Alstom has developed a monitoring and optimization system to offer the power plant an integrated maintenance and diagnosis system. This system is capable of monitoring all Alstom machines and processes in a combined cycle power plant: the gas turbine, steam turbine, generator, HRSG, and cooling system. All data archived in a central database server. Any personal computer networked with the server can display the process data and calculated results. To limit the scope of current paper, only the gas turbine monitoring and diagnostic module is presented. The system concept, configuration, and the environment of gas turbine module as well as capability will be discussed in this paper. The Gas Turbine Module (GTM) provides continuous monitoring of the GT process and continuous displaying of certain calculated results. The GTM provides a tool aimed to help the operator to make decisions, which affect efficiency, reliability and damage control. The monitoring areas include combustion stability (pulsation analysis), exhaust temperature distribution, compressor fouling and surge margin, and thermal performance. Furthermore, the GTM can provide the thermodynamic variables at the gas turbine exhaust for other applications in the combined cycle calculation. The implementation of this module is based on the users’ requirements to optimize the operation, to increase plant reliability and availability, and to optimize equipment performance. The GTM is a PC-based monitoring and diagnostic system. A guiding principal is that the retrofit of the GTM should have minimal impact on the gas turbine control system. This is the reason the system is PC based. A remote connection can be made via network. Users can access and see all real time and historical data by means of a networked computer. The real key success of the GTM is to be able to detect an early component failure and abnormalities during normal plant operation. Therefore, this information can be used for plant management, production forecast, equipment maintenance, and part replacement decision strategy.

Volume Subject Area:
Combined Cycles, Combustion Turbines, Steam Turbines and Generators
Topics:
Gas turbines, Power stations, Computers, Exhaust systems, Maintenance, Reliability, Combined cycle power stations, Combined cycles, Combustion, Compressors, Control systems, Cooling systems, Damage, Databases, Equipment performance, Failure, Generators, Heat recovery steam generators, Machinery, Optimization, Stability, Steam turbines, Surges, Temperature distribution
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 by ASME
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