GT36 Turbine Development and Full-Scale Validation

Abstract

This paper describes the full-scale turbine section validation of the GT36 heavy duty gas turbine, which was conducted in a test Power Plant in Birr, Switzerland. The GT36 Test Power Plant is extensively instrumented with both standard and specialised instrumentation. In the turbine section, specialised instrumentation includes metal and gas thermocouples, thermal paint, pressure sensors, hot gas rakes, strain gauges, five-hole probes, pyrometers and tip timing sensors. Similar specialised instrumentation also exists for the compressor, combustor and the rotor sections. Three major test campaigns were conducted over an extended period, which consisted of both long and short duration tests, including a range of off-design tests. Within the turbine section, detailed transient and steady-state measurements were obtained of the stage inlet pressures and temperatures, airfoil surface pressures and metal temperatures. These measurements indicated that both the aerodynamic and cooling performances of the turbine blades and vanes are highly consistent and repeatable over a range of operating conditions. Detailed comparisons of the measured engine pressures and temperatures with predictions also indicated that there was generally a very good match in the Mach numbers and metal temperatures for all the turbine blades and vanes.