The Future of Gas Turbine Technology

8th International Gas Turbine Conference

12-13 October 2016, Brussels, Belgium
Paper ID Number 46-IGTC16
ADVANCEMENTS IN H CLASS GAS TURBINES FOR COMBINED CYCLE POWER PLANTS
FOR HIGH EFFICIENCY, ENHANCED OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY AND BROAD FUEL
FLEXIBILITY
Christian Vandervort1, David Leach2 and Marcus Scholz3
GE Power
1
1 River Road, Schenectady, NY 12345 USA
(518) 385-5693
[email protected]
2
300 Garlington Road, Greenville, SC 29615 USA
[email protected]
3 Calle Josefa Valcarcel 26, Madrid 28027 Spain

[email protected]

ABSTRACT (The European Parliament and the Council of the

The power generation industry faces significant European Union, 2009) established an overall policy for
changes: growth in natural gas supply, downward the production and promotion of energy from renewable
pressure on emissions, retirement of coal assets and sources. It requires the EU to fulfil at least 20% of total
continuing expansion of renewables. Gas turbine energy needs with renewables by 2020. As of June 15,
combined cycle technology continues to advance, 2015, 26% of the EU’s power is generated from
offering increasing efficiency and lower lifecycle renewables (The European Parliament and the Council of
electricity costs. Advanced combined cycle plants offer the European Union, 2015) exceeding the 2009
improved operating flexibility with faster start times, objective. The growth of renewable energy sources is, of
increased ramp rates and broad fuel flexibility while course, highly beneficial to the environment but
maintaining high levels of reliability and availability. introduces intermittency into grid management.
GE has developed HA gas turbine products in both 50 Significant reserve margin must be in place to
Hz and 60 Hz configurations capable of achieving over compensate for the potential interruption of renewable
62% on a combined cycle, net-efficiency basis at ISO sources such as low wind speeds affecting wind
conditions. The 7HA serves 60 Hz regions and 9HA generation or low sunlight negating solar generation.
serves 50 Hz regions. The 7/9HA gas turbines share Intermittency of renewables demands that
architecture and technology features to maximize complementary sources of power generation must exist.
performance and accumulate shared experience while Grid operators need efficient and operationally flexible
minimizing risk. The HA products represent the best of solutions to navigate the fluctuating energy landscape.
the F and original H-class products. Steam cooling and These attributes must be combined with state-of-the art
cooled cooling-air systems from the original H design reliability, availability, and maintainability (RAM) to
were eliminated enabling improved operational ensure steady and predictable operation and revenue
flexibility, simplified installation and ease of generation. These dynamics are increasing the demand
maintenance. for high-efficiency, operationally-flexible, robust gas
The HA gas turbines have been rigorously tested over turbine combined cycle power plants that achieve cost
their entire operating and fuel range in GE’s state of the effective conversion of natural gas to electricity.
art test facility in Greenville, SC. Isolating the test stand Gas turbine technology level is commonly identified
from the grid provides multiple benefits: 1) both 50 and by letter designation. This paper will define H-class as
60 Hz units can be validated, 2) ability to vary speed and architectures with firing temperatures greater than
load simultaneously during testing, 3) complete 1,430°C. It is important to specifically define the firing
compressor mapping, and 4) realistic testing of grid code temperature, as variation exists in its meaning among gas
compliance. turbine manufacturers. Here, firing temperature is the
The first 9HA.01 entered commercial operation at conventional T4 or turbine first stage bucket inlet
the Électricité de France (EDF) Bouchain power plant on temperature. The reference plane is directly downstream
June 17, 2016. The first 7HA.01’s and 7HA.02’s are of stage one nozzle (S1N) cooling and represents peak
shipping in 2016 to power stations in Nagoya City, Japan working temperature in the Brayton cycle. H-class
and two sites in Texas, USA. builds upon the architecture, manufacturing, and
operating experience gained by E and F class systems,
1. INTRODUCTION with associated firing temperatures and dates of
The European Union Renewable Energy Directive introduction as shown in Figure 1.

