Combined Cycle Power Plant

ON PROCESS
An Overview of Combined Cycle Power Plant
Combined cycle gas turbine
The Combined Cycle Power Plant or combined cycle gas turbine, a gas turbine generator generates
electricity and waste heat is used to make steam to generate additional electricity via a steam turbine.

An overview of Combined Cycle Power Plant (photo credit: businesswire.com)

The gas turbine is one of the most efficient one for the conversion of gas fuels to mechanical power or
electricity. The use of distillate liquid fuels, usually diesel, is also common as alternate fuels.
More recently, as simple cycle efficiencies have improved and as natural gas prices have fallen, gas
turbines have been more widely adopted for base load power generation, especially in combined cycle
mode, where waste heat is recovered in waste heat boilers, and the steam used to produce additional
electricity.
This system is known as a Combined Cycle. The basic principle of the Combined Cycle is simple: burning
gas in a gas turbine (GT) produces not only power – which can be converted to electric power by a
coupled generator – but also fairly hot exhaust gases.
Routing these gases through a water-cooled heat exchanger produces steam, which can be turned into
electric power with a coupled steam turbine and generator.

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Figure – Combined cycle power plant scheme

This type of power plant is being installed in increasing numbers round the world where there is access
to substantial quantities of natural gas.
A Combined Cycle Power Plant produces high power outputs at high efficiencies (up to 55%) and
with low emissions. In a Conventional power plant we are getting 33% electricity only and remaining
67% as waste.
By using combined cycle power plant we are getting 68% electricity.
It is also possible to use the steam from the boiler for heating purposes so such power plants can
operate to deliver electricity alone or in combined heat and power (CHP) mode.

Mechanism
Combined cycle power plant as in name suggests, it combines existing gas and steam technologies into
one unit, yielding significant improvements in thermal efficiency over conventional steam plant. In a
CCGT plant the thermal efficiency is extended to approximately 50-60 per cent, by piping the exhaust
gas from the gas turbine into a heat recovery steam generator.
However, the heat recovered in this process is sufficient to drive a steam turbine with an electrical
output of approximately 50 per cent of the gas turbine generator.

The gas turbine and steam turbine are coupled to a single generator. For startup, or ‘open cycle‘
operation of the gas turbine alone, the steam turbine can be disconnected using a hydraulic clutch. In
terms of overall investment, a single-shaft system is typically about 5 per cent lower in cost, with its
operating simplicity typically leading to higher reliability.

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Working principle of CCTG plant
First step is the same as the simple cycle gas turbine plant. An open circuit gas turbine has a compressor,
a combustor and a turbine. For this type of cycle the input temperature to turbine is very high. The
output temperature of flue gases is also very high.
This is therefore high enough to provide heat for a second cycle which uses steam as the working
medium i.e. thermal power station.

Figure – Working principle of combined cycle gas turbine (CCTG) plant

Air Inlet
This air is drawn though the large air inlet section where it is cleaned cooled and controlled. Heavy-
duty gas turbines are able to operate successfully in a wide variety of climates and environments due to
inlet air filtration systems that are specifically designed to suit the plant location.
Under normal conditions the inlet system has the capability to process the air by removing contaminants
to levels below those that are harmful to the compressor and turbine.
In general the incoming air has various contaminants. They are:
In Gaseous state contaminants are:
• Ammonia
• Chlorine
• Hydrocarbon gases

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• Sulfur in the form of H2S, SO2
• Discharge from oil cooler vents
In Liquid state contaminants are:
• Chloride salts dissolved in water (sodium, potassium)
• Nitrates
• Sulfates
• Hydrocarbons
In Solid State contaminants are:
• Sand, alumina and silica
• Rust
• Road dust, alumina and silica
• Calcium sulfate
• Ammonia compounds from fertilizer and animal feed operations
• Vegetation, airborne seeds
Corrosive Agents:
Chlorides, nitrates and sulfates can deposit on compressor blades And may result in stress corrosion
attack and/or cause corrosion Pitting. Sodium and potassium are alkali metals that can combine with
Sulfur to form a highly corrosive agent and that will attack portions of the hot gas path. The
contaminants are removed by passing through various types of filters which are present on the way.
Gas phase contaminants such as ammonia or sulfur cannot be removed by filtration. Special methods
are involved for this purpose.

Turbine Cycle
The air which is purified then compressed and mixed with natural gas and ignited, which causes it to
expand. The pressure created from the expansion spins the turbine blades, which are attached to a
shaft and a generator, creating electricity.
In second step the heat of the gas turbine’s exhaust is used to generate steam by passing it through a
heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) with a live steam temperature between 420 and 580 °C.

