#706 - Basic Operation and Theory of Steam and Gas Turbines, Co-Generation, and Combined Cycle Plants

Course Objective

Upon completion of this course, attendees will:

Gain a basic understanding of the main components and subsystems of gas turbine systems, steam power plants, co-generation, and combined cycle plants
Learn to critique the advantages, applications, performance, and economics of co-generation and combined cycle plants
Learn about various auxiliary systems including instrumentation, controls and monitoring systems, deaerators, and feedwater heater systems
Learn some basics about transformers and generators
Discover the basics required in minimizing operating cost and optimizing efficiency, reliability, and component longevity for gas turbine and steam power plants
Learn about the monitoring and control of environmental emissions
Gain some insight into predictive and preventive maintenance, reliability, and testing
Discover some of the latest technology in all of the above
Identify methods for self-improvement

Who Should Attend?

This course is for all engineers, technologists, and other operational personnel who currently or may in the future be involved with the technology or business of running a power generation plant. This is regardless of whether the personnel are involved in:

Large scale commercial power production
Small power production as a tax incentive or production for in-house needs or
Merchant power production

It also is independent of whether the personnel are involved in operations, maintenance, repair and overhaul, systems optimization and performance verification, specification, retrofit design, business and management of power systems and personnel, and support of power generation trains and their support systems.

While this course is of major benefit to newer people in the field, it is also valuable as a revision and technology update for more experienced personnel.

Course Description

This course covers primarily:

The basics of gas and steam turbine components and control/support systems
Basic generation package selection and specification criteria
The systems used to optimize performance
Key maintenance considerations and pitfalls

Course Outline

Review of Thermodynamics Laws

First law of thermodynamics
Enthalpy, property relationships, vapor-liquid phase equilibrium in a pure substance
Second law of thermodynamics
Entropy, Carnot cycle

Steam Power Plant Basics

Rankine cycle
Reheaters, condensers, deaerators, regeneration
Feedwater heating
Efficiency and heat rate of power plants
Co-generation, types of co-generation
Critical steam advancements, application cases

Steam Turbine Basic Components and Main Systems

Steam turbine components
Lubrication system, bearings

The Steam Turbine Governing System Basics

Major components
Turbine operation
Turbine run up, tripping signals, turbine trip, load rejection, decrease in boiler pressure, hydraulic fluid

Gas Turbines

Advantages of gas turbines (GT) versus steam turbines operation
Gas turbine simple cycle
Gas turbine compressor module
- Principles of operation of centrifugal and axial flow compressors
- Surging, choking
- Internal air system
- Bleed valves, variable stator vanes, and inlet guide vanes
Combustor module
Turbine module
Gas turbine applications
GT design for maximizing turbine inlet temperature, application cases
Advances in GT design: “G” and “H” technology
Accessory drives

Gas Turbine Lubrication and Fuel Systems

Lubricating systems
Gas fuel systems
Liquid fuel systems
Duel fuel systems
Fuel types, expanding range of usable fuels, application cases
Treatment for trace metals and sulfur

Combined Cycles and Other GT Cycle Modifications

Non-ideal Brayton cycle
Modifications to the Brayton cycle
Closed cycles, complex cycles, combined cycles
Regeneration, compressor intercooling, turbine reheat, water injection
Combined heat and power

Gas Turbine Intake and Exhaust Systems

Intake systems, inlet air filtration (inlet air fogging: see last topic)
Exhaust systems

Gas Turbine Instrumentation and Control (I&C) Systems

Gas turbine protection (including pressure switches)
Instrumentation and control systems
Instrumentation used for vibration analysis
Start-up sequence, normal operation (including temperature/PCD control sequence during start-up and normal operation, power limiting, decel limiting) and shutdown
Black start system

Gas Turbine Emission Guidelines and Control Methods

Emissions from gas turbines
General approach for a national emission guideline, NOx emission target levels
Low NOx combustors, ultra low NOx combustors
Power output allowance, heat recovery allowance
Emission levels for other contaminants
Size ranges for emission targets water and steam injection, selective catalytic reduction (SCR)

Gas Turbine Performance Verification and Maintenance

Gas turbine performance verification and basics of performance analysis
Compressor cleaning
Gas turbine maintenance methods (predictive, preventive)
Basics of life cycle assessment

Generator, Exciter, and Other Electrical System Basics

Generator, cooling systems
Excitation
Grid interconnection
Transformer lubricating oil system
Electrical and control package, Distributed Control System (DCS)
28 VDC system, 125 VDC system

Combined Cycle and Co-Generation Plant Basics

Heat recovery steam generator basics and requirement of chrome-moly steel
Equipment availability, maintenance cost, operational cost, turbine cost, training laws
Heat of condensation
Pipework to steam host, requirement of steam host
Economics of combined cycles/cogeneration, guidelines
Applications of co-generation and combined cycle plants

Economics of Combined Cycle and Co-Generation Plants

Deregulation and tax incentives, SPPs (small power producers), IPPs (independent PPs), MPPs (merchant PPs)
Natural gas prices and economic growth
Financial analysis
Capital cost, operating and maintenance cost
Economic evaluation of different combined cycles configurations
Electricity tariff factors

Course Texts