GE gas turbine breaks efficiency record through metal AM optimisation
December 4, 2017
The GE Power-produced 9HA.02 gas turbine is now said to offer 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants (Courtesy GE Power)
GE Power, Schenectady, New York, USA, reports that its largest gas turbine has broken efficiency records thanks to an optimised redesign using metal AM. The GE Power-produced 9HA.02 gas turbine is now said to offer 64% efficiency in combined cycle power plants – reportedly higher than any other competing technology today.
According to GE Power, the turbine’s increased efficiency was achieved largely due to GE’s advances in metal Additive Manufacturing, as well as developments in combustion. The new turbine replaces the company’s former HA model, which broke efficiency records in 2016 with its ability to power a combined-cycle power plant at 62.2%.
Using AM’s capacity to achieve more complex geometries, GE Power was able to optimise the design of the 9HA.02’s combustion system for better premixing of fuel and air. As a result, the 9HA.02 can be quoted at 64% net efficiency in specified conditions with total output of 826 megawatts in 1×1 combined cycle configuration. According to the company’s estimates, an additional percentage point of efficiency in gas turbines can translate to millions in fuel savings for customers globally.
“The HA is our most advanced gas turbine technology, and we’ve never stopped pushing the boundaries of what it can do,” stated Joe Mastrangelo, President and CEO, GE’s Gas Power Systems. “GE is proud to achieve an industry first and offer customers the most efficient gas technology available in the world today.”
