Addressing the challenges to sustainable operation of gas turbines

John Douglas welcomes participants to a webinar about sustainable operational gas turbines, explaining the broad subject will focus on physics-based models for asset management. Laurie Brooking introduces himself with a relevant background in high-temperature materials and research on gas turbine blade materials.

John shares his professional journey starting with a PhD in gas turbine materials and his current role at Fraser Nash overseeing accounts related to turbines. The presentation will highlight Fraser Nash's capabilities, specifically the Rotating Machinery Center and the use of physics-based models for digital asset management.

Fraser Nash has grown significantly, now with offices in the UK and Australia, employing around 900 staff. They focus on broad capabilities and collaboration with academic institutions to solve complex problems for clients often returning due to their comprehensive approach to challenging issues.

The Rotating Machinery Center at Fraser Nash specializes in design, digital assets, and engineering services. They cover a spectrum from gas turbines to other rotating machinery. Their approach emphasizes developing robust, physics-based digital asset management systems rather than just data analytics.

Using physics-based methods, Fraser Nash believes they get better results in managing complex machinery. Their hybrid approach integrates data with physics to extend machine operating life, boost performance, and optimize part placement. They often help clients defer maintenance based on comprehensive assessments.

The discussion delves into the technical methodologies, where simple models are initially used and refined based on emerging data. This is framed within a probabilistic approach to manage uncertainties from sensor data and model accuracy, ultimately supporting risk-based maintenance decisions.

Highlighting examples of engineering services, they have developed efficient ventilation standards for gas turbine enclosures, vital for health and safety, especially considering new standards like ATEX. Investigations into hydrogen's effects are ongoing.

Asset management plays a crucial role. The approach allows understanding of machine's damage status in real time, guided by physics-based assessments. This is valuable for operational decisions, data interpretation, and risk assessments under varying load conditions.

Focus shifts to Laurie Brooking's analysis of corrosion-fatigue interactions in single crystal alloys, showing propagation patterns in high-temperature environments. This segment underscores the complexity of predicting material behavior and the importance of understanding these interactions for reliability.

Tests reveal how corrosion fatigue emerges through intricate mechanisms. Laurie observes how different elements and deposits influence crack initiation and propagation, indicating these materials' response varies significantly with conditions impacting a turbine's component lifespan.

Laurie presents how physics models like Paris curves are adapted to monitor crack growth in fatigue tests. Different rates of corrosion-fatigue interactions are mapped out, showing variance in material responses and the benefits of incorporating this understanding into turbine operation.