About
With fewer new traditional power plants being built—and renewable plants yet to be completely cost-effective—utilities are investigating alternatives to increase their existing power generation equipment’s reliability and power output. A turbine generator uprate offers one of the most economical approaches to extending equipment life and increasing plant output by as much as 20%.
GE Vernova’s generator uprate process follows this typical path:
Identify the reliability concerns of aging equipment. Evaluate Thermal, Electrical, Ambient, and Mechanical (TEAM) stresses that can cause component wear to the point of a forced outage.
Determine the lowest cost ($/kW) uprate options:
Enabling full turbine uprate capability (up to 20%, depending on model)
Successes
Problem: Generator model limited by stator thermal temperature, stator end-winding mechanical, and collector brush rigging current. (Some models limited by rotor thermal temperature due to certain rotor designs.)
Solution: Added advanced class F+ stator bar insulation, new connection ring, additional end winding binding band supports. Increased hydrogen pressure from 30 psi to 43 psi. Upgraded collector holder system.
Value: Output increased 10%. Extended life and increased reliability. Resulted in more than $4.7 million annual revenue.
Problem: Generator capability limits being approached. Generators’ reliability decreases over time with operating hours and cyclic duty. Operating stresses may cause component wear to the point of forced outage.
Solution: Combined uprate and cyclic duty package for enhancing generator performance and reliability, including rotor rewind with new copper.
Benefits: Upgrades implemented during a traditional major gas turbine inspection using existing or new copper with minimal cost and cycle added.
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