Professional Documents
Culture Documents
TRB Handbook 2023 Web
TRB Handbook 2023 Web
TRB Handbook 2023 Web
63
TURBOMACHINERY INTERNATIONAL • HANDBOOK 2023 • VOL. 63
HANDBOOK
2023
View our video to see the process. MD&A is your full-service, OEM-alternative!
Features
CONNECT WITH US:
www.turbomachinerymag.com
www.turbohandbook.com
@ Turbomachinery International
MTracey@MJHLifeSciences.com
ARobb@mmhgroup.com
TLukac@mjhlifesciences.com
TURBO SPEAK
6 SAVE THE PLANET OR
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON?
Just as overreliance on gas is causing
problems in Europe, too much
dependency on renewables is leading
to challenges for the U.S. grid.
Drew Robb
34 15
8 INDUSTRY NEWS
The latest news from the GAS TURBINES
turbomachinery sector, major OEMs, 32 WORLDWIDE GAS
suppliers, service shops, and TURBINE FORECAST
component manufacturers.
The gas turbine sales forecast
TURBO TIPS for the coming decade.
16 COMPARING Carter Palmer
46 NEW PRODUCTS
New turbomachinery related
products and components.
MYTH BUSTERS
113 SINGLE PIECE
COMPRESSOR
IMPELLERS
Cover shot: A Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Arguments in favor of multi-piece
Compressor Corporation ammonia syngas compressor impeller manufacturing.
train.
Klaus Brun and Rainer Kurz
www.turbomachinerymag.com Turbomachinery International • Handbook 2023 • 3
HANDBOOK 2023
77 Boilers — Suppliers
Steam Turbines U.S. Power Outlook Suppliers & Service Providers
Compressors & Expanders Product Categories
FIVE-AXIS
tlukac@mjhlifesciences.com Iselin, NJ 08830
Tel: 201-600-3846
Executive Correspondents MDiLorenzo@mjhlifesciences.com
Klaus Brun, Amin Almasi, Mark Axford
Creative Director—Publishing
Melissa Feinen
GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SWITZERLAND
Sven Anacker
InterMediaPartners GmbH
MACHINING
Art Director
Wassana Techadilok
Beyeroehde 14
Wuppertal, D-42389, Germany
AND
Custom Content Group
Tel: 49-202-271-690 Fax: 49-202-271-6920
sanacker@intermediapartners.de POST PROCESSING
Robert Alaburda, Director
Jeanne Linke, Managing Editor UK, BENELUX, SCANDINAVIA, ITALY, FRANCE
Megan Manzano, Senior Editor Ferruccio Silvera
Shannon Stolz, Senior Editor Viale Monza 24 PRAEWEST.COM
PRAEWEST.COM
Alissa Marrapodi, Writer 20127 Milano, Italy
Tel: 39-022846716 Fax: 39-022893849
MJH Life Sciences ferruccio@silvera.it
JAPAN
President and CEO Yoshinori Ikeda
Mike Hennessy Jr Pacific Business, Inc., Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: 81-3-3661-6138 Fax: 81-3-3661-6139 PRÄWEST_2112_Anzeige 57x120_Compressor-Impeller_RZ.indd
08.12.21
1 18:04
Chief Financial Officer
Neil Glasser, CPA/CFE pbi2010@gol.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS © 2023 MultiMedia Pharma Sciences LLC. All rights reserved. No part
of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by
For subscription/circulation inquiries, email mmhinfo@mmhgroup.com
any means, electronic or mechanical including by photocopy, recording, +49 (0) 5064 9040
or send via mail to: Turbomachinery International, PO Box 457, info@franke-filter.com
or information storage and retrieval without permission in writing from
Cranbury, NJ 08512-0457 www.franke-filter.com
the publisher.
India is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Development in the just 1275 BU. With coal making up so much of the energy economy,
energy sector has skyrocketed, and so too has awareness of there isn’t much to fall back on when production lines are held up.
dependence on coal. India stands as the world’s second-largest One project the country has been working towards to address
coal consumer and producer, with roughly half of its 403 GW this problem is the Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant in Gujarat. It’s
installed capacity using coal. Let’s look at what’s being done to the first Indian-designed 700 MWe pressurized heavy water
diversify India’s energy mix. reactor (PHWR). Another project is being contracted out to
Exploitation of India’s natural resources is a necessity for eco- Siemens Gamesa Renewable Power (SGRP). SGRP will supply
nomic growth. India holds the fourth largest coal reserves in the onshore wind turbines for Indian energy firm Azure Power Global.
world at over 350 billion metric tons (MT). India predicts $54.5 bil- It’s sending 96 SG 3.6-145 onshore wind turbines for the compa-
lion in investments for clean coal projects through 2031. While the ny’s first wind energy project.
technology is proven for carbon emission reduction, it’s costly and While recent advances have seen an uptick in natural gas,
requires vast investment to reach large-scale implementation. biomass, oil, and renewables, coal still reigns supreme.
The power ministry predicts an increase in power requirements for Government initiatives and positive media coverage may inspire
coal at 1375 billion units (BU) for 2021-22, and 1650 BU for 2022- action, but India is still troubled by a coal reliance that will take
2023. This is a great increase from 2020-21, where demand was decades and billions of dollars to remedy.
Process Industry
solutions expertise
www.man-es.com
FIRSTSECOND
INDUSTRYNEWS
MITSUBISHI DIGEST
Mitsubishi Power is being contracted by
Taiwan Power Company (TPC) for a
renovation of power generation equip-
ment at the Datan Power Plant in the city
of Taoyuan. The contract covers a total
of four units of gas turbine combined
cycle power plants. Mitsubishi Power
supplied 14 of these for Units 1-6. Six
for Units 1-2 are M501F models, and
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 targets carbon-producing facilites the remaining eight are M501G mod-
els. When done, it will have an output
of 7,000 MW.
US DECARBONIZATION EFFORT Mitsubishi Power is reprovisioning
BY TIMOTHY LUKAC
the GT5, GT6, and GT7 gas turbines at
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) lowers carbon emissions through increased regu- the Lamma Power Station for Hongkong
lation. It targets a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases (GHG) by 2030, using 2005 levels Electric (HK Electric). The three gas tur-
as a reference. The IRA gives power to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) by bine systems use Mitsubishi M701D gas
requiring certain facilities to report methane emissions. The methane fee penalizes those turbines. Mitsubishi Power supplies the
found emitting excess levels of CH4 (more than 25,000 metric tons of CO2-equivelant power generation systems, and the gen-
GHG a year). It’s a penalty of $900 per metric ton of methane, going up to $1,500 after erators are manufactured by Mitsubishi
two years. The measures are set to begin in 2024, with tougher restrictions on the way by Electric Corporation. The station will con-
2026. These rules redefine how the power generation industry views GHG. tinue combined cycle operation.
Financial incentives are the highlight of the IRA. Clean energy tax credits are being
expanded, which quickens growth for wind, solar, batteries, and electric vehicles. Billions Datan Power Plant
will end up in nuclear, hydrogen, carbon capture methods and storage, and electric heat
pumps. The Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee sets aside $40 billion for projects
that cut back on GHG emissions. Batteries using critical minerals (lithium, nickel, cobalt,
Sumith Nunkham/ Adobe stock
manganese, and graphite) from foreign entities of concern (China, Russia, North Korea,
Iran, and more) are no longer eligible for tax breaks. Solar, wind, and batteries will
receive $30 billion through 2030 for the production of domestic components.
Petroleum is the most abundantly used source in energy generation. Congress wants to
take a bigger bite of the pie for renewables. The IRA promises decarbonization and more
renewables. While the overall goal is carbon curtailment, economic outcomes ultimately
remain unknown. It will be interesting to see the effects of the new measures.
2510 Metropolitan Drive | Trevose, PA 19053 | United States | Tel. 215‐639‐0900 | sales@s‐k.com
SOFTINWAY AXSTREAM CONTRACT
SoftInWay and Meggitt Defense Systems are entering a part- Throttle Trip Valves
nership to bring the newest of Meggitt’s turbomachinery tech- 3” - 24” to 2500# Class
nology to the Aerospace and Defense Industry. Meggitt
specializes in setups found within the aerospace and defense Non Return Valves
world including thermal management systems, aerospace
pumps and fans, ammunition handling systems, aeromechani-
4” - 30” to 1500# Class
cal systems, and more. Meggitt will use SoftInWay Designed in accordance
AxSTREAM to conceptualize and improve existing machines with applicable codes
for turbomachinery and propulsion system design and engi- • ASME BPVC Section VIII
neering services. • ANSI B16.34 & B16.5
• API 611
• NEMA SM23/24
Nuclear could help subsidize losses from reductions in Russian natural gas imports
TURBO-HYDROGEN BOOK
Publisher Elsevier is releasing a new
book titled Machinery and Energy
Systems for the Hydrogen Economy,
edited by Klaus Brun and Tim Allison. It
provides engineers and scientists with
knowledge about the design of infra-
structure for the hydrogen economy.
