Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty

Special Risks for Steam Turbine

Operation due to changed energy
markets

Stefan Thumm, Dr. Martin Eckel,

Dr. Rdiger Beauvais, 4.11.2013, Munich

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG, 08.11.2013

Claims, Allianz Zentrum fr Technik (AZT)

and the Allianz Risk Consultants Network (ARC)
Common support for underwriters, clients and loss adjusters Underwriting
with pre- and post loss expertise and services.
ARC Global network of more than 260 engineers,
specialists and industry experts.
AZT services include in-depth failure analysis,
failure prevention and evaluation of prototypical
technologies

Client
Risk
Management

Claims

AZT

AZT is an independent service provider within the

ARC network. Services are provided to AGCS clients
and independently via the Allianz Risk Consulting GmbH.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG, 08.11.2013

2

Our perspective on damage and risk

Wear and
Tear
3

Our perspective on damage and risk

Design

Handling
Material
Issues

Operation
Conditions

Lifetime
Consumption

Wear and
Tear

Multiline
Interdisciplinary
4

Why the changed energy markets lead to

new risks for steam turbines

Can you mitigate these risks ?

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

Steam Turbines, Some Key Facts

Antique Heron wheel

Laval: 1883

Today

Largest single steam turbine set: ~1650 MW

Max. Lengths of rotor trains: ~ 65 m
Weight of a LP rotor: 300 t
Max. LP Exhaust Area: 30 sqm
Min. radial clearance: 0,3 mm
Value up to : 200 Mio
8

Steam Turbines, Some Key Components

Last stage blade

L-0 blade

rotor
vanes

Source: Siemens

Steam Turbine Evolution (1)

Development Steam Turbines in Fossil Fired Power Plants in Germany
700
Life Steam
Temperature
(C)

1100
Neurath F, G
Niederauem K

1000

Lippendorf R,S

620

900

Heyden

600

R&D
ongoing
Ni-base
materials

Scholven G

Supercritical
580
Subcritical

Current
market
introduction

Mature Technology

560

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

800

Max.
Unit
Capacity
(MW)

Time
10

Steam Turbine Evolution (2)

Length of Last Stage Blade (LSB), development steps 3000 rpm
mm
1500
titanium

1400

1300

1200

steel

1100

48 inch longest LSB

of many manufacturers
2005 - 2012

1000
1990

2000

2010

Time

11

Risk Evaluation for Steam Turbine operation

Loss Experience

Operation
Parameters

Technology Level

Maintenance
Concept/Budgets

Field Experience

Operational
Excellence

Repair Options

Protection

12

Transfer into standardized risk assessment tool

identical and consistent for all lines of business
providing qualitative and quantitative results
Global network management, Expert Teams and Lessons Learned provide
best practice and consistency

5,0

100.000.000

6,6

80.000.000

2,2
0,00

4,4
2,3

1,3

0,0
0

60.000.000
40.000.000

-5,0

-5

-5,00

20.000.000
-10
Plant D

Plant C

P la n t D

P la n t C

P la n t B

P la n t A

.. transformed into risk quality

describing ..

Plant B

-10,00

Plant A

5,00

10

120.000.000

10,00

.. and processed to the business

Local risk information captured by

ARC engineers
Portfolio

13

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

14

In 2012 the renewable share generated was 22%

of which 11,3 % are solar + wind
Electricity generation in Germany 2012 :
617 MRD KWh
Hard coal

Gas
11%

Oil, pump
storage ,
others
Renewables

0,80%

6%

4,60%

19%

Waste
Solar

3,30%

Hydro

22%
5,80%

Nuclear

Biomass
Wind

26%

16%

7,30%

Lignite

Quelle : BDEW 2012

15

In 2012 the renewable share generated was 22%

of which 11,3 % are solar + wind
Electricity generation in Germany 2012 :
617 MRD KWh
Hard coal

Gas
~3,5% 7,5%

Oil, pump
storage ,
others
Renewables

6%

However:
Steam Turbines
stand for 2/3 of
generation

19%
16,2%

~3,5%

Nuclear
26%

16%

Lignite

Quelle : BDEW 2012, and AZT estimates

16

The first day in Germany with Green energy

production peaking over conventional generation
GW

Electricity Generation in Germany on ?

