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THE SYSTEMATIC UPGRADE OF GAS

TURBINES

Synterprise
ESG - TTI

This document outlines a program of

engineering designed for gas turbine
operators who wish to manage the
upgrade an existing fleet of turbines.
It offers a plan to obtain advanced
components of improved durability,
reliability and performance without
the assumption of additional liability.
It results in a more informed customer
by producing the engineering that is necessary to specify recommended modifications to
upgrade selected parts or portions of the gas path. It eliminates the black box that confronts
an operator when they are expected to weigh the economic risks of accepting and operating a
new design. On behalf of the operator it defines explicit criteria to control the manufacturing,
inspection, maintenance and service of new parts. Inspection intervals and replacement limits
are further presented in terms of cycles of consumed life, which are tracked for the duration of
their entire service.

The engineering in this plan represents a consolidation of twenty years applied research. A
derivative of this program is currently being applied to the newest generation of land-based gas
turbines under the sponsorship of the Electric Power Research Institute and United States
Department of Energy.

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Traditionally, design and manufacture of gas turbine components is viewed as the exclusive
prerogative of a select few original equipment manufacturers. With the advent of the global
economy, machine operators now have access to independent sources for these parts. This
program is designed to support such operators who wish to take maximum advantage of these
resources at minimum risk to their present fleet of turbines. Armed with the proper engineering
tools, this can be done. Twenty years of development in structural analysis, computational fluid
dynamics and life prediction have proven that if these commercial technologies are applied
correctly, they are capable of systematically improving a vintage fleet of gas turbine designs.
This is particularly true for the components of the hot section, which presently employ the most
advanced cooling schemes and newest generation of materials to allow more efficient operation at
higher temperature.

Importantly, this approach eliminates

the black box that often confronts an
operator when they are expected to
weigh the economic risks of accepting
and operating a new design. As
outlined, acceptance of new parts is
based on criteria established by the
operator, relative and specific to the
history and performance of the original
design. Operating criteria, especially
those that dictate maintenance and
inspection intervals, are verified based
on precise damage tracking of the
principal mechanism known to
compromise gas turbine components.

This approach bridges the gap between operators and the design
of their equipment. Techniques presented in this program are
grounded in over twenty years of applied research sponsored by
organizations such as the Electric Power Research Institute, the
United States Air Force, and most recently the United States
Department of Energy. A version of this plan is currently being
applied to provide EPRI members with the independent means
for managing the most expensive hot section components for
selected aero-engine land based gas turbine derivatives.

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OBJECTIVES

Upgrade an
Systematically replace selected vintage components with
existing fleet of
designs of improved durability and efficiency
gas turbines
Manage the
Specifying the procedures and criteria for procuring,
production of
inspecting and accepting parts.
approved designs
Track the
Use the service experience to refine their acceptance,
expended life of
maintenance and regular inspection
new parts

Maximum economic benefits of

this program are realized if they
are dedicated to a fleet or series
of gas turbines that share
common designs. It is further
recommended that the program
of upgrade be selective, i.e. that
it focus on specific components
that are (a) the most prone to
wear, (b) have a history of
reliability problems or (c) are
the most significant contributors
to the power produced by the
present turbine-compressor
arrangement. For gas turbines,
the hot section parts are
generally prime candidates as
they are subjected to the more
aggressive environment and thereby establish the life-limits that dictate inspection and operating
standards. The latter stages of the compressor are also a region of consideration because of their
greater propensity to fail from flow-related conditions, e.g. resonance, surge and flutter.

The direct approach to damage accumulation

employed in this program naturally lends itself to
the phase in which new parts are monitored and
tracked. Because it focuses on these selected
locations where certain mechanisms predominate,
an effective record may be maintained of the
various operating histories that are encounter in
service. In turn, this provides a basis for refining
(tightening or relaxing standards) that governs their
inspection, maintenance and eventual replacement.

