German power plant uses metal AM heat shields and vanes in natural gas turbine

News
November 10, 2016

November 10, 2016

German power plant uses metal AM heat shields & vanes gas turbine

The Berlin Mitte power plant

The Berlin Mitte plant, operated by the German power company Vattenfall, is using additively manufactured first-stage heat shields and first-stage vanes inside a natural gas turbine used in a large power plant near Berlin. Developed by GE, the system incorporates the world’s largest AM parts found in any commercially operated gas turbine. Each part is said to weigh 4.5 kg and is around the size of a laptop. Together these parts help the turbine run more efficiently and burn less gas.

“3D printing is often thought of in terms of very small, complex components. We’re proving now that actually, you can commercially manufacture large pieces for turbines,” stated Wolfgang Muller, product line leader of GE Power Services’ gas turbine e-fleet. The turbine has been in operation since September 2016. “It’s a very important, district-heating power plant. It heats the capital’s feet,” added Muller.

When operators start the machine, the heat shields, which are typically made by casting, reach 1,000°C and must be cooled by air. The parts can handle the heat since the machine blows a relatively cooler air of about 400 to 500°C through channels cut into the components to lower their temperature. However, this cooling also reduces the turbine’s efficiency.

German power plant uses metal AM heat shields & vanes gas turbine

The world’s largest AM components found in any commercially operated gas turbine (Courtesy GE Power Services)

The use of Additive Manufacturing therefore allows GE engineers to create much more complex pathways than traditional metal casting. The structures include intricate air passages that cool the components more efficiently. Muller added that when all fifty or so heat shields on the turbine are additively manufactured instead of cast, they reduce cooling flow by more than 40%. “That’s millions of dollars in fuel-cost savings per year,” Muller adds. One turbine typically consumes 10 kg of fuel every second.

One of the hottest components in an operating turbine is the first-stage vane. By additively manufacturing portions of the vane, GE engineers have achieved a 15% reduction in the need for cooling air, which equates to approximately $3 million in fuel savings per year.

www.gepower.com

News
November 10, 2016

In the latest issue of Metal AM magazine

Download PDF
 

Extensive AM industry news coverage, as well as the following exclusive deep-dive articles:

  • Metal AM in the aerospace sector: from early successes to the transformation of an industry
  • Slowly but surely: Industrialising metal Additive Manufacturing the Norwegian way
  • Hot Isostatic Pressing and AM: How to improve product quality and productivity for critical applications
  • The convergence of Additive Manufacturing and Artificial Intelligence: Envisioning a future that is closer than you think
  • ADAXIS: On a mission to reduce the layers of complexity in robotic Additive Manufacturing
  • Exploiting your metal Additive Manufacturing data assets: Faster industrialisation and new revenue streams

The world of metal AM to your inbox

Don't miss any new issue of Metal AM magazine, and get the latest industry news. Sign up to our twice weekly newsletter.

Sign up

Discover our magazine archive…

The free to access Metal Additive Manufacturing magazine archive offers unparalleled insight into the world of metal Additive Manufacturing from a commercial and technological perspective through:

  • Reports on visits to leading metal AM part manufacturers and industry suppliers
  • Articles on technology and application trends
  • Information on materials developments
  • Reviews of key technical presentations from the international conference circuit
  • International industry news

All past issues are available to download as free PDFs or view in your browser.

Browse the archive

Looking for AM machines, metal powders or part manufacturing services?

Discover suppliers of these and more in our comprehensive advertisers’ index and buyer’s guide, available in the back of Metal AM magazine.

  • AM machines
  • Process monitoring & calibration
  • Heat treatment & sintering
  • HIP systems & services
  • Pre- & post-processing technology
  • Powders, powder production and analysis
  • Part manufacturers
  • Consulting, training & market data
View online
Share via
Copy link
Powered by Social Snap