Category Archive: gas turbines

June Is National Safety Month, An Annual Reminder To Review Safety Practices At Your Plant

The National Safety Council (NSC) has declared the month of June each year “National Safety Month.” While safety should always be top-of-mind in the workplace, National Safety Month is a good reminder to do an annual check-up on safety practices in our workplaces.

Unfortunately, workplace injuries happen frequently across the country. A recent report from EHStoday.com says 3.7 million workers are injured each year, according to OSHA. As a result of these workplace injuries, businesses spend $170 billion per year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses. The same article cites a report released by The Travelers Companies Inc., the largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier in the U.S., which identified the most common causes of workplace accidents and injuries as:

• Material handling
• Slips, trips and falls
• Being struck by or colliding with an object
• Accidents involving tools
• Traumas occurring over time (including when a part of the body is injured by overuse or strain)

Interestingly, any type of workplace injury can negatively impact your business operations and the productivity at your plant. A Travelers executive is quoted as saying, “Even seemingly minor injuries, such as strains or sprains, can substantially impact an employee and slow a business’s operations and productivity… The most common injuries we see can often be prevented if the proper safety measures are in place, if safety issues are promptly addressed, and if leaders continuously emphasize a culture of safety with employees.”

Safety issues impact every industry, but certain causes of injuries and accidents seem to be more prevalent in some industries than others. For instance, material handling accidents were especially common in the manufacturing and retail industries, while also being the top cause of injuries overall. Falls from height were more common in the construction and retail industries than in other industries. And the oil and gas industry was the only industry in which motor vehicle accidents were one of the most frequent causes of workplace injury.

Whatever industry you’re in, you should make it a point to set aside time during the coming few weeks to review safety practices at your plant. Ensure a culture of safety with your employees by offering safety training, and hopefully you’ll prevent workplace injuries that could harm your employees and negatively impact your business.

How Not Paying Attention to Your Plant’s Remote Monitoring and Diagnostic Systems Can Lead to Big Problems

The energy industry and other industries can learn a few things from the recent incident involving Berkshire Power Co. (BPC) and Power Plant Management Services (PPMS) at BPC’s gas-fired plant in Massachusetts. Earlier this month, the companies agreed to plead guilty and pay millions of dollars in fines on felony charges that plant workers submitted false information and tampered with emissions control monitors. This incident shows how not paying attention to your plant’s remote monitoring and diagnostic systems can lead to big problems with serious consequences.

A PowerEngineering article reports MassDEP Commissioner Martin Suuberg said, “Reporting environmental information accurately is essential to state and federal efforts to improve air quality. Cases where information is misrepresented will be pursued to the fullest extend to protect the integrity of our air quality programs.” We’re not exactly sure what type of monitoring system, if any, was in place at BPC. But maybe a properly managed remote monitoring and diagnostic system for the gas turbines and other plant equipment could have prevented this incident.

In another report, an energy industry insider said, “In an era where information is power and computational data is vital to plant operators, monitoring and diagnostic systems are supporting the operation of industrial gas turbines worldwide.” Not only do they help with government reporting requirements, monitoring and diagnostic systems “increase the reliability of turbines powered by natural gas, providing early warning and fault diagnostics… The systems also can monitor and assist in maintaining the turbine performance.”

The same report explains how a remote monitoring and diagnostics system for gas turbines works, using a utility company as an example. “The utility company uses the same system via the internet to monitor all turbines remotely, and the system can send diagnostic messages to cell phones and email reports to company staff.” The system supports remote clients running web browsers, and it also has a flexible client-server architecture for either centralized or decentralized monitoring from anywhere, and it can acquire and archive data. “Any number of remote clients can connect to it using the company internal network, or remotely via internet or modem connection.” This type of remote monitoring system can guarantee that someone will be paying attention to the turbines at all times.

Gas turbine performance is always top-of-mind for us here at Central Metal Fabricators. We specialize in the design, manufacturing and installation of gas-turbine silencing systems, and we use the latest equipment and technology to install and monitor the operations of gas turbines located around the world. That’s why we’re big proponents of remote monitoring and diagnostic systems for gas turbines. We’d welcome the opportunity to discuss our thoughts about turbines, remote monitoring and diagnostic systems in more detail. Give us a call at 305-261-6262 or contact us through our website for more information.