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RISK AND LIABILITY

Although representatives the operator is expected to exert a management role toward the
production of new parts, this does not imply the assumption of any additional liability. The role
envisioned under this program is complementary, not adversarial. The engineering is designed to
make them a more technically informed consumer; with the ability to independently
qualify/verify any modifications that might be produced for their existing fleet of gas turbines.
The advantages of proposed changes to components or the gas path are weighed in terms of
stresses, strains and temperatures with the means to show how they improve damage resistance or
extend safe operating life. Availability of this information provides an unbiased platform by
which an engineering consensus may be pursued to the satisfaction of all parties, and not just in
accordance to the conditions set by the manufacturer contracted to produce and supply parts.

Emerging from the recent U.S. experience with the newest generation of land-based gas turbines
is the realization that increased power output and improved efficiency comes at a cost to life
consumption. Concerns whether these newest designs can meet a single hot gas path inspection,
or the limits placed on their reconditioning, and the frequency by which these parts must be
replaced are further restricted by generic formulations that indirectly account for damage. A
growing body of evidence suggests that the direct tracking of damage may not only be to the
economic advantage of the operator, but also the only valid means to manage the safe operation
of these parts because of the engineering borderlines their materials and coatings must survive
within.

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PHASES

Identify the series of gas turbines Simulate the operation of components to be

ONE
is to be upgraded. Select the advanced. Determine the quality of the engineering
components. in present design(s).
Formalize these criteria as guidelines for inspection
FIIVE FOUR THREE TWO

Establish procurement guidelines

and acceptance of designs competing suppliers are
and criteria.
to meet.
Maintain a record of key features for individual parts
Perform limited QA/QC
that reflect their durability or resistance to critical
measurements and/tests
damage mechanisms.

Perform off-line and/or on line

Track the individual damage accumulated at critical
tracking of new parts as they enter
locations for periodic review and assessment.
service
Tighten standards used to accept and/or operate
Refine the engineering models,
new parts based on the results of their operating
guidelines and criteria
experience in the field.

For operators with a specific fleet in mind, a more

definitive version of this scope (including cost, milestones
and duration) required some additional input:

How many different gas turbines would be upgraded?

How old are the present designs (both components and
gas path)?
How reliable have the turbines and compressors been?
How efficient are the units?
How aggressively is the upgrade program to proceed?
Have potential suppliers been identified or selected?

Age and condition of the different designs of gas turbines within a fleet often dictates the priority by
which upgrades must be approached. Vintage designs are often more prevalent, rely on conventional
materials (increasing the number of qualified suppliers), and provide more opportunity for
improvement (because they were designed without the precision and detail offered by modern
programs). Newer machines are larger, and generally produce more power (the benefits of upgrades
are greater per machine). Reliability issues are often the best means to select optimum candidates for
upgrade, as their correction produces an immediate impact on the availability of these machines.
Weighing power production and efficiency benefits can be further resolved by a preliminary
performance survey based on details of each gas path. Analysis determines the stage(s) that are least
efficient, the losses that are present within the gas path, and the increased power output that can be
realized with selective upgrades. In treatment of reliability issues, a performance improvement is
logically sought as an aspect of the upgrade.
5
The pace of an upgrade program is principally set by
the schedule of financing. In terms of time required
(versus manpower), systems and parts to be upgraded
do not have to be approached in sequence. In fact,
there is an economy of savings where multiple efforts
are pursued in parallel.
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PHASE 1 Selection and Assessment
General guidelines to select candidate for upgrade have been mentioned. Once this is complete,
computer simulation is used to further differentiate the specific details of potential improvements.
The technology is not the approach. The aero-thermal/structural models provide a means by
which all the essential elements of the gas path or mechanical design are accounted for
materials, loads, environment and duty so that changes may be evaluated in a systematic and
scientific manner. Operators who are serious about controlling the upgrades installed on their
fleet realize that it is impossible to effectively correct reliability or performance deficits in
components without a detailed understanding of their mechanical behavior. Phase 1 provides the
engineering on which all subsequent phases of management and control rely.

Ultimately this process produces a map of the hot-spots and structural weak points within the
components at any given point in time throughout the start-stop cycle. Taken in conjunction
with material properties, these detailed temperatures, stresses and strains can be further
represented as thermal mechanical fatigue or creep two of the most predominant sources of
damage in gas turbine hot sections. For compressors, details of their natural frequencies,
dynamic response and stress are similarly equated to accumulations of high cycle fatigue. For
any given design these results form a basis by which advanced design concepts can be qualified
and assessed, and/or the root cause of historical problems are identified and corrected.

