some Units
- Extendorm Combustion System Wear Kit Yes
- Compressor High Pressure Packing No
- Inlet Guide Vanes Shipped New With 1GVs
- Stage 2 & 3 Honeycomb Shroud Blocks/ No
Cutter Teeth Buckets
• Features
- Increased Output - GI & ST
- Decreased Heat Rate
- Reduced Repair Costs
- Longer Combustion Inspection Intervals
GT25410
Figure 2. MS7001 gas turbine uprate

2
Present Design Final Design

Improved

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Seal
Hook
Machining
Relief

Chordal Hinge
; Seal
Lug Machining
Relief

GT24022

Figure 3. Stage 1 nozzle: chordal hinge — aircraft engine technology

• Pressure Side Film Holes Replaced With Slots to Provide Better Coverage
- Closer Spacing
- Better Exit Condition
• Modification Introduced With OSW Cooling Redesign

Modified Slot
Pattern
Center Rib
Pressure Side
Film Cooling
Holes
Old Hole
Suction Side Pattem
Film Cooling
Holes Core plugs
Trailing Edge
Cooling Holes
GT24924
Figure 4. Stage 1 nozzle design improvements

3
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Film Cooling Relocated to Cover Distressed Area
GT24145

Figure 5. Stage 1 nozzle improved side wall cooling

GT213114A

Figure 6. Stage 1 nozzle improved inner sidewall tangential support

4
 Stress Benefits G7D-111 (DS)
3.0
• Increased Tensile Strength: .25% •cto

• Increased Tensile Ductility: .100% 30.0 20

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• Increased Fatigue Strength: .900% 3 no
(Strain Controlled) D'1.0
10.0
• Increased Impact Strength: .33%
0.0 0.0 I I I
• Increased Creep .40 F/22 C 20 30 40 50 so
Creep F
Strength: Advantage

-7 -1 4 10 18

GTIKI4OE
Figure 7. Benefits of directionally solidified GTD-111
Figure 4 shows a cross section of a stage 1 nozzle vane airfoil. The
12
suction side core wall thickness for the 7EA was increased by 13% at
the pitch section. This modification decreased the aerodynamic induced
mechanical stress level and increased the nozzle creep life.
The nozzle material FSX-414, a cobalt-based super-alloy, is still FSX-014
used. This material has demonstrated excellent oxidation and hot cor-
rosion resistance and high resistance to thermal fatigue with good weld- 8 0.6 -
ability and casting characteristics.

Stage I Buckets
The most significant improvement to the first stage I bucket 02
involved changing the bucket material and casting process. Current GT13222
production Frame 7EA buckets are made from "Directionally 0 .000 10 20 30 40 50 BO
Solidified" MS) GTD-111, a precipitation-hardened, nickel-based Thne- Idw
super alloy. DS grain structure offers a substantial increase in material • 200 F/111 C Creep Strength Impronment Over FSX-414
strength in comparison to equiaxed GTD-111 (Figure 7). The advan- • -40% Tensile Strength 1mi:covenant Over FSX-414
• MS7001 Stage 2 and 3 Nozzle MOMS
tage of the DS construction stems from the elimination of transverse
grain boundaries within the bucket, the traditional weak link in a buck- GT2•26
Figure 8. GTD-222 vs. FSX-414
et's microstructure.
The bucket coating has also been upgraded. Because of its loca- Figure 8 shows the relative improvement in nozzle creep resistance
tion, it is essential to coat this bucket to prevent oxidation and corrosion. provided by GTD-222 in comparison to the FSX-414 material it
Since 1975, GE has used a progression of improved coatings. The cur- replaces. The nozzle also has an aluminide coating applied to the Gm-
rent bucket coating, Plasmaguard GT29 IN-PLUS', includes an Wu- 222 to increase oxidation resistance. The improved creep resistance of
minide coating of the internal air cooling passages to protect the inter- GTD-222 permits a reduction in cooling air flow to the nozzle. The
nal surfaces from oxidation. stage I shroud blocks control the cooling air flow to the stage 2 nozzle.
The stage I bucket retains the "blunt leading edge" airfoil design. Cooling flow is reduced by installing new longer tuning pins into
The use of 12 cooling holes reduces thermal gradients and improves redesigned shroud blocks that have smaller cooling orifices. This
fatigue life. The blunt leading edge directionally solidified (BLF—DS) reduction in cooling air flow provides approximately 0.8% more output
bucket is directly interchangeable in complete sets with sharp leading while maintaining nozzle cooling requirements.
edge design buckets found on older machines.
Stage 3 Nozzle
Stage 2 Nozzle The stage 3 nozzle also tends to experience creep, but to a lesser
In the past, the most significant maintenance issue associated with degree due to the lower operating temperatures at its location. As with
stage 2 nozzles has been the result of material creep. GTD-222 mater- the stage 2 nozzle, the FSX-414 material has been changed to GTD-222
ial was introduced to provide greater creep strength and resistance to to improve creep resistance. No performance improvements are real-
downstream deflection. This deflection can increase sealing losses and ized since the nozzle is not air cooled. When the chord length of the
cause problems if nozzle material begins to rub into the forward face of nozzle was increased, an internal airfoil rib (similar to the design used
the stage 3 bucket. on the stage 1 nozzle) was included. As the airfoil chord length is

