Operationalize heat rate reductionAPM Thermal Advisory Software: Performance IntelligenceEmpower your plant teams to lower heat rate up to 1% and save on fuel costs.Download Brochure Thermal Advisory Overview Traditional heat rate management methods are not cutting it anymore O&M Strategies using time-based maintenance tend to lack the real-time visibility needed to find and quickly catch performance degradation issues. Reduce manual processesClose the knowledge gapIncrease visibility to performance issues Watch how now 55%-75%of total plant costs is due to fuel 1% heat rate reduction for 500MW coal-fired plant will save about $700,000 annual fuel costs2.5%heat rate improvement correlates with a 2.5% reduction in all air emissions. Improvements are a 1-for-1. APM Performance Intelligence Improved visibility means improved efficiency, faster Receive performance alerts with actionable recommendationsDetect issues at part loadSee insights to improve starts and visualize economically optimized maintenance timing Calculate the Impact Catching DegradationEarlyRead how Société Tunisienne de l'Electricité et du Gaz (STEG) uses APM Performance Intelligence as part of their performance monitoring strategy to achieve performance optimization Learn More View All Customer Stories Demo ExperienceExperience APM Performance Intelligence with APM ReliabilityTry online demo now View All Resources Thermal PerformancePerformance analytics for improved visibility to performance issues.⦁ Physics-based digital twin customized to equipment designs⦁ Applicable for various plant operating modes⦁ Easy to use interface Carbon Data Monitoring & AdviceDaily and cumulative production of CO2 actual plant emissions.⦁ Carbon Production KPIs calculated from actual plant fuel data⦁ Carbon reduction advice providing plant impact including capacity, fuel and carbon⦁ Carbon insights of CO2 tonnage for reporting out cumulative year to date KPIs Diagnostic Alerts and Economic Tradeoff AdvisorsReal-time alerts with actionable recommendation to improve heat rate and output.⦁ Automated alerts of performance shortfalls⦁ Automated alerts for degradation trends⦁ Economic optimization advisor to improve water wash operations and inlet filter performance What-If and Performance Test ToolsUnderstand impact of equipment derates on plant capacity and heat rate and automate your performance testing.⦁ Operating mode analytics provide performance results across the load range and operational conditions⦁ Prebuilt catalog of ASME Performance Test Codes⦁ Automated report generation Add-on Flexibility Performance MonitoringAdd-on feature for improved plant flexibility and operational performance.⦁ Provides critical insights for start fuel and start time.⦁ Compare multiple starts (e.g. fast, cold, warm, etc) and detect anomalies. 1. Range And Applicability Of Heat Rate Improvements (power-eng.com) 2. Utilities and Industry Continue Learnings Around Benefits of Heat Rate Improvement (powermag.com) How it Works Physics-based models are developed for all thermal assets, including gas turbines, steam turbines, HRSGs, boilers, condensers, cooling towers, and pumps.The models are tuned to equipment design data and validated with as-running data from the site.The software uses Key Performance Indicators, such as corrected output and heat rate, to compare actual performance versus expected performance and calculate component to fleet level degradation. Resources Blogs Videos FAQs How long to realize a reduction in power plant heat rate with the software? From project kickoff to going lives takes about 6 months on average. Once your plant teams are using the software, it takes about 12 months to see up to a 1% reduction in heat rate. Is Performance Intelligence OEM specific? No, Performance Intelligence is agnostic and works on any brand of thermal equipment. Does Performance Intelligence integrate with my current GE APM solution? Yes, you can access Performance Intelligence from your existing Asset Performance Management solution Will I achieve an ROI using Performance Intelligence? The answer depends on your equipment. Check out this ROI value calculator to see how much value you can potentially achieve using Performance Intelligence. The value is realized from increased productivity, fuel and emission savings, and increased capacity. Contact a solution expert to see if Performance Intelligence is the right fit for your equipment. How is Performance Intelligence different from the competition? Performance Intelligence is best for companies that are seeking a way to modernize and operationalize heat rate management. The Performance Engineer, Plant Manager, Asset Manager can see alerts (similar to SmartSignal) for performance degradation. The user will get a 360 degree view of the issue with recommendations. The software answers “do I have a problem? If yes, how much is it costing me and where is the issue?” How to calculate the efficiency of a gas turbine? Calculating the efficiency of a gas turbine involves comparing the work output of the turbine to the energy input in the form of fuel. To calculate the efficiency, you would need the following data:1. Power Output: The actual power output of the gas turbine in megawatts (MW).2. Fuel Flow Rate: The rate at which fuel is consumed by the turbine, typically in kilograms per second (kg/s).3. Heating Value of Fuel: The amount of energy released when a certain amount of fuel is burned, usually given in megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg).A simplified formula to calculate the thermal efficiency of a gas turbine n= work output/heat input = power output/(fuel flow rate x heating value of fuel). There are more detailed calculations that include the compressor and turbine efficiencies, pressure ratios and specific heats of the gases at constant pressure. These require complex calculations involving thermodynamic equations and isentropic processes. Performance Intelligence is available for both on premises or Cloud. Performance Intelligence is available for both on premises or Cloud. How can I improve my gas turbine performance? To improve the performance of your gas turbine, there are several key strategies aimed at increasing efficiency, output and operational reliability. 