The example illustrates the correlation between predictions and the

appearance of cracks in a first stage gas turbine bucket. These buckets
feature the most sophisticated measures employed to mitigate thermal
stress concentrations, including a serpentine internal cooling strategy
and the use of directionally solidified materials. The simulation not only
predicts the location of potential failure, but also accurately correlated
with the history of start-stop cycles and hours of operation produced by
the operator.

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PHASE 2 - Procurement Guidelines and Criteria

Any legitimate OEM or supplier of gas turbine parts should have their own criteria for
the casting, manufacture and inspection of parts. However, these are rarely available to
the operator, or if so, are provided in a format of little practical value as a procurement
device. A derivative from Phase 1 is the technical acceptance criteria. Knowing where
damage is most likely strike first, these criteria can be fashioned into a guideline of
procurement requirements. On behalf of the operator, they identify key issues or limits
that the final components are expected to conform and comply with. They may include
general conditions of liability that further specify what type of corrections or
replacements must be provided to comply with the stated engineering criteria.

Procurement guidelines should address each of the key elements that either control or
contribute to the durability and performance of the final part. Criteria include (a)
demonstration of material properties within given test limits, (b) acceptable margins for
selected component tolerances and (c) acceptable measures of product quality e.g. natural
frequencies, moment weights, airfoil orientations and flow rates under simulated test
conditions. Allowable tolerances for certain key features (i.e. at critical locations) are
established by means of sensitivity studies produced in Phase 1. These provide a direct
relationship between design features such as wall thickness or cooling hole size and the
relative creep or TMF damage that variations will produce. Sensitivity data also provide
a more direct measure of the true benefits achieved from recommended alterations.

The example illustrates how if a problem is understood well enough, it can be

accommodated with a reasonable statement of caution and confirmed with a
minimum of effort to demonstrate compliance. In the case of the arrays of
cooling holes along a leading edge, an allowable width and length is based
on results of sensitivity studies that contrast the effectiveness of cooling with
hole diameter. A pair of gages of represents this criterion. In this manner,
the complex engineering relationships in the design assessment are reduced
to a practical, straightforward standard and test.

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PHASE 3 - QA/QC Testing
In Phase 3 the operator is equipped to take an active role while the parts are being produced
in order to preclude the acceptance of unsuitable or marginal components. The quality
assurance and quality control testing performed in this phase is meant to be a supplement to
the standard procedures employed by the supplier. As such, they are selected for their
practicality, in terms of direct tests or measurements that can be readily undertaken to assure
the quality and consistency of parts. Checks may include the application of ultrasound to
measure wall thickness, calipers to measure basic dimensions, wire gages to cooling orifices,
frequency tests to check dynamic behavior, and moment weights to document the optimum
arrangement of a set.

A distinctive feature of the upgrade program is that tests to qualify the suitability of parts
produced by a supplier also establish a record that documents the life-controlling
characteristics of individual components prior to their introduction into service. The
distributions formed by variations in dimensions at critical locations are retained as an
independent record of quality before active service. Those which exhibit borderline
characteristics can be identified as parts most likely to first develop symptoms of creep or
fatigue. As results from inspection and replacement intervals become available, they can be
correlated against the pre-service record to acceptance criteria and mitigate the risk as newer
parts are introduced into service.

As a procurement criterion, the importance of the internal cooling passage

in terms of coating life is expressed by plotting measured wall thickness on
a graphic representation of stress versus predicted rate of TMF. In this
example an acceptable margin of +/- 2.5% life between parts is reflected
as a minimum and maximum wall thickness. Measurements for a given set
of buckets can be plotted to identify parts that approach the allowable
limits, and provide a statistical distribution that may be used to evaluate the
probability of a failure.

