Performance Test Methods to Determine the Benefits of Various Gas Turbine Modernizations and Upgrades Available to Purchase

As gas turbine fleets age and newer technologies become available, there are opportunities to improve gas-turbine based power plant performance by physical modifications to both hardware and software. Mechanical modifications can include, but are not limited to, upgrades to turbine and/or compressor blades and vanes, replacement of seals, and the cleaning, repair, or refurbishment of existing engine components. Controls modifications can include upgrades to the engine logic designed to improve operation and reliability as well as gas turbine and plant performance. It is a challenge to determine the effects of the modernizations and upgrades by test, usually known as “comparative testing”. This is particularly true when another maintenance activity that affects performance takes place during the outage in which the modification occurs. Other difficulties arise when part load testing of gas turbine or plant performance is desired. This paper details some of the difficulties met in such testing, and the proposed optimized test protocols and agreements to meet these challenges.