April 15, 2003 -- WASHINGTON, DC - GE's popular LM6000 is now available in a gas turbine-generator set for a variety of marine propulsion system configurations. GE reported today at the Navy League's Sea-Air-Space 2003 trade show that an LM6000 gas turbine is on display at its booth.
"The LM6000 is the only aeroderivative gas turbine rated higher than 50,000 horsepower with a proven and outstanding reliability and availability record in industrial service. For years, this highly-efficient engine has also demonstrated trouble-free operation in a marine environment aboard commercial power barges, platforms and FPSOs -- or floating production, storage and off-loading vessels," said Karl Matson, general manager of GE Marine Engines.
"We're confident that the excellent performance record of this engine can easily be transferred to military applications, whether they call for electric or mechanical drive arrangements," Matson stated.
GE has gained extensive experience in applying its LM gas turbines in both mechanical and electric drive configurations. For instance, LMs are used for military and commercial marine mechanical drive ship propulsion, as well as to drive compressors and gas reinjection pumps in industrial applications.
"We've also proven the effective use of our LM gas turbines in marine electric drive applications. Five GE LM2500 and 22 LM2500+ aeroderivative gas turbine-generator sets are slated for use or are successfully operating in electric drive configurations aboard 18 cruise ships," Matson added.
The LM6000
The LM6000 was introduced in 1990, and has become the most efficient simple cycle gas turbine in its class, with an efficiency of 41.9% at the ISO rating point. The industrial LM6000 fleet has grown to more than 600 units -- all of which drive electric generators -- accumulating more than seven million operating hours. The LM6000s in industrial applications boast a fleet wide reliability of 99%.
The LM6000 is the high power member of the GE LM aeroderivative gas turbine offerings. It generates 36.6 megawatts of power on a Navy standard day (100 degrees F), depending upon the operating profile for ship applications.
The powerful LM6000 marine gas turbine can be coupled with an electric generator making an LM6000 marine gas turbine-generator set. GE furnishes the complete marinized LM6000 gas turbine-generator set using a generator from a manufacturer acceptable to the customer.
Tables 1 and 2 provide the specifications for the LM6000 gas turbine-generator set, as well as LM6000 gas turbine data.
Table 1GE LM6000 Turbine-Generator Set Performance*
Output 42,800 kilowatts (kW)
Heat rate 8,348 Btu/kW-hr
Thermal efficiency 40.8%
*Average performance, 60 hertz, 59°F, sea level, 40% relative humidity, 4 inch water inlet loss, 6 inch water exhaust loss. Exact performance will vary with specific generator selected
Table 2GE LM6000 Gas Turbine Data**
Output 59,900 shaft horsepower (shp)44,700 kW
SFC 0.329 lbs/shp-hr
Heat rate 6,049 Btu/shp-hr
Exhaust gas flow 286 lbs/sec
Exhaust gas temperature 849 degrees F
Turbine speed 3600 rpm
** Average performance, 59 degrees F, sea level, 60% relative humidity, no losses
No free power turbine is needed since the LM6000 is a two-spool gas turbine with the load driven by the low speed rotor. Three radial bearings and one thrust bearing support each shaft. The load may be placed on either the compressor end, "cold end drive," or aft of the exhaust collector, "hot end drive." This attractive feature allows for more flexibility in ship design considerations.
Benefits
Aeroderivatives have a high power to weight ratio that is extremely important for ship applications where equipment weight and size are issues that can significantly impact costs.
In addition, because the LM6000 is derived from GE's CF6-80C2 aircraft engine, the gas turbine is inherently designed to be fuel efficient, to have a long life and to be easily maintained. The unit's modular design incorporates individually replaceable internal and external parts. This allows for inspection and monitoring of the condition of internal static and rotating components via borescope. Most maintenance can be performed on board.
FPSO/Offshore Platform Experience
Currently there are 14 LM6000 gas turbines operating in marine installations such as on FPSOs in the harsh North Sea environment. These engines have accumulated over 260,000 fired hours in service.
For instance, the Schiehallion FPSO uses two LM6000 gas turbine-generating sets for power generation. British Petroleum, on behalf of its partners, Shell Expo, Murphy Petroleum, Amerada Hess and Statoil, operates the field.
The LM6000s provide the main on-board power generation, together producing some 80 megawatts of electrical power. Waste heat recovery units each have an output of 30 megawatts thermal, and are used to supply the process heat requirement.
Norway's state-owned oil company, Statoil, uses two LM6000 gas turbine-generator sets to provide main AC power for the Asgaard platform. Two GE LM2500+ gas turbines also are used to drive centrifugal compressors.
GE Marine Engines is part of GE Aircraft Engines and is headquartered in Evendale, Ohio. GE Marine Engines is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of commercial and military marine propulsion applications. Visit GE Marine Engines on the worldwide web at www.geae.com
Rick Kennedy
GE Aviation
[email protected]
+1 513 243 3372
+1 513 607 0609