Optimized operation of gas turbines is discussed for a fleet of 11 GE LM2500PE engines at a Statoil North Sea offshore field in Norway. Three engines are generator drivers, and eight engines are compressor drivers. Several of the compressor drive engines are running at peak load (T5.4 control), hence, the production rate is limited by the available power from these engines. The majority of the engines discussed run continuously without redundancy, hence, the gas turbine uptime is critical for the field's production and economy. The performance and operational experience with online water wash at high water-to-air ratio (w.a.r.), as well as successful operation at longer maintenance intervals and higher average engine performance are described. The water-to-air ratio is significantly increased compared to the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) limit (OEM limit is 17 l/min which yields approximately 0.5% water-to-air ratio). Today the engines are operated at a water rate of 50 l/min (three times the OEM limit) which yields a 1.4% water-to-air ratio. Such a high water-to-air ratio has been proven to be the key parameter for obtaining good online water wash effectiveness. Possible downsides of high water-to-air ratio have been thoroughly studied.
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April 2019
Research-Article
Gas Turbine Fouling Offshore: Effective Online Water Wash Through High Water-to-Air Ratio
Lars E. Bakken
Lars E. Bakken
NTNU,
Department of Energy and Process Engineering,
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology,
Trondheim 7491, Norway
e-mail: lars.e.bakken@ntnu.no
Department of Energy and Process Engineering,
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology,
Trondheim 7491, Norway
e-mail: lars.e.bakken@ntnu.no
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Stian Madsen
Lars E. Bakken
NTNU,
Department of Energy and Process Engineering,
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology,
Trondheim 7491, Norway
e-mail: lars.e.bakken@ntnu.no
Department of Energy and Process Engineering,
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology,
Trondheim 7491, Norway
e-mail: lars.e.bakken@ntnu.no
Manuscript received June 22, 2018; final manuscript received July 6, 2018; published online December 3, 2018. Editor: Jerzy T. Sawicki.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Apr 2019, 141(4): 041015 (8 pages)
Published Online: December 3, 2018
Article history
Received:
June 22, 2018
Revised:
July 6, 2018
Citation
Madsen, S., and Bakken, L. E. (December 3, 2018). "Gas Turbine Fouling Offshore: Effective Online Water Wash Through High Water-to-Air Ratio." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. April 2019; 141(4): 041015. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4041002
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