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 Figure 2. GE H-Class power plant experience
Figure 1. GE Gas turbine E, F and H class progression
Hz market while the 9HA serves the 50 Hz market.
2. H-CLASS HERITAGE Scaling based upon this approach has been routinely
Development of GE’s H-class technology began in the applied for industrial gas turbines, including the 7/9E’s
early 1990’s leading to the first commercial operation and 6/7/9F’s offered by GE Power. The methodology is
(COD) in 2003. This original H-class gas turbine described by Gebhardt (2000).
pioneered many new features, including the 4-stage, The 7/9HA compressor is a direct scale from the
steam-cooled turbine section and 4 stages of variable 7F.05, developed as an enhancement for the original 7F
guide vanes at the compressor inlet. Development and gas turbines. The 7F.05 generates 241MW in simple
engineering of the first H-class gas turbines are cycle at ISO conditions. A total of 21 7F.05 units have
summarized by Matta, Mercer and Tuthill (2000). A total entered commercial operation as of June 2016,
of six original H-class gas turbines were manufactured accumulating over 70,000 operating units and 1,500
with each entering commercial operation as shown in starts. 71 orders have been received for the 7F.05 with
Figure 2. This first 9H is operating at Baglan Bay in an additional 18 ‘technology selections’.
Wales, UK. The other 9H’s are operating at the TEPCO The 7/9HA uses the DLN 2.6+ combustor, with
Futtsu station near Tokyo, Japan, with COD’s from 2008 DLN as an acronym for Dry-Low NOx. Evolutionary
through 2010. Two 7H’s are in operation at Inland enhancements are introduced and will be described in
Empire in California, USA with COD’s in 2008 and section 3.2. The DLN 2.6+ combustor combines the best
2010. As of publication of this manuscript, these units features of GE’s DLN systems and was introduced over
have accumulated over 255,000 hours of operation. 10 years ago on the 9F gas turbine.
Experience and knowledge gained from operation and The 7/9HA turbine has four-stages and operates at the
maintenance of these plants have been applied to enable same pressure ratio as the original 7/9H gas turbines.
an evolutionary approach for a new set of H-class The hot gas path architecture benefits from extensive F
products, designated the 7HA and 9HA. These products and H class fleet experience, and by leveraging
and their associated design and validation strategy were technology from GE’s Aviation (Aircraft Engines)
detailed by Vandervort et al. (2015). The 7/9HA gas business.
turbine hot gas path is entirely air-cooled, facilitated by Heritage of the 7/9HA gas turbines is shown by Figure
advances in turbine cooling, sealing, materials, and 3.
coatings. The “H” signifies H-class firing temperature
with the addition of “A” denoting air-cooling.

3. 7/9HA GAS TURBINE ARCHITECTURE

EVOLUTION
The 7HA and 9HA gas turbines were developed with
an evolutionary approach combining experience from the
original H-class architectures plus field experience from
F-glass gas turbines. The 7HA and 9HA are speed and
geometric scales with factors of .083 (versus 9HA) and
1.2 (versus 7HA), respectively. The 7HA serves the 60 Figure 3. 7/9HA gas turbine evolution

