The Implementation of the Data Validation Process in a Gas Turbine Performance Monitoring System

It is an important issue for the power generation industry to minimize maintenance cost; increase plant reliability and availability and enhance equipment performance. Knowing the operating conditions of a gas turbine, engineers can analyze and optimize the process throughout the operation. The accuracy of the performance measurement data is very critical in the gas turbine operation, because it is the foundation of the analysis. To verify the accuracy of measurement data, this paper will present a mathematical approach based on the data validation process. The data validation process is a method for correcting and verifying the measurement data and associated uncertainties by satisfying the different conservation laws like mass balance, energy balance and other related balances. The data validation process will increase the overall accuracy of the measurement data. The procedure of data validation will be illustrated by determining the inlet mass flow of a compressor. For the practical purpose, the measurement data presented in this paper is acquired from a commercial gas turbine plant. The inlet mass flow of compressor can be calculated using multiple mass- and energy balance equations. The result of the comparison of the initial measured data and the validated data will be discussed. This paper will also show that the data validation process can identify serious measurement errors and eliminate the common contradictions among the balance equations. After applying the data validation method on the performance measurement data, plant users will have more confidence to optimize the daily operation. The data validation is an auxiliary method to evaluate the quality of measured data and uncertainties. However, it still cannot replace the accurate and calibrated measurement equipments during the performance test. The data validation approach is used as an auxiliary tool for Alstom’s Plant Monitoring and Diagnostic System (AMODIS) [1], which can optimize plant operation and enhance turbine monitoring in critical areas for early warning.Copyright © 2005 by ASME