Heat Recovery Steam Generator

In Heat Recovery Steam Generator highly purified water flows in tubes and the hot gases passes a
around that and thus producing steam .The steam then rotates the steam turbine and coupled generator
to produce Electricity. The hot gases leave the HRSG at around 140 degrees centigrade and are
discharged into the atmosphere.
The steam condensing and water system is the same as in the steam power plant.

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Typical Size and Configuration of CCGT Plants
The combined-cycle system includes single-shaft and multi-shaft configurations. The single-shaft system
consists of one gas turbine, one steam turbine, one generator and one Heat Recovery Steam Generator
(HRSG), with the gas turbine and steam turbine coupled to the single generator on a single shaft.
Multi-shaft systems have one or more gas turbine-generators and HRSGs that supply steam through a
common header to a separate single steam turbine-generator. In terms of overall investment a multi-
shaft system is about 5% higher in costs.
The primary disadvantage of multiple stage combined cycle power plant is that the number of steam
turbines, condensers and condensate systems-and perhaps the cooling towers and circulating water
systems increases to match the number of gas turbines.

Efficiency of CCGT Plant

Roughly the steam turbine cycle produces one third of the power and gas turbine cycle produces two
thirds of the power output of the CCPP. By combining both gas and steam cycles, high input
temperatures and low output temperatures can be achieved. The efficiency of the cycles adds, because
they are powered by the same fuel source.
To increase the power system efficiency, it is necessary to optimize the HRSG, which serves as the
critical link between the gas turbine cycle and the steam turbine cycle with the objective of increasing
the steam turbine output. HRSG performance has a large impact on the overall performance of the
combined cycle power plant.
The electric efficiency of a combined cycle power station may be as high as 58 percent when operating
new and at continuous output which are ideal conditions. As with single cycle thermal units, combined
cycle units may also deliver low temperature heat energy for industrial processes, district heating and
other uses. This is called cogeneration and such power plants are often referred to as a Combined Heat
and Power (CHP) plant.
The efficiency of CCPT is increased by Supplementary Firing and Blade Cooling. Supplementary firing is
arranged at HRSG and in gas turbine a part of the compressed air flow bypasses and is used to cool the
turbine blades. It is necessary to use part of the exhaust energy through gas to gas recuperation.
Recuperation can further increase the plant efficiency, especially when gas turbine is operated under
partial load.

Fuels for CCPT Plants

The turbines used in Combined Cycle Plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas and it is more
versatile than coal or oil and can be used in 90% of energy applications. Combined cycle plants are
usually powered by natural gas, although fuel oil, synthesis gas or other fuels can be used.

Emissions Control
Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR):

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To control the emissions in the exhaust gas so that it remains within permitted levels as it enters the
atmosphere, the exhaust gas passes though two catalysts located in the HRSG.
One catalyst controls Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions and the other catalyst controls Oxides of
Nitrogen, (NOx) emissions. Aqueous Ammonia – In addition to the SCR, Aqueous Ammonia (a mixture
of 22% ammonia and 78% water) is injected into system to even further reduce levels of NOx.
Merits
Fuel efficiency
In conventional power plants turbines have a fuel conversion efficiency of 33% which means two
thirds of the fuel burned to drive the turbine off. The turbines in combined cycle power plant have a
fuel conversion efficiency of 50% or more, which means they burn about half amount of fuel as a
conventional plant to generate same amount of electricity.

Low capital costs

The capital cost for building a combined cycle unit is two thirds the capital cost of a comparable coal
plant.

Commercial availability
Combined cycle units are commercially available from suppliers anywhere in the world. They are easily
manufactured, shipped and transported.

Abundant fuel sources

The turbines used in combined cycle plants are fueled with natural gas, which is more versatile than a
coal or oil and can be used in 90% of energy publications. To meet the energy demand now a day’s
plants are not only using natural gas but also using other alternatives like bio gas derived from
agriculture.

Reduced emission and fuel consumption

Combined cycle plants use less fuel per kWh and produce fewer emissions than conventional thermal
power plants, thereby reducing the environmental damage caused by electricity production. Comparable
with coal fired power plant burning of natural gas in CCPT is much cleaner.

Potential applications in developing countries

The potential for combined cycle plant is with industries that requires electricity and heat or stem. For
example providing electricity and steam to a Sugar refining mill.

