INNOVATIVE STARTING PROCEDURE OF SIEMENS SGT-600 IN COLD CLIMATE CONDITIONS

A start-up of a gas turbine means that stress and forces are put on the machine. A start-up in cold climate conditions means that the forces are more critical since the material in the machine becomes more brittle. At a certain temperature the material is utilized to its limits (with appropriate margins applied) and for the SGT-600 ambient temperatures below -30 degrees C (-22 degrees F) become critical. In earlier installations in an arctic climate, an electric preheater has been utilized to prevent the critical components from becoming too brittle. This additional hardware costs money, is consuming auxiliary power and may contribute to unavailability. Another way to solve this issue may be to install material that is less brittle, but this will also increase the cost of the installation. Siemens is now applying an improved control logic during start-up, solving this issue in the software, without any additional hardware and avoiding unnecessary material changes. This new innovative start-up procedure is performing an automatic check of the stress levels before loading the machine, resulting in a safe and reliable start at temperatures below -30 degrees C (-22 degrees F).