GAS TURBINE ENGINES FOR GAS PIPELINES OF THE NEW GENERATION

ALEXANDER INOZEMTSEV
General Designer of Aviadvigatel
Doctor of Engineering Science, Professor,
Head of Aircraft Engine Department in Perm State Technical University.
Full Member of the Russian Aeronautics Academy.
Corresponding Member of the Russian Federation Academy of Technology.

One of the ways to enhance capacity of Gazprom gas transportation system is expansion of large diameter pipelines. This causes Gazprom's demand for gas turbines with increased unit capacity: 30 to 40 MW.

At present on the grounds of Gazprom's technical assignment, specialists from Aviadvigatel are working on simple cycle 34 MW GTU-30P gas turbine with 39% (ISO) efficiency factor. This new product of Perm Design Bureau is intended for application in gas compressor plants with increased unit capacity. Gazprom is planning to use this type of machinery on new gas pipelines with high gas pressure (120 bar). Besides, GTU-30P machines will be needed for reconstruction of working gas compressor plants at compressor stations and for natural gas liquefaction plants.

Gazprom intends to implement a pilot project under reconstruction of Ochyorskaya compressor station of Gazprom Transgaz Chaikovsky Ltd. 
Conceptual design of GTU-30P deserves special attention.

GTU IS BASED ON FIGHTER AIRCRAFT ENGINE

D-30F6 engine in Aviadvigatel's assembly workshop

GTU-30P gas turbine is being developed on the basis of D-30F6 production engine which is installed on MiG-31 fighters. The choice was determined by a big size gas generator: it is nearly 1.6 times bigger than that of PS-90A engine, basis for 10/12/16/25 MW gas turbines. Use of D-30F6 gas generator will permit to ensure parameters determined in the technical as-signment and to upgrade the gas turbine under development up to 40 MW power and 40% efficiency factor.

The industrial model of D-30F6 aero-engine is designed with a two-shaft bypass turbo-compressor with low bypass ratio (m=0.1) and a power turbine.
The main advantages of a bypass gas turbine drive with low bypass ratio are:

  • reduction of heat and noise emissions to the working room;
  • absence of special ACC cooling systems for high pressure compressor casings,  high pressure and low pressure turbines (HPT and LPT), and a power turbine;
  • utilization of the HPC exit leaks  along all joints of the core duct components;
  • possible use of the heat exchanger of the HPT cooling and ACC cooling system;
  • maintaining the LPC surge  stability within a wider range of  power settings compared to single-jet design, etc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOW PRESSURE COMPRESSOR

The eight-stage low pressure compressor (LPC) is designed on the basis of the five-stage LPC of D-30F6 engine by adding three newly-designed stages at the rear. Increased number of stages permits to enhance compression ratio of LPC and of the gas turbine as a whole. Compression is ensured by higher air flow due to  increased rotation speed in order to achieve 40 MW capacity (Nå) of the gas turbine.
The intermediate casing is designed on the basis of D-30F6 aero-engine production intermediate casing with remaining central drive. Configuration of the flow splitter into the bypass and core ducts is optimized to reduce losses at the inlet to the bypass and core ducts and to prevent the bypass duct inlet from being blocked in «deep» partial power settings, including conditions with open bypass valves.

HIGH PRESSURE COMPRESSOR

The ten-stage high pressure compressor (HPC) is designed on the basis of the production engine HPC by adding a new air bleed for the needs of the turbine behind the seventh stage, optimization of radial clearances, changing material of the fourth and the fifth discs, and some other design work.

COMBUSTION CHAMBER

GTU-30P combustion chamber design ensures meeting requirements of the technical assignment for NOx emissions:

  • NOx content not more than 50 mg/nm3, for pilot batch not more than 100 mg/nm3 is acceptable,
  • CO content not more than 300 mg/nm3.

GTU-25P combustion chamber with low-emission burner and offset liners was chosen as the basic model. This model has a wide-scale possibility to be upgraded for special gas turbine operating conditions and high adaptability.

One of the key conditions for designing GTU-30P low emission combustion chamber is availability of an appropriate experimental capability at Aviadvigatel. It will let Design Bureau engineers investigate and optimize different combustion chamber models with natural GTU-30P parameters and perform verification of numerical models of working processes in the combustion chamber.        

GTU TURBINES

GTU-30P machine comprises three turbines: a high pressure turbine, a low pressure turbine, and a power turbine. The following will be designed: new blades and vanes  for HPT and LPT, casings for HPT and LPT, LPT disks, and a power turbine. In designing the latter, one will take into account the experience in power turbine optimization in 12/16/25 MW gas turbines developed by our Design Bureau. It should be noted that for the first time in this country the power turbine will be designed as a separate module.

 
 
 

In July 2008 a meeting of Aviadvigatel' Scientific and Technical Council took place with the purpose to review GTU-30P design. Besides representatives from Perm Motors Group, also top managers and leading specialists from Gazprom, Orgenergogaz, NPO Iskra, Iskra-Avigaz CJSC took part in the Council's activities. Most sensitive issues of GTU-30P competitiveness and cost effectiveness, adaptability and reliability were discussed. Active participation of Gazprom, the strategic partner of Perm engine builders, in discussions on main engineering solutions speaks not only for Gazprom' great interest in new projects from Perm Design Bureau, but also for the fact that existing products fully meet Gazprom's requirements. 

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