5
increased, the nozzle tends to behave less like a beam, causing the suc- increased reliability. GTD-450 material is a precipitation-hardened,
tion and pressure panels to become more independent and to buckle martensitic stainless steel with increased tensile strength, high cycle
and/or warp with typical nozzle loading. The addition of the internal fatigue strength, and superior corrosion resistance due to higher con-
airfoil rib prevents this behavior. centrations of chromium and molybdenum. Tests have shown that
uncoated G1D-450 gives better corrosion resistance than the coated
Compressor High Pressure Packing Type 403 material it replaces. New tight clearance, self lubricating
New high-pressure packing brush seals have been designed to bushings help to prevent blade cracks due to binding of the IGV shaft_
replace the high-low labyrinth tooth/land seals historically used to Figure 10 details the improvements provided by the reduced camber
reduce leakage of high-pressure compressor discharge air into the #2 IGV designs.
bearing and forward stage 1 wheel space area.. The new brush seals are

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rub tolerant and are designed to accommodate changes in clearances Stage 2 and 3 "Honeycomb" Shroud Blocks
due to transients, thereby reducing leakage and retarding degradation. "Honeycomb Seal" shroud blocks for the stage 2 and 3
Brush seals are derived from aircraft engine technology. Reducing this MS7001E/EA machines were recently introduced. Reducing leakage
leakage will provide increases in output and reduction in heat rate. See around the tip of the buckets improves both output and heat rate. Strips
Figure 9 for a schematic of a brush seal element. of honeycomb material made of a high-temperature, oxidation resistant
material is brazed between the teeth on the casing shroud blocks (Figure
11). "Cutter teeth" on the leading edge of the shrouded stage 2 and 3
bucket tip rails will "cut" the honeycomb material away when contact
with the honeycomb occurs during transients. This produces steady
state running clearances which are, on an absolute basis, no larger than
the difference between the steady state and the transient clearances. The
effective clearance is actually tighter than the absolute clearance since
the resulting groove in the honeycomb provides a tighter labyrinth seal
than could be obtained with solid materials.
Cutter teeth are included with current production buckets, and a
procedure has been developed to add cutter teeth to buckets that were
shipped without them. While cutter teeth buckets can be used without
honeycomb shroud blocks, honeycomb shrouds require buckets with
cutter teeth.
G125400
Figure 9. Typical brush seal element Honeycomb seal technology is another example of the successful
adaptation of aircraft engine technology for use on heavy-duty gas tur-
bines.
Inlet Guide Vane
The "reduced camber," high-flow Inlet Guide Vane design was Combustion System Upgrades
introduced several years ago as a byproduct of the MS7001F develop- Combustion system upgrades which reduce emissions, improve
ment program. component life and/or increase intervals between combustion inspec-
The reduced frontal area of the new airfoil design allows increased tion intervals can be purchased as part of an uprate package or sepa-
airflow. The use of a special stainless steel alloy. Gl'D-450, provides rately.

• Improved Airfoil Geometry for Higher Power 1.8

• New Material for High Corrosion
1.8
Resistance Without Coating
• Variable Airfoil % Thickness to
Maintain Reliability With New Geometry CID 440
12.
• Greater Fatigue Resistance Properties
I to
Higher < 403
Performance
Airfoil
•%.

