A new gas compressor test and manufacturing facility is under construction at Solar Turbines in California. The new facility, which adds 10,000 sq. Ft, would ensure that gas compressors weighing up to 100 tons can be built. The recently introduced C85 for the Titan 250, which weighs 90 tons, can be assembled and closed-loop tested.
A new gas compressor test and manufacturing facility is under construction at Solar Turbines in California. The new facility, which adds 10,000 sq. Ft, would ensure that gas compressors weighing up to 100 tons can be built. The recently introduced C85 for the Titan 250, which weighs 90 tons, can be assembled and closed-loop tested.
A new gas compressor test and manufacturing facility is under construction at Solar Turbines in California. The new facility, which adds 10,000 sq. Ft, would ensure that gas compressors weighing up to 100 tons can be built. The recently introduced C85 for the Titan 250, which weighs 90 tons, can be assembled and closed-loop tested.
A new gas compressor test and manufacturing facility is under construction at Solar Turbines in California. The new facility, which adds 10,000 sq. Ft, would ensure that gas compressors weighing up to 100 tons can be built. The recently introduced C85 for the Titan 250, which weighs 90 tons, can be assembled and closed-loop tested.
ufacturing facility (Figure 1) is currently under construction at the manufacturing complex of Solar Turbines Incorporated in San Diego, California. The assembly building was completed recently. The construction of three test stands will be finished by August 2008. The new facility, which adds 10,000 sq. ft, would ensure that gas compressors weighing up to 100 tons can be built and undergo Pressure Test Code (PTC) - 10 Type 1 and Type 2 testing. This would mean that the recently introduced C85 for the Titan 250, which weighs 90 tons can be assembled and closed-loop tested. A C33 compressor is currently being used with the permanently installed Titan 130 for commissioning the facility. Engineering scale ups Before the 1990s, Solar Turbines com- pressors were designed for multi-pur- pose use. For example, the C50 gas com- pressor was used in gas gathering and other upstream applications, as well as for pipeline gas transmission. In the early 1990s, compressors were designed specifically for pipelines or for upstream production applications. While pipeline compressors require pressure boosting capability without requiring high head, upstream compressors lay stress on head through multiple stages. The C40 pipeline compressor was the first to be introduced and was soon fol- lowed by the C65 in 1996. The C65 pos- sesses isentropic efficiencies approach- ing 90%. The C85, introduced last year, is a direct scale up of the C65, and is designed for direct-drive applications with the Titan 250, the newest member of Solars gas turbine family and rated at 30,000 hp (22,370 KW). The C40M line of multi-stage compressors was intro- duced in 1997. The C51, released in 2004, was the first higher-head compressor devel- oped under the Advanced Research Technology program, which incorpo- rates advanced aerodynamic, finite ele- ment and rotordynamic tools. More than 30 of these compressors have been installed around the world in gas plant or pipeline applications. In addition to the C85, Solar Turbines has developed a multi-stage compressor for the Titan 250, identified as the C61. The C61, a direct scale-up of the C51, can also be driven by the Titan 130 and Mars 100 gas turbines. It provides a higher head per stage over a wider flow range than the C51 (C61: 600 m 3 /min, 21,000 cfm vs 425 m 3 /min, 15,000 cfm for the C51). The C85 and C61 are cur- rently available to customers. A dual-compartment, intercooled version of the C51 has also been intro- duced (Figure 2). The dual-compartment configuration reduces the overall length of the compressor train, but provides the performance of two single-compartment C51 compressors. The dual-compart- ment C51 has a case rating of 3,000 psi (20,685 kPag); and the single compart- ment C51 now has two case ratings 2,250 (15,515 kPag) and 3,000 psi (20,685 kPag). The new compressor models required investment in larger manufacturing facil- ities. The 65-foot high building encloses two bridge cranes that have a combined lifting capacity of 125 tons. A fully assembled C85 compressor weighs approximately 90 tons. New multistage compressor models, including the dual compartment C51, are longer than previous compressors. Therefore, the new models require high- er assembly bays to accommodate verti- cal installation of the impellers and stator module into the compressor housing, when being assembled on Solars pro- duction line. A 100 ton tilt table (Figure 3) will be used to safely rotate the large compres- sor housings 90 to allow vertical instal- lation of the module into the housing. A 100-ton transporter (Figure 4) has been acquired for ease of handling. Using Six- Sigma methodology and lean manufac- turing concepts, the new building co- locates tools, equipment, and appropriate inventory levels, to provide a smooth flow of compressor components from cleaning and inspection processes through assembly and test preparation. Two of the three test bays are config- ured for production and development test- ing of individual gas compressors. The third test bay is designed for string testing POWER GENERATION FACILITATING BIGGER MODELS 34 Turbomachinery International July/August 2008 www.turbomachinerymag.com SOLAR TURBINES NEW ASSEMBLY AND TESTING FACILITY TARGETS A NEW GENERATION OF COMPRESSORS Figure 1: The new manufacturing and test facility in San Diego, CA Figure 2: C51 dual compartment compressors of complete compressor packages. For testing individual compressors, each of the two test bays contains their own permanently installed turbine engine driver/test skid. The frst bay has a Mars 100 gas turbine rated at 16,000 hp (11, 930 kW). The second bay contains a Titan 130 gas turbine providing up to 20,000 hp (15,290 kW) for compressor testing. Each Solar-designed skid can test compressors ranging in size from the Solar C33 with its centerline height of 25 inches, to the C85 with its centerline height of 60 inches. A set of gearboxes have been designed for the skids that allow compressor testing from 5,000 rpm to 21,000 rpm. The fully instrumented skids allow monitoring of aerodynamic performance, rotor dynamic behavior, and bearing and seal performance. Each skid can perform open-air and closed- loop pressurized tests. Open-air testing, which draws ambient air into the com- pressor, is performed to check head and fow, and to verify the mechanical integrity of the gas compressor. Closed-loop tests are performed using closed-loop piping arrangements and heat exchangers permanently installed in each test bay. They are used to conduct ASME PTC 10 Type 1 and Type 2 tests. Test gases available include nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and natural gas with provisions to use special blended gas mixtures. With an initial pressure rat- ing to 3,000 psig, (20,685 kPag), closed- loop testing for development or as part of a customers order, can verify compres- sor efciency, as well as demonstrate sta- ble rotor dynamic operation at feld oper- ating conditions. The third test bay will be used exclu- sively for package string tests. Similar to the other two test bays, ASME PTC 10 Type 1 and Type 2 tests can be performed on multi-body compressor packages up to 36,000 hp, (26,860 kW). These types of tests verify the operation of the entire compressor package, under full load conditions, before shipment. Motor-driven units Meanwhile, Solar Turbines is also ofer- ing compressors driven by Electric Motor Drives (EMDs). While gas tur- bines ofer wide turndown and operating range, electric drives are suitable where there is cheap power and constraints on emissions. These compressors have been in operation for over several years, most- ly in land-based installations in North America and Europe. The compressor is tested in the factory, as are the motor and Variable Frequency Drive. A feld perfor- mance test is ofered at site. TI July/August 2008 Turbomachinery International 35 www.turbomachinerymag.com Figures 3, 4: A 100-ton tilt table (left) and a 100-ton transporter (right)