18.04.2013

70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0

Coal + Nuclear

Wind

Solar

Your guess ?
Source : IWR 2013

17

Operation Conditions Germany

high wind and solar production mainly impacts hard coal based production

nuclear and lignite with

moderate and hard coal with
high load variation

18

Operation Conditions of a german hard coal power plant

Balancing PVs

Technical min. Load during

nights
No operation on weekends
No operation 26th to 29th October due to strong wind

19

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

Copyright Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty 13-11-08

20

New situation for power plants (hard coal, CCPP)

1. Specific costs and contracts determine usage
2. Profitability difficult to maintain
Maintenance budgets and periods under question
3. Primary and Secondary power operation mode
4. Operation as consumer for capacity power (Gts, pump storage, NPP Biblis)

21

New operation for power plants (hard coal, CCPP)

1. Decreased low and minimum loads
2. Increase of operation in low and minimum loads
3. Increased number of starts
4. Increased load gradients
5. Increased number and longer time of outages

How does this work and

what are the upcoming
risks out of this
challenging boundaries
for the steam turbines ?

22

Additional Aspect:
The German Capacity of hard coal Power Generation is 36 Years old
The average power plant
and steam turbines were
designed for base load
and middle load (night
stand still, daily starts )

Ref. : Public data of Umweltbundesamt, Bundesnetzagentur

23

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

Copyright Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty 13-11-08

24

load range

Change of load situation

max. capacity
Flexibility:
load ramp and
no. of starts
min. load

time

time

Increased Risks due to changed loads (1)

Minimum
Load

1. Increased HP-IP vibrations (partial arc admission)

2. Expected Higher Nozzle and Valve Erosion Rates
3. More water droplet erosion due to lower live steam temperatures
4. Increased Exhaust Temperatures due to LP ventilation,
different axial expansion
increased spray flow and erosion
reduced clearance and potential rubbing
5. Excitation of LP blades due to ventilation
6. HP ventilation
7. IP valve vibrations
8. Changed frequency band
of feed water pump turbines

Increase of wear and

tear and damage risk

26

Increased Risks due to changed loads (2)

Max
Capacity

1. Increased HP valve vibrations

2. Higher Nozzle, Valve and LP section Erosion Rates
3. Increased Exhaust Pressure
critical in air condenser applications
increased load on LP blades at trips
4. Excitation of LP blades due to Flutter Vibration
5. Changed frequency band
of feed water pump turbines

Increase of wear and

tear and damage risk

27

Increased Risks due to changed loads (3)

Flexibility

1. Hot Components with higher Low Cycle Fatigue (thermal)

2. LP blades + rotors with higher Low Cycle Fatigue (mech.)
3. Increased risk of crack propagation especially of
precracked or prefatigued rotating components
4. LP blades: extended operation
times with high cycle fatigue
5. Valve seat and sealing wear
6. Stand still corrosion
7. Drainage Issues in case of manual
drainage

Increase of wear and

tear, corrosion, fatigue
and damage risk
28

Increased Risks due to changed loads (4)

Min Load

Max
Capacity

Increase of:
- wear and tear
- corrosion
- fatigue
- damage risk

Flexibility

29

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

The new energy world

General Technology and Risk Aspects
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

30

What do you need to expect out of this

based on damage cases where turbines already

operated under respective load conditions
based on proven engineering know how and
average ability of engineers to predict ;-)

31

Max
Capacity

32

Example: Blade Failures on feed water pump turbines

Detachment after 80.000 to 130.000 operation hours

Fubruchstck mit Rastlinien

First free standing blade row

33

Damage Causes
Fatigue fracture caused by periods of resonance due to modified
speed range (load uprate of main turbine)

+ corrosion fatigue
+ pitting corrosion
due to stand stills

34

Example: Flutter Vibrations

Occuring at high steam flows
Self exciting mechanism
High effort to calculate
Measurable
Potential blade failures

Blade aplitudes

01/ 2011 Copyright Allianz

35

Increased
Flexibility

36

Example: LCF in Rotor groove cracks

L-2 after 170.000 h / 1.500 Starts

L-1 after 100.000 h / 1.000 starts

Even with former moderate start/stop

sequences rotor grooves and balde roots
require attention and special

Increase of starts will reduce

years of component usage

maintenance efforts

37

Optimizing a 40 year old mid size power generation turbine for

secondary load control

550C

Normal Operation
4closed, 3 MW/min

Optimization for 12 MW/min: 4

rapid open and closing,

180 bar

Did the additional load cycles of optimization

cause the cracks in the valve inlet section
of the outer casing ?
38

Data Aquisition
Geometry
no drawings or CAD
optical 3 D scan
FE model

Boundary Conditions
analysis of operational
/data
Wm2K-1
estimation of heat transfers
determination of a load cylce
39

Results: Temperature Differences

Diff. Temp of load cycle, Valve 4

02/ 2012 Copyright Allianz

40

Resulting stress

Stress vs time at crack location

FE

Location of highest stress matches with observed crack location

Optimization of operation leads to crack growth,
But: Value of stress amplitude shows that additional factors need to increase the stress locally.
Stress amplification can be caused by low casting quality
41

Other consequences of increased load ramps

LCF-cracks at an HP-Casing

The consequences are

-Increased maintenance costs
and outage time for repair
- reduced remaining lifetime

LCF-cracks at stationary blading

of IP-turbine

42

Reduced
minimum
loads

43

Blade Failures caused by low load

L-0

L-1

44

The problem with low loads

This is like diving your car in 1st

gear only
Source: ASME paper 1986 Design Criteria for Reliable
Low-Pressure Blading, Meinhard Gloger, et al.

