CT Hot Section Life Management

OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

Combustion Turbine Hot Section Life Management

M. Kemppainen, J. Scheibel and R. Viswanathan

EPRI, 3412 Hillview Avenue, Palo Alto, California 94304-1395, USA Mr. John R. Scheibel directs the Combustion Turbine and Combined Cycle Technology Program at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA. The technical scope includes new and re-powered designs, based on state-of-art combustion turbines, and improved maintenance technology to improve plant availability, reliability, and durability. The full program description can be found at http://www.epri.com/ with supplementary information at http://www.eprictcenter.com/. Prior to joining EPRI in 1982, Mr. Scheibel was with Combustion Engineering in Windsor, Connecticut Power System Group Fossil Steam section and Sargent & Lundy engineers in Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of the University of Illinios with an M.S. in mechanical engineering and is a registered professional engineer. -----------------------------------

Dr. R Viswanathan manages and performs research pertaining to materials application technologies in the Materials Performance Group at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). Prior to joining EPRI in 1979, Dr. Viswanathan was with the Westinghouse Electric Co. R&D Center, Pittsburgh, for 14 years. Starting as a Senior Engineer, and moving to Fellow Engineer in 1974, Dr. Viswanathan served in Metallurgical Application and Evaluation, Nuclear Materials, and High Temperature Materials Departments. While on a years leave from the company, he also served as Manager and Head of Metallurgy, R&D center for the Indian Heavy Electrical Industry. During this time he wrote a book titled, Damage Mechanisms and Life Assessment of High Temperature Materials, which has been published by the American Society for Metals. The book has also been translated into Japanese. The author of over 200 publications, and editor of ten books and conference proceedings, primarily in the areas of corrosion and fracture of steels and nickel base alloys, Dr. Viswanathan is a Fellow of the American Society of Metals and of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His current research interests include: Plant Life Assessment, Combustion Turbine Materials and Materials Technology for Ultra Supercritical Coal Power Plants. In recognition of wide ranging contributions to Materials Engineering, Dr. Viswanathan was elected to the Faculty of the Dept. of Materials Engineering, University of Wales in Swansea, U.K. and was conferred the title of Professor. Currently Dr. Viswanathan serves on the boards of the Metal Properties Council and Welding Research Council.
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CT Hot Section Life Management

OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

ABSTRACT Energy companies are increasingly meeting the need for new generation capacity by selecting natural gas-fired advanced gas turbine combined-cycle systems. These high-efficiency combustion turbines have high rotor inlet temperatures, requiring the use of advanced and expensive hot gas path component materials and coatings. The durability of these materials and coatings is of great concern to equipment users. EPRI has been developing a life management system that aims to integrate life assessment of blade materials and coatings and non-destructive evaluation (NDE) into a single framework. 1. INTRODUCTION
Around the world, restructuring of the energy industry is separating power generation from commercially protective regulations while at the same time increasing competition in energy markets. In addition, environmental policies requiring lower atmospheric emissions are tightening. Power companies are obliged to maintain emission levels sufficiently low to satisfy international agreements on this matter. This presents a significant challenge to power generation companies. Evolving energy markets pressure power companies to increase the efficiency of their production processes to lower production costs and decrease emissions. This has been a driving force behind the shift from conventional coal- or oilfired power plants to natural gas-fired combustion turbines. The efficiency of combustion turbines is already intrinsically higher than that of fossil-fired power plants. Methods available to increase efficiency include raising firing temperature and using a spray-cooling process with compressor air. Improved materials, enhanced coatings, and advanced cooling designs in the latest models of gas turbines have raised rotor inlet temperatures to 1300C (2372F), and temperatures of 1400C (2552F) will be attained in the near future. The efficiency of combined-cycle combustion turbines combined with a combustion gas boiler and normal steam turbine is about twice that of a basic gas turbine machine. Since natural gas is a relatively clean burning fuel, combustion turbine emissions can be kept to low levels, and Nox emissions can be controlled quite well by applying dry or wet process burners.