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Demerits
The gas turbine can only use Natural gas or high grade oils like diesel fuel.
Because of this the combined cycle can be operated only in locations where these fuels are available
and cost effective.
Conclusions
Combined cycle power plants meet the growing energy demand, and hence special attention must be
paid to the optimization of the whole system. Developments for gasification of coal and use in the gas
turbine are in advanced stages.
Once this is proven, Coal as the main fuel can also combined cycle power plants meet the growing
energy demand, be used in the combined cycle power plant.
The advances in cogeneration-the process of simultaneously producing useful heat and electricity from
the same fuel source-which increases the efficiency of fuel burning from 30% to 90%, thereby reducing
damage to the environment while increasing economic output through more efficient use of resources.

ON DIAGRAM

MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS

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IMPLEMENTATION OR MOBILIZATION

Analysis of central state

Flowchart analysis and staff selection
Reference values obtaining
Analysis and collection of spare parts
Analysis and collection of technical resources
Working methods

COMBINED CYCLE PWER PLANT OPERATION

Operation flowchart
Responsibilities distribution
Reference values in a combined cycle plant
Operation regimes
Start-ups
Shutdowns
Shifts book
Simulations book
Operator responsibilities

SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE

Maintenance plan preparation based on manufacturer’s instructions .

Maintenance plan preparation based on generic instructions .
Legal Maintenance
Maintenance plan structure
Maintenance planning
Maintenance plan commissioning
Common mistakes in maintenance plan implementation

RCM

RCM fundamentals
Phases
Example: RCM Analysis of the Gas Station

CORRECTIVE MAINTENANCE

Priorization
Breakdowns analysis
Main breakdowns
Technical audits: Installation state

PREDICTIVE MAINTENANCE

Vibration analysis
Thermography
Boroscope Analysis

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SPARE PARTS

Selection criteria
Example: Usual spare part

TECHNICAL RESOURCES

Mechanical tools
Electrical tools
Instrumentation maintenance tools
Predictive maintenance tools
Special works tools

CHEMICAL CONTROL

Chemical control of cooling towers

Chemical control of boilers
Control of emissions
Control of discharges

INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

CMMS structure (Maintenance Software)

Main common problems with CMMS
Monthly report
Example: Monthly report

O&M BUDGET IN A COMBINED CYCLE POWER PLANT

Main items and their valuation

Spreadsheet example

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT

Emissions
Waste
Toxic and hazardous waste
Non-toxic solid waste
Environmental risk analysis

RISK PREVENTION

Main risks
EPI
Work permits
Main accidents

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 PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED AND SOME OF IT’S SOLUTIONS

Changing Landscape
Over the past decade, the pattern of duty modes and plant dispatch of CCGT plants has changed.
This change involves a general shift for CCGT plants from baseload to flexible operation with
increased frequency and level of cycling of these plants.
Flexible operation is broadly defined as any mode of operation other than baseload, and includes
several specific types of duty modes. Two-shifting is starting up and shutting down a plant each
day to meet load demand during periods of high demand. Double two-shifting is starting up and
shutting down a unit twice a day to match the early morning and evening peaks in load demand.
Load following is operating online for more than 48 hours, with varying load throughout the day
as demand changes. Many times these plants turn down to some minimum load when demand is
low.
Whatever the duty mode, flexible operation typically involves more frequent startups, more rapid
ramping, low load operation, and more frequent shutdowns or layup.
Factors contributing to this trend include reduced overall demand following the economic
recession, competition, changes in fuel prices, aging plants, demand for a more reliable power
grid, and stricter environmental controls. In some regions, one key factor is the increasing
deployment of intermittent renewable generation, such as solar and wind, which is dispatched as
“must-take” and forces fossil plants to provide load-balancing services. In this context, relatively
small differences in costs and reliability can make a large difference in station ranking, leading to
many older, less-efficient CCGT plants being required to load follow.
Effects of Flexible Operation
CCGT plants have less operating flexibility than conventional steam plants, which can be run
down to 40% of rated output, while CCGT plants have difficulty in getting below 60%. A further
problem is the length of time that it takes for the heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) plant
to achieve full output. Hence, although a CCGT plant may be able to produce power relatively
quickly, it is not really suitable for load-following until some time after startup.
EPRI research has identified a number of common damage mechanisms related to cycling. Cycling
load is associated with stresses from varying temperatures and pressures, which can trigger
fatigue and fatigue-related damage mechanisms.
Thermal Fatigue. The most common problem resulting from cycling is thermal fatigue damage,
which manifests itself in the form of material deformation, cracking of individual components, or
mechanical failure of structures. This mechanism is caused by the large temperature swings
associated with flexible operation.
Thermal Mechanical Fatigue. This mechanism, which occurs in rotating components such as
turbine blades, vanes, and other hot-section components, is caused by thermal expansion and
contraction, reinforced by mechanical strains associated with centrifugal and torsional loads.