With over 40 individual expert con-
tributors, it covers all major machinery,
heat engine types, designs, production,
storage, distribution, and consumption.
Its primary focus is on machinery and
heat engine design implementation
within various production, transport, and
storage use cases.
GE DIGEST
GE Gas Power is providing Polish energy company Energa SA with an 9HA.02 for its
Ostroleka C combined cycle power plant. Operations will commence in 2025, with
an installed capacity of 745 MW. The plant will be powered by a GE 9HA.02 50hz
gas turbine, an STF-D650 steam turbine, a W88 generator, a Heat Recovery Steam
Generator (HRSG) and GE’s Mark VIe Distributed Control System (DCS). GE will
provide full engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) for the plant.
Indeck Energy Services is staring commercial operation for the Indeck Niles
Energy Center in Michigan. GE is providing H-Class combined cycle plant equipment
Ribbon cutting ceremony at the Siemens
to Indeck Niles and will provide parts, repairs, and maintenance services for 25 Energy Innovation Center in Orlando, FL
years. The plant features two GE 7HA.02 gas turbines powering two H65 generators,
an STF-D600 steam turbine powering an H84 generator, and two HRSGs, along with
a Mark VIe Distributed Control System (DCS) software solution. Auxiliary equipment SIEMENS DIGEST
installed includes dry low-NOx burners using selective catalytic reduction technology Siemens Energy is expanding its Innovation
to control NOx levels. Center – Orlando. The Center is its global
GE and Azito Energie are starting simple cycle operation of the Azito Phase IV hub dedicated to R&D, rapid prototyping,
power plant, located in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. GE is providing a GT13E2 2012 MXL2 and testing. This enhances the facility’s
gas turbine, power generation equipment, analytics, and controls software, and a machine shop and technical application
20-year service agreement. The plant will add 180 MW, or 8% of the country’s cur- area, including its additive manufacturing
rent installed capacity. capabilities and use of robotics to inspect
Lastly, GE is rebranding itself under three future companies in aviation, energy, & and repair components for equipment.
healthcare. GE Aerospace will be the name of GE’s aviation business. GE’s energy Siemens Energy is the single solution sup-
portfolio will sit under the brand name GE Vernova. GE HealthCare will be the name plier for the all-electric Woodfibre LNG proj-
of GE’s healthcare business. ect near Squamish, in British Columbia,
GE Vernova starts in 2024. The name is a mashup of the Spanish word verde for Canada. The LNG facility will be sized for
green and the Latin nova for new. This branding effort follows a trend to decarbonize 2.1 million tonnes per year and utilize renew-
company names in power generation and oil & gas. For example, Statoil became able hydroelectricity for an 80% reduction in
Equinor and PowerGen EU became Enlit. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
In 2023, Wien Energie, RheinEnergie,
The new Indeck Niles Energy Center provides 1.1 GW of electricity Siemens Energy, and Verbund will blend
hydrogen into the energy generation mix as
part of a trial, the first of its kind involving a
commercially used F-class gas turbine in
combined cycle operation. The project
involves installing improved turbine blades, a
new combustion system, thermal gas ana-
lyzer, and control system.
CAPSTONE DIGEST
Capstone Green Energy is sending C1000S
and C600S microturbines totaling 1.6 MW
to a bottling and packaging solutions pro-
vider. The microturbines will be placed at the
manufacturer’s Guadalajara, Mexico facility
and provide around-the-clock electrical
power and thermal energy for the plant.
A 600 kW microturbine system has
been installed at a renewable natural gas
station in Kansas. The new system will pro-
vide power for gas compression operations
at a remote site where no utility electricity is
available. It’s driven by a Capstone C600S
configured for dual mode. It will use the
high-pressure natural gas available on-site.
IREN THERMOELECTRIC
PLANT
The first firing of the steam turbine
at the combined cycle plant in
Turbigo was successful. Overall
output is now raised to 1,280
MW. Ansaldo Energia supplied
and installed the main compo-
nents. These include an AE94.3A
gas turbine, generators, step-up
transformers, and a heat recovery
steam generator (HRSG). They
also handled the construction,
assembly, and supply of mechani-
cal and electrical auxiliary sys-
tems. The Turbigo Plant
repowering is part of Iren Group’s
Industrial Plan @ 2030, which
seeks balance in electrical gener-
ation from renewable sources. The Turbigo thermoelectric plant in Milan, Italy Credit: Ansaldo Energia
regalrexnord.com/KopFlexRecert
Regal Rexnord, Creating a better tomorrow and Kop-Flex are are
trademarks of Regal Rexnord Corporation or one of its affiliated companies.
© 2016, 2022 Regal Rexnord Corporation, All Rights Reserved. MC21067E • Form# 10042E Creating
eating A Better T
Tomorrow
COMPARING COMPRESSORS
VSD Double-Casing Compressors vs Integrally Geared Compressors
BY AMIN ALMASI
M
odern centrifugal compressors using double-end vari- It is true that a compressor string with two gearboxes, two
able-speed electric motors are high performance, effi- compressor casings and a VSD electric motor might result in a
cient and reliable options for critical compressor complicated torsional situation. In cases where torsional vibra-
services. The compressor train is usually equipped tion frequencies coincide with resonance frequencies, large tor-
with two compressor casings coupled through two gear units on sional deflections, and internal stresses could be generated.
either side of a double-end variable speed drive (VSD) electric Continuous operation
motor. Alternatively, a high-speed VSD electric motor can be under resonance condi-
used without any gear unit, or just one gear unit for the In high-pressure tions could result in
high-pressure casing. fatigue failure. Overall,
A compressor of this type can easily compress a large vol- process gas however, the dynamic
ume of gas from the atmospheric level to a pressure above 150
Barg using a single train with two compressor bodies (casings), applications, the and torsional situation is
less complex compared
and each casing having eight or nine impellers. For some rela-
tively heavy gases, discharge pressure above 250 Barg could VSD double-casing to the ones of integrally
geared compressors.
easily be achieved using such a compressor train. Modern elec-
tric motor-driven compressors offer high reliability and avail-
compressor In alternative config-
urations, high-speed
ability, if designed, manufactured, and operated properly. A
single shutdown every four years would not be unusual.
configuration is VSD electric-motors
with one gear unit or
Single-end electric motor-coupled to two or three compres- often a better direct-drive arrange-
sor casings have been the traditional configuration for
multi-casing centrifugal compressors. One of the problems with option that an ment, the dynamic situ-
ation is usually more
a single-end electric motor has been difficulties in accessing the
casings in the middle of the compressor train. integrally geared favourable than with
gear units or integrally
compressor. geared compressors.
The elimination of one
INTEGRALLY GEARED COMPRESSORS or both gear units can
An integrally geared compressor is a multi-shaft centrifugal ease the situation. Such a direct-drive configuration can offer
compressor which has different compressor casings, each driven better operation, efficiency and reliability.
by a pinion gear through a main gear. This is a cost effective Another factor to consider is that VSD electric motors gen-
and compact compressor option which offers many advantages. erate pulsating torques. Even if the pulsating torques are very
Typical benefits are high efficiency, low cost, lightness, and small with respect to the main torque, they can excite compres-
small footprint. Each individual impeller speed can be selected sor train resonances with risks of damage to shafts or couplings.
and optimized for the best overall performance and efficiency. But aVSD double-casing compressor can be configured to
The combined compressor package including intercoolers, improve access to bearings, seals and rotating assemblies. This
aftercooler and piping can also be configurated in a very cost compressor arrangement typically does not require intercon-
effective and compact unit. So which is best? necting piping to be removed for normal maintenance access.