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 The 7/9HA family of gas turbines offers two output blades and application of ‘super-finishing’ or coating of
sizes for both 7HA and 9HA. The 7HA.01 and 9HA.01 blades. These elements combine to provide high
were developed first, with the 7HA.02 and 9HA.02 efficiency, wide operability, minimal degradation,
directly following. The “.02’s” are flow scales of the optimal reliability and maintainability. The 7F.05
“.01’s”. The process of flow scaling can be summarized compressor was the first product validated in the GE’s
by increasing compressor inlet and turbine exit annulus new Full Speed Full Load (FSFL) test facility.
areas to accommodate higher air flow with resultant Operability, aerodynamic performance, surge margin and
increase in power output. Pressure ratio is increased to reliability of the compressor were shown to meet or
maintain aerodynamic flow function in the mid-to-later exceed requirements. The 9HA.01 compressor is shown
compressor and first and second turbine stages. Thus, by Figure 4.
the machine midsection flow-path is unchanged between
the two architectures. Both compressor and turbine outer
diameters are unchanged for the .02’s versus the .01’s.
Margin had been provided in the original “.01” products
to enable increased inlet and exhaust annulus without
change to flange-to-flange outer dimensions. The overall
length increases by about one meter for both the 7HA.02
and 9HA.02.
Fuel supply capability and fuel nozzle sizing are
increased to accommodate the corresponding increased
flow needed to maintain constant firing temperature.
Table 1 provides output for simple-cycle and Figure 4. 7/9HA Gas turbine compressor
combined-cycle configurations of the HA products.
These performance values are shown on a net basis at 3.2. 7/9HA COMBUSTOR
ISO with boundary conditions per the Gas Turbine World The 7/9HA gas turbines have been designed to operate
(2015) standard. SS is an abbreviation for 1x1, single- with lower than 25/15 ppm NOx/CO from below 30 to
shaft configuration. 100 percent load. This level of performance at H-class
firing temperatures is possible as a result of investment
Gas Turbine SS Combined Combined in combustion technology and testing capability coupled
Output Cycle Output Cycle with millions of hours of experience with DLN
(MW)* (MW)* Efficiency * combustion. Even lower emissions can be guaranteed
7HA.01 280 419 61.8% for both 7HA and 9HA via reduction in firing
7HA.02 346 509 62.0% temperature or inclusion of exhaust Selective Catalytic
9HA.01 429 643 62.6% Reduction (SCR).
9HA.02 519 774 62.7% The 9HA.01 gas turbine was introduced with proven
*Net, ISO, Gas Turbine World (2015) DLN 2.6+ combustion technology that has run reliably
Table 1. 7/9HA Product offerings for over 2.4 million fired hours across more than 100
9F.03 and 9F.05 gas turbines. It represents the continued
Provisions have been made in the architecture to advancement of the DLN 2.6+ combustion system for
enable future growth for this product set. For example, performance, operability, fuels capability, reliability and
the 7HA.02 and 9HA.02 platforms offer ‘line-of-sight’ low emissions. This system employs multiple fuel
for growth to greater than 600 and 860 MW circuits supplying 6 fuel nozzles with five arranged
(respectively) CC net output and over 63% net combined circumferentially around a center nozzle. The
cycle efficiency. In parallel, field experience combined operational strategy uses fuel staging to achieve low
with advances in critical gas turbine technologies will emissions with robust maneuverability.
enable extension of maintenance intervals and The 7HA.01 and 7HA.02 gas turbines incorporate
component lives to reduce life cycle costs. combustion improvements enabling further reduction in
emissions levels and improved turndown capability. The
3.1. 7/9HA COMPRESSOR quaternary circuit used on earlier versions of the DLN
The 7/9HA compressor is a direct evolution from the 2.6+ combustion system has been repurposed to directly
7F.05 gas turbine as previously stated. The 7F.05 inject fuel into the combustion reaction zone. This new
compressor has a 14-stage architecture with inlet guide “Axial Fuel Staging” (AFS) system enables lower NOx
vanes followed by three stages of variable guide vanes. emissions with improved turndown. It also reduces
There are two extraction points for supply of cooling air thermal loading that combines with advanced materials
to the hot gas path. This compressor incorporates the and coatings to deliver state-of-the-art durability. The
latest aerodynamic and durability enhancements. 7HA combustor is shown in Figure 5 along with a
Features include 3-D aerodynamics, field replaceable photograph of the flame from full-scale laboratory