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Differential Thermal Expansion. This damage occurs when components undergo high
thermal growth relative to surrounding components. This mechanism can affect combustor cans,
boilers, and HRSGs.
Corrosion. Two-shifting or any other operation that challenges the ability of the plant to
maintain water chemistry can lead to increased corrosion and accelerated component failure.
This mechanism can manifest itself as increased problems with corrosion-fatigue of economizer
tubing and stress corrosion in steam turbines (STs).
Impaired Performance of Environmental Control Equipment. Load following and other
modes of flexible operation can affect the performance of selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
systems.
Figure 1 shows the types of potential cycling-related damage that might be expected in different
areas of a CCGT plant.

What are the consequences of this damage? Recent investigations found that a change from
baseload operation to operating under cycling conditions can result in increased capital spending
for component replacement, increased routine O&M costs due to equipment wear-and-tear,
lower availability due to higher failure rates and outage times, and higher fuel consumption due
to operating in less than an optimal manner (more stops and starts and more load changes),

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negatively affecting unit heat rate. Also, when a unit is subjected to cyclic operation, reliability can
suffer. These consequences can lead to a unit becoming less reliable and more expensive to
operate, resulting in a lower dispatch order and increased need for additional flexibility, effectively
creating a spiral of cycling operation leading to more cyclic operation.
In 2013, an EPRI study investigated the impact of cycling on the O&M costs of CCGTs with
capacities of 110 MW to 492 MW. The results showed that the strongest indicator of annual
O&M costs was the number of equivalent hot starts (EHS) that a unit performs. The study
assumed a hot start equals 1 EHS, a warm start equals 3 EHS, and a cold start equals 5 EHS.
The same study explored the equivalent forced outage factor (EFOF) for CCGT plants operating
in both baseload and cycling modes. EFOF is the fraction of a given operation period in which a
unit or a train is not available due to forced outages. This particular parameter is very useful in
measuring forced outages in cycling power plants, because it takes into account the derating
hours.
Findings showed that the average EFOF value for CCGT plants operating in the cycling regime is
about 3% higher than the plants operating in the baseload mode in the first six years of operation
and about 1.5% higher between six to 20 years of operation. EFOF for cycling plants increases
much more abruptly between 20 and 30 years of operation compared with baseload plants. Figure
2 shows the average EFOF versus lifetime EHS for CCGT plants operating in cycling regimes.

2. More starts, more outages. This chart shows the average equivalent forced outage factor
v. lifetime equivalent hot starts for combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plants operating in
cycling regimes. Source: EPRI

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The study also looked at the equivalent planned outage factor (EPOF) for CCGT plants operating
in baseload and cycling modes. Planned outages normally refer to the removal of a unit from
service to perform work on specific components that is scheduled well in advance and has a
predetermined duration, such as annual overhaul, inspection, and component testing.
In general, increased routine maintenance is required due to increased levels of wear-and-tear
when a plant moves from baseload operation to cyclic mode. Results showed the planned outage
levels for cycling CCGT plants are within about 6% to 9% during the first six years of operation
and within about 4% to 6% for the next 14 years of operation. The EPOF achieves its minimum
level between 10 and 14 years. During the “major component wear-out period,” which is near
the end of life (assuming major components at or near end-of-life have not been replaced), the
EPOF value for cycling CCGT plants increases to about 15% to 18%. Figure 3 shows the average
EPOF versus lifetime EHS for CCGT plants operating in cycling regimes.

3. Planned outages increase. This chart shows average equivalent planned outage factor vs.
lifetime equivalent hot starts for CCGT plants operating in cycling regimes. Source: EPRI

Another recent EPRI study documented 23 cases in which major HRSG components
unexpectedly reached end-of-life. Many of these failures can be attributed to more frequent cyclic
operation than originally anticipated in the plant design. For components to have a full design life,
the factors anticipated by the designer need to be similar to those actually experienced by the
plant components in service. These factors include the operating temperature and pressure
conditions, temperature rates of change, external stresses imposed by support systems, and
corrosion rates. If one or more of these variables differs from values anticipated by the designer,
a premature failure can occur.

