2022 Power Users Mega Event: Tuesday Highlights (Aug 30)

GUG. Vendor presentations dominate the program until the afternoon refreshment break. The lineup is as follows:

• HV stator-coil rewind, National Electric Coil.
• Accurate partial-discharge evaluation; new-bar pre-qualification, AES Kinectrics.
• Advances in fiberoptic core and coil monitoring, B-Phase.
• Isophase-bus anti-condensation measures, Electrical Builders Inc (EBI).
• CO2 purge, Airgas, an Air Liquide company.
• Troubleshooting plan using EMSA—a case study, Cutsforth Inc.
• HV bushings: Inspection, testing, manufacturing, and failure examples, MD&A.
• 7F generator issues, AGT Services Inc.

Three user presentations follow the afternoon break: Fixators are not as fixed as you’d expect, flex connectors, and main- and neutral-lead mod for Siemens modular units. A roundtable discussion on common failures and maintenance issues closes out the day’s activities.

PPCUG. Introductory remarks begin at 8 a.m., with half-hour presentations by the suppliers listed below following immediately. Morning session ends with lunch at noon.

• OEM versus non-OEM controls
• Digital twin,
• Controls upgrade? Lessons learned, GTC Control Solutions.
• Controls and excitation overview, MD&A.
• Direct EGD interface with GE Mark VI/VIe,
• Operator-initiated generator purge/DHCP upgrades, Environment One.
• Group discussion.

The afternoon session comprises four presentations by Siemens—supply chain, energy market trends and distributed control technology, flexing for the future, and updates from the world of cyber—plus one by Southern Co on GE controls enhancements.

CCUG. A potpourri of topics important to O&M personnel focused on improving plant performance are addressed in the following presentations by vendors and users:

• HRSG life extension and long-term maintenance planning: A data-driven approach.
• Group 1 turbine oils—a return to reliability.
• Is your SCR/CO system ready for turndown?
• Advantages of periodic field testing on critical pumps.
• DCS-replacement knowledge sharing: Lessons learned.
• Better filtration pays for itself: The impact of HEPA filters on gas turbines.
• P91 planning and inspection.

Following the afternoon break several short presentations based on user experiences, plus a discussion period, are planned until closing at 5 p.m.

STUG. The morning is devoted to presentations by leading vendors: CC Jensen, EthosEnergy Group, Oilkleen, Advanced Turbine Support, Cutsforth, and Independent Turbine Consultants. The titles:

• De-mystifing varnish analysis and mitigation.
• In-situ repair and upgrade of LP turbine blades.
• Keys to a successful transition to a new turbine fluid.
• Steam-turbine cycling risks.
• Condition-based turbine monitoring.
• Steam-turbine valve maintenance.

First half of the afternoon session will be conducted by Siemens. Topics include erosion monitoring and corrective actions, troubleshooting rotor vibration, and a replacement steel blade for the existing titanium L-0 fleet.

User presentations and roundtable discussions are scheduled following the refreshment break. A topic that should be of great interest to attendees is “Pinned L-0 buckets: Variability in UT inspection results and pin removal.”

LCPG. Morning user session dominated by hot topics in the industry including regulatory considerations, emerging renewables like geothermal and offshore wind, and two-hour session on the hydrogen economy.

First half of afternoon continues with user session on carbon capture and storage (CCS) and advanced nuclear. GE session follows in the second half with their perspective and experience with CCS, hydrogen combustion, and small modular reactors.

7EA. The 7EA meeting traditionally has been one to focus on presentations by vendors. Those participating this year: PSM, Sulzer, MD&A, GTC Control Solutions, SVI Industrial/SVI Dynamics, AP4 Group, Veracity Technology Solutions, AGT Services Inc, and National Breaker Services.

The topics: Hydrogen combustion in B/E-class gas turbines, no-leak seal for the DLN primary fuel nozzle, rotor life assessment, lessons learned during controls upgrades, common problems with exhaust systems and silencers—a case study, OEM versus non-OEM controls, quantifying corrosion pitting using advanced NDE, 7EA generators and how minors turn to majors, reducing thermal stress on 7EA GACs.

Frame 6. Tuesday is GE Day. The morning presentations: Fleet updates, monitoring and diagnostics to increase reliability, interval extensions, refresher on combustion technology, hydrogen experience and the path forward, and rotor life extension.

The afternoon program consists of three breakout sessions designed for maximum interaction between users and GE’s experts. Each session features three of the following discussion topics running in parallel: Combustion technology Q&A, rotor end-of-life discussion, generator and excitation maintenance, maintenance interval extension Q&A, repair technology updates, and controls, upgrades, and instrumentation.

Frame 5. There’s one vendor presentation in the morning, “Decarbonization: Hydrogen and the current gas-turbine install base” (PSM), and three roundtables (compressor, combustion, and turbine; safety and I&C; and auxiliaries and generator).

Baker Hughes conducts the afternoon program. Technical content includes the following: Frame 5 historical perspective, service engineering (stats, TILs, lessons learned, outage optimization), Houston Service Center and the BH repair network, turbine upgrades, certified renewed equipment LT-16 brownfield replacement of legacy Frame 5s, hydrogen fuel capabilities, and additive manufacturing.