3
testing. partnerships with multiple Universities, National
9HA.01 and 9HA.02 gas turbines with shipment dates Laboratories and GE’s Global Research Center. The
from mid-2017 and onward can incorporate an turbine section and corresponding velocity field as
evolutionary improvement to the premixing fuel nozzles, generated by CFD are shown in Figure 7. Highly
in addition to AFS. The 5 around 1 fuel nozzles can be resolved wake and boundary layer effects are shown in
replaced by an equivalent number of arrays with smaller, the diagram. Understanding of the corresponding
tubular premixers. Each tube is individually supplied physics is important to optimization of the turbine
with gaseous fuel via standard end cover circuitry. Fuel aerodynamic and cooling architectures.
supply valves and piping are unchanged from the
original system to enable application of the existing
control and operational strategies. The tubular premixers
achieve higher mixing efficiency enabling lower NOx at
high firing temperatures. Figure 6 shows this new
premixing configuration. This combustor is designated
DLN 2.6e.
Dual fuel capability is available with No. 2 distillate as
standard backup fuel. The unit can start on either
gaseous or liquid fuel and can transfer under load. The Figure 7. 7/9HA Turbine (left) and velocity field from
combustion system can achieve 25/15 ppm NOx/CO on computational fluid dynamics (right)
liquid fuel with water injection for NOx abatement.
4. FSFL VALIDATION OF THE 7/9HA GAS
TURBINES
In 2008, GE developed the world’s largest and most
comprehensive full-speed, full-load (FSFL) gas turbine
test facility in Greenville, South Carolina, USA. This off-
grid, world-class facility provides full-scale, full load
validation of 50 and 60 hertz gas turbine systems. The
first usage of this facility was for the previously-
Figure 5. 7HA GT combustor (left) and flame image mentioned 7F.05 compressor in 2011 followed by the
from combustion laboratory testing (right) 7F.05 gas turbine in 2012. 7F.05 power plants in both
the USA and Saudi Arabia have achieved commercial
operation (COD), earlier than would have been possible
without the facility.
The facility was subsequently used for validation of
the 9HA.01 and 7HA.01 gas turbines. The 9HA.01 is
pictured in the facility by Figure 8. The combustion
systems are centered in the viewing region with the
Figure 6. Enhanced premixing section for 9HA compressor to the left and turbine to the right.
combustor
3.3. 7/9HA TURBINE
The turbine for the 7/9HA is very similar to the
proven, original H-class 4-stage gas turbine (7/9H) with
exception of simplification by eliminating steam cooling,
cooled cooling air and the associated equipment. Metals
chosen for the 7/9HA are proven alloys with over 50
million hours of operation on F and H-class gas turbines.
Turbine cooling was enhanced based upon combination
of this experience coupled and use of state-of-the-art
analytical methods. The inner and outer turbine shell
takes advantage of passive measures to accommodate
thermal expansion for optimization of clearances.
Abradable and honeycomb shrouds and shorter shank Figure 8. Photograph of 9HA.01 in FSFL facility
buckets were carried forward from the original H-class
gas turbine. Near flow path seals for enhanced nozzle Overall plan for validation of the HA gas turbines is
sealing were leveraged from GE’s Aviation technologies. shown by Figure 9. Currently, the 7HA.02 gas turbine is
Development benefited from use of Computational installed in the test bed with preparations in progress for
Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and component testing, aided by validation later this year. Figure 10 shows the 7HA.02

4
entering the test stand. The 9HA.02 will be validated in Comprehensive testing can be performed with an
this facility in 2018. operating envelope larger than the variances a fleet of
turbines can experience in the field. This level of testing
validation of the gas turbine and its systems is
comparable to a gas turbine operating well beyond 8,000
hours connected to a grid. The basis for this statement is
the wide range of conditions that can be tested. Freedom
from the grid connection enables the use of speed as a
Figure 9. 7/9HA Product FSFL validation plan variable. This includes capabilities at different load
profiles, equivalent ambient ranges, and over-/under-
frequency as well as transient load changes on both gas
and liquid fuels. The facility and approach allows
validation of the full gas turbine to global requirements
for grid code operability and stability. These points are
summarized in Table 2.