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PHASE 4 - Damage Tracking
The technical basis by which estimates of accumulated damage may be routinely performed
for any hot section component is done by simulating a given series of operating modes the
gas turbine is likely to experience in a manner similar to the sensitivity studies of critical
locations. The results from these operating studies are reduced into a matrix of
temperatures and strains. From this matrix, cycle-by-cycle estimates of life consumption
may be quickly produced, thereby affording a practical means to track damage in locations
identified as critical, e.g. hot spots, stress concentrations etc. Tracking produces a
running chronicle of the conditions associated with each start-stop cycles, and reflects
estimates of damage for both individual cycles, and a cumulative history of events.

In circumstances where parts are exposed to off-design or unexpected load conditions, the
resulting cycle and damage can be reproduced in all its detail using the summary of
information collected in the tracking process as input to the original model. Data can be
processed either on-line (if monitoring software systems are available), or off-line (where
selected operating data is routinely forwarded to a central location for review and storage).
Off-line processing is generally recommended in prototype efforts as it offers the advantage
of allowing the opportunity to intelligently screen data for anomalies before damage
consumption estimates are officially recorded.

The simulation of any given part is a model that is set up to reproduce the forces of
temperature and load to produce a detailed profile its response, which is then
reflected as forms of damage in critical locations. Tracking relates operating
scenarios and cycles of recorded power output and duration directly to a matrix of
stresses/strains compiled in advance. This approach effectively minimizes the time
required to form and process a chronicle of duty cycles as TMF, creep, HCF etc.

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PHASE 5 - Maintenance/Replacement Guidelines

Phase 5 forms a closed engineering loop. Information collected during the pre-service QA
tests and the tracking record maintained while in service is used to refine and/or revise the
criteria and conclusions drawn from the original design simulation. The experience is
reintroduced into the engineering, to form a basis for specifying features of the newest
generation. The benefits of this insight do not have to be part or machine specific. Since
different parts often rely on the same materials, the knowledge in properties and behavior
gained for one class of machine parts can improve the engineering of subsequent upgrades.
Operating profiles that prove to be particular severe or damaging are either avoided or design
measures are identified to mitigate them.

To preclude the collection of data for datas sake, post operation inspections of each part are
referenced against the QC/QA records assembled in Phase 3. As the post-service tests and
inspections are derived from the same set of criteria used in the quality assurance phase, this
automatically produces a manageable record of information, e.g. the data is naturally
confined to critical locations and the wear or damage can be directly related to the criteria
used to evaluate part life.

As shown in the example, verification of cracking predicted in the original

simulation establishes many things. First, that the complex and complicated
interaction between internal and external flows can be reasonably simulated to
produce viable temperatures and stress. Second, if the weakest link is known,
the whole chain does not have to be monitored. Third, with sound damage
algorithms and material properties, it is within the capabilities of todays
technology to make viable projections of life, even for the most complex designs
and exotic materials.

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QUALIFICATIONS

The viability of this upgrade program ultimately rests upon the engineering expertise that can be offered to
organize, perform and guide it. In this regard, the principal engineers and officers of TTI have worked in
partnership on this specialized problem for over twenty years. Their work has been traditionally aligned
with the needs of operators, by developing technologies to strengthen their role in the selection and
operation of upgrades. A synopsis of this research is offered which notes milestones related to the
engineering offered in this. Credentials of the principal engineers who collectively performed this body of
work and who would be responsible for an upgrade program undertaken on behalf of a client are
summarized following the review.

The development of an independent technology for use in producing advanced turbine

components may be traced to a multi-year program research that was initiated in 1981 on
behalf of the Electric Power Research Institute. The motive behind a program, which
attempted to enter into what was considered the technical prerogative of an exclusive
number of OEMs well before third party suppliers existed, was to address the significant
increase in the number of in-service failures that the newest generation of steam turbines
had experienced in the preceding decade. The need for an independent engineering
capability was emphasized from an industry survey of failures (R.Dewey et al [1]) which
reported that in a majority of these cases, the initial response was to install a replacement
part of the same design, and that no root cause was identified.