Combustion turbines also provide flexibility in generating electricity. They can be used as base load machines - operating continuously from one overhaul to another or can be used for cycling operation to meet daily top load needs. However, cycling operation imposes additional demand for life assessment procedures with respect to hot gas path components. These attributes - efficiency, flexibility, and low emissions - have led to rapid growth in the number of combustion turbines deployed around the world in areas with available natural gas. 2. LIFE AND COST TRACKING OF HOT GAS PATH COMPONENTS The hot gas path of a combustion turbine is an integrated unit comprising a number of expensive components and parts that must all work together flawlessly. Each of these components must be controlled and overhauled carefully to avoid serious and expensive damage. All materials in the hot gas path are super alloys, with excellent resistance to oxidation and hot corrosion. The hottest components also need protective coatings to prevent oxidation or to insulate the substrate from very high

CT Hot Section Life Management

OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

temperatures. In rotating blades, the substrates must also be able to carry high stresses under very high temperatures. 2.1 Combustion burners, liners and transition pieces Burners are complex systems containing oil and gas burning nozzles. Burners can be of dry or wet low NOx type. A key problem in burners is fuel nozzle wear. In addition, material overheating problems due to flashbacks are often evident. Combustion burner components are repairable and replaceable. Liners and transition pieces are often made of Hastelloy X and/or Nimonic 263 alloys. These components normally have thermal barrier coatings (TBC) to protect them against heat. The sealing heads of these components are repairable or even replaceable. Degraded TBC coatings can be removed and the components can be recoated. 2.2 Vanes and blades The most critical working parts of combustion turbines are vanes and blades. In the latest turbine models, the first stages of blades and vanes are coated with MCrA1Y and/or TBC coatings. Table 1 lists some substrate materials and coatings used in modern gas turbines [1].
Table 1. Combustion turbine alloys and coatings for vanes and blades
OEM
ABB

[1]

Model 11N2 GT24/GT26 7/9EA 7/9FA

Vanes 1N939 DS CM247LC FSX-414 FSX-414 SC Rene 5

1N939

Blades 1N738LC DS CM247LC EA GTD111 DS GTD111 SC Rene N5 1N738LC SC PWA1483 U-520 1N738LC DS MMOO2 or
DS CM247

GE

Coatings NiCrAIY + Si TBC (N)/ NiCrAlY+Si (B) RT22dGT29In + (B) GT33In + (B)

7H
Siemens W/MHI V84/94.2 V84/94.3A 501D/701D 501F/701F
501G/701G

TBC (B + N)
CoNiCrAlY + Si TBC (EB-PVD) (B) TBC (N)/MCrAlY (B)

SC PWA1483 ECY-768 ECY-768 IN939

TBC (N + B)
TBC (EB-PVD) (N+B)

B=Blades; N=Vanes; DS= directionally solidified; SC= single crystal; EA= equiaxed Rene N5: 7.5Co, 7Cr, 1.SMo, 5W, 3Re, 6.STa, 6.2A1, 0.05C, 0.2B, 0.01Y SC PWA 1483: 12%Cr Alloy similar to 1NCO792 GT29: CoCrAIY; GT29+: CoCrAIY + diffusjon Aluminide top coat GT33:MCrA1Y with improved Oxidation Resistance GT33+: MCrAIY + diffusion Aluminide top coat

Achieving higher combustion turbine efficiency by increasing rotor temperature requires improvements in the cooling systems of rotating blades and stationary vanes. At the same time, rotating blades in particular need the following:

CT Hot Section Life Management

OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

Better oxidation and hot corrosion resistance High thermal fatigue resistance, low-cycle fatigue resistance, and high-cycle fatigue resistance Excellent microstructural long-term stability High creep resistance due to the higher stresses in these components.