For process applications which require dry gas seals, a VSD Also, the allowable nozzle loads can be two or three times the
double-casing compressor train might be a better option since allowable nozzle loads as per API-617. All these can offer a bet-
the integrally-geared option might require 10 separate dry gas ter piping, access and maintenance compared to integrally
seals compared to four in a double-casing configuration. In geared compressors, which mandate much lower nozzle loads
addition, variable-speed operation (which could be in the 70%- (API-617 ones or even lower). Too often, expansion-joints are
105% range of nominal speed for double-casing machinery needed. As an indication, nearly 50% of large integrally geared
using a double-end VSD electric motor) might offer greater compressors in critical services have one or more nozzles with
operational flexibility compared to fixed-speed integrally geared expansion joints.
compressors. An integrally geared compressor cannot be vari- Integrally geared compressors often use many interstage
able speed due to complexity and design limitations. They use a coolers and particularly large numbers of water-cooled heat-ex-
less flexible inlet guide vane capacity control method. changers combined in a compact package configuration. For a
C
onventional wisdom held that President Biden’s plan to ENERGY TRANSITION
decarbonize the U.S. Power industry was wounded criti- In 2014, when then-President Barack Obama first proposed his
cally, if not fatally, by the one-two punch of the U.S. Clean Power Plan to reduce carbon emissions from coal-fired
Supreme Court’s Clean Air Act ruling in West Virginia v. power plants by an estimated 870 million metric tons by 2030
EPA and U.S. Senator Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) resistance to compared with a 2005 baseline. The rule was finalized in 2015,
supporting Biden’s plan to fight climate change. but was never implemented because the U.S. Supreme Court,
But Manchin reversed course and agreed to support a in a highly unusual step, blocked it. Years of litigation followed.
slimmed-down piece of legislation, the Inflation Reduction Act of The Clean Power Plan was the most litigated rulemaking that
2022, that would direct an estimated $369 billion to renewable never went into effect in U.S. history.
energy and climate-change measures. That law broadened and While litigants wrestled, the market moved. For more than a
extended the federal government’s intervention in the power decade, electric utilities, perhaps seeing the writing on the wall
industry that stemmed from the 2021 Infrastructure Investment but certainly driven by the Clean Air Mercury Rule of 2005
and Jobs Act (IIJA), which directed tens of billions of dollars into and the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule finalized by the
various aspects of electric power generation and grid reliability EPA in 2012, began closing coal-fired generators or switching
and resilience. But the U.S. power business appears to be headed them to burn natural gas instead. Federal activity on carbon
for cleaner and greener pastures, according to new-build power regulation was also backstopped by state public utility commis-
plant data tracked by Industrial Info Resources (IIR). sions, which compelled utilities to file integrated resource plans
Whether the U.S. generating fleet is cleaning and greening (IRPs) on their proposed long-term electric generation options.
fast enough to make a dent in global climate change is the ques- Increasingly, those IRPs focused on decarbonization as well as
tion. The Paris Agreement of 2015 pledged to take action to low-cost options. As renewable energy became more competi-
limit global temperature gain to either 1.5°Celsius or 2°C above tive with traditional fossil-fueled generation, regulators pressed
pre-industrial times. The globe is nearly there, with cumulative utilities to switch to the cleaner generation.
temperature gain of approximately 1.2° C through 2022. Long before the Supreme Court handed down its decision
As the U.S. emerged from COVID-19 restrictions in 2021 in West Virginia v. EPA, the market accomplished what lawmak-
and the government distributed trillions of dollars of aid, con- ers and regulators could not: meaningfully reducing CO2
sumers engaged in “vengeance spending,” scooping up cars,
taking vacations, and renovating homes. 2,500
The reckoning started in late 2021 and mounted in 2022 as
1,983 1,986
prices rose for all goods and services — including energy. 1,953 1,958 1,828
Million metric tons of CO2 emitted
by U.S. Coal-Fired Power Plants
2,000
Gradually, the U.S. public became familiar with supply chain 1,740 1,723 1,571
1,568
bottlenecks. Across the U.S. economy, inflation rose to a 1,512 1,351
four-decade high, scrambling the energy sector. For the power 1,500 1,242
1,207
generation industry, the wait list for new transformers stretched 1,153
974
as long as three years. 1,000
787
As natural gas prices shot up, coal made some opportunistic
market-share gains among operating power plants. But the 500
sharp price increase of fossil fuels is expected to cause U.S. elec-
tric demand growth to revert to the mean of between 0% and 0
1% in 2022 and 2023, according to a global electricity report
06
05
08
09
20
07
10
16
18
19
12
13
14
15
17
11
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
There is, however, no evidence that gas vs. coal jockeying Year
for market share among operating power plants has had any
bearing on the power industry’s new-build rush to renewables. Figure 1: Annual carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants.
Tracking
Active Projects
Valued at
emissions from coal-fired power plants. Between 2005 and Not all of that new generating capacity will be built as
2020, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration scheduled over the next five years. Depending on the technolo-
(EIA), CO2 emissions from coal-fired power plants dropped by gies involved and developers’ ability to secure financing, lock
about 1.2 billion metric tons — far exceeding the aims of the down offtake arrangements, and achieve regulatory support, we
Obama Clean Power Plan (Figure 1). typically see between one-quarter and one-half of all announced
As a demonstration of how far and fast the market has projects delayed or cancelled. Higher interest rates mean that
moved, renewable energy is now expected to account for about fewer projects will pencil out. But then again, as we have seen
94% of all new-build power plant construction over the 2023- over the last 30 years, new power projects are announced on a
2027 period. That is up from 88% of all new-build project kick- near-daily basis.
offs only a year ago. Five years ago, renewable energy was Bottom line: Renewable power developers are in the green,
expected to account for about 56% of all new-build power plant and carbon-based developers are singing the blues.
activity over the 2018-2022 period.
For the 2023-2027 period, the rush to renewables is general-
ized across the U.S., but is particularly pronounced in New COAL OUTLOOK
England, where renewables are scheduled to account for 100% IIR is not aware of any new-build coal-fired power project that
of planned power plant construction, the Midwest (98%), the is scheduled to begin construction between 2023 and 2027.
West Coast and Rocky Mountains (both 96%), and the This continues a long downward trend for new-build coal as
Northeast (92%) (see map). well as in the number of coal miners and overall coal use by the
Overall, developers have scheduled the construction of power sector. Coal burned by U.S. electricity generators is
about 405 GW of new generation over the next five years. That expected to fall slightly in 2022, to about 482 million metric
is up about 28% from a year ago, and nearly double the tons, and a further decline for 2023 is forecast by EIA (Fig. 3).
planned capacity additions from two years ago (Figure 2). Employment in coal mines held steady at about 38,000, as
500
mines and their customers rationalized the demand for
and supply of thermal coal (Fig. 4).
U.S. New-Build Generation (Gigawatts)
450
400
405 The IRA and IIJA laws provide some federal dollars
350
for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), which could
316
300
help existing coal-fired power plants stay open. But we
250 242 think those credits, on their own, will not be enough to
213 217 214 212 214
200 194 182 help make any proposed new-build coal plants move for-
165 157 164
150
ward. Over the next five years, most of the project spend-
100
ing that will take place among coal-fired power generators
50
is expected to be for: dismantlement & demolition (D&D);
0
environmental remediation, such as closure and clean-up
of coal ash ponds; and in-plant capital spending on main-
20 15
20 16
20 17
20 18
20 25
20 26
7
01
02
02
02
02
02
02
0
0
0
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
11
12
17
13
14
21
15
20
22
23
18
16
19
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
180
160
140
Thousands of Persons
120
100
80
60
40
20
1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020
Shaded areas indicate U.S. recessions Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics fred.stlouisfed.org
22
20
23
21
25
24
16
14
18
12
13
15
19
17
11
Numerous asset owners announced the closure of coal-
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
fired power plants in 2022 or moved up the closure dates. Total Units
During the year, the PJM Interconnection deactivated about CONFIDENTIAL — No portion of this presentation may be reproduced without prior
3.2 GW of coal-fired generation, most of which was owned written consent. © 2022 Industrial Info Resources, Inc. 1-713-783-5147
$140
many other announcements along these lines. $120
$121
Another driver working against new-build coal genera- $82
$103
$100
($ Trillions)
09
10
11
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
06
08
12
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
20
owned by retired or retiring coal-fired power plants are their Dollars Invested Under Principles of Responsible Investment (PRI) Guidelines
transmission lines and their land. Numerous coal-fired plant Source: U.N. Principles for Responsible Investment
sites — including those in Illinois, Colorado, Nevada, New
Mexico, North Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota and Maryland Figure 6: ESG investing continues to grow.
— are slated to be transformed into renewable energy and/
or battery energy storage projects in the next few years, Renewables Gas
according to an investigation by The New York Times. In addi- 100%
88%
94%
tion, two retired coal-fired power plants in Massachusetts 90% 82%
and New Jersey are scheduled to be converted to receive 80% 72%
New Build Generation:
power generated by offshore wind farms. Further out, Bill 58% 55% 57% 55% 57%
60%
Gates-backed TerraPower has plans to build a small nuclear 50%
power plant on the grounds of a Wyoming coal-fired power 40%
plant that is scheduled to be closed in the late 2020s. 30% 39%
43% 41% 41% 41%
36%
20% 26%
21%
10% 19% 18% 18%
11% 5%
NATURAL GAS OUTLOOK 0%
The outlook for new-build natural gas generation in the U.S.
-15
-16
-17
-18
20 9
0
20 1
20 2
20 3
20 4
20 5
20 6
7
-1
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
-2
11
12
13
14
15
17
21
20
22
23
18
16
19
20
20
20
20
20
to the 2023-2027 period, that erosion is expected to con- Five-Year Construction Period
Source: IIR
tinue. Over the next five years, new-build natural gas gener-
ators are scheduled to account for only 5% of all new power Figure 7: Proposed new-build generation, renewables vs. gas.
WATERWALL HRSG
DESIGNS AVAILABLE TO HIGH DEGREE OF
SUPPORT HIGH LEVELS SHOP FABRICATION
OF DUCT FIRING. TO MINIMIZE FIELD
ERECTION TIME.