1. R.Dewey, N.Rieger, T. McCloskey "Survey of Steam Turbine Blade Failures" EPRI CS-3891, Final Report,
March 1985

A three-year effort produced a means to independently predict stresses, frequencies and

fatigue life consolidated as a program designated as BLADE-ST, (Blade Life Algorithm for
Design Evaluation Steam Turbine) (T. Lam et al [2]). The program, in its original
version, was released by EPRI in 1985. In addition to linking the structural analysis with a
cycle based life assessment, the routines and techniques applied in its formulations were
extensively correlated and refined by means of frequency data taken in field investigations
involving failures of parts produced by all the major manufacturers. This process of
verification continued throughout the next five years. Subsequent to its introduction, the
methodology first devised and used in BLADE-ST has been applied by TTIs principal
engineers in over 250 root cause investigations.

2. T.Lam, J.Steele, N.Rieger Development and Testing of a General Purpose Finite Element Model For Stress
and Vibration Analysis of Steam Turbine Blade Designs, ASME/IEEE PWR 34, Portland 1986

In 1994, an effort to extend this core technology to address the more complex behavior of
gas turbine components was initiated through a joint program of development sponsored
by EPRI and the United States Air Force. The derivative works were designated as
BLADE-CT (Combustion Turbine) and GT (Gas Turbine) to differentiate between land
based applications and aircraft engine applications (T.Lam et al [3]. A major objective of
the CT/GT programs was to develop a practical means to accommodate the thermal
behavior of components, particularly those that relied on internal cooling strategies. A
procedure by which the aero-thermal analysis was directly coupled to the structural
analysis was successfully produced. The development stopped short of being able to
analyze the thermal mechanical fatigue cycle due primarily to processing limitations
imposed by the available computers. The programs remained primarily for the purpose of
research and development.

3. T.Lam, J.Allen, L.Shuster, A Gas Turbine Blade Thermal/Structural Program with Linked Flow-Solid
Modeling Capability, ASME International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and exposition, June 1994

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In 1996, an extensive effort was undertaken under the sponsorship of EPRI and the
USAF to produce an independent approach that could be used to better evaluate
the efficiency and performance of turbine flow path upgrades (Hong et al [4]). This
program resulted in the successful coupling of advanced computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) with conventional through flow analysis (TFA) programs. This
technique allowed multistage turbine and compressor flow paths to be simulated
using the emerging three-dimensional Navier-Stokes programs (that are now
commercially available) and to have the results evaluated in practical terms such
as individual stage efficiencies and increased unit output. The work laid the
foundation for a practical by which advanced turbine and compressor flow and gas
path retrofits being offered by competing OEMs could be examined and compared
to weigh the benefits of proposed adjustments designed to improve efficiency.

4. C. Hong, "Application of the STELLA Computer Program for Performance and Efficiency
Improvement for Turbines", Management of Turbine Blade Problems -Prevention, Diagnosis, and
Repair, a seminar co-sponsored by Electric Power Research Institute and Stress Technology
Incorporated, 1992

In 1998, EPRI revisited the objective of developing an independent means to

evaluate the life consumption of advanced gas turbine components in anticipation
of the ongoing conversion from steam to gas powered units presently underway in
the United States. Of particular attention was the newest generation of turbines
that relied on scaled-up versions of aircraft engines (e.g. advanced cooling
schemes and materials of the types studied in the mid-1990s). This renewed
interest provided the opportunity to complete the two major elements missing the in
the earlier CT/GT approaches the iterative procedures required to profile a TMF
strain-cycle and the creep damage algorithm to account for extended periods of
high temperature duty. In the fashion established by the original BLADE-ST
program, this development was verified through correlation with metallurgical
examinations, pyrometer testing and case studies of field applications ([Wan et al
[5]). Combined with the processing power of the newest personal computers, the
aero-thermal modeling concept proposed for the earlier approaches represented in
CT and GT was demonstrated and verified.

5. S.M. Wan, P.Crimi, J.Scheibel, R.Viswanathan, Combustion Turbine F.Class Life Management of
1st Stage Turbine Blades, Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo, Amsterdam, June 2002

In 2001, a joint program was initiated under the sponsorship of EPRI and the
US Department of Energy. An objective of this program is to systematically
approach the design life of hot section components for a select number of the
most advanced land-based engine derivatives, i.e. the newest generation of
power producing units that are expected to be responsible for supplying a
significant proportion of the countrys energy needs. In concept, the DOE
effort is a version of the upgrade program outlined in this plan, although both
EPRI and DOE are acting on behalf of the operators, with additional objectives
more oriented to fundamental research. A fleet of units has been identified and
critical components (those that dictate inspection and replacement schedules)
have been selected for detailed examination. The baseline and sensitivity
studies required to establish a basis for tracking their life consumption are
presently underway.