Such changes have motivated development of more sophisticated new substrate materials and protective coatings. For blades and vanes, polycrystalline materials are giving way to directionally solidified and single-crystal alloys. Also, TBC coatings are more commonly used in blades. Ongoing development work aims to increase the hot corrosion resistance of coatings. Various types of multi-layer coatings with diffusion barrier interlayers are also under consideration. 2.3 Life and cost tracking The trend to develop and manufacture more durable materials and coatings for combustion turbine components also means that the components are becoming more expensive. The price of one set of first-stage blades for these high efficiency machines can be as high as $3 million. High cost is one reason energy companies seek to keep these components in operation as long as possible. This calls for advanced tools and an improved understanding of the degradation of substrates and coatings. Understanding the degradation process and realizing opportunities to manage its progress are critical aspects of assessing the residual life of a component [2]. Avoiding substrate oxidation and cracking is essential since thin walled components provide little margin for surface removal and restorations using weld or brazing technologies are not yet validated for blades. EPRI is developing tools to help manage refurbishment periods and optimize the inspection intervals for hot gas path components. Proper timing of maintenance operations and accurate information on component condition will help extend the life cycle of a component as long as possible, and can help keep operation and maintenance costs as low as possible. 3. MODELING FOR LIFE ASSESMENT - FA MACHINES One form of modeling, finite element analysis, can be to predict local material temperatures, local stress levels and their direction, and critical areas of the component from the life assessment perspective. 3.1 GE Frame 7/9 FA machine, first stage blades Since 1998, EPRI has organized a comprehensive program to conduct modeling analyses of General Electric F 7/9 FA combustion turbine first-stage blades [3]. These analyses cover various modes of operation, including base load, startups and shutdowns, and trips. The substrate material of these blades is GTD1 11 DS, and the coating is GT33In+. Advanced cooling techniques such as film cooling have been used with these first-stage blades. 3.2 Structural models and aerothermal analysis Performing aerothermal analysis for rotating combustion turbine blades is a complex task. Due to the large number of parameters that affect the analysis, an

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OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

enormous amount of data must be collected and processed before real and reliable analysis is possible. The parameters for the substrate material and coatings must be defined as a function of temperature. In addition, operating conditions change rapidly. Blade coatings, internal and external cooling systems, operational stresses and thermal stresses, and other complicating variables must all be addressed. EPRIs effort involved preparing structural models and developing a 3.-D profile (Fig. 1). Cooling channel construction was carefully incorporated into the model (Fig. 2). Next, temperature deviation in different operational situations was analyzed at various parts of the blades (Fig. 3), after which stress levels in the blades were analyzed. The thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) analysis was performed for various operating conditions, including startups, shutdowns and trips.

Fig 1: 3-D model of the FA blade

Fig 2: Cooling channel construction of the FA blade

CT Hot Section Life Management

OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

Fig 3: Temperature and stress deviations in the FA blade

The results of the modeling process were used to determine the most critical parts of the blades. The analysis was conducted to reveal the hottest and most stressed areas where creep failure, rapid oxidation or TMF would be most evident. Such areas were found mostly in the airfoil areas of the blades on the trailing and leading edges of the suction side of the blades. 4. COATING LIFE ESTIMATIONS Finite element analysis, combined with thorough destructive laboratory investigation, provides an excellent tool for defining and estimating the life cycle of the coating. Detailed understanding of the coating degradation process together with the known environmental parameters that affect the coating can be used to define the repair or refurbishment timing of the coating and the substrate material. 4.1 COATLIFE - 2 software EPRI has developed a spreadsheet program, COATLIFE-2, which enables power producers to accomplish the following: Estimate next inspection/refurbishment intervals and avoid damage to expensive castings Evaluate the performance of alternative coating systems

Project maintenance intervals and life consumption based on operational patterns, including overfiring.

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OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

COATLIFE forecasts coating life by taking into account coating oxidation and TMF cycles under variable plant operating conditions. After inputting operating information and selecting the appropriate substrate material and coating, the program calculates the oxidation and TMF lives and related residual lives. COATLIFE-2 includes data for several common substrate and coating materials (Table 2).

Table 2. Substrate materials and coatings in COATLIFE-2 software

Coating Single Crystal Blade DirectionallySolidified Blade

[5]

