NEW PRODUCTS & SERVICES

Condition monitoring software

GE’s Measurement & Control business has upgraded its Bently Nevada System 1 condition monitoring software.

System 1 Fleet Management has a web-based dashboard for secure access to monitoring equipment and instrument health data. All connected plant assets can be combined for an all-in-one view of operational health. System 1 Fleet Management applies analytics, predictive algorithms and domain expertise to instruments and software alarms to identify equipment and instrument health issues. It connects to all System 1-based resources to produce summaries of the fleet, site, train and machine.

“You might have one guy in charge of the diagnostics for the turbines at 15 plants in one fleet,” said Landon Boyer, General Manager, Flow Gas and Moisture at GE Measurement and Control. “He can use System 1 to compare performance across the fleet to pick out such things as bearings that have common failure modes.”

Impending failures tend to show up early as vibration, he said. For example, shaft misalignment will cause vibration or in extreme cases a rub which will impact the bearings. System 1 tracks vibration levels near the bearings on the shaft so the operator can isolate situations to address.

System 1 Fleet Management is currently operating on some wind turbine fleets. Boyer said it can run in any facility and monitor any turbine type.

In addition, System 1 Evolution for Portables has been released. It provides a simplified interface for handheld vibration analysis in the field. It also supports Scout100 and Scout140 portable data instruments.

“Bently Nevada System 1 has typically been used for critical machinery with very quick failure modes,” said Boyer. “The System 1 Evolution for Portables is aimed more at smaller machines which require a different kind of analytics.”

Meanwhile, Bently Nevada ADAPT (Advanced Distributed Architecture Platform Technology) 3701 no longer operates solely as a condition monitoring solution for wind turbines. ADAPT 3701 now supports a range of OEM turbines and associated driven assets including aeroderivatives. ADAPT Aero provides distributed monitoring and protection in a skid-mounted architecture for LM2500 and LM6000 gas turbines and associated gearboxes. ADAPT Emergency Shutdown (ESD) delivers overspeed detection and implements emergency shutdown when necessary, a requirement of API 670. ADAPT GT monitors heavy-duty gas turbines.

Boyer recommended keeping a separate ESD box rather than combining it with one to monitor vibration. However, ADAPT Aero can be snapped together with ADAPT ESD into one larger box. GE is touting the speed of these units. The target is to produce a 9 ms response time.

The product has a one-step configuration process. Previously, the operator had to spend a long time configuring such systems by adding the details of the turbine, model, gearbox, bearing type, clearances, shaft material and many other details.

“With ADAPT, you only have to note which asset is connected and it knows all the information required for configuration,” said Boyer. “Additionally, it doesn’t just tell you there is high vibration; it offers specifics such as there being a rub on bearing two.”

Currently available for the LM2500 and LM6000, Boyer said the LMS 100 would be added shortly. At the moment, it operates in a limited capacity on many GE frames with more coming soon. While it can run on non- GE units, this does not include one-step configuration yet. Boyer said GE is working with other OEMs to build the templates to offer this configuration feature.

http://www.ge-mcs.com

Centac C800 Compressor

Ingersoll Rand has launched the Centac C800 centrifugal air compressor — an extension of the Centac C1000 product line. Certified as ISO 8573-1 Class 0, the C800 provides oil-free air and design features to maximize asset availability. This includes tapered polygon attachments to create a precision fit and evenly distribute torque, and a simplified oil piping system with an integrated oil filter to keep the system running at the right conditions.

The compressor’s integrated AGMA rated gears, flex pad hydrodynamic bearings and components reduce vibration and errorproof alignment, minimizing downtime and lowering costs. A web-enabled Xe-Series controller permits remote access.

The C800 is up to 6% more efficient than the company’s previous platform at full load, said George Mankos, Global Category Leader for Centrifugal Technology at Ingersoll Rand. “Inlet guide vanes (IGVs) are standard on the C800, delivering up to 10% additional energy savings at partial load. The backward-leaning impellers maximize peak efficiency and provide greater turndown.”