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CREDENTIALS

President and Technical Manager Tony C-T Lam was formerly employed as Vice President
of Engineering for Stress Technology Incorporated before starting the firm of TTI. His credentials
extend over twenty years of experience working as a consultant to the power generation industry.
A graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology and Cornell University, Mr. Lam was one of
the original architects of the EPRI BLADE-ST and BLADE-CT/GT structural analysis programs
developed under the EPRI RP 1856-2 Steam Turbine Blade Life Improvement Program and RP
2778-10 Extension of BLADE for the analysis of Combustion Turbine Blades. During his
career, he has personally investigated over two hundred and fifty separate steam and combustion
turbine component failures. His current efforts are directed at the coupling of advanced
probabilistic methods with the aero-thermal and life prediction methods presently applied.

Vice President Marketing and Business Development Robert P. Dewey was formerly the
Director of Program Development for Stress Technology Incorporated before starting the firm of
TTI. His credentials extend over twenty years of experience working as a consultant to the power
generation industry. A graduate of the University of Rochester, Mr. Dewey was originally the
program manager of EPRI RP 1856-1 Industry Survey of Steam Turbine Blade Failures. In the
early 1990s Mr. Dewey organized and directed a major user group of 12 separate operators who
co-financed EPRI RP 3482-01 Evaluation of Turbine Repair and Replacement Strategies, and a
similar user group for EPRI RP 3468-10, Reducing Exhaust Hood Losses and Improving Turbine
Stage Efficiency. At the time of his departure from STI, he was the administrative director for
EPRI RP 4164-01 Implementation of a Turbine Generator Health Management Strategy
Designed to Extend Overhaul Intervals. Presently, he is responsible for the development of
guidelines for the procurement of parts and outage management of combustion and steam turbines.
EPRI WO 5533 032 Frame 7FA+ Blade Life System, EPRI WO 5482-01 Guidelines and
Repair Specifications to Support Steam Turbine Outages.

Senior Project Manager - Dr. Eric S-M Wan was formally the Principal Project Engineer for
Stress Technology Incorporated before joining the firm of TTI. His credentials extend over fifteen
years of applied experience as a consultant to the power generation industry. A graduate of the
University of Rochester, Dr. Wan received his Ph.D. in 1989. While working at STI he was
responsible for the development of the original heat transfer and thermal stress capabilities of the
CT/GT programs. Investigations performed by Dr. Wan include the analysis of combustion and
steam turbine blade fatigue cracking, thermal fatigue of cracking of nozzle chambers, turbine inner
cylinders and turbine rotors using ANSYS and BLADE. Before joining TTI, Dr. Wan was also
responsible for providing hotline technical support to ANSYS/FLOTRAN users. Presently he
managing the programs EPRI EP-P5265 Damage Tracking Module for Hot Section Components
and EPRI EP-P7221 Combustion Turbine Hot Section Coating Life Section Management (co-
sponsored by DOE).

Senior Project Manager - Dr. Ch-an Hong was formally a Principal Project Engineer for Stress
Technology Incorporated. His credentials extend over fifteen years of applied experience as a
consultant to the power generation industry. A graduate of the University of Oklahoma, Dr. Hong
received his Ph.D. in 1985. He was responsible for the development of the through flow and CFD
capabilities (including derivatives of select NASA flow programs) that eventually were adopted
for the BLADE-CT /GT codes. Investigations performed by Dr. Hong include the analysis of
multiple flow path optimizations proposed for the upgrade and efficiency of vintage turbines. Dr.
Hong is presently a principal contributor to the EPRI EP-P5265 Damage Tracking Module for
Hot Section Components and EPRI EP-P7221 Combustion Turbine Hot Section Coating Life
Section Management (co-sponsored by DOE).