Equi-axed Blade

PtAl (RT22LT) Aluminide GT29 GT29+ GT33+

CMSX4 CMSX3 CMSX3 CMSX3 CMSX3

GTD-111DS GTD-111DS GTD-111DS GTD-111DS GTD-111DS

IN738LC Mar-M247 IN738LC IN738LC IN738LC

4.1.1 Oxidation COATLIFE-2 calculates the usable life of a coating in terms of the number of startup cycles for various cycle times at a given temperature. The results are presented in the form of a coating life diagram, which is a double logarithmic plot of the number of startup cycles versus cycle time (Fig. 4). A coating life diagram contains an oxidation failure boundary that divides the double logarithmic plot into a protective region and a failed region. The oxidation life failure boundary is calculated on the basis of critical Al content in the coating, which corresponds to the minimum Al content required to form a protective, continuous alumina oxide barrier on the coating surface. 4.1.2 TMF life modeling The TMF life model for coated gas turbine blades was developed on the basis of the Coffin-Manson strain-life relation for low-cycle fatigue. Applied to TME, the strain-life relation has the form given by the following: deltaEmNbf = C Where deltaEm is the mechanical strain range, Nf is the cycle-to-failure, b is the fatigue life exponent and C is the fatigue life coefficient [1,2]. TMF life is calculated in COATLIFE-2 based on individual TMF loading blocks, which correspond to individual rows of input data. Each row of TMF input includes three pairs of strain range and number of thermal cycles, corresponding to normal startup/shutdown, partial load/shutdown and trip cycles. A linear damage rule was developed to treat TMF damage accumulation with a single TMF block or several TMF blocks. The remaining TMF life is calculated and presented in terms of the number of TMF blocks or cycles. COATLIFE-2 calculates the systems present situation and presents the results in easily readable graphical format (Fig. 4) and

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OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

tabular format (Fig. 5).

Fig 4: Coating life diagram for the aluminide coating

5. ADVANCED NDE FOR LIFE ASSESSMENT EPRI has initiated a program to test, evaluate and develop a field-deployable NDE system to monitor, evaluate and predict remaining coating life on advanced GE Frame 7FA/9FA turbines. The metallic coatings used on these turbine blades include CoCrA1Y and NiCoCrAlY with over-aluminized top coatings. A primary mode of coating failure involves the depletion of aluminum with extended service time and temperature. All coatings degrade with service due to inward and outward diffusion of aluminum, as well as due to oxidation. The degradation process changes the microstructure - especially the content of the protective -phase layer in the coating - and also increases the thickness of the diffusion zone into the substrate. EPRI organized a round-robin test program with five different vendors [4]. Each of the vendors used the frequency scanning eddy current method, and some vendors used a lift-off technique to examine the same seven test samples. The target for each partner was to measure the total coating layer thickness, the thickness of the phase layer, and the thickness of the interdiffusion zone. Fig. 6 illustrates the coating degradation process and -phase structural changes. These changes and differences among the test samples are under investigation.

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OMMI (Vol. 1, Issue 2) August 2002

Fig 5: Tabular results of oxidation and thermomechanical fatigue

As-coated PWA285 Coating

2400 Thermal Cycles at 1850F

Fig 6: Decrease in the equivalent thickness of the aluminium-rich -phase zone with increased thermal cycles

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10

The round-robin tests showed that reliable direct measurements of the interdiffusion layer or the total coating thickness could not be made. However, the round-robin tests did demonstrate that a NiCoCrA1Y coating can be reliably tested by estimating the remaining thickness of -phase aluminide. Comparative performance of each partner was defined (Table 3.).
Table 3. Comparative performance of the tests [4]

Order of Performance Top-Bottom Partner A Partner B Partner C Partner D Partner F

Qualitative Performance Top Tier Top Tier Top Tier Top Tier Bottom Tier

Quantitative Performance RMS Error 6 Microns 17 Microns 21 Microns 25 Microns 22 Microns Corr. Coef. 99% 95% 97% 91% 89%

The thickness of the -phase layer is a good indicator of the residual life of the coatings. The results can be incorporated into the COATLIFE-2 program so that the program can calculate real values of residual life based on direct on-site measurements. 6. SUMMARY Combustion turbine components and repairs are very expensive. Additionally, overhauls take time and demand highly specialized and expensive staff to handle the tasks required, during which the machine is not generating energy. Appropriate knowledge and tools can extend the life cycle of the hot gas path components optimizing overhaul timing and improving the efficiency of these operations. Life management of hot gas path components requires careful modeling, significant laboratory investigation, an understanding of the behavior of substrates and used coatings, and an understanding of the effects of combustion turbine loading conditions. Software and tools that enable assessment of component life are the keys to accomplishing this difficult task. REFERENCES
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. R. Viswanathan and S.T. Scheirer, Materials Advances in Land-Based Gas Turbines, POWER GEN, Orlando, Dec 9-11,1998. Hot Section Life: High Temperature Coating System, EPRI, Report 1000432, 2000, Palo Alto, CA, USA. GE FA First Stage Blade Analysis, EPRI, Report 1000318, 2000, Palo Alto, CA. USA. Metallic Coating NDE Round Robin, EPRJ, Report 1001121, 2000, Palo Alto, CA, USA. Coatlife 2, Users Manual, 2000, EPRJ, Palo Alto, CA, USA.