Figure 10. 7HA.02 Entering FSFL validation facility

The FSFL facility was developed to enable operation

independent of the grid. Key elements of the FSFL train
are the gas turbine, a load compressor, and starting
means. The facility was developed to allow for the load
compressor to utilize a full scale production version of
the actual gas turbine compressor, to provide the most Table 2. Benefits of off-grid, FSFL facility vs on-grid
relevant validation. Typically the turbine section of a prototype
large, industrial gas turbine generates approximately
twice the power needed to drive the gas turbine Nearly 6,000 sensors and instruments collect data on
compressor with the remainder driving the generator for all aspects of operation and components of the gas
conversion to electrical power. turbine during validation. This amounts to more than
In GE’s FSFL facility the load compressor absorbs the 8,000 data streams captured continuously during testing.
power normally transmitted to the grid by the generator. Gas turbine performance is mapped over a broader
This unique arrangement allows the gas turbine to be operating envelope, than would be expected in a fleet of
operated at full load conditions without having to be gas turbines connected to the grid. Isolation from the
connected to the grid. Instrumentation of the load grid facilitates off-speed (90%-110% speed) operation
compressor also enables doubling the amount of over a range of equivalent loaded conditions. Variable
compressor validation data. The load compressor can be speed also enables testing at ambient temperature
operated at different points on the map versus the actual equivalent to a range from -37°C to 50°C. Compressor
gas turbine compressor. Further, the load compressor flow and pressure capability can be measured under both
can be operated under conditions of higher duress than steady-state and transient conditions. In contrast to the
would be prudent for the complete gas turbine. The operating range of the fleet of more than 530 units, the
FSFL train is shown in Figure 11. tests conducted in the FSFL test facility characterized the
new compressor over a much larger operating space as
summarized in Figure 12.
This approach is recognized as providing product
validation superior to a unit connected to the grid for
8,000 hours of operation, and is a key aspect of the
commitments of insurability secured from major
insurers.
Figure 11. FSFL Test facility shaft-line showing Compressor aeromechanics are validated through use
compressor validation rig and 9HA gas turbine of strain-gauges and light probes applied along the flow-
path. High cycle fatigue (HCF) drivers and response
predictions are validated across the speed, load, ambient

