Increasing Reliability and Availability of Gas Turbines Start-Ups - the Unconventional Way
(Room Nile 3)
20 Sep 17
2:00 PM
-
3:30 PM
Tracks:
Track C - Optimizing Plant Operation
Static Frequency Converters or sometimes better known as Static Starting Devices plays a pivotal role in ensuring the Gas Turbine is started as a synchronous motor to a predetermined speed above the firing speed of the Gas Turbine to which then it is able to accelerate the Turbine - Generator assembly independently with the stored inertia and also from the energy produced from the combustion. In older fleets of gas or combined cycle power plants, typically in a ‘two plus one’ configuration, this setup is usually equipped with a single Static Starting Devise which will be used to start both the Gas Turbines. Most of these Static Starting Devices have been in operation for more than twenty-five years now and in many cases the product itself has reached obsolescence and many Original Equipment Manufacturers would not be able to support the product any longer. The lack of support and scarcity of spares, could manifest into a severe problem if the equipment suffers a breakdown. Furthermore, with a conventional setup of having a single Gas Turbine starter without a backup would simply means both the machines will not be able to be started up thus rendering the machines to be out of service for days until the technical issue are resolved. Implementation of a second redundant Static Starting Device adjacent to the existing, increases the availability and reliability of the power trains in gas power plants. With the second Static Starting Device installed, plant operators will be able to perform cross starts of the Gas Turbines whilst exploring the possibility of individual start up’s of Gas Turbines simultaneously which significantly enhances availability of the machines with reduced start-up time and synchronizing of the machines to the grid. This paper discusses the integration of a second Static Starting Device with optimized start-up characteristics into the existing scheme whilst retaining the existing starter.