11% TIC
.•1 0.4
8% TIC
0.2

Variable 00
Minim's° 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Airfoil Mean Stress Qcsi)
•

G123718.1
Figure 10. GTD-450 reduced camber inlet guide vane (IGV)

6
 FROM AN OWNER'S PERSPECTIVE
Cogen Technologies operates six Frame 7EA gas turbines in base
load and partially dispatchable service (down to 47% of plant capacity)
at two locations in New Jersey. The five units located at the Linden
/Honeycomb Seal plant deliver steam to the Bayway Refining Company and up to 64.5
MW (on a 92 F/33 C day) of electric power to Con Edison of New York.
•—•Ns. The contractual arrangements with the utility company provide forcer-
rain bonuses/penalties with regard to the fuel efficient delivery of power
Cutter Teeth to the grid. The sixth gas turbine at the Camden plant is in a base loaded
135 MW cogeneration facility. This plant's power purchase agreement

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allows a renomination for capacity of up to 110% of its original contract
and value.
Bucket
In late 1994 and early 1995, Cogen Technologies installed the
MS7001 uprate combustion and turbine section components necessary
to improve the output and heat rate of the gas turbines (Table 1). All the
units successfully demonstrated better performance. For the most part,
the expected performance enhancements were achieved.
At the Linden plant, the improved output and heat rate of the uprat-
z nicazt ed gas turbines were beneficial to the contractual arrangements with
Con Ed. In addition, the increased firing temperature and the higher gas
GT25400 turbine output further reduced the need for duct burner firing, thereby
Figure 11. Honeycomb shrouds enhancing the overall plant heat rate. The fuel savings provided a pay-
Combustion Liners - The main improvement to combustion liners back that met our investment thresholds. A comparison of the Linden
has been the addition of a thermal barrier coating (TBC) consist- plant operations in 1994 and 1995 indicate a 2% improvement in the
ing of two materials applied to the hot side of the component — a plant's electric heat rate (MW hours delivered/total plant fuel consump-
surface bond coat and an insulating oxide applied over the bond tion) when adjusted for differences in steam delivery.
coat. This .015 inch (.381 mm) thick coating provides an insulat- At the Camden plant, the improved project economics due to
ing layer that reduces the underlying base material temperature and increased output were further enhanced by the improved gas turbine and
mitigates the effects of hot streaking or uneven gas temperature plant heat rates. Tests at this plant confirmed the improved gas turbine
distributions. performance and the overall performance improvement in Camden and
Transition Piece - Current production Frame 7EA transition pieces reconfirmed the Linden performance.
are made from Nimonic-263, a precipitation-hardened, nickel- In conclusion, after 8,000 hours of operation, the uprates are pro-
based alloy with improved strength and creep characteristics in viding the thermal performance and maintenance cost reductions that
comparison to the Hastelloy-X it replaces. Nimonic 263 has been were expected.
successfully used in aircraft gas turbines for over 25 years and has
demonstrated superior creep life. The transition pieces are coated ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
with a TBC which reduces metal temperatures and increases com- The MS7001 uprate program provides a number of benefits.
ponent life. A redesigned aft bracket which reduces cracking is Application of this advanced technology to an existing unit can increase
also part of the new design. This new transition piece has an output and steam production for cogeneration plants (resulting in
increased inspection interval of 12,000 hours. increased revenues), improve total plant efficiency (thereby lowering
operating costs) and reduce maintenance costs. Each owner's situation

Plant Unit Number Date Installed Output Heat Rate

Cogen Technologies Linden 1 November 1994 +17% -1.0%

Cogen Technologies Linden 2 December 1994 +2.5% -1.2%
Cogen Technologies Linden 3 January 1995 +8.0% -1.7% 1
Cogen Technologies Linden 4 February 1995 +33% -0.5%
Cogen Technologies Linden 5 March 1995 +8.6% -2.4% 1
Cogen Technologies Camden 1 May 1995 + 4.2% -2.0%