5
 Figure 13. Standard Full Speed, Full Load validation plan
temperature, and operating pressure range. Loaded speed measurements to support comparison with analytical
sweeps greater than +/-10% provide parametric predictions to validate the methods. For 9HA.01 and
sensitivities to frequency and operating condition 7HA.01, agreement was excellent over the range of
variation, and validate the speed range a gas turbine collected points. Several minor design modifications
would be expected to operate in the field. Modulation were made to the configuration as a result of the
of the variable inlet guide vanes plus operation of back- findings. The ability to immediately address and re-
pressure valves on the load compressor offers means to measure to validate effectiveness verifies benefit of the
complete verification of the entire compressor map. The FSFL facility.
performance of multiple startups, shutdowns, and trips The demonstration phase built upon the off-grid
facilitates validation and verification of expected capabilities for exercising the full operational capability.
transient behavior. A large, heavy-duty gas turbine and, generally, associated
The compressor surge lines are established based on combined cycle cannot be easily exercised without
actual surges. Surge margin is quantified by significant effort to maintain grid stability. The 9HA.01
intentionally maneuvering the load compressor into a and 7HA.01 gas turbines under test were rapidly loaded
surge condition and monitoring the response. Multiple and unloaded at rates in excess of 15 percent per minute.
surge events are performed for each platform. Typically, Load rejections to equivalent breaker open conditions
this would not be possible on a gas turbine connected to were performed from multiple operating points including
the grid and provides additional verification of the base load.
system capability. Gas turbine transient events including Liquid fuel performance and operability were verified
grid events, fast and peaking starts, fuel transfers, and on the 9HA.01, including transfer capability. NOx levels
load rejections are performed under highly monitored on liquid fuel of lower than 25 ppm corrected to 15% O2
conditions. These results also provided valuable were demonstrated. Water injection is necessary to
feedback on the fidelity of analytical methods. achieve this level of performance.
The growth phase of testing applies an even more
extensive means of collecting hot gas path temperature
information to understand the uprate potential for the
platform over time. Significant testing was dedicated to
exploring the growth capability of the HA gas turbine
technology for future upgrades. Aeromechanic and
aerothermal data are collected for operations up to 115
percent of rated output and firing temperatures over 55°C
higher than the nominal baseload operation. Testing also
includes varying the cooling supply to the hot gas path
components to understand impacts on component
temperatures and life capabilities. Owners and operators
expect opportunity to increase output and efficiency by
upgrading equipment over the life of a power plant. This
expectation is well-evidenced by the history of both E-
and-F-class gas turbine platforms. The overall results
Figure 12. Full Speed, Full Load validation from the 9HA.01 and 7HA.01 programs are shown in
Table 3.
The standard FSFL validation test plan and schedule
are shown in Figure 13. The program is portioned into Validation 9HA.01 7HA.01
three sections: validation, demonstration, and growth. criteria capability capability
As noted, FSFL tests have been completed for the Turbine output > 429 MW > 280 MW
9HA.01 and 7HA.01. Turndown in
Validation includes extensive testing to provide < 30% BL < 20% BL
emissions

6
 guarantee startup time is minimized by utilization of purge credit
where traces of fuel from previous operation are flushed
Grid stability +/- 3% from the system by ‘cranking’ of the gas turbine
following shutdown.
Gas variation +/- 15%
Plant controls are provided by GE’s Mark VIe
(Modified Wobbe (lean-to-rich natural gas & platform, developed specifically for power generation.
Index) LNG)
The system can scale across applications ranging from
NOx emissions at gas turbine to plant-level control and protections. As
< 25 ppm
15% O2 with the accessories, the control system is modular to
provide extended life and allow for future technology
Table 3. Summary of Capabilities from 9HA.01 and upgrades. The Mark VIe is a key element of GE’s new
7HA.01 FSFL Testing Digital Power Plant as introduced by Reitenbach (2015).
5. OPERATIONAL AND FUEL FLEXIBILITY 6. PLANT CONSTRUCTABILITY, INSTALLATION
Operational flexibility has become a necessary AND MAINTAINABILITY
attribute for gas turbine combined cycles. Operational Gas turbine accessories for the HA gas turbines have
Flexibility is defined as the capability of a power plant to been engineered according to the principal of ‘Prime
robustly maneuver to accommodate a wide range of Packaging’. The gas turbine compartment and
power generation needs. This includes robust startup, accessories have been modularized to achieve optimal
rapid loading, prompt entry into emissions compliance, constructability, facilitate installation, and simplify
high ramp rates, deep turndown, grid code compliance, maintenance. Modules house piping, valves,
fuel flexibility, and overall eases of control. Fuel electronics, lighting, instrument air lines, walkways and
flexibility is a very broad term and has recently been ladders. The modules can be completely fabricated and
detailed by Jones, Goldmeer and Moneti (2011) and assembled in manufacturing areas where labor
Goldmeer (2015). productivity and quality are optimal. Installation of the
The 7/9HA gas turbines build upon aircraft engine gas turbine and accessories is typically on the critical
technology to increase ramp rates while preserving path for construction and commissioning of a power
efficiency for both base and part load operation. plant. Use of modularized accessories will reduce this
Achieving operational flexibility requires attention portion of the commissioning process by at least 25
during development, utilization of field experience from percent, enabling a faster commissioning and return on
operating plants, and utilization of a modern control capital investment. Similarly, maintenance outage time
system. By combining these elements, the HA products is reduced by an equivalent amount enabling higher
are capable of the following: power plant availability. These modules are stacked on
 Full plant load in less than 30 minutes from turning site in a building block manner around the gas turbine.
gear. The concept is shown summarized by Figure 14.
 Ramping capability in emissions compliance of greater
than 15 percent load per minute.
 Deep turndown in excess of 30% of baseload output.
 Fuel flexibility with the capability to operate on both
gaseous and liquid fuels. A wide range of gaseous
fuels can be used, including rich natural gas (ethane,
propane and butane), shale gas, lean natural gas
(containing N2 and/or CO2 as inserts) and Liquefied
Natural Gas (LNG).
 Fuel transfer from gas to liquid
 Return transfer from liquid to gas
Gas turbine combined cycles offer significantly better
ramping or load following characteristics than other
forms of large scale generation such as coal-fired boilers Figure 14. GT accessory modularization
or nuclear plants. Deep turndown or ability to maintain
emissions compliance to low loads combined with state- 7. 9HA.01 FLEET LEADER AT EDF BOUCHAIN
of-the-art DLN combustors enables the plant to meet The first 9HA.01 entered commercial operation on
strict emission limits during frequent transient June 17, 2016 at the Électricité de France (EDF)
operations. The ‘Rapid Response’, combined-cycle Bouchain plant, located in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region
system was developed to provide the plant operating of France. This unit was manufactured at GE’s Belfort
flexibility needed for immediate dispatch or load Gas Turbine Center of Excellence in France. This plant
following services, as detailed by Smith (2013). Overall was recognized by Guinness World Records as the