COMPLETE SYSTEMS
CUSTOM DESIGNED
FOR THE MOST
STRINGENT CUSTOMER
SPECIFICATIONS.
COVERSTORY
into law in late 2021 by President Biden. New-build hydro Nuclear Power Station, is scheduled to finish construction in
could also benefit from the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, 2023. Years late and billions of dollars over budget, the Vogtle
depending on how the enabling legislation is written: Will hydro unit additions, totaling 2,234 MW, were expected to be the
be defined as a “renewable” source of energy? Given that peo- showcase of a revived nuclear industry when they were
ple define “renewable energy” differently, we thought it would announced in 2008.
be helpful to provide a more granular look at how plans to build The two new units now have an estimated $32 billion price
renewable energy break down. tag, nearly three times the original cost of $12 billion. If the
units are brought online in 2023, it will be roughly seven years
Solar after the first unit was scheduled to begin commercial opera-
The “run to the sun” has accelerated in recent years. In a cate- tions. The owners, led by project manager Georgia Power
gory once dominated by wind power, plans to build solar gener- Company, are embroiled in litigation over who pays what for
ation have taken a decisive lead, with 49% of planned the project. And GPC can expect some tough questioning from
renewable new-build capacity, or about 184 GW, set to begin the Georgia Public Service Commission when prudency hear-
construction over the next five years (Fig. 8). Areas with the ings begin.
greatest amount of planned solar generation construction As difficult as the Vogtle experience has been, and for the
include the Rocky Mountains (55 GW), Southwest (52 GW), Virgil C. Summer Nuclear Power Station before it, at least
Great Lakes (26 GW) and West Coast (13 GW). A huge coun- those plants succeeded in getting steel in the ground. Another
tervailing factor that could limit the growth in new-build solar is
the rise in prices that started to become evident in 2021. The
supply-chain bottlenecks and soaring costs for materials have U.S. utility-scale battery storage capacity, 2016-2021
derailed or delayed some of these planned solar projects. Capacity
(megawatts)
5,000
Wind
4,500
Among renewable projects, wind power has long been the hare 4,000
to the solar industry’s tortoise. But for the next five years, wind 3,500
power will fall into second place with about 22% of all new- 3,000
build generation, or about 82 GW. The U.S. regions with the 2,500
greatest amount of wind power project activity over the 2023- 2,000
2027 period, measured on a GW basis, include the Rocky 1,500
Mountains (about 23 GW), Midwest (17 GW), Southwest 1,000
(10 GW), and New England and Great Lakes (9 GW each). 500
0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Energy storage non-regional transmission organization (RTO)
Plans to build battery energy storage systems (BESS) have sky- regional transmission organization (RTO)
rocketed in recent years. Developers have announced plans to
build as much as 64 GW of BESS over the next five years. Data
Figure 9: BESS operating capacity shoots up.
from the EIA shows that developers proposed to sharply increase
large-scale BESS projects between 2022 and 2024. Operational
BESS capacity more than tripled in 2021, to 4.6 GW from 1.4
GW in 2020, according to the EIA (Fig 9). Most of that capacity Cumulative Battery Capacity
was being deployed by regional transmission organizations 25,000
(RTOs). Going forward, construction of new BESS capacity is
expected to surge. The EIA projects BESS capacity will shoot up 20,000
from an estimated 4.6 GW in 2021 to about 22 GW by 2025
(Fig. 10). About 382 BESS projects are scheduled to be built over 15,000
the next five years, valued collectively at about $81.1 billion. The
regions with the greatest amount of BESS construction activity 10,000
are the: Rocky Mountains, with 76 projects valued at $33.3 bil-
lion; Southwest, with 109 projects valued at $23 billion; and West 5,000
Coast, with 76 projects valued at $12 billion.
0
3/2021
6/2021
8/2021
10/2021
12/2021
6/1970
1/2015
4/2016
4/2017
4/2018
12/2018
6/2019
1/2020
7/2020
12/2020
3/2022
5/2022
6/2022
6/2022
8/2022
10/2022
12/2022
3/2023
6/2023
12/2023
5/2024
7/2025
NUCLEAR OUTLOOK
The first iteration of the nuclear renaissance looks like it will be
ending with a whimper, not a bang: the last new-build nuclear
power project, the two-unit addition to the Alvin W. Vogtle Figure 10: Actual and planned BESS capacity.
nuclear plant announced at the same In another sign of a nuclear resur- INDEPENDENT ENERGY
time as Vogtle, the Green River Blue gence, some in California are advocating OUTLOOK
Castle Nuclear Power Station in Utah, that Diablo Canyon remain open after its Project spending by commercial, indus-
hasn’t made it out of the starting gate, scheduled closure dates of 2024-25, to trial, and institutional (CI&I) customers
and may never. That two-unit project, provide generation and grid support for to construct non-utility generation in the
with total generating capacity of 2,000 the energy-hungry Golden State. U.S. has increased in recent years, and
MW, has been under development since
2008. It was designed to use two
Westinghouse AP1000 reactors before
Westinghouse exited the nuclear business
with a 2017 Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Currently, the developer plans to begin
construction in 2025. There are more
questions than answers for that
Utah project.
For a lot of reasons, utility leaders have
been looking elsewhere for carbon-free
generation that can be dispatched. The
thinking now is the future is smaller —
specifically, small modular reactors
(SMR). One SMR design, from NuScale
Power, received an approval from the
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in
August 2020. The Utah Associated
Municipal Power Systems is trying to
develop SMRs at Idaho Falls, Idaho. And
Terra Power is eyeing construction of a
different type of nuclear reactor, a sodi-
um-cooled plant to be built at a soon-to-be
retired coal-fired power plant in
Wyoming. Both of those projects are
scheduled to begin construction toward
the end of the 2023-2027 timeframe. Also
near the end of 2023-2027, the Tennessee
Valley Authority and OPG (Ontario
Power Generation) plan to begin con-
struction of SMRs in Oak Ridge,
Tennessee.
The Inflation Reduction Act law con-
tained production tax credits for nuclear,
recognizing its role in decarbonizing the
electricity industry. IIR doesn’t think those
tax credits will be enough, on their own, to
lead to new-build nuclear power plants
over the next five years, but they would
help keep existing plants open. On that
front, license-renewal applications for sev-
eral plants are likely over the next few
years, including Comanche Peak (Units 1
& 2) in late 2022, Perry in 2023 and
Clinton in 2024. IIR also is tracking almost
$1.5 billion in scheduled maintenance
activity and more than $33 billion of
in-plant nuclear capital spending over the
next five years. These figures don't include
new-build nuclear construction projects.
IIR expects that trend will continue over the 2023-2027 period. MICROGRIDS OUTLOOK
There are various drivers: Microgrids are becoming more popular among CI&I customers
• Renewable onsite generation is being constructed by CI&I for the same reasons as independent energy production. When
customers for decarbonization or GHG-reduction goals. powered by renewable generation, microgrids sometimes are
• Some large customers have been investing in onsite genera- part of an organization’s decarbonization push. When powered
tion to ensure always-on power. by fossil fuels, microgrids may backstop utility-supplied power.
• Some are building onsite generation to offset the rising cost Microgrids can be part of grid strengthening and hardening, as
of electricity from utilities. we see after each bout of extreme weather.
• Large energy-hungry operations like data centers and bit- Spending on microgrids could reach several billion dollars
coin-mining operations have built industrial energy produc- annually during 2023-2027. CI&I customers and utilities are
ers (IEPs) to ensure predictably priced power. finding that microgrids can fill an important need. Some utili-
• Local environmental regulations are causing some to replace ties deploy them as part of a multifaceted effort to prevent
diesel-powered generators with natural gas or even renew- wildfires, or to support remote communities at risk of outages.
able natural gas. The industrial sector looks to microgrids for onsite power
• Some power-sensitive manufacturers have resorted to build- during times of need and for protection against cybercrimi-
ing generation when local power quality is low. nals. Microgrids also provide power to the grid during peak
• CI&I customers that are remotely sited are installing inde- demand. Industrial Info is tracking plans to invest more than
pendent power generation to ensure 24/7 operations. $2.4 billion in microgrids over the next five years, (not count-
ing potential commercial or residential). Microgrid projects
Sometimes this non-utility generation powers a microgrid. are experiencing supply chain shortages, and competition for
Other times it is for standby or emergency uses. As more com- required skilled workers and equipment.
panies in the CI&I sector tabulate the true cost of power out- In the same way that transmission organizations and local
ages or low power quality, we expect a growing number will utilities sometimes call on independent energy generators to
choose to install their own generation. fire up and provide generation or capacity to the grid during
New opportunities for this generation are presenting times of high demand or resilience events, microgrid operators
themselves. Although the idea behind distributed generation are receiving similar emergency requests for grid support.