I Includes replacing stage I compressor blades

Table 1. Cogen Technologies 7EA 2035 F /1112 C uprate performance

7
is unique. Some owners have an attractive power sale agreement and ing, whether now or in the future. By replacing these parts earlier rather
value the additional capacity. Other owners may be limited in the than later, there is a future cost that may be avoided and benefits that
capacity that can be sold but place a high value on plant efficiency. can be realized sooner.
Some owners may be interested in increased reliability and reduced Table 2 shows an evaluation for a typical owner. In this case, the
maintenance costs. All of these owners can benefit from an advanced owner can generate additional revenue through increased electric power
technology uprate package. Each one of them would, however, perform sales and/or steam sales. Increased efficiency reduces fuel consump-
a different economic analysis. tion. The analysis includes a line item termed "parts life equalization"
Since gas turbine components require periodic maintenance and which addresses the fact that, at the end of the evaluation period, each
replacement, any economic analysis should be based on the incremen- scenario has different parts life remaining.
tal cost associated with improved components. For example, if a stage 1

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bucket is at the end of its life and must be replaced, the cost of the buck- CONCLUSION
et should not be included in the cost-benefit analysis of the uprate. The The application of the uprate components discussed allows for an
cost to replace the bucket would be incurred even if the uprate is not increase in the MS7001 gas turbine firing temperature to 21335 F (1113 C).
installed. The increase in firing temperature and the reduction of losses within the
Another concept that could be addressed in any economic analysis gas turbine provide improved heat rate and increased output. Output
is the fact the owner has two options - "uprate" or "replace in kind." In can increase approximately 3% to 4% and efficiency by 1% to 2%. The
the latter, an owner performs routine maintenance by replacing compo- higher exhaust flows and temperatures associated with an uprate can
nents "in-kind" as their life is expended. The uprate analysis should provide additional benefits for combined-cycle units. New technology
compare the cost of the "uprate" scenario with the costs of the "replace components can also reduce repair costs and extend inspection inter-
in kind" maintenance scenario over a span of six to 12 years. The main vals. While all of these benefits are important, each owner's unique sit-
point here is that there are parts in the gas turbine that will need replac- uation requires a unit specific analysis of the economics accariated with
an uprate.

An daLan in $000 Two Unit Site

Replace bi and flalreenance

OPERATION YEAR 1990 1997 1994 1999 2092 2001 2032 2003 2004 2005 Tar
INSPECTION TYPE 5 2 2 Ml 2 2 5 a 2 MI
Raplacensed Parts 42.747 40 4839 $799 40 40 61.729 GO 40 62.023 $7.937
Retie Pars 1384 W SO $415 $0 $0 1541 Kt $O 1222 11.592
arts Lite Equalization SO SO so SO SO $0 10 ea o
$0 113.320 113.3241
707AL 43.111 so sew $1.214 40 $0 •2.32o w $o 1410781 46.205

Cumulative Cosh $3.111 $3.111 53.750 14.904 $4.984 54,054 47.284 47.284 17.284 $0.205 40

Upratt TWO Units

OPERATOR YEAR 1996 1997 1995 1999 2000 toot 2002 2003 2004 2003 Teals
INSPECTION TYPE a 5 2 2 Mi
Replacement Pads • 14.324 SO 1761 1763 40 40 $1.721 $O 60 11.031 01.577
Repalr Part 12811 10 6122 1364 10 4141 4235 $0 xi 11593 11011
an Lite Entstanden $O 40 10 GO $0 60 $0 W 142,010 02.6181
Adettbanal revenue 142761 linen (s3044 11318) 113351 1$3521 113681 143881 04071 164281 1130171
Rol &WW1 161101 141101 161221 111281 111341 111411 1$1481 1$1551 0163/ 111711 111.307/
TOTAL 14.226 144051 6457 $OW 114691 1$3521 61.448 ($5431 16570/ 161.9841 62.460

Cumulative Oasts 44.226 13.021 $4.278 14.958 64.4119 14.137 15.565 65.042 14.472 $2.488 GO

Relum an inveshnent Calculation

OPERATION YEAR 1996 1997 1998 1919 2000 2001 2002 2004 2003 TOMS

hicrernenlal Corsi ($1.115) $405 siez $533 $489 $352 $872 $543 $570 $908 $3,717
Revenue
NPY $1351.35

IRR 36%

Table 2. Comparison of Replace in kind maintenance vs. uprate economic evaluation - two unit site