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SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

T. Lam 1. T.Lam, J.Steele, N.Rieger Development and Testing of a General Purpose FE Model For Stress and
Vibration Analysis of Steam Turbine Blade Designs, ASME/IEEE PWR 34, Portland 1986
2. T.Lam, R.Dewey, M.Redding, S.Hesler, T.McCloskey "A Finite Element Diagnostic Tool Turbine Blade
Failures", NDE Steam Turbine Workshop, Charlotte, 1989
3. T.Lam, Calculation and Experiments on Stress and Vibration Properties of a Bladed Compressor Disk, Shock
and Vibration Symposium, Pasadena, CA October 1990
4. T.Lam, R.Dewey, A.Sarlashkar, "The Importance of Bladed-Disk Modeling Defining Resonant Operating
Conditions", EPRI Blading Conference, 1992
5. T.Lam, J.Allen, L.Shuster, A Gas Turbine Blade Thermal/Structural Program with Linked Flow-Solid Modeling
Capability, ASME International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and exposition, June 1994
6. T.Lam, A.Puri, N.Rieger, Risk Assessment of Low Pressure Steam Turbine Blades ImechE 1996
7. T.Lam, A.Puri, T. McCloskey Reheat Turbine 12th Stage Damaged Buckets Risk Analysis Proceedings, 5th
EPRI Steam Turbine Generator Workshop, Lake Buena Vista, FL July 1997
8. T.Lam, R.Dewey, T.McCloskey, Reliability Assessment of Turbine Disk Rim Under Stress Corrosion
Cracking, ASME PWR-Vol.32 IJGPC, Denver 1997
9. T.Lam, O.Velagandula, T.McCloskey, Computational Techniques for Remaining Life Extension of LP Wheel
Rims Proceedings 5th EPRI Steam Turbine Generator Workshop, Lake Buena Vista, FL July 1997
10. T. Lam, K.Namura, K.Ikeuchi, T.Tan, E.Wan Development of a New 20.9 inch Next to last Stage Blade for
Improved Turbine Reliability and Efficiency American Power Conference, Chicago, 1998
R. Dewey 1. R.Dewey, N.Rieger, "Survey of Steam Turbine Blade Failures" EPRI CS-3891, Final Report, March 1985
2. R.Dewey, N.Rieger, T.McCloskey, "The High Cost of Failure of Rotating Equipment", Proceedings of the 44th
Meeting of the MFPG, Vibration Institute, April 1990
3. R.Dewey, M.Redding, R.Plummer, D.Thomson, Report on the Development of Dedicated Engineering Software
for Structural Analysis and Life Assessment of Turbine Blades and Disks, ASME PED Vol 59, Concurrent
Engineering, 1992
4. R.Dewey, M.Pollard, H.Yu, "Analysis of Solid Particle Erosion Damage to an HP Turbine First Stage Bucket",
ASME, IJPGC October 1995
5. R.Dewey, S.Hesler, T.McCloskey, "Low Pressure Steam Turbine Thermal Performance Improvements" EPRI
4th Nuclear Plant Performance Seminar, August, 1995
6. R.Dewey, T.McCloskey, T. Eckert "Survey of Performance Upgrade Experiences on U.S. Nuclear Turbines"
EPRI Nuclear Plant Performance Seminar, Asheville, N.C. Sept. 1996
7. R.Dewey. "Main Turbine Performance Upgrade Guideline" EPRI Plant Support Engineering, EPRI TR-106230,
Project 3186-46, Final Report 1996
8. R.Dewey, M.Roemer, B.Atkinson, D.Mauney, T.McCloskey, Turbine-Generator Maintenance Outage
Optimization: Probability/Risk Assessment of Net Present Value, ASME, IJGPC, Denver, 1997
9. R.Dewey, T.McCloskey, M.Pollard, M.Roemer Optimization of Outage Interval for a Large Steam Turbine
Blade UnitASME, 98-IJPGC-PWR, 1998
10. R.Dewey, M.Pollard, A.Grunsky Guidelines and Repair Specifications to Support Turbine Outages, EPRI
International Conference on Life Assessment and Optimization of Power Plants, Orlando, March 2002

E.Wan 1. S.M. Wan, P.Crimi, J.Scheibel, R.Viswanathan, Combustion Turbine F.Class Life Management of 1st Stage
Turbine Blades, Proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo, Amsterdam, June 2002

2. S.M. Wan, T.C. Lam, J.M. Allen, and T.H. McCloskey, "A Gas Turbine Blade Thermal/Structural Program
with Linked Flow-Solid Modeling Capability", ASME paper 94-GT-270, 1994

3. S.M. Wan, C.Hong, T.C. Lam, "Remaining Life Analysis of Cracked Disc in the Wet Steam Environment",
Proceedings of International Joint Power Generation Conference, 1992.