Natural-Gas Combustion Turbines Offer Alternative to Coal-Fired and Nuclear Power Generation

For many years now, energy companies throughout the U.S. have been using natural-gas combustion turbines to provide power usage. But the use and popularity of combustion turbines have grown, especially in recent years. And combustion turbine usage will most likely continue to increase in the coming years. In fact, on its website, Duke Energy, says combustion turbines “are an important part of our flexible energy mix.”

Low gas prices represent only one reason why utilities across the country are using natural-gas combustion turbines to generate electricity in response to the increasing demand for power. Government regulations and compliance to mandates to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 are other reasons why more utilities in the U.S. turn to natural-gas combustion turbines as successors to coal-fired power generation and nuclear power generation.

How do combustion turbines work? In broad and brief terms, here’s the process: Using natural gas or fuel oil, combustion turbines heat compressed air, and the heated air expands to drive a turbine-generator that produces the electricity.

If you want more details, we can be more specific about how combustion turbines work: Gas combustion turbines are complex machines, but can be broken down into three main components: the compressor, the combustion system and the turbine. The compressor draws air into the engine and then pressurizes it, feeding it into the combustion chamber at high speeds—hundreds of miles per hour. The combustion system consists of a ring of fuel injectors that feed the fuel into the combustion chambers. There, the fuel and air mix and are burned at high temperatures – over 2,000 degrees F! A high-pressure, high-temperature gas stream then enters, expanding through the turbine. In the turbine, alternating rotating and stationary blades cause combustion gas to expand, spinning the rotating blades, which are simultaneously driving the compressor to draw air into the combustion system, and spinning a generator to produce electricity.

Since there are more gas combustion turbines being used today, there are some issues with turbine noise. That’s where we can help! At Central Metal Fabricators, we design, manufacture, assemble and install combustion turbine silencing equipment, and we are recognized as a leader in the industry because we’ve been doing this successfully for almost seven decades now. We eradicate turbine noise problems for industrial clients and utilities, providing solutions that are both effective and economical. Check out our website for more information about what we do, or give us a call at 305-261-6262 to learn more about our capabilities.

Gas Combustion Turbines Used To Increase Gas-Generated Electricity

Reports earlier this month revealed that for the second time ever (and the second time this year), natural gas-generated electricity exceeded coal-generated electricity on a monthly basis, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). After looking at the entire year of electricity generation, from July 2014 through July 2015, analysts said coal-fired generation fell in every region of the U.S., while electricity generation fueled by natural gas rose in every region of the country.

At the same time, overall electricity demand grew throughout the U.S. On October 9, 2015, Utility Dive, an online publication which says it offers a “birds-eye view of the utilities industry,” reported, “Total electricity demand grew year-over-year in the U.S. to 398 billion kWh in July 2015, compared with 384 billion kWh during the same period the year before.”

Natural gas combustion turbines are being put to work at utilities across the country to help meet the increased demand for power. Low gas prices are only part of the reason why natural gas-generated electricity is becoming more popular than coal-generated power. Government regulations have played, and will continue to play a role in the increased demand for gas-generated electricity. More utilities are expected to turn to natural gas as a successor to coal for power generation as “an avenue to comply” with the Obama administration’s Clean Power Plan (CPP), which aims to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

As more gas combustion turbines are put into operation, issues with turbine noise will become more common. At Central Metal Fabricators, we design, manufacture, assemble and install gas turbine silencing equipment, and we have been a leader in our industry for the past 67 years. Throughout our company’s decades-long history, we’ve eradicated turbine noise problems for utilities and other industrial clients, providing them with solutions that have proved to be effective and economical. We’d be happy to share these stories with you in more detail. Reach out to us through our website, or call us at 305-261-6262.

How Retrofitting Your Facilities May Be The Best Thing you Do All Year

Power plant managers continually face the challenge of increasing efficiency, extending facilities life and complying with growing environmental regulations and concerns. One option they have is to purchase new plant assets, but that can quickly become costly, and create unaffordable down-time. An alternative to choosing a major overhaul is to maintain and improve existing stacks.

Retrofitting a combustion or gas stack is a significant way to revitalize facilities without major complication. Our expertise in gas and combustion turbine solutions include the capability to do just that, through refurbishing or retrofitting existing simple cycle CT/GT stacks.