Maintenance is made easier via a removable inducer, in-place roddable coolers, bull gear inspection ports and an open cooler casing. Mankos said the previous platform required longer maintenance windows. Now, he said it has a two piece removal process to get into a stage so personnel can get in and out in four hours. Additionally, the unit has field replaceable impellers.”

www.ingersollrand.com

MAN turbine tested

The MGT 6100, a single-shaft version of the MGT gas turbine family, is being put through its paces on a test stand in Oberhausen, Germany. Using the company’s Advanced Can Combustor (ACC), which works on the principle of premix technology, the MGT 6100 has reduced NOx emissions to single-digit levels between 50% and 100% loads.

NOx less than ten ppm of the total volume were detected in the exhaust gas on the test stand during all operating conditions between half and full performance. With ACC, the fuel is already premixed homogenously with the combustion air before entering the chamber. The result: fuel-rich hot strands are avoided, providing less NOx.

www.mandieselturbo.com

Steam turbine brush seal

Inpro/Seal has introduced the Sentinel Floating Brush Seal (FBS) for Elliott YR process steam turbines. Standard carbon rings are the traditional sealing method for process steam turbines. Their brittle design causes carbon rings to wear quickly, leading to steam loss and higher maintenance costs. The Inpro/Seal Sentinel FBS was developed as a drop-in replacement to carbon rings. It is said to extend seal life by three times. This brush seal technology is comprised of densely packed and flexible metallic bristles that bend with changing clearances between rotating and stationary surfaces. The brush serves as the primary shaft seal while a carbon element provides face sealing in the turbine s casing.

www.inpro-seal.com

Diamond-coated seals

Flowserve has announced ultrananocrystalline diamond (UNCD) coating as a collaborative agreement with Advanced Diamond Technologies (ADT). When applied to Flowserve base materials, the UNCD coating developed by ADT produces a hard surface with improved friction and wear characteristics. This is beneficial for mechanical seals for pumps in applications requiring protection from slurry, dry-running conditions and chemical corrosion. The process is done via HF-CVD (Hot Filament Chemical Vapor Deposition) using 2000ºC (3600ºF) tungsten filaments.

www.flowserve.com/UNCD

Turbo-Air NX 12000

Cameron has released the Turbo-Air NX 1200 centrifugal compressor. Its lubrication technology, with integrated filters, coolers and manifold, allows for a leak-free system. The compressor has optimized stage and gas passages, as well as cast-in-water manifold, and interchangeable intercooler and aftercooler bundles and headers.

It is said to be capable of producing oil-free air for 55 years. The package includes AGMA 13 gearing, five-axis milled impellers, split seal and bearing design for ease of inspection and stainless steel rotating compressor elements. Compressor motor sizes range from 1,120 to 2,237 kW (1500 to 3000 HP). Discharge pressures range from 3.5 to 14.5 barg (50 to 210 psig).

Compressor flow range is from 212 to 430 m/min (7,500 to 15,200 ft/min) and its weight is 18,143 kg (40,000 lbs).

www.c-a-m.com

Advance Gas Path additions

GE has extended its Advanced Gas Path (AGP) portfolio to its 9F-3 and 9E gas turbines. AGP features hardware design and material improvements to the components of the hot gas path. This is coupled with GE’s OpFlex controls software based on analysis of more than 100 million hours of operating data across more than 1,600 monitored units.

GE’s 9F-3 and 9E AGP technology was adapted from its existing 7F-3 AGP solution. Customers already using AGP on 7F-3 turbines report gains in output of up to 6% and fuel efficiency of up to 2%.

www.ge.com

Atlas Copco compressors

The design of Atlas Copco’s ZH 355+ - 900+ oil-free centrifugal compressor is said to reduce energy consumption up to 7% at full load compared to the previous model. Inlet guide vanes (IGVs) further reduce energy cost by 9% at part loads as compared to a throttle valve control. Milled impellers, servo-controlled IGVs and a fail-safe sealing system are included.

www.atlascopco.com