is that it will be used to power a particular site, ISOs and
RTOs increasingly are seeking to interconnect the non-utility
generation with the grid in order to provide reserve power or LOOKING AHEAD
voltage support when grid-connected generation is stressed or Over the 2023-2027 period, we expect new-build power to be
stretched. Several independent system operators (ISOs) and characterized by market disruptions including: Technologies
RTOs across the country count on these resources to be that generate electricity or support transmission and distribu-
ready to operate when the grid needs them. ERCOT, the sys- tion; economic assessments of options; environmental regula-
tem operator that supports most of Texas, is counting on tions and exigencies surrounding generation; the regulatory
these generators. Several times during 2022, ERCOT has framework; inflow of federal funds to support generation tech-
called upon these resources to help meet the state’s peak elec- nologies; and consumer expectations.
tric demand. The predicted rise of electric transport will likely add new
Other states, such as New York and California, are pushing strain to electric distribution networks and generation. But now,
to connect these independent energy generators to their respec- the power industry faces another disruption from employee
tive grids. Some studies have shown that use of onsite genera- expectations. A growing number want greater work flexibility.
tion assets can cut overall power generation spending by 20% If employers want to win the war for talent, they need to learn
or more. As the rising price of natural gas pushes up the price of to flexible and responsive to this aspect of industry disruption.
power purchase agreements, the installation of onsite power
assets is becoming more appealing. IIR is tracking plans to
spend more than $10 billion on non-utility generation over the Britt Burt is Vice President of Global Power Industry
2023-2027 period. That number does not include smaller gen- Research for Industrial Info Resources (IIR), which is
eration assets, such as rooftop solar or generators that have less headquartered in Sugar Land, Texas, and has offices
than 300 KW of capacity. in North America and around the world.
Non-utility generation, like all other segments of the power
business, is working to repair its damaged supply chain. The Brock Ramey is a North American Power Specialist for
current three-year wait for transformers, plus bottlenecks and IIR, which provides global market intelligence for
rising costs for solar photovoltaic and battery energy-storage companies in the power, heavy manufacturing and
materials, are evidence that broken supply chains are nowhere industrial process businesses. For more information see
near repaired. www.industrialinfo.com or email powergroup@industrialinfo.com.
WORLDWIDE GAS
TURBINE FORECAST
Positive Sales Projection for the Next Decade
BY CARTER PALMER
T
he gas turbine power generation market is on the way to Hydrogen’s entry into the market should not be under-
some normalcy after a decline in the mid-2010s and the stated, and is becoming an attractive option as a fuel for gas tur-
COVID-19 pandemic. With recovery in prospect, the shift bines. Green, blue, or gray hydrogen can be used to power
to greener machines is underway with the major turbine turbines. Green hydrogen especially can be produced in a car-
players announcing increasing amounts of hydrogen to power bon-neutral manner. When a turbine burns pure hydrogen, it
their turbines. Siemens Energy, General Electric, and Mitsubishi, emits no particulate or carbon monoxide emissions. This means
in particular, are developing burners to adapt to a natural gas the machine can be a renewable supplier of energy if the infra-
and hydrogen mix or even pure hydrogen. With that said, gas structure is there to transport the gas.
turbines will be needed moving forward to augment renewables, Either electrolysis for on-site hydrogen or pipelines are
especially in North America and Western Europe. Gas turbines needed to make hydrogen a reality in running gas turbines.
will continue to see advances in efficiency and will remain attrac- According to some sources, a natural gas pipeline can transport
tive options for power production. a mix of up to 15% hydrogen with little modification. Higher
This Forecast International market analysis of gas tur- mixtures would need adaptation. Over the mid- and long-term,
bine-powered electrical generation projects that sales over the the industry will be dominated by large combined-cycle facili-
period 2022-2031 will total $117.087 billion. This is indicative of ties in the industrialized nations, notably Japan and countries in
a recovery in the gas turbine electrical power generation market. Europe and Asia.
The recovery from the mid-2010s was somewhat thwarted in A major impact in the U.S. and Western Europe has been
2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID-19 hampered all the emphasis on conserving energy and adopting energy effi-
activity for a time, the pandemic should be seen as a blip in terms cient alternatives to existing equipment. For example, consum-
of turbine production and not a lasting effect. ers have been urged to switch from the old-style incandescent
$12B
$10B
$8B
$6B
$4B
$2B
$0
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
Gas turbines are expected to generate about $10 billion in sales in 2022.
This is forecast to climb gradually to more than $12 billion by 2031.
400
300
200
100
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
The number of gas turbines produced will increase steadily between 2022 and 2030.
This is the first time in a great many years that the industry has been forecast to experience steady expansion.
60000 MW
50000 MW
40000 MW
30000 MW
20000 MW
10000 MW
0 MW
2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031
250.0 to <500.0 MW 500.0 to <750.0 MW 50.0 to <100.0 MW 20.0 to <50.0 MW 150.0 to <250.0 MW
100.0 to <150.0 MW 10.0 to <20.0 MW 5.0 to <10.0 MW 1.0 to <5.0 MW 0.5 to <1.0 MW
0.2 to <3.0 MW 180.0 to <200.0 MW
The 250-500 MW and 500-750 MW turbine classes dominate the industry in terms of dollar value.
If anything, this trend will strengthen as the decade progresses.
lightbulbs to compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and to LED phenomenon, although the motivation may differ from region
bulbs. The cost savings are significant for the homeowner. In to region. In Europe and America, the primary driver is to
addition, it smooths out the spike in demand that takes place reduce electricity demand and thus reduce pollution and elimi-
when people come home from work. nate potentially harmful emissions. In other areas, the eco-
Changing user consumption profiles is a worldwide nomic benefits of new, power-efficient technologies are the
petercom
BRIGHTER FUTURE
Ansaldo Energia’s GT36 gas turbine is the top of the range for performance and
power in our portfolio. With our products and solutions, from EPC to service,
from digital twin to remote monitoring, Ansaldo Energia is ready to face the
challenges of the energy transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable future.
GASTURBINES
S
iemens Energy has expanded its Innovation Center in
Orlando, Florida. As the company’s first global hub for
innovation, it is dedicated to accelerating the develop-
ment of products and solutions to drive the energy transi-
tion through collaboration, rapid prototyping, and testing.
The company has spent more than $30 million over the last
few years in building its research & development operations in
Florida. Another $7 million during 2022 added an extra wing
as well as equipment for the machine shop, further additive
manufacturing (AM) machines, and more robotics to inspect
and repair components for equipment like turbines capable of
running on hydrogen. The expansion increases the space from
17,000 sq. ft. to 30,000 sq. ft.
“We operate with a start-up mentality, where ideas that
used to take six months to test now take six weeks,” said Rich
Voorberg, President, North America for Siemens Energy.
Siemens Energy Innovation Center CTO Cliff Hatcher showcases new
3D printing techniques being applied to blades
ON-SITE VISIT
Turbomachinery International visited the center during its
grand opening in October 2019. On our return in September
of 2022, it was immediately clear that things had changed con-
siderably. The company has substantially increased its manu-
facturing capability, increasing the volume of work in terms of
man hours by around three times. A tour highlighted the fact
that further space reorganization was ongoing to make room
for yet more equipment.
“We have skills in-house that span mechanical engineering,
electrical engineering, AI, welding, and a multitude of other
disciplines,” said Voorberg. “We need all kinds of machinery to
hand so we can develop prototypes rapidly and efficiently.”
Cliff Hatcher, CTO of the Innovation Center, led the tour.
He said that the center was originally an experiment to see the
effect of putting experts from multiple disciplines under one
roof. Based on its success over the past three years, similar cen-
ters are being established in Berlin, Abu Dhabi, and China. In
addition to new product and process developments, they will
function as showrooms for what Siemens Energy is doing in the
field of transformative technology.
“We wanted to be agile and have a footprint that could
change as market needs changed,” said Hatcher. “We can work
on one topic this week, and pivot immediately to another as
required.” Components made at the Innovation Center
EMERSON
Ovation Automation & Control Software for Turbomachinery
BY DREW ROBB
E
merson is a global technology and software company
headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. It provides solu-
tions across multiple markets and process industries,
including power, oil and gas, and downstream hydrocar-
bons, among others. This includes technologies to manage,
control, and optimize turbomachinery asset operation.
“Our portfolio includes automation & control software for
turbomachinery operating in the power generation and process
industries,” said Jim Nyenhuis, Manager of Performance
Consulting for the Power Industry at Emerson. “More specifi-
cally, we provide turbomachinery control systems, supervisory
control and data acquisition (SCADA), condition monitoring,
and safety systems complemented by operations management
software for asset and operations performance, data manage-
ment and digital twin simulation.”
In addition, the company offers digital solutions for predictive Fleetwide, plantwide, and remote controls are available
AI-driven maintenance, remote monitoring, automated opera- with the Emerson Ovation platform.
tional decision-making, and cybersecurity services designed to
identify vulnerabilities, close protection gaps, and secure process
control systems before an attack threatens to impact operations. equipped with varying levels of hands-on experience.