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Examples of documented cases of premature failures included weld failures in high-pressure
steam flow nozzles, catastrophic leakage of high-pressure drum manway closures, turbine steam
lead drainpipe failures, parallel slide-gate valve failures, ST bypass desuperheaters, lateral wye
failures, freeze damage, duct burner-related damage, and superheater and reheater tube buckling.
Mitigation Measures: Operations
In recent years, EPRI has conducted several studies to better understand how CCGT plants are
responding to changing operating conditions. The following is a sampling of lessons learned from
the studies.
Culture Change. An important factor for success in transitioning from baseload to cycling
operation is the unit management’s understanding that a culture change is necessary at the site.
This change has to begin with unit management, and the changes will need to be communicated
to and understood by unit staff. This transition will require leaders who are willing to make tough
choices, have excellent communication skills, and have the ability to help people in the plant
understand the reasons for the change and its impact on the company, plant, and staff.
Four elements of plant culture, when implemented, can properly aid in the transition from
baseload to cycling operation: (1) a change management plan, which provides a step-by-step plan
for guiding any change; (2) a communication plan for informing staff of changes; (3) personnel
involvement, for engaging personnel in the changing operations; and (4) human performance
improvement, for providing training in new procedures and avoiding human errors.
One priority for a cycling unit that once was a baseload unit is to keep people focused on having
the unit ready when it is called to operate. Staff must feel a sense of urgency about their new
operating role. The key to success will be keeping people focused on a day-to-day basis and
ensuring a clear understanding of the goals of a cycling plant.
Flexible Operations/Optimization Trials. Prior to embarking on full flexible operations, the
plant management team should plan a series of flexible operation/optimization trials. Following
the trials, a flexible operations procedure should be written that captures best practices
developed during the process.
Operations Procedures. For plants transitioning from baseload duty, existing operational
procedures will typically be biased toward steady-state operations and will require a review as
part of the planning phase for flexible operations. Two shift–related operational procedures
should be reviewed and updated. Following the flexible operations trials, site operational
procedures will need to be updated to reflect the lessons learned and best practices developed.
New considerations that should be incorporated into updated cycling procedures include changes
to setpoints, normal operating bands, and ramp rates.
Startup and Shutdown. For a baseload plant, startup and load following are historically not
given a great deal of management attention, because the few starts that do occur are usually
following overhaul periods where intrusive work has been undertaken that will introduce
reliability issues, such as interlocks not set and valve open/close limits being out of calibration.

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For a plant to operate in a flexible mode, reliability issues must be addressed in a more systematic
approach, with the emphasis on continual improvement derived from teams responsible for
various areas of plant reliability.
Generally, if startup reliability is effectively managed, shutdowns will also be reliable because the
same components (for example, GT gas valves/boiler feed and steam valves) are used. However,
emphasis should be on measuring trips from low load while shutting down; these steps can often
be overlooked in the high operations workload of a shutdown.
Review of startups and shutdowns may highlight needed changes. “In plant trials, we learned that
the control system needed to be improved,” says Woodhouse. “When the plant was operating
in baseload, if the control system didn’t work optimally at startup, it was not a priority. But for
flexible operation, we had to make changes to allow smoother and faster starts.”
Staffing Levels. Staffing levels for base loaded plants are typically based on steady-state
operation, where minimal operator intervention is expected. Introduction of flexible operations
will change the responsibilities and time commitments at different staff positions. Flexible
operations trials can help to identify the needed changes in staff levels.
“When the plant was a baseload plant, our operations staff took responsibility for some
maintenance activities,” says Woodhouse. “In that regime, once the plant was up and running,
the operating workload diminished. But under cycling, the operations staff no longer had time for
maintenance tasks, so we had to enlarge and strengthen our maintenance team.”
Staff Training. The changing skill requirements of flexible plant operation will require a review
of the plant operations training process. Consideration should be given to the following: (1)
increasing the knowledge in CCGT thermodynamics to support the operators’ decision-making
in startup/shutdown scenarios; and (2) sourcing CCGT simulator training when diagnosing
sequence faults and managing transients (for example, high or low drum level can be undertaken).
A training program should be implemented to develop two-shift operation skills, and a method
should be put in place to share lessons learned from shift to shift.
Continuous Improvement Process. An effective approach for plants transitioning from
baseload to flexible operation is implementing a continuous improvement process. This technique
involves identifying and analyzing failures on a continuous basis and using that information to make
changes in procedures to avoid future failures. When put in place over time, these continual
improvements result in significant overall gains in the major business metrics such as production
cost, reliability, quality, and lead time.
“Once you’re under way in flexible operations, it’s important to learn as you go,” says
Woodhouse. “Our continuous improvement program gave us a structure to analyze every failure
to start and every drop in load, to find a solution, and to feed that solution back into the
processes.”
Monitoring. As the plant enters an operational state not previously experienced, a review
should be undertaken of the operational team’s plant inspections. For example, plant items that