In today’s modern age, we know that many CT/GT stacks need upgrades but require custom-engineered solutions. At Central Metal Fabricators, we have become authorities in complete custom designs for refurbishment projects. We provide solutions for optimal performance at a low cost. We’re committed to providing our customers with a cost effective, top quality retrofits that will stand up to the increasing and ever-changing energy demands. At Central Metal Fabricators, we comply with environmental regulations all while driving up capacity and efficiency.

A retrofit can extend a unit life up to 25 years depending on the upgrades. Said upgrades may include new compressors, rotors, advancements in combustion systems and updated emissions and control packages.

Retrofits can be far more efficient to invest in because they keep downtime of operations at a minimum, cost effective and stay up to date with all environment regulations. Taking the refurbishment strategy results in existing stacks becoming cleaner, smarter, and more efficient in a shorter amount of time than any other solution.

To learn more about our gas turbine and combustion stack retrofits visit our website. To keep up-to-date with all things power generation follow us on our Twitter or connect us with on LinkedIn.

How Do Absorptive Silencers Work

The absorptive silencer is the most common design. It determines that noise energy is “absorbed” by many different types of fibrous packing materials. As sound waves pass through the fibers of the absorptive material, the sound energy shrinks into small amounts of heat.

Absorptive silencers are very effective on high noise frequencies (500-8,000 Hz). At frequencies above and below this range, attenuation performance progressively diminishes.

Notice that when, the noise is absorbed by the packing material, they don’t depend on any other internal mechanisms to obtain noise reduction. Consequently, absorptive silencers cause minimum air flow.

Common applications of absorptive silencers are gas turbine inlet, Centrifugal compressors inlet, industrial fan inlet and any other high-frequency noise applications.
If you are curious whether absorptive silencers are right for your application, please contact one of our acoustic system experts.

Effectively Eliminating Gas Turbine Noise Issues

There’s an all-too-common problem many facilities face when it comes to their gas turbines. While the turbines themselves may have been installed several decades ago and are still working properly, their necessary silencing systems can’t always say the same. Often, these older silencing systems have significantly shorter service lives than the turbines.

In this case, it’s required that the original silencing system be upgraded, revised, or—most often—completely replaced. While it might sound costly to replace the entire system, it winds up being more economical, in many cases. The new system will meet current requirements while adding significant efficiency.

At Central Metal Fabricators, we specialize in the design, manufacturing, and installation of these silencing systems using the latest equipment and most technologically-advanced software. We have countless examples of clients for whom we eradicated their turbine noise problems, installing brand new systems that proved effective and economical.

One utility customer was experiencing severe noise problems with their combustion turbine, which was emitting very high levels of low-frequency noise in the 20 to 75-hertz frequency range. The noise resulted in vibration in the lightweight wall and window structures.

The customer had specific sound pressure level requirements. We installed our state-of-the-art baffle and stack design system, which included our “Cold Stack Free Floating” design. This design leads to a long service life by maintaining lower and uniform temperature on the outer structure shell, while allowing all individual internal hot components freedom of movement and expansion in all directions. This results in lower thermal stresses and reduces potential damages to walls and well joints.

In the end, we not only met all sound level requirements, but provided them with a product that would prove effective for many years to come. Following a sound level survey by the client’s independent consultant, a test report stated “The new turbine exhaust silencers appear to be functioning exceptionally well. The low frequency ‘rumbling’ sound normally associated with turbines is completely absent with both units in operation.”

This is one example of the many customers whose new turbine silencers eliminated their problems, exceeded their expectations, and proved to be as economical as they are effective. We enjoy knowing their noise problems were solved.