1) Improved design and materials: engineers can work on designs that emphasize faster starts and quicker ramp-ups by implementing upgrades to the turbine technology. 2) Digital Solutions: there are several companies that offer digital solution to optimize gas turbine operations, including advanced solutions with AI/ML technology, physics-based modeling, and digital twins. 3) Temperature and Humidity Control are an important factor for performance. Since turbines use air, changes in mass flow or density of air impacts performance. Controlling ambient temperature is crucial to improve output and heat rate. If in a humid area, controlling the air emerging from the combustion inlet is important for efficiency and emissions. 4) Fuel Type Optimization ensures the fuel quality and suitability for the specific turbine design and 5) other crucial improvements include loss management (excessive clearance between blades and casing, clogged air filters), regeneration, intercooling and reheating all can increase net output. By implementing these key strategies, gas turbines can more easily maintain entitlement and operate at peak performance. What is the performance optimization of a gas turbine engine? Performance optimization of a gas turbine engine are methods and strategies to achieve optimal performance. This is achieved by implementing strategies to improve efficiency, reliability and overall performance. Common techniques include methods to reduce fuel consumption while maintaining output, maximizing thrust for same fuel consumption while reducing turbine blade temperature (source Science Direct). How can we improve the efficiency of gas turbines? Methods to improve efficiency of gas turbines include Thermodynamic Optimization, Component Efficiency and Control System Optimization, Maintenance and Monitoring and Fuel Optimization. Thermodynamic Optimization involved improving the thermodynamic cycle of the turbine, for instance, optimizing the pressure ratio. Thermodynamic Optimization enhances efficiency by maximizing the energy extracted from the fuel. Component Efficiency involves enhancing the efficiency of individual components like compressors, combustors and turbines. Improved cooling techniques or aerodynamic designs help to achieve component efficiency. Control System Optimization can improve transient response and overall performance such as reinforcement learning to ensure the turbine operates within its most efficient parameters. Maintenance and Monitoring optimization can be achieved with regular maintenance and real-time monitoring. Predictive data analytics of the turbine's performance provides even more optimization with early issue identification and by preventing issues that could lead to energy losses or reduced output. Fuel Optimization may involve higher quality or alternative fuels for improved combustion efficiency. New technology that uses AI/ML can also automatically improve combustion and reduce fuel and emissions. (sources: Cambridge.org, Ntrs.nasa.gov, Science Direct). What are the factors affecting the performance of a gas turbine? There are several factors that affect the performance of gas turbines. Examples include compressor pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature, humidity, altitude, compressor efficiency, compressor exit diffuser Cp, combustor pressure loss, turbine efficiency, and blade metal allowable temperature. Inlet air temperature, for example, impacts performance because the temperature of the air entering the turbine affects its density. Cooler air is denser and can improve the mass flow rate, leading to better performance. On the other hand, maintenance and fouling are more controlled by plant teams and teams that perform regular maintenance can prevent fouling and degradation of components that impact performance. How to calculate fuel consumption of a gas turbine? There are different methods of calculation for fuel consumption of a gas turbine. The choice of formula depends on the specific application and available data. Here are 3 examples of common formulas used to calculate fuel consumption of a gas turbine: 1) Specific Fuel Consumption (SFC) represents the amount of fuel consumed per unit of power output. It is particularly useful for assessing the efficiency of a gas turbine in terms of fuel consumption. 2) Empirical Approximation which is good for simple-cycle gas turbines. 3) Heat Rate Method is used for combined-cycle plants and relates fuel consumption to the power output. Customer Stories Customer Stories Contact us todayLet our experts show you how GE Vernova’s Software business can accelerate your operational excellence program and energy transition. Thank you for getting in touch! We’ve received your message, One of our colleagues will get back to you soon. Have a great day!