Artificial Neural Networks for Gas Turbine Modeling and Sensor Validation

The aim of this collaboration, between the division of Thermal Power Engineering and Lunds Energi AB, is to investigate the possibilities of training artificial neural networks (ANNs) with power plant operational data. For this purpose operational data from Lunds Energi's gas turbine GT10B with heat recovery unit (HRU) will be used. Furthermore a model with user interface is created to demonstrate the possibilities of using ANN. The results are evaluated through feedback from Lunds Energi and many different areas of implementation are considered. ANN differs from conventional mathematical models in the sense that they are trained rather than programmed. During training, data is presented in an iterative manner in order to find the relation between selected inputs and outputs. After the network is trained the weights, i.e. the parameters containing the network information, are locked and if the network is presented with new, before unseen, data it is able to predict new outputs. The software used for modeling ANNs is called NeuroSolutions. The resulting networks have been processed in Visual Basic for final use in Excel. Thru these studies several ANN models have been produced, both models of the gas turbine (GT) and models for sensor validation (SV). The results have been promising, e.g. with networks demonstrating high performance predictability.