Fracking’s Past, Present, And Future Success

Chances are, most American have heard the term “fracking” by now. Whether they live in an area where fracking is currently being done, or have no idea what it actually is, what all people should be made aware of is this: according to many experts, fracking “has created a revolution in U.S. oil and natural gas production.”*

One of these experts is H. Sterling Burnett, a senior fellow with the National Center for Policy Analysis. In addition to the quoted statement above, Burnett points out these facts:

• Growth of natural gas reserves is unprecedented
• The U.S. is producing oil at rates not seen since the 1970s
• Natural gas—the “fuel of choice for generating base load electricity” —could not play this role without fracking
• Just 10% of the 516 trillion cubic feet (TCF) of natural gas located between NY and West Virginia
• Could satisfy two years of total U.S. consumption
• The Marcellus shale reserve, called “the Saudi Arabia of natural gas” by geologists, could contain over 410 TCF of gas

Burnett also points out that the Marcellus reserve is just one shale formation; there’s the California’s Monterey Shale, Eagle Ford, Barnett, and more. Assuming the lowest projected recovery rates for Marcellus still leads to the estimation that that reserve could meet the country’s demands for at least 14 years.

What’s more? Fracking has already proved to be revolutionary; in just the past few years, crude oil production has increased by two million barrels each day. Our increasing oil and gas independence, coupled with lower prices, has proved to be an across the board economic and industry booster, even playing a major part in bringing manufacturing back in a very big way.

In short, fracking is a huge part of the country’s past, present, and future economic success, and its potential is infinite, as long as it continues as its proponents hope it will.

*https://www.ncpa.org/pub/ib132

Gas Turbines: How they Work, and Why They’re Better than Ever

As leaders in gas turbine silencing equipment since 1948, we receive questions every day about the components, the equipment, and even the industry itself.

Many people work within some aspect of the gas turbine industry, without knowing exactly how gas turbine plants actually work—especially since natural-gas-fueled power plants have taken off in recent years. Knowing this can help significantly, as you’ll have a better understanding of your needs, your focus, your customers and suppliers, and your job.

How Gas Turbines Work

Gas turbines, increasingly in use in power plants throughout the country, are complex

machines, but can be broken down into three main components:

1. The Compressor – This draws air into the engine and then pressurizes it, feeding it into the combustion chamber at high speeds—hundreds of miles per hour.
2. The Combustion System – Consisting of a ring of fuel injectors that feed the fuel into the combustion chambers, the fuel and air mix and are burned at temperates of over 2,000 degrees F. A high-pressure, high-temperature gas stream then enters, expanding through the turbine.
3. The Turbine – Here, intricately alternating rotating and stationary blades cause combustion gas to expand, spinning the rotating blades which are simultaneously driving the compressor to draw air into the combustion system, and spinning a generator to produce electricity.

There are two types of land-based gas turbines—heavy frame engines and aero derivative engines—operating at low pressure ratios and high compression ratios, respectively. In either case, a turbine’s furl-to-power efficiency is largely based on its operating temperatures, with higher temperatures generally meaning greater efficiencies.

Today’s Gas Turbines

Recently, previous turbine temperature limitations have been broken through the use of advanced materials and technologies, much of which was achieved through the Department of Energy’s advanced turbine program. By boosting temperatures by about 300 degrees, efficiency was boosted significantly—achieving efficiencies up to 60%.

As a result, gas turbines, and the plants they power, are better than ever, providing greater fuel efficiency with lower emissions, and promising even more success for the near future.

Gas Turbines: What are they, and How do they Work?

Gas turbines are utilized—and relied upon—by so many different industries and pieces of equipment, from military tanks to helicopters and power plants. Both public and private power plants throughout the country make use of these turbines, and their customers count on them, without ever knowing what makes them work and why they are advantageous.

Simply put, in gas turbines, pressurized gas spins the turbines. Specifically, a fuel within the turbine gets burned, which then creates heat that expands the air, making the turbine spin. Therefore, air is the actual working fluid, as chemical energy from the fuel is converted to mechanical energy, which drives the engine.
More specifically, the engine can be broken down into three parts: 1) the compressor 2) the combustion area, and 3) the turbine. The process itself can be broken down into four steps: 1) air intake 2) air compression 3) combustion, where fuel is injected and burned, converting the stored energy, and 4) expansion and exhaust, putting the converted energy to use. Of course, within each engine part and step of the process are many more specifics that work together to make them work so effectively.

There are several reasons why gas turbine engines are preferred over other types in certain applications. One is that they are smaller than other engine types of the same power. Another is that they have greater power-to-weight ratios than comparable engines. The actual performance requirements of gas turbines are determined by their specific application.

What many people don’t realize is that without gas turbines, everything from the lights they use to the airplanes on which they fly wouldn’t work the way we all need them to.