GES Paweł Kapelańczyk is carrying out TURBO-REFLEX WP3 project as a part of the EU Horizon 2020 operational programme with the reference number 764545

GES team is responsible for the project whose aim is to develop algorithms for determining critical velocity for turbine disc burst with the use of available computing methods. The project includes carrying out field tests of disc damage under critical velocity and correlating algorithms with results. All algorithms will be integrated with Ansys WB environment in such a way that will (so as to allow) allow faster development of geometry of turbine discs meeting all strict safety regulations with optimal use of material and better prediction of a disc lifespan.

In the second part of the project, GES team will develop new algorithms and a tool that will allow automatic calculation of LCF (Low Cycles Fatigue) for components created in SLM technology.

In order to achieve this, SLM sample faitgue test will be carried out and the test results will be used to calibrate algorithms and improve tools that will be ultimately integrated with the Ansys WB environment.

All our activities are aimed at meeting new challenges facing modern turbines. Due to the necessity for turbo sets’ flexibility, a new approach to calculate components’ life cycle is required in order to maximise their use and, at the same time, ensure the correct number of life cycles.

Our team aims to fully integrate developed solutions with popular computing software such as Ansys, and to allow the fastest, trouble-free and error-free result assessment.

TURBO-REFLEX concept

For a more flexible operation of thermal power plants (without plant life or cost penalties), the individual technology component improvements are complemented by new sensor and monitoring technologies which support Condition-Based Maintenance and Repair as well as optimized operation.

Evaluated on plant level, the flexibility improvements, as well as the impacts on performance, life and cost, will be the basis for the subsequent implementation of the technologies in the existing thermal power plant fleet.

TURBO-REFLEX will build on the EU Turbines Roadmap and integrate results and achievements of the FLEXTURBINE project, which started 1 January 2016. 

The selection of technologies and components for TURBO-REFLEX was based on a detailed analysis for the following criteria:

• components most prone to wear in flexible operation
• technologies allowing a more flexible / evidence-based maintenance and life projection
• components / technologies which can be retrofit to the existing fleet.

TURBO-REFLEX aims at individual products and services being ready for market introduction within approx. two to three years after completion of the TURBO-REFLEX project.

In a combined cycle plant, the components and technologies which will be improved in TURBO-REFLEX are grouped in the three technology pillars:

1. Improvement of compressor off-design operability
2. Optimisation of hot gas path technologies
3. Mechanical integrity for more flexible operation

These are complemented by new approaches to enable online plant monitoring and analytics and a whole plant performance assessment.