STRATEGIC PARTNERS
VICTOR PROSVIRNIN,
Deputy Head for Production, Perm Line Production Management of Main Pipelines of Gazprom Transgaz Chaikovsky, is interviewed by the magazine.
GPA-12 Ural gas compressor plants at Permskaya Compressor Station
- Industrial-purpose aircraft engines were not a great secret for Gazprom. Gas turbine equipment for gas transportation has always been based on converted aircraft engines but not of Perm manufacture. How collaboration between Aviadvigatel and Gazprom was born?
- During implementation of Ural-Gazprom program a necessity arose of a largescale reconstruction of outdated gas turbine equipment for compressor stations. Mean running hours of the existing equipment exceeded 100,000, that is actual running hours exceeded the engine's specified life.
In early '90 a promising PS-90A engine designed by Perm Design Bureau passed certification. Aviadvigatel approached Permtransgaz with a proposal to use Aviadvigatel's aircraft engines for gas transportation. Mutual interest arose and conceptual principles for a project and a technical assignment were developed. Some nine or ten months after signing the protocol of intent, the first testing of a gas turbine was carried out.
A formidable amount of work was performed notwithstanding skeptical allegations that not less than eleven years are needed to put an aircraft engine «down to earth».
- Why, in your opinion, Aviadvigatel wanted to put its PS-90A engine «down to earth»?
- To create a high-quality monofunctional product is a good thing, but to create a high-quality multifunctional product is still a better thing. Using an aircraft engine on earth means giving it a second life with new features. In other words, putting an aircraft engine «down to earth» can be considered as its qualitative development.
- Did the process present severe difficulties?
- There were many things to do and many problems. But the times were interesting; people who worked were dynamic and very much interested in the result, so no difficulty could stop us. As a result, in December 1993 the first start-up of the first GTU-12P gas turbine took place. Surely it was far from being perfect and required rework. To the credit of Aviadvigatel specialists, we should say that despite the decades-long prestige of Perm engine building tradition they were not afraid of asking questions, listening to criticism and recommendations, and taking into consideration requests of would-be operators. Everyone understood that using aircraft equipment «on earth» presumed a completely new engine philosophy. Continuous disputes and search for new solutions brought the most important result: understanding between engine builders and gas companies was achieved, and this helped overcoming all the difficulties and enabled the creation of the quality equipment that meets the requirements of Gazprom.
- What is, in your opinion, the main advantage of PS-90A engine in comparison with other Russian and foreign engines that became decisive in selecting equipment for Gazprom Transgaz Chaikovsky compressor stations?
- The most important thing about PS-90A is that it is a new generation engine. It permitted the development and use in operation of the Ural series gas compressor plants that are also of a new generation. This product is a result of cooperation between Gazprom and hi-tech enterprises of the former defense industry in Perm Region: Aviadvigatel, PMZ, NPO Iskra and so on.
- Gazprom Transgaz Chaikovsky (GTC) facilities are equipped with different gas turbines: 10 MW, 12 MW, 16 MW, 25 MW. Which of them are most successful?
- In 1996 at Permskaya compressor station the first article testing of a packaged GPA-12 Ural gas compressor plant with PS-90GP-1 engine based on the converted PS-90A aero-engine was held. Year 2001 was a prolific year for Ural packages when two completely new packaged units were put in operation: GPA-16 at Gornozavodskaya CS and GPA-12M at Permskaya CS. While the former was accepted by gas companies as the core unit for Gazprom gas pumping equipment fleet reconstruction program, the latter became a spectacular example of sci-tech breakthrough into the XXIst century.
GPA-12M Ural gas compressor plant is the first in NPO Iskra's experience to be equipped with unlubricated centrifugal booster compressor with dry gas seals and electromagnetic rotor suspension. It is driven by GTU-12P gas turbine designed by Aviadvigatel on the basis of the converted PS-90A aero-engine. Its simple and reliable design with single-shaft gas generator permitted notable reduction of maintenance costs and assembly/disassembly time. Long Time Between Overhauls (TBO) and tried-and-true maintenance diagnostics ensure reduction of annual unit maintenance costs.
- Relations between Aviadvigatel and Gazprom are not simply buyer-seller relations but cooperation. What is it based on?
A.G. Ananenkov, Deputy President of Gazprom, OJSC Board,
in PMZ gas turbine assembly shop
- Cooperation between Gazprom and Aviadvigatel is based on great mutual interest. We as a gas company get high-quality products with constantly improving characteristics. The designers get special-purpose financing and a unique possibility to optimize technical solutions at our testing benches. It's a great competitive advantage. Simultaneous testing of an engine and its use for gas transportation along pipelines is more efficient. There is no country the economics of which can permit life cycle testing of an aircraft engine for 3,000, 5,000 or 10,000 hours simply at an aviation testing bench. No aircraft can permit long-term engine testing in flight, without landing or refueling. All these conditions can be obtained only by putting the aircraft engine 'down to earth' and its parallel use for gas transportation. Apart from money and fuel saving, cooperation like this permits engine builders to keep constant statistics of engine operation, discover and trace bottlenecks, test promising solutions and ideas on earth.
