Programs to Evaluate Gas Turbine Maintenance and Operating Techniques
During the early 1970’s, many utilities installed large numbers of gas turbines. At that time, the gas turbine industry was still in comparative infancy, with very little utility operating experience. Consequently, initial operating problems were both unpredictable and monumental. Consolidated Edison Co. installed 44 aircraft derivative and 61 heavy industrial gas turbines totaling 2800 MW of capacity during this period. It is not surprising then, that our Company has experienced almost every type of operating and maintenance problem associated with the use of gas turbines to produce electric generation. Also, since gas turbines are such a significant part of our total generating capacity (approximately 25 percent), we have had a special interest in exploring the capability of these machines to improve the overall operation of our system, beyond present utility practice. The purpose of this paper is to: (a) present our observations and conclusions regarding what we consider to be the industry’s most significant maintenance problem — turbine sulfidation, (b) outline the progress made in the repair techniques of sulfidated blades, and (c) illustrate two unique applications of gas turbines to improve system operation — load frequency control and synchronous reactor operation.