The 13MW SGT-400 industrial gas turbine was launched in 1997 and is now widely accepted in the market for industrial power generation and oil & gas applications with worldwide sales of over 110 units. The fleet has accumulated 500,000 operating hours and proven itself in a variety of environments, from offshore FPSO mechanical drive duty to base load combined heat and power provision for municipalities. The SGT-400 is available as a stand-alone power provider, or in combined cycle configuration. The focus of this paper is on the development of the SGT-400 into a proven product with the fundamental requirements of high availability and reliability. Described are the methodology applied along with the key changes introduced which resulted in year on year improvements in fleet availability. Introduction of ‘Calm Controls’ has reduced the number of unnecessary engine trips and resulted in increased availability as well as protecting customer operation. In addition, this paper presents details of the process and validation completed to resolve technical challenges identified in early commercial operation. Emphasis is placed on rotor and blading issues through measures taken to minimize rotor vibration and the design improvements introduced to protect blading from environmentally induced corrosion attack. Some current new enhancements to the product are also briefly described, targeting expansion of the fuels capability of the turbine to fuels of a Wobbe Index 25MJ/m3, using the DLE combustion system; changes to the exhaust emissions signature of the engine over a wider range of loads and, finally, the use of Siemens’ own PLC-based control system. This paper demonstrates that the application of robust design and development principles leads to a product suitable for a variety of applications, allowing it to be developed into new areas where fuel flexibility and environmental conditions can be met.
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