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4. S.M. Wan, T.C. Lam, M.L. Redding, and R.J. Ortolano, "A PC Program for the Fast Assessment of Long-Arc
Shrouds Arrangements", PWR-Vol. 13, Design, Repair, and Refurbishment of Steam Turbines, ASME, 1991.

5. S.M. Wan, C. Hong, and T.C. Lam, "Thermal and Mechanical Stress Analysis for the Nozzles of a Steam
Turbine", ANSYS Fifth International Conference and Exhibition , 1991.

6. S.M. Wan, T.C. Lam, C.Hong, and M. Redding, "Preprocessing and Thermal Stress Analysis of the Heat
Exchanger", ANSYS Fifth International Conference and Exhibition , 1991.

C. Hong 1. C. Hong, T. C. Lam, and S. M. Wan, "Thermal and Mechanical Stress Analysis for the Nozzles of a Steam
Turbine", ANSYS Fifth International Conference and Exhibition 1991, Vol III
2. C. Hong, T. C. Lam, and S. H. Hesler, "Steady and Nonsteady Steam Bending Force Analysis and Its
Application to Blade Life Assessment", Electric Power Research Institute Steam Turbine and Generator NDE,
Life Assessment, and Maintenance Workshop, 1991.
3. C. Hong, "Application of the STELLA Computer Program for Performance and Efficiency Improvement for
Turbines", Management of Turbine Blade Problems, an engineering seminar co-sponsored by Electric Power
Research Institute and Stress Technology Incorporated, 1992.
4. C. Hong and B. Piatt, "Analysis and Replacement of 15Th Stage Blading of Martins Creek Unit", Electric Power
Research Institute Steam and Combustion Turbine Blading Conference, 1992.

5. C. Hong, M. Pollard, G. Adkins, and T. McCloskey, "Minimization of Harmonic Excitation of Nozzle Gagings",
Proceedings of American Power Conference, vol.55-II, 1993, pp. 1146-1155.
6. C. Hong, M. J. Roemer, S. H. Hesler, and N. F. Rieger, "Condition Monitoring and Preventive Maintenance of
Rotating Machinery via Neural Networks", 1994 International Joint Power Generation Conference.
7. C. Hong, M. J. Roemer, and S. H. Hesler, "Machinery Health Monitoring and Life Management Using Finite
Element Based Neural Networks, ASME Gas Turbine & Power, August 1996.

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Gas Turbine Upgrade Page 16 of 16

TURBINE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL

TTI is an independent consulting firm of mechanical engineers for the design,

analysis and upgrade of power generation equipment. Formed in 1998, each its
principal engineers offer a minimum of 15-20 years applied experience in resolving
issues that limit the performance or reliability of steam and gas turbines, nuclear or
fossil fuel, jet engine or land based derivatives. Root cause analysis for rotating parts,
especially buckets and disks, is our area of recognized of specialized expertise. Since
1979, TTIs engineers have performed over two hundred and fifty investigations
involving failures of steam and gas turbine components. This record of commercial
applications is matched by a twenty year relationship with the Electric Power
Research Institute, initiated with an industry wide survey of turbine blade failures
conducted in 1981. This relationship continues with two ongoing programs. The first
Guidelines for Reducing the Time and Cost for Turbine Generator Maintenance
Overhauls and Inspections is a consolidation of best practices, supported with repair
specifications, currently published as seven volumes by EPRI. The second
Advanced Engineering For Managing Gas Turbine Hot Section Parts is a program
dedicated to the maintenance and operation of the newest generation of land-based
turbines.

TTI is incorporated under the laws of the state of New York. It is currently
celebrating its fifth year of commercial operation.

Turbine Technology International