7
world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant, as and transported to Exelon’s Wolf Hollow and Colorado
detailed by Larson (2016). Efficiency of this plant was Bend stations. Both plants are configured as 2x1 MS
62.22% on a net combined cycle basis while producing with gas turbine output of 330 MW per unit and total
more than 605 MW of electricity. Operational flexibility plant output of 1,000 MW. Modular construction
of the 9HA.01 gas turbine enables the plant to respond detailed by Section 6 of this manuscript will enable
quickly to fluctuations in grid demand, providing shorter installation cycles with faster return on
opportunity for increasing usage of renewable energy in investment. Construction of the Exelon Wolf Hollow
France. Approximately 1,000 hours of operation have Power Station is shown by Figure 17. This station will
been accumulated as of July 2016. The power plant is achieve commercial operation in 2017.
shown by Figure 15.

Figure 17. Exelon Wolf Hollow 7HA.02 2x1 MS Power

Station under construction

9. SUMMARY
The 7/9HA gas turbines achieve greater than 62%
Figure 15. EDF Bouchain Power Plant
combined-cycle efficiency, net, at ISO conditions for the
lowest cost of electricity. Economy and efficiency of
8. 7HA FLEET LEADERS AT NISHI-NAGOYA, scale are realized. Both Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)
EXELON WOLF HOLLOW AND COLORADO and Operating Expenditure (OPEX) are minimized by
BEND this combination of cost-effectiveness and state-of-the-
The fleet leaders for the 7HA.01 will be deployed at art efficiency. Low OPEX is also enabled by the broad
Chubu Electric Power, Japan. GE and Toshiba were range of fuel flexibility offered for the 7/9HA gas
awarded contracts in 2012 to supply and install six 7HA turbines; plant owners can source fuel from the most
gas turbines for the combined cycle project being built at competitive providers. F-class experience with gaseous
Chubu Electric’s Nishi-Nagoya thermal power plant in fuels ranging from standard natural gas to LNG and rich
Nagoya City, Japan. The 1x1 SS combined cycle plants or lean methane has been built upon to provide a similar
are each rated at 405 MW and will operate with a 60 Hz capability for the 7/9HA’s.
world-record of greater than 61% net efficiency. GE The product family represents a merging of pioneering
began shipping units to Toshiba, the Engineering Prime H technology with greater than 40 million hours of F-
Contractor (EPC), in February 2016. The first of these class experience. Products serve both the 50 and 60 Hz
units is shown exiting the Greenville, SC manufacturing regions with the 9HA and 7HA, respectively. Both are
center as Figure 16. All six gas turbines are expected to available in two output sizes for varying block size
be installed and operational by March 2018. needs. Speed scaling was applied to develop the 7HA
from the 9HA, and flow scaling was applied to increase
output by over 15% for the “.02’s” versus the .01’s.
Turbine architecture has been simplified by
elimination of the 7/9H steam cooling and cooled
cooling-air. The hot gas path is entirely air cooled, as
enabled by advances in turbomachinery technology.
Proven materials and coatings are utilized to ensure
reliable operation. Development and engineering of the
7/9HA gas turbines has been accelerated by synergy with
our Aviation business and Global Research Center.
Looking forward, these pipelines of technology
Figure 16. First 7HA.01 shipment to Chubu Nishi- development are available to offer continuous
Nagoya improvements over the product life-cycle.
The off-grid, FSFL test facility required major
investment, but has been justified by the collection of
Fleet leaders for the 7HA.02 have been manufactured