45

The problem with loaw loads: excitation by ventilation

Rule of thumb: below 25 % nominal flow ventilation must be expected
CFD calculation: vortex area depending on individual exhaust cone

Source

46

Identifying low load failures: Fatigue Fracture

Low load

ventilation

Random blade excitation

Fatigue Fracture

Danger of rotor failure

47

Identifying low load failures:

Droplet erosion at the trailing edge close to the root
Low load

ventilation

Backflow with saturated steam

Droplet erosion

Increased notch factor and risk of

crack growth

48

48

Identifying low load failures: Tip rubbing

46

47

48

49

50

51 52

Low load

6
7
8

45

44

10

43

11

42
41

12

40

13

39

14

38

15

ventilation

Local temperature increase

16

37

17

36

18

35

Local temperature increase

19

34
33
32

31

30

29 28

27 26 25

24

23

22

21

20

Additional Elongulation of blades

Blade Row L-1:

fractured
tip rubbing
ok
49

Identifying low load failures:

Discoloration and / or build up of scale

50

Identifying low load failures:

Analysis of operational data

14%
12%
10%
8%
6%
4%
2%
0%
0 bis 1

1 bis 1,1

1 ,1 bis 1,2

1,2 bis 1,3

1,3 bis 1,4

1,4 bis 1,5

1,5 bis 1,6

1,6 bis 1,7

1,7 bis 1,8

1,8 bis 1,9

1,9 bis 2,0

=> Pressure ratio over last stage below 1 (at load over 200MW)
51
51

Other consequences of low load operation

Erosion of casing splitting

LP-Last stage blading drop erosion

This is not easy and not fast to repair

LP-Last stage stationary blading erosion

52

Table of
contents

1
2
3
4
5
6

General Technology and Risk Aspects

The new energy world
Consequences for Steam Turbines
Description of Increased Risks
Some Examples
Risk Mitigation

53

Ageing of turbine fleet

Risk Increase

54

Changed Risk Balance

Risk Balance

Risk
Increase
Wear and Tear
Corrosion
Fatigue
Material Damage
Business Interuption
55

requries individual and joint approach

Risk Balance

Risk
Increase
Wear and Tear
Corrosion
Fatigue
Material Damage
Business Interuption

Development needs not only to consider

efficieny and costs but also flexibility and
reliability !

Risk
Mitigation
Measures
Individual plant analysis
Apropiate Operational Measures
Tailor Made concepts of Manufacturers
Awareness
Risk Control

to mitigate new risks

56

Loss Control programs help mitigate the new risks

Technical risk assessment
Underwriting services

DTR (Desk Top Review)

MFL/PML calculation and
risk evaluation
Risk Survey
Recommendation tracking

Loss control programs

Client services

Monitoring and coordination

CRM programs
Risk improvements and
loss mitigation concepts
Business Continuity
Engineering Consulting

Special services
Know-How transfer

Loss analysis & support

Laboratory forensics
Emerging Risks
Observation
Lessons Learned
generation

Core Service/
Portfolio protection

Additional Services bundled / unbundled

Prototype Evaluation.
57

Contacts
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG
Dr. Martin Eckel
Engineering Claims Germany, Head of Complex Claims
Telephone: +49 (0)89 3800 13229
Email: martin.eckel@allianz.com
Dr. Rdiger Beauvais
Risk Consultants Engineering Germany, Senior Risk Engineer
Telephone: +49 (0)89 3800 4385
Email: ruediger.beauvais@allianz.com
Stefan Thumm
Allianz Risk Consulting GmbH Allianz Zentrum fr Techink, Operational Manager
Telephone: +49 (0)89 3800 6643
Email: stefan.thumm@allianz.com
Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG 2013. All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is provided without liability for
information purposes only and is subject to change without notice. No representation or warranty is given or to be implied as to the completeness
of information or fitness for any particular purpose. Reproduction, use or disclosure to third parties, without express written authority, is prohibited.

Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG, 08.11.2013

58