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will now be cycled frequently (feedwater valves, fuel gas control valves, and boiler casings, for
example) will be more vulnerable to performance deterioration.
“We found we had to do more frequent inspections,” says Woodhouse. “We were able to
reduce their rate as we got more mature. But initially we did inspections of the gas turbines and
boilers every three months. The biggest issue we found was thermal cycling-induced cracks in the
GT outlet ducts, which meant we had to go in every three months and complete inspections and
weld repairs in the ducts.”
Minimum Stable Generation (MSG). Depending on an individual plant’s commercial
characteristics, achieving a low MSG may be preferable to completely starting or stopping the
plant, when plant damage costs and the risk of failure to start are taken into account. Reducing a
plant’s MSG can be achieved by the same management strategy as optimizing flexible operation;
indeed, a move to a low MSG is usually the first option as a plant’s efficiency starts to dictate
minimized generation over loss-making periods, such as overnight.
Plant Preservation (Layup). A strategy document and operations procedures should be
developed for plant preservation during layups of different duration. Increased Levels of
Automation. The levels of plant automation should be reviewed before the start of flexible
operation trials to ensure that the existing automation is functioning to design and to identify any
potential improvements. During the review, consideration should be given to the increased
operator intervention required during the startup and shutdown plant phases of operation to
ensure that the operators can maintain an overview of the process at all times.
Mitigation Measures: Maintenance
Frequent cycling also impacts maintenance practices, and changes need to be made to adapt to
the added stresses placed on the plant.
Maintenance Team Structure. If the team structure is unchanged from baseload operation,
that structure will not reflect the new maintenance team challenges under the flexible operating
regime. The site maintenance manager needs to produce a new team structure capable of
delivering the revised maintenance requirements.
Time-Based Equipment Inspections. The maintenance regime of a baseload plant may use
time-based equipment inspections extracted from original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
manuals. The existing routine time-determined tasks in the maintenance management system
should be reviewed. Where possible, the regime should be moved to condition-based
maintenance inspections, thereby reducing the frequency of intrusive, major inspections. In
addition, the preventive maintenance basis should be reviewed as new stressors and failure
mechanisms have been introduced.
Changing Maintenance Strategies. Each GT and heat recovery boiler design will have
differing responses to the effects of flexible operation. The OEM should be consulted for any
design-related issues that will form a boundary for flexible operation. For example, an OEM will
have a limit on the number of starts or equivalent operating hours (EOHs) between inspections.

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A commercial decision will need to be made either to restrict the number of plant starts to stay
within the current inspection regime or to operate starts unconstrained and flex the timing of
GT inspections.
HRSG: GT Exhaust Duct Cracking. The exhaust gas duct from the GT to the first flexible
expansion joint is at risk of stress-induced cracking, particularly in welded areas. The internal
surface and external cladding of the duct should be regularly inspected during GT outages.
Damage should be ground out and repaired during a scheduled outage.
GT: Accelerated Degradation of Hot Gas Path (HGP) Components. HGP components
may fail before reaching the designed EOH limit. These components should be monitored during
inspections. The OEM should be consulted to design flexible, operation-resistant components.
ST: Thick-Section Cracking. Thermal stresses develop due to a mismatch between the
temperature of the admitted steam and the metal in the first-stage region of the turbine. These
high stresses can initiate and propagate cracks in the inner and outer casings and rotors. Possible
measures include following the OEM’s recommended starting and loading procedures, installing
steam bypass systems, and installing thermocouples to monitor critical temperatures and
temperature differentials during starting, loading, and unloading.
Instrumentation and Controls: Alarm Systems. If the alarm system is not carefully
managed, operators can be deluged with low-priority alarms and status change messages when
the plant is at its most dynamic on startups and shutdowns. Alarm management should be
reviewed to incorporate findings from the flexible operation trials. A plan should be created to
eliminate unactionable alarms, bad actors, and alarm floods to properly manage plant status
changes.

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