- Fifteen years of Gazprom's cooperation with Perm-located engine builders have passed. What has been done in the course of the years?
- For the moment six GTC facilities operate 24 Aviadvigatel gas turbines with total capacity of 345 MW. In the years of operation the design of the plant control systems was changed as well as structure and hardware of fire detection, fire fighting, and gas detection systems in gas compressor plant bays. Works on replacement of dry gas seals of the magnetic suspension are going on. With financing from Gazprom, work is being done actively to optimize versions of low emission combustion chambers. Bottlenecks are discovered and traced in gas turbine mechanization systems (e.g., hydraulic drive for inlet guide vanes). Fuel gas metering valves of different manufacturers (Eimod, Star OJSC, Rumyantsev NPO OJSC) are being tested. Modern diagnostics systems of different manufacturers (VNIPIGAZ Ltd, NPO Iskra OJSC, Aviadvigatel OJSC) are in test run. Now time between failures makes over 3,500 hours. Our joint efforts identified alternative suppliers to replace the manufacturers of low reliability components for engines and gas compressor units as a whole (mechanization system, control system, gas metering devices). In other words, Gazprom and Aviadvigatel received the possibility to select the best suppliers.
After-sales service is being jointly and continuously improved. PMZ, Aviadvigatel, and Gazprom enter into contracts for all types of gas turbine equipment support and maintenance performed only by qualified personnel.
- Development of gas extraction and transportation imposes new requirements for equipment. What are they, in short?
- First of all, I would like to say that in future the only equipment demanded will be from those manufacturers which do not stop in their development and offer competitive equipment. It means:
- reliability;
- maintainability;
- economical efficiency;
- good ecological properties.
GPA-12R Ural gas compressor plants at Ordinskaya compressor station of Gazprom Tansgaz Chaikovsky
Without exception, the lifetime of all components must be longer than TBO that is 20,000 hours. At present, Meantime Between Failures (MTBF) is 3,000 hours in compliance with the standard. Growth prospects are evident. It would be best to have the life-time of all the components and assemblies balanced without excessiveness and insufficiency, so that a failure of one component will not cause a failure of the whole assembly. Automatic switchover of high-wearing components should exist.
Unification of components and assemblies from different manufacturers for different assembly versions is quite necessary, as well as an extensive network of branded maintenance and repair services.
We attach special importance to the high efficiency factor and minimization of irrecoverable oil losses. We need machinery with non-lubricated centrifugal boosters, dry gas seals, and electromagnetic rotor suspensions. We need automatic gas duct washing on a working gas compressor plant. We know that Aviadvigatel has theoretical solutions of such kind, and hope to see them implemented in practice soon, that is in serial production.
The cost of the equipment is highly influenced by monopoly suppliers of components and assemblies. Overcoming the economic impact of monopoly and engaging suppliers in competition is the way to reduce the cost of the goods.
Good ecological properties presume introduction of low emission combustion chambers. Aviadvigatel has been receiving financing from Gazprom for fifteen years. There is some progress but I must state that more tangible results are needed.
Operation of hi-tech equipment in modern conditions requires acceptance, by the supplier, of all components without exception, including hazardous materials, used filters, consumables, fuels and lubricants, for further disposal. If the consumer remains with hazardous materials he will not know what to do with them as either keeping them or throwing them out is forbidden. That is why the manufacturer has to accept, register, and dispose of the waste.
Computer-aided system of ecologic monitoring should exist to calculate, store, and generate reports on total emissions. It is required by the Russian legislation. When penalties for emissions are taken into account, the consumer will be motivated to save.
Availability of an adaptive automated control system of a gas compressor plant able to minimize gas transportation costs is very important.
It is necessary to continue efforts to minimize forced outages and emergency shutdowns of gas compressor plants. We are waiting for implementation in full-scale production of electric, hydro, and pneumatic starting systems for gas compressor plants which eliminate the use of starting gas. It is possible with station compressed air pretreatment systems available. And, finally, dry gas dynamic seals should be widely introduced. All other types of oil seals bring significant oil consumption, which is harmful for the environment.
- Will the productive and mutually profitable cooperation of our companies be continued?
- I am sure that as long as our mutual interest persists, productive and mutually profitable cooperation between Gazprom and Aviadvigatel will be progressing. For this, we should make efforts for further development of the gas turbine equipment fleet, and the creation of new gas turbines and gas compressor plants to comply with modern requirements of gas extraction and transportation. And still one more important problem should be resolved by top managers of the Design Bureau - to maintain and expand human resources and high intellectual promise of specialists. Engineers and specialists are the key factor in creation of the most up-to-date and competitive engines.
