TURBINE STARTING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

INTRODUCTION The majority of gas turbine plants have a mechanical starting system to increase the speed of rotation from zero rpm to a sufficient speed for ignition and to self-sustaining speed. The starting system is generally equipped with a device connecting the torque converter and accessory gear, which disengages when the turbine is running independently. Virtually all FR5 and FR6 turbines installed prior to 97 have a dog clutch, or jaw clutch, torque transmission device. The jaw clutch consists of two disks fitted on the end of the drive shaft, belonging to the torque converter, and on the end of the driven shaft on the accessory gear. Both disks have shaped mating surfaces with toothing made on the surface so that torque can be transmitted solely from the torque converter to the accessory gear and therefore from the starter motor to the turbine. The disk connected to the torque converter can slide along the spline made on the shaft. The disk is moved, and consequently the clutch is engaged and disengaged, by two hydraulically operated pistons. Jaw clutch starting systems have the following drawbacks: Wear of spline toothing on the torque converter

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shaft prevents the disk from moving properly and consequently the clutch fails to engage. Correct meshing of the disks is jeopardized by wear of disk toothing thus preventing clutch engagement. The control panel fails to receive the startup permissive due to trouble caused by the sliding disk limit switches. The clutch fails to engage due to hydraulic piston problems. The clutch fails to disengage and startup is therefre aborted. In addition, with a jaw clutch the turbine has to be stationary (zero speed signal) before it can be restarted. A single-shaft, generator drive FR5 gas turbine can take more than 15 minutes to come to a complete rest if it decelerates from full speed. A FR6 takes even longer on account of the greater inertia. For single-shaft, generator drive units it is important to be able to have the turbine running at full load in the shortest time possible: if the startup sequence aborts for some reason (loss of flame, high vibration, high exhaust temperature, etc.) the time delay necessary for restarting can be a particularly penalizing restriction. Use of a Synchronous Self-Shifting clutch (SSS) eliminates the drawbacks associated with a jaw clutch.

GE Power Systems Oil & Gas

Nuovo Pignone

CM&Us

TU/GA05-9/2002

GAS GAS TURBINES TURBINES

APPLICATION MS5001 and MS6001 gas turbines TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION The SSS clutch is a self-engaging device which transmits power through gears. The clutch is automatically engaged when the input shaft speed overtakes the output shaft speed. A pawlactuated, helical sliding mechanism is used to bring the clutch driving and driven teeth into smooth positive mesh. The clutch disengages automatically when the torque is reversed.The very instant the input side of the clutch begins to turn, primary pawls and ratchet teeth make contact aligning the driving and driven teeth ready for engagement. The small torque applied by the pawl and ratchtet mechanism progressively brings the driving and driven teeth into full engagement. The clutch can then transmit full torque. As the speed of the input shaft reduces, relative to the speed of the output, or when the speed of the output shaft increases relative to the speed of the input, a reverse torque is applied. This reverse torque acts on the helical splines making the clutch throw out of mesh. The clutch then free-wheels.The driven shaft can be caught even with the turbine running.

As soon as the driven shaft decelerates, or when the gas turbine slows down, the secondary pawls automatically become active. As the speed of the input shaft tends to exceed that of the output shaft, the secondary pawls make contact and the driving and driven teeth are aligned ready for engagement. On an increase in the input speed, coupling is completed. In this mode the turbine is driven by the starter/ratchet system. From this description it is clear that with the SSS clutch there is no possibility of the teeth clashing while being engaged, or of the drive being taken up before the teeth are engaged over their full width, due to its design. The SSS clutch coupling requires continuous lubrication (2 rpm = 9 l/min for the 64T model). Consequently, a number of minor modifications need to be made to the oil system. An oil feed connection has to be fitted from the 1.7 barg header to the clutch with an orifice. Depending on the accessory gear and adjacent auxiliaries configuration, it may be necessary to make some adjustments to install the clutch. These shall depend particularly on the type of torque converter installed, on the high pressure oil pump and distance between the accessory gear and torque converter shaft ends.

STARTING SYSTEM

GAS TURBINE

ENGAGED POSITION

0.38" Clearance Min. 0.56" Jaw Tooth Depth

DISENGAGED POSITION

1.00" Total Piston Rod Travel

SEMPLIFIED OPERATING PRINCIPLES

Teeth are disengaged The pawls are inactive (they only become active when the input is approaching the speed of the output) Ratchet Output rotating Oil rim. Input stationary Helical splines Oil rim. prevents pawls from ratchetting until the input speed approachesthe output speed Shaft centre

CLUTCH DISENGAGED

The clutch input speed increases and at the instant it overtakes the output the pawls contact the ratchet and align the clutch teeth ready for inter-engagement

Teeth are disengaged

PAWLS ACTIVE
Output rotating

Input rotanting Pawls in contact with ratchet Teeth are aligned for inter-engagement

Sliding assembly Helical splines Output rotating

CLUTCH ENGAGING
Further slight rotation of the input relative to the output applies the light torque to the pawls necessary to the move the sliding assembly along the helical splines. The aligned teeth are moved axially into mesh and during this travel the pawls pass out of engagement with the ratchet teeth

Input rotanting

The moment the sliding assembly meets its end stop, the clutch is fully engaged and the driving torque passes through the teeth, not the pawls Output rotating End stop Input driving output

CLUTCH ENGAGED

The pawls are out of contact with the ratchet

When the clutch input slows down relative to the output, the torque is reversed on the helical splines and the teeth disengage to revert to the condition shown in the first diagram above

CLUTCH DISENGAGED

TURBINE STARTING SYSTEM IMPROVEMENT

Regarding the control system, a number of modifications have to be made depending on the type of control panel and starter system driver. As a rule, the following modifications are required: Addition of a speed control card to give the control system a signal when the turbine reaches or overtakes the minimum firing speed (14HM); Modification of the control sequences adding the flying restart sequence so that restarting is possible at or under the minimum firing speed (14HM); Revision of the cranking motor sequences; If the starting means is a diesel engine, modification of the startup sequence to exclude warm-up; Re-allocation of the starting circuit (33CS), previously used to signal the engaged jaw clutch position, to indicate SSS clutch engaged. SCOPE OF SUPPLY The scope of supply of the synchronous self-shifting system is indicated herebelow: SSS Clutch model 64T (or equivalent). Lube oil inlet and drain pipes. Starting system layout modifications. Control panel modifications. Modifications strictly depend on the configuration of the plant in which the new clutch is to be installed. BENEFITS Enhanced reliability of the turbine starting system. Reduced maintenance commitments. Less starting system trouble. Drastic cut in restart time after startup sequence failure.

Casing assembly Helical sliding assembly Input assembly

Proximity switch

Input half coupling Helical sliding component Primary pawls Driven teeth

Output sleeve Driving teeth Secondary pawls Clutch ring

Nuovo Pignone S.p.A. via F. Matteucci, 2 - 50127 Florence (Italy) Tel. +39/055 423211- Fax +39/055 4232800 E-mail: info.service@np.ge.com www.gepower.com

COMK/MARK 666/I I- Studio Tre Fasi - 9-2002 2002 Nuovo Pignone S.p.A. all rights reserved

Output assembly

STARTING SYSTEM

GAS TURBINE