20 - Gas Turbine Performance Test

Abstract

Performance evaluation of the turbine is one of the most important parameters in the operation of a plant. Total performance monitoring on- or off-line is important for the plant engineers to achieve their goals of maintaining high availability of their machinery; minimizing degradation and maintaining operation near design efficiencies; and diagnosing problems, and avoiding operating in regions that could lead to serious malfunctions. This chapter presents a detailed technique with all the major equations governing a gas turbine power plant, based on the various ASME Test Codes. The three ASME Test Codes that govern the test of a gas turbine power plant are ASME, Performance Test Code on Overall Plant Performance, ASME PTC 46 1996, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1996; ASME, Performance Test Code on Test Uncertainty: Instruments and Apparatus PTC 19.1, 1988; and ASME, Performance Test Code on Gas Turbines, ASME PTC 22 1997, American Society of Mechanical Engineers 1997. The ASME, Performance Test Code on Overall Plant Performance, ASME PTC 46 was designed to determine the performance of the entire heat cycle as an integrated system. This code provides explicit procedures for the determination of power plant thermal performance and electrical output. The ASME, Performance Test Code on Test Uncertainty: Instruments and Apparatus PTC 19.1 specifies procedures for evaluation of uncertainties in individual test measurements, arising from both random errors and systematic errors, and for the propagation of random and systematic uncertainties into the uncertainty of test results. The PTC 22 establishes a limit of uncertainty of each measurement required.