For functional safety (SIL), it offers SIL3-capable safety systems Additionally, there is increasing interest in leveraging digita-
together with an in-house expert team for SIL implementation lization and data analytics taking root in an environment where
on turbomachinery applications. The SIL safety system is inte- many plants continue to operate with controls and automation
grated with the Emerson control system.
Ovation System Display A MS Machine Works Display Legacy System Display
Protection & Prediction Advanced Condition Monitoring Protection-Only
The Ovation platform monitors vibration and other machinery health parameters
“The stress placed on rotating equipment can introduce center for longer-term, strategic analysis across the entire fleet.
premature component wear and other thermal- and mechani- “Remote and mobile capabilities enable secure and efficient
cal-related issues,” said Nyenhuis. “Failure events can develop access to data from anywhere at any time,” said Nyenhuis.
slowly and quickly escalate to failure with little to no warning, “This enables faster and more-precise responses to critical
putting the safety of plant operations and staff at risk. Vibration issues, as well as the ability to proactively address maintenance
and asset monitoring solutions identify developing faults well in issues, minimizing costs and improving safety.”
advance of breakdowns.” For compressor drive units, for example, progress has been
Such technology is also being implemented in fields such as made integrating the compressor and prime mover controls for
hydrogen generation, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and easier operation and maintenance and to streamline cybersecu-
energy storage. For example, Mitsubishi Power America’s rity protection. Such gains are enabled by many factors, includ-
Advanced Clean Energy Storage Hub uses renewable electric- ing advancements in the speed and bandwidth of networking
ity to power electrolyzers to produce green hydrogen. The technologies.
hydrogen is then stored in salt caverns and dispatched when
required to the Intermountain Power Project (IPP Renewed) to
generate electricity from hydrogen-fueled turbines. Emerson is DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION
providing an integrated Ovation control and safety platform to Digital transformation is being embraced across the industry as
optimize the hub’s production efficiency and help ensure safe organizations seek to boost operating efficiency, decrease down-
operations. time, and reduce costs. Advances in Internet of Things (IoT)
and automation technologies are opening the door to greater
levels of digitalization.
REMOTE MONITORING However, Nyenhuis cautions those engaged in digital trans-
Remote, real-time access to operations is more critical than formation that while a game-changer, it can also be a disruptor.
ever, especially with the increase of geographically dispersed It is not only about technology.
and often unmanned assets. Emerson has made progress in the “Organizations are increasingly factoring in not only pro-
establishment of remote operations centers. Control software cess and technology, but also their culture—seeking buy-in
detects the onset of an abnormal condition and alerts the opera- from the people who will be interacting most with the technol-
tor to take action to avert potential problems. Plant data can ogy,” he said. “This last element, commonly overlooked in the
also be sent to a centralized monitoring and diagnostics (M&D) past, is essential for successful digital transformation.”
GEARBOXES FOR
The integral gear unit combines several compres-
sor and expansion stages in one gear unit..
TURBOMACHINERY SYSTEMS
WHAT DO YOU OFFER actuator product range ensures reliable operation
IN THE TURBOMACHINERY SECTOR?
F
of turbines and industrial equipment.
ounded in 1867, Voith Group has more than
20,000 employees and locations in over 60
countries worldwide. The Voith Turbo divi- WHAT KEY TRENDS
sion offers intelligent drive technology, sys- DO YOU SEE EVOLVING?
tems, and services. Our family of geared variable In the thermal generation market, there has been
speed drives (GVSDs) includes mechanical and continuous adaptation to more stringent environ-
hybrid drive technology suitable for various indus- mental regulations. This trend will continue to Bill Quinn, Vice
trial applications such as compressors, pumps, play a pivotal role as almost every product President of New
fans, crushers, and generators. Furthermore, we required to sustain life is derived from the hydro- Business Sales Power,
Oil & Gas at Voith
have an extensive range of turbo gear units, previ- carbon molecule. We foresee newer processes and Turbo North America,
ously known as BHS Gears. We have expertise potential fuel sources coming to the fore; however, discusses gearing,
that covers almost the entire horsepower range of the critical installed base will continue to operate variable speed drives,
global installed machinery, and our controls and for the foreseeable future. and industry trends.
Turbomachinery equipment will remain vital to the hydrodynamic power transmission in combination with planetary
extraction, transport, and processing of oil & gas products. But gear. Thanks to the adjustable pump guide vanes in the torque con-
the transition to greener technology with electrification is result- verter, it offers an efficiency improvement of up to 8% at part load.
ing in a more extensive electric motor install base, especially This enables processes to run at precisely the required speed, result-
within greenfield and retrofit projects. Overall, the big trends ing in better efficiency and energy savings. The latest generation
are the development of hydrogen and carbon capture technol- VoreconNX is based upon components with a MTBF of 48 years in
ogy, sustainability, electrification, and digitalization. long-term operation. The integrated oil system supplies operating oil
At Voith Turbo, several R&D initiatives are in place with a for the torque converter while simultaneously providing the drive
focus on carbon capture and hydrogen technology. We partner motor and the driven machine with lubricating oil.
with engineering, procurement, and construction (EPCs) con- Since it was launched a few years back, Vorecon sales have
tractors and users to examine the market space and integrate remained relatively steady, and we engage interested customers
our solutions into potential new applications. We plan to sup- daily. This technology offers substantial Capex savings.
port the industry’s endeavor to become more sustainable.
YOKOGAWA/CCC DCS developed the CCC Inside for Yokogawa Centum VP solution
Over many years of operation, automation systems tend to that integrates process and rotating equipment controls in a sin-
become more complicated. Instead of operating from a single gle system. It incorporates CCC Inside turbomachinery control
platform such as a distributed control system (DCS), users con- algorithms with Yokogawa’s Centum VP DCS. This joint solu-
tend with a variety of specialized measurement & control prod- tion enables the use of a single hardware platform that stream-
ucts such as OEM programmable logic controllers (PLCs) lines the system architecture and results in a reduction in
integrated on compressor skids. But integration requires addi- interconnecting systems, protocols, and associated testing.
tional hardware, engineering, testing, and commissioning. As CCC’s user interface is integrated into the Centum VP
Systems can become less reliable due to complexity and because HMI, process control and compressor control are both avail-
PLCs are not as reliable as a DCS. Costs, maintenance time, able on the same HMI. CCC’s HMI libraries have been rebuilt
and staff training requirements are all impacted. And the orga- for Yokogawa’s operator displays, ensuring users have a win-
nization must content with multiple vendors. dow into the performance of their turbomachinery controls.
Compressors, for example, are the most commonly used The compressor map, faceplates, and commissioning tools will
rotating equipment in process plants. Consolidation of compres- be familiar to CCC users. Users can also take advantage of
sor controls and DCS is a sensible approach. But turbomachin- engineering utilities such as CCC Configurator and CCC Fast
ery engineering skillsets differ from those for other process units. Recorder to tune their turbomachinery controls and reliably
When the OEM PLC warranty expires, the user is free to replace record events.
it with a controller from a control’s specialist. Accordingly, YOKIGAWA.COM AND CCCGLOBAL.COM
Compressor Controls Corporation (CCC) and Yokogawa have
CCC
Configurator
Tag
Compressor Map Access
Vnet/IP
Compressor
The components of CCC Inside for Yokogawa Centum VP
KISTLER ACCELEROMETER
The upgraded Kistler 8763B accelerom-
eter features a lower noise threshold for
all its ranges: a 58% lower noise thresh-
old for its 100-g range, 37% for the 250-g
range, 52% for the 500-g range, 54% for
the 1000-g range and 51% for the sen-
sor’s highest range of 2000 g. With these
improvements, sensor 8763B is suitable
for applications such as modal analysis,
frequency response measurement, and
e-motor testing.
Measuring micro-vibrations is neces-
sary in many engineering applications;
accurate GPS data depends on stable
space crafts and satellites, while automo-
bile developers need noise, vibration, and
harshness (NVH) testing to optimize their
products. Because micro-vibrations occur
in the micro-g range, a highly sensitive
measuring chain with very low noise is
required for such applications.
Kistler 8763B accelerometer has lower noise thresholds than previous models. KISTLER.COM
TURBINE COOLING -
COGENERATION & Pinehurst TX (MCO-I)
TRADEMARKS
AeroBlock Standardized integrally- ExVel Turbo Fans Specializing in MSG Turbo-Air Multi-stage geared Roots Rotary positive displacement
geared main air compressor for Mechanical Vapor Recompression (MSG) centrifugal Air & Gas blowers since 1854 • Howden,
industrial gas applications • Atlas MVR • Howden, Connersville, IN Compressors • Ingersoll-Rand Co., Connersville, IN
Copco, Cologne, Germany Davidson, NC
FSR Full Solution Rejuvenation Sohre Turbomachinery Inc. Shaft
BoostToReduce Upgrading Proprietary Heat Treatments to NovaLT Gas Turbines family Gas riding brushes invented by John S.
