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GAS TURBINE 6FA DLN 2 START UP AND DLN TUNING

At Valuthur CCPP frame 6FA Gas Turbine with Dry Low NOx version
2 was commissioned on 03.01.2003. NOx level of 16 ppm is achieved
in Steady State Premix mode at bas load. DLN-2 version is of first
time use in India.
Each of six combustion chambers is provided with four gas fuel nozzle
namely Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary. The start-up
and DLN tuning was carried out by GE specialist utilizing a special DLN
tuning kit. At the upstream of the gas manifold in GT compartment
temporary conical filters were installed in all the four fuel piping.
Differential pressures across the filters were monitored continuously
during start-up and DLN tuning.
During the start-up of turbine the fuel is admitted in the primary
nozzle only upto 80% of speed. At 81% of speed the fuel is admitted
through the tertiary nozzle, with preceding pre fill span of 5 to 10
seconds, in Lean-Lean mode in addition to the diffusion type of firing
in primary nozzle. During this transfer at 81% of speed, the spread
usually goes upto 150 deg.C. from 25 40 deg.C level and settles back
around 30 40 deg.C. before attaining FSNL. Failure of reach FSNL
on account of flame failure of exhaust spread high was noticed on
many occasions.
The split ratio, pre-fill timings and many other
parameters / controls were tried with different combinations and
successful start-up of Gas Turbine to FSNL was established on the
NINTH attempt.
However, on reducing the speed to 99%, Exhaust spread high was
noticed. Unit synchronized while the grid frequency was above 49.5
HZ.
The problem of spread high at lower speed upto 96% was
resolved by readjusting the constants once again and normal operation
in lean-lean mode was established prior to the next synchronization.
Lean-lean mode to piloted premix was carried out around 60% load on

the machine with combustion monitoring kit set-up. An exclusive DLN


tuning kit was utilized for
the combustion monitoring. Dynamic
behaviour of the flame and the resultant pressure impulses in the
combustion chamber monitored through the kit.
Individual impulse tubing from the combustion chamber brought out and
connected to the pressure sensors in the kit whose signal is monitored
in the PC a part of the DLN kit. Frequency responses of the
pressure impulses along with amplitude were monitored in the range of
0 to 100 Hz. 100 to 500 Hz and more than 500 Hz category in such
of the chambers. The NOx and CO levels were monitored separately
in the bypass stack during the start-up and tuning operations.
Normally around 60% load, the transfer from lean-lean mode to Piloted
Pre-Mix mode is effected at firing temperature of 1174 deg.C. (2150
deg.F). The transfer to Steady State Pre-Mix kept blocked and load
raised to BASE load in Piloted Pre-Mix mode. Under the Piloted PreMix mode, the fuel is admitted in the secondary nozzle in addition to
the primary and tertiary nozzles. During this stage of operation,
quaternary flush was carried out by controlled and forced opening of
the quaternary control valve. The NOx levels
were found in the
order of 30 to 60 ppm in general under the above mode of operation.
During the start-up and subsequent operations of the gas turbine on
different loads, continuous monitoring of the differential pressure
across the conical filters carried out. The unit was shut down when
sudden increase in the differential pressure was noticed or whenever
the differential pressure exceeded 2.0 Ksc while checking and cleaning
of the filters. Such shut downs were called for about six to seven
times for cleaning the filters, Y strainer and fuel piping. The conical
filters were found to be thoroughly cleaned after about 60 hours of
operation of the machine on different load in lean-lean mode and/or
Piloted Pre-Mix and quat-flush. The temporary filters were removed
once-for-all and the system normalized on early hour of 3rd January
2003.

On the restart of the unit towards resting / running in Steady State


Pre-Mix mode, machine was taken on load upto 50% in lean-lean mode.
Transfer to Piloted Pre-Mix and Steady State Pre-Mix was effected
with continuous raise of load from 50% to 70% at reference firing
temperature of 1174 deg.C/1243 deg.C. respectively. In this mode,
the fuel to primary nozzle is totally cut off and fuel supply to GT is
through secondary, tertiary and quaternary nozzles.
At steady State Pre-Mix mode, the combustion monitoring and NOx
measurements were carried out at different loads ranging from 40 to
65 MW. The pressure impulse and NOx level were optimized and
balanced by tuning / adjusting the control constants for the control
valves. The final NOx
level at base load was 16 ppm, CO was
zero ppm and the average the pressure impulse was around 0.23 psi /
0.11 psi / 0.03 psi in low / mid /
high
range frequencies
respectively.
The DLN tuning kit was dismantled after completion of tuning and the
pressure impulse lines were kept closed. The NOx level in the normal
operating mode, (i.e.) Steady State Pre-Mix was low at 16 ppm
compared to levels of 30 to 80 ppm in lean-lean mode and Piloted PreMix mode.

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