Reaching Operational Efficiency Goals in the Manufacturing Industry

Understanding and Maintaining Gas Turbines

21 December 2019

Terrence Hayes

Power plants produce electrical currents with the assistance of gas turbines, which act as the engines that are the equivalent to the hearts of the plant due to their function and importance. The function of the gas turbine is to convert gas to energy. The energy it creates will in turn create electrical energy that then travels through power lines to supply power to customers. In order to have a better understanding of just how important gas turbines are to the process and why cleaning them is important, you want to keep reading.

The main sections of gas turbines

Compressor – The compressor is responsible for pressurizing air in a way that then causes it to be sent into the combustion chamber at a very fast rate of speed.

Combustion – When the air is shot into the combustion chamber, it is then mixed with fuel that is directed into the chamber through fuel injectors. The combination of air and fuel is then burned inside of the chamber. The result is a high temp, high speed stream of gas that expands within the turbine.

Turbine – The turbine is a complex piece of equipment that takes the heated gas and uses it to spin blades within the turbine unit. These blades in return cause the compressor to continue to take in air and it also power a generator which creates the electricity that makes its way through the power lines.

The importance of cleaning gas turbines

While turbines must undergo mandatory shut-downs at specific intervals, the number of shutdowns should be as limited as possible to prevent unnecessary losses. When air is drawn into the compressor, carbon, oils and other pollutants will get into the system. This can cause the system to slow down and it can also cause larger issues such as damage to the blades.

The gas turbine must be kept clean in order to maintain the efficiency and powering of the system in order to decrease the risk of the system needing to undergo excessive shut-downs due to the need for crank washing and repairs that can be avoided. Routine cleaning keeps the turbine functioning as if it is new.

Cleaning the turbine should be a scheduled task that is considered to be a mandatory step in the energy creation process if the power plant is to expect to keep things running smoothly and in order to see maximum possible output.  Look into gas turbine cleaner options to maintain the efficiency of your production.

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