GT-filtration is the easiest way to restore turbine blades/buckets to turbines for 5-20MW in power- Sohre, P.E. • Sohre
reduce carbon emissions • Camfil as-new strength • Liburdi Turbine generation and mechanical-drive • Turbomachinery Inc., Florence, MA
Power Systems, Boras, Sweden Services, Inc., Dundas Ontario Baker Hughes, Firenze, Italy
Canada Turblex World-leading efficient
CamGT 3V-600 Game changing PNEUTRIP Highest performing compressors and steam turbines •
high efficiency filter for non-stop Gas Connectivity Suite of digital pneumatic trip valve solution 1002 and Howden, Connersville, IN
performance • Camfil Power connectivity solutions for 2003 • Drake Controls, Houston, TX
Systems, Boras, Sweden turbomachinery service • Atlas TurboBlock Standardized,
Copco, Cologne, Germany PolyBlock Standardized direct- integrally- geared centrifugal
COMS Contec Oil Mist Separators driven centrifugal compressor for compressor for the power
• Contec GmbH, Bad Honnef, Howden Global leader in air and PP/PE applications • Atlas Copco, generation market • Atlas Copco,
Germany gas handling solutions since 1854 • Cologne, Germany Cologne, Germany
Howden, Connersville, IN
COMS Contec Oil Mist Separators PowerEye: real-time monitoring of TurboLink Digital connectivity
and high-performance filter MSG Centac Multi-stage geared key inlet system and GT metrics • solution for Operating Data Analysis
systems • Contec GmbH, Bad (MSG) centrifugal air compressors • Camfil Power Systems, Boras, • Atlas Copco, Cologne, Germany
Honnef, Germany Ingersoll-Rand Co., Davidson,NC Sweden
GAS TURBINES
POWER RATING
Net plant power output EFFICIENCY
MODEL (MW) Net plant efficiency % Number Model Frequency (Hz)
1AE64.3-CC1S 120.0 55.7 1 AE64.3A 50/60
1AE94.2-CC1M 287.0 55.8 1 AE94.2 50
1AE94.3-CC1S 495.0 60.0 1 AE94.3A 50
1GT26-CC1S 540.0 61.0 1 GT26 50
1GT36-S5-CC1M 760.0 62.6 1 GT36-S5 50
1GT36-S6-CC1M 520.0 62.3 1 GT36-S6 60
2AE64.3-CC1M 243.0 56.4 2 AE64.3A 50/60
2AE94.2-CC1M 578.0 56.2 2 AE94.2 50
2AE94.3-CC1M 992.0 60.3 2 AE94.3A 50
2GT26-CC1M 1083.0 61.2 2 GT26 50
2GT36-S5-CC1M 1525.0 62.8 2 GT36-S5 50
2GT36-S6-CC1M 1046.0 62.6 2 GT36-S6 60
Note: Reference Conditions: ISO conditions (Amb. temp. = 15°C, amb. press.= 1.013 bar, amb. R.H. = 60%; natural gas methane),
direct cooling, 3RH cycles, 100% CH4 natural gas fuel
BAKER HUGHES
CENTRIFUGAL COMPRESSORS
MAX. INLET DISCHARGE POWER TYPE OF GAS
VOLUME PRESSURE P2 REQUIREMENT NUMBER OF MAXIMUM TYPE OF TYPE OF COMPRESSOR TYPE OF
MODEL (m3/hr) (BAR) (HP) STAGES RPM CASING SPLIT SEALS CAN HANDLE DESIGN
GT Up to 500,000 up to 205 46,500 1 to 8 52,000 V all all gases C,I
RECIPROCATING COMPRESSORS
MODEL NUMBER OF THROWS MAX POWER (@max speed) (KW) ROD LOAD (lbs) MAXIMUM RPM APPLICATION TYPE OF DESIGN
OA 1 435 26,325 800 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HA 2 TO 4 2,120 32,557 1,000 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HB 2 TO 6 5,520 53,055 800 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HD 2 TO 8 10,400 72,562 700 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HE 2 TO 10 28,700 136,466 800 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HF 2 TO 10 34,600 256,500 514 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
HG 2 TO 10 66,820 445,500 400 Process (1) / Natural Gas Horizontal
SHM 2 TO 6 7,980 80,565 1,200 Natural Gas Horizontal
SHM-B 2 TO 4 5,320 80,565 1,200 Natural Gas Horizontal
PH 4 TO 24* 36,000 326,250 310 LDPE Horizontal
PK 4 TO 24* 72,000 652,500 310 LDPE Horizontal
* # of cylinders
1 Refinery & Petrochemical
MULTISTAGE
M-Line 1,700–1,522,200 69 — 10 20,000 H L,C,G,O,D all C
MB-Line 1,700–540,000 690 — 12 20,000 V L,C,G,O,D all C
AXIAL
A 705,000 6 — 18 8,025 H L air A
Notes: Elliott Group designs, manufactures, tests, installs, services and repairs centrifugal and axial compressors for the petrochemical,
refining, oil & gas as well as general industrial markets. Features and stand alone products include: • Proprietary EDGE centrifugal designs • High efficiency and
exceptional reliability • Advanced impellers • Low maintenance • Wide range of inlet volume and pressure capability • Elliott control systems • Superior casing
design • Lubrication oil systems • Auxiliary systems are available ON and OFF skid. • Full load testing • Wide complement of coatings are available to extend unit
life • High speed balancing • Elliott-designed bearings are included for optimum running • Dry gas seal and buffer gas systems • Integrated bundle, end-walls and
housings for quick turn around of barrel centrifugal
* Inquire with Elliott Group for volume flows greater than 680K M3/hr
TURBO-AIR PRODUCT LINE: Packaged on a common base for easy installation and available in many configurations to efficiently provide oil-free oil and gas
TA-2000 900–2,900 10 up to 350 1 to 3 75,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-2040 2,500–3,100 42 up to 800 1 to 4 75,000 V L all except O2 C,I
TA-3000 3,400–6,800 10 up to 800 1 to 3 60,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-6000 6,800–13,600 10 up to 1,750 1 to 3 44,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-NX 2500 3,200 - 8,200 15 up to 900 1 to 3 61,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-NX 5000 7,500-12,600 40 up to 2,000 1 to 5 53,000 V L Ait & Nitrogen C,I
TA-NX 8000 8,500–17,000 40 up to 3,250 1 to 5 45,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-NX 12000 12,700–31,500 40 up to 5,650 1 to 5 33,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
TA-20000 31,000–42,000 80 up to 5,500 1 to 6 50,000 V L Air & Nitrogen C,I
CENTAC PRODUCT LINE: Packaged on a common base for easy installation and available in many configurations to efficiently provide oil-free oil air
C700 3,200–7,100 10 up to 800 2 to 3 52,300 V C Air & Nitrogen C,I
C800 3,500–7,600 13 up to 1,100 2 to 3 40,100 V C Air & Nitrogen C,I
5CII 27,000–51,400 10 up to 6,000 2 to 3 25,000 V C Air & Nitrogen C,I
C750 3,400–4,000 40 up to 900 3 to 4 65,500 V C Air & Nitrogen C,I
VERTICALLY SPLIT
RBB 10,200 450 — 1-10 19,000 V D,L,O all C
RCB 23,000 230 — 1-10 12,000 V D,L,O all C
RDB 37,400 140 — 1-10 9,000 V D,L,O all C
REB 60,300 90 — 1-10 7,000 V D,L,O all C
ISOTHERM COMPRESSORS
Radial 70,000-760,000 20 — 3-6 8,000 H L air + nitrogen C
Axial Radial 250,000-1,000,000 13 — 9A+3C 5,400 H L air + nitrogen A+C
Radial Isotherm
10,000-124,000 20 — 4-5 16,000 H L O2 C
for Oxygen
GEAR TYPE COMPRESSORS
1,000-600,000 250 — 1-10 50,000 V D,C,L all (exc. O2) —
DATUM
Radial split 150-440,000 1,000 14,500 as required 12 26,500 V D,L,C,O all C
PIPELINE
RFA24/36 43,000–103,000 125 1,800 20,000– 50,000 1 14,500 V D natural gas C
RFBB20/24/30
22,000-107,000 155 2,250 25,000– 75,000 5 14,500 V D natural gas C
/36/42
INTEGRALLY GEARED
STC-GV 1,500–1,000,000 200 2,900 as required 8 45,000 V L, G, C,O all I-C
STC-GC 10,000–400,000 20 290 as required 4 45,000 H L air & N2 I-C
STC-GVT 1,500–480,000 60 870 as required 6 45,000 V L,D,C process gas, air I-C
Note: figures acc. US spelling
D = Dry gas, C = Centrifugal, L = Labyrinth, A = Axial, O = Oil, I = Integral gear, W = Water, R = Radial inflow, C = Carbon ring, S = Screw, G = Gas
DISCHARGE PRESSURE P2
INLET VOLUME NUMBER OF MAXIMUM TYPE OF TYPE OF TYPE OF GAS COMPRESSOR TYPE OF
MODEL (m3/hr) (BAR) (kPag) STAGES RPM CASING SPLIT SEALS CAN HANDLE DESIGN
C16 3,600 310 31,025 10 23,800 V D natural gas C
C31 8,520 344 34,475 9 16,000 V D natural gas C
C33 16,200 186 18,620 10 19,000 V D natural gas C
C40M 15,300 172 17,235 6 14,300 V D natural gas C
C40P 18,000 186 11,030 2 15,500 V D natural gas C
C41 (1) 30,600 259 25,855 10 14,300 V D natural gas C
C45 31,500 124 15,513 3 12,000 V D natural gas C
C50 33,900 103 10,350 5 14,000 V D natural gas C
C51 (1) 42,600 207 20,685 10 12,000 V D natural gas C
C61 59,400 207 20,685 10 10,200 H D natural gas C
C65 40,800 110 11,030 2 10,500 H D natural gas C
C75 51,000 155 15,510 3 8,860 V D natural gas C
C85 76,500 110 11,030 2 7,000 V D natural gas C
1 Pressure Ratios are higher for the C41/C51/C61. Dual Compartment compressors depending on cooling capability
Notes:
1 Model: ETAC = Expansion Turbine Active Nozzles Compressor Loaded, ETAG = Expansion Turbine Active Nozzles Generator Loaded,
ETAGG = Expansion Turbine Active Nozzles Geared Generator Loaded, ETFO = Expansion Turbine Fixed Nozzles Oil Brake Loaded,
ETAO = Expansion Turbine Active Nozzles Oil Brake Loaded, EC = Expander Compressor, EG = Expander Generator, ED = Expander Dyno
