TG416 - Steam Turbine Performance

3 days - 1.9 Continuing Education Units Awarded

BENEFITS OF ATTENDING

• Learn what to consider for improved turbine performance.
• Learn which turbine components are susceptible to damage that will impact unit performance.· Learn how to test for turbine performance.
• Learn how different turbine design considerations impact performance.
• Given steam path reports, learn to evaluate performance issues; i.e., make better repair/replace/reuse decisions.
• Learn how to communicate more effectively with performance consultants.
• Learn how to maximize performance of your steam turbine(s) through thought-out operating procedures, monitoring equipment operations, maintenance, inspection and design.

INTENDED AUDIENCE
This course is designed for engineers, operation superintendents, maintenance superintendents who at a minimum are familiar with steam turbine components and most basic theory.

OBJECTIVES
At the successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

1. Locate all the major turbine components and systems.
2. Describe those thermodynamic laws that are directly applied to the design and operation of steam turbines.
3. Describe the design and operation of a turbine stage using thermodynamic principles.
4. Describe how stage performance can deteriorate and how this deterioration is detected and corrected.
5. Describe techniques used to test the performance of fossil and nuclear turbines.
6. Describe packing designs that provide variable clearances from start up to full load operations.
7. Describe two methods used to determine leakage flow on opposed flow steam turbines.
8. Define the critical cycle parameters and selection of appropriate instrumentation to set up an effective testing or monitoring program.
9. Demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the erosion mechanisms in the steam path.
10. Describe alternative erosion prevention techniques.
11. Describe each of the different components of an overall program to achieve optimum steam turbine thermal performance through cost-efficiency maintenance.
12. Describe how outages may be optimized by providing an assessment of the parts and repair procedures that will be required in the next outage to cover performance degradation.
13. Describe how to reduce forced outages by detecting incipient problems at an early stage.
14. Describe how to perform economic evaluations of the available repair/replace options in order to determine which will optimize maintenance expenditures and maximize return on investment.

COURSE OUTLINE

1. Basic Thermodynamics: Properties of a Fluid, Cycles, Sankey Diagram, Heat Balance Diagram, Fundamental Stage Design, Heat Balances and Thermal Kits
2. Stage Design: Definitions, Acceleration of Steam, Vector Diagrams, Reaction, Velocity Ratio, Stage Efficiency as a Function of Velocity Ratio, Vortex Stage Design, Off Design Conditions, and Losses
3. Test Methods: Fossil Performance Testing, Nuclear Performance Testing, Testing to Detect Change in Performance in a Steam Turbine Cycle, Test Uncertainty, Instrumentation, Isolation
4. Cycle Considerations: Positive Pressure Variable Clearance Packing, Principles of Seal Ring Closure, Operation, Isolation, N-2 Packing Leakage, Blowdown System, Variation of Initial/Reheat Steam Temperature
5. Instrumentation: The First Step to Accurate Testing and Monitoring: Temperature/Pressure/Flow, Electrical Load and Control Valve Lift
6. Maintaining Thermodynamic Performance: Performance: Testing, Causes of Deterioration, Solid Particle Erosion, Evaluation of Performance Loss, and Restoring Thermal Performance
7. Reducing Solid Particle Erosion Damage: Dynamic Analysis of Particles in Steam Path, Coatings for SPE Resistance and Prevention Concepts
8. Unit Monitoring and Data Evaluation: Performance Monitoring, Steam Path Evaluation, Diagnostics
9. Economic Payback: Economic Concepts, Payback Analysis, Outage Cost Calculations, Recoverable and Non-Recoverable Losses
10. Steam Path Evaluation: Steam Path Evaluation, Engineered Repairs of Steam Path Components for Performance Efficiency, Role of Performance Monitoring in Outage Planning

SATISFIED CLIENTS: ABB Power Generation, Alstom Power, Baltimore Gas & Electric, Carolina Power & Light, Central Power & Light, Duke Energy, Entergy Operations, Georgia Power, Illinois Power, MidAmerican Energy, Northern States Power, Oklahoma Gas & Electric, PPL Inc., San Antonio City Public Service, Southern Company, Tampa Electric, and Tennessee Valley Authority