8
extensive validation data and learning. Results verified International Gas Turbine Congress 2015 Tokyo,
performance and demonstrated capability to achieve November 15-20, 2015.
operational flexibility and reliable operation over the 6. Jones, R., Goldmeer, J., Moneti, B., “Addressing Gas
lifecycle of the power plant. Turbine Fuel Flexibility,” GE Power and Water GER-
Attention has been focused on plant constructability 4601B,
and maintainability resulting in the development of a http://www.ge.com/cn/energy/solutions/s1/GE%20Gas
wholly pre-engineered and packaged set of accessories. %20Turbine%20Fuel%20Flexibility.pdf, May 2011.
These advances accelerate construction scheduling and 7. Larson, A., “GE-Powered Combined Cycle Plant Sets
improve maintenance outage productivity. New Efficiency Record,” POWER Magazine,
The first 9HA.01 achieved commercial operation at the http://www.powermag.com/ge-powered-combined-cycle-
Électricité de France (EDF) Bouchain plant. This plant plant-sets-new-efficiency-record/?mypower, June 17,
was recognized by Guinness World Records as the 2016.
world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant. 8. Matta, R.K., Mercer, G.D., and Tuthill, R.S., “Power
Efficiency of this plant was 62.22% on a net combined Systems for the 21st Century – “H” Gas Turbine
cycle basis while producing more than 605 MW of Combined-Cycles,” GE Power and Water GER-3935B,
electricity. http://site.ge-
The first 7HA.01’s will achieve commercial operation energy.com/prod_serv/products/tech_docs/en/downloa
by March 2018 at the Nishi-Nagoya power station in ds/ger3935b.pdf, October 2000.
Nagoya City, Japan. The first 7HA.02’s have been 9. Reitenbach, G., “GE Announces Digital Power Plant
assembled and transported to Exelon’s Wolf Hollow and as Component of the Industrial Internet,” POWER,
Colorado Bend stations, both in Texas, USA. http://www.powermag.com/ge-announces-digital-
power-plant-as-component-of-the-industrial-internet/,
10. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS September 29, 2015.
GE’s HA gas turbine products have been developed, 10. Smith, G.R., “Rapid Response Combined Cycle
validated and commercialized by a large, diverse and Power Plant System,” GE Power and Water GER-4621,
global team of experts. The authors of this paper are March 2013.
honored to have responsibility to publicize their 11. Vandervort, CL, Leach, D, Fujimoto, H, and Kihara,
acheivements. Key elements of product technology were K, “The role of large, dual-fuel gas turbine combined
developed in collaboration with the US Department of cycle in achieving cost-effective, high-efficiency, reliable
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greatly appreciated. Turbine Congress 2015 Tokyo, November 15-20, 2015.
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