2 Type of Casting Split: H = Horizontal, V = Vertical
3 Type of Seals: C = Carbon ring, D = Dry gas, L = Labyrinth
4 Type of Gas: HC = Hydrocarbons, I = Industrial gases, incl. Air, Nitrogen, Oxygen, CO, CO2, Waste, NH3, etc.
5 Type of Design: R = Radial, C = Centrifugal, I = Integral gear, E = External gear
6 Type of Bearings: M = Magnetic, P = Pressurized oil bearings, O = Oil bearings
1 Nitric acid, ethylene oxide, FCC, coal gas, blast furnace gas. D = Dry Gas, L = Laby, H = Honeycomb seal
D
uring a recent international turbomachinery conference, 4. Investment casting, a highly accurate process that produces
I participated in an interesting discussion about compres- quality individual impellers or components. It is seldom used for
sor impeller manufacturing. One of the participants con- very large pieces.
fidently pronounced that three-piece and two-piece
impeller manufacturing was outdated and should not be used 5. Additive manufacturing (AM) is a newer class of fabrication
anymore. The implication was that all compressor impellers techniques based on building up geometries using small quanti-
must be manufactured as a single piece. I asked the basic ques- ties of directionally layered materials to achieve a desired shape.
tion “Why?” to which neither he nor any my other expert col- The most common, commercially available AM method for
leagues was able to give a satisfactory answer. The current trend printing metal compressor impellers is laser metal sintering using
in manufacturing is clearly toward single-piece manufacturing. a metal powder bed. Here, a laser acts as a localized heat source
However, in many cases there is no justifiable reason or logic to melt and fuse metal powder into a desired 3D shape, using
behind this. sequentially layered metal powder. AM has shown promise for
Before getting into this discussion, some background infor- the manufacturing of smaller impellers. But most commercially
mation is warranted on how compressor impellers are currently available AM machines are limited in size and cannot handle
manufactured. Industrial centrifugal compressors use fairly impellers larger than about 20 inches in diameter, have relatively
standardized casing, sealing, and rotor support elements, but high dimensional tolerances, are limited to the use of a small
their internal flow path must be customized for a specific appli- number of expensive metals, and require post-processing to
cation. To accomplish this, the compressor manufacturer
usually develops families of impellers that are optimized for
certain head and flow ranges. Some manufacturers will further
scale, crop, or otherwise adjust the bases designs. So, what are
the current processes to manufacture and assembling
compressor impellers?
The key components of an impeller are the hub, the shroud,
and the blades which, when assembled, are mounted on the
compressor shaft or form part of the shaft. These components
can be fabricated either in individual pieces or as single-, two-,
or three-piece assemblies using:
refine the surface finish. To date, many of the original promises It is not fair to simply malign multi-piece impeller con-
of AM have yet to be realized. There appears no clear path struction. This type of compressor fabrication has been uti-
forward to address some of the apparent limitations of this lized for nearly 100 years and there is a wealth of industry
manufacturing technology. experience and technology available to assure that it is per-
formed without affecting the integrity of the impeller. The vast
majority of all closed compressor impellers in the world uti-
Single-piece impellers are not lized welded or brazed two-piece construction. Reputable
always possible and are not the compressor manufacturers have tightly controlled quality and
inspection programs to assure that the welding or brazing fab-
answer to everything. rication process meets rigorous industry standards and the
final product easily handles the strength and fatigue require-
ments of the compression application.
As previously noted, single-piece constructed impellers are
either cast, five-axis machined, or (less often) fabricated using
EDM or AM. For impellers that are not of single-piece fabrica- PROS AND CONS
tion, they still need to be assembled to achieve the final geometry Clearly, there are advantages for single-piece impellers from a
once individual pieces have been fabricated. Two- or three-piece stress design optimization. In particular, AM as well as 5-axis
impellers are usually machined and then individual pieces are milling or casting allow for the optimization of geometry for
brazed or welded together. The most common approach is to either stress or aerodynamic performance. But single-piece
utilize a two-piece construction where the hub is machined with impellers are not always possible and are not the answer to
the blades as one piece and the shroud is welded onto the hub everything.
assembly. Older impellers also sometimes used rivets and or even Single piece impellers can be expensive and are more diffi-
screws to fasten the shroud to the hub. But this is not commonly cult to inspect for internal defects. AM is pricey and limits the
done for modern 3-D impellers and usually does not provide suffi- types of metals that can be used. EDM is slow and expensive
cient strength for highly loaded impeller applications. but accurate. 5-axis milling works best for high-flow impellers,
How do we decide which fabrication and assembly technique and may not be feasible for low-flow impellers. Casting is only
is the most appropriate? They all work and have been demon- inexpensive if done for multiple identical impellers, but
strated in thousands of compressor installations worldwide. The requires a well-established inspection and quality control pro-
ultimate goal is to reproduce the aerodynamic designer’s intended cess. Two- or three-piece impeller welded construction
geometry as closely as possible while staying within the required requires highly trained welders and inspectors, and two-piece
structural strength and dynamic fatigue limits and keeping fabri- brazing imposes size limitations.
cation costs reasonable. This is especially true for modern, Thus, there are pros and cons to each approach. There is
complex-geometry 3D impellers. Significant aerodynamic design no one-fit answer. All impeller fabrication and assembly meth-
improvements due to advanced CFD and FEA tools have ods can be appropriate and should be considered when design-
changed the shape of impellers from traditional, simple 2D to ing and manufacturing a new impeller. Single-piece impellers
highly flow-shaped, curved 3D geometries. The move from 2D are great but are not always the best answer for all compressor
to 3D compressor impeller geometries happened in parallel with impeller designs. All methods have a place in the market.
a slow industry transition from two- or three-piece construction There should be no oversimplified, reflexive, unsubstantiated
to single-piece construction. prejudices against any impeller manufacturing method or
Single-piece impellers can often handle higher stress loads assembly methods. ■
than two-piece impellers and may also reduce the potential for
fabrication quality flaws. However, some shapes are difficult to
machine as a single piece using 5-axis or EDM since these man-
ufacturing tools require a line of sight access into all section of Klaus Brun is the Director of R&D at Elliott Group.
the internal geometry. Obviously, a clear line of sight internal He is also the past Chair of the Board of Directors
access is not always possible for impellers that are highly back- of the ASME International Gas Turbine Institute
swept, have long inducer sections, curved splitter blades, or use and the IGTI Oil & Gas applications committee.
other highly three dimensional geometry features. In this case,
the only alternative is multi-piece fabrication, casting, or AM. Rainer Kurz is the Manager of Gas Compressor
Casting is expensive for one-off manufacturing and, as previ- Engineering at Solar Turbines Incorporated in
ously discussed, AM has severe limitations in size, tolerance, San Diego, CA. He is an ASME Fellow since 2003
surface, and available materials. Thus, welding or brazing of and the past chair of the IGTI Oil and Gas
two or three machined pieces is very often required. Applications Committee.
www.atlascopco.com/cut-the-carbon
Performance Under Pressure