Conference Coverage: 2024 Show Reports

Energy, turbomachinery, and oil and gas conferences are central hubs for the industry to unveil new technologies, discuss the latest trends, and learn the science and processes behind complex machinery. In 2024, Turbomachinery International visited numerous conferences to glean some insights into these topics.

POWERGEN 2024

The 35^th annual POWERGEN International Conference took place from Jan. 23 - 25, 2024, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The event gathered professionals from across the power generation industry, including utilities, engineering firms, EPCs, OEMs, and energy users. This year’s theme, Destination 2050, served as a guiding focus for the conference’s content, influencing the Mega Sessions, Technical Programs, and educational tracks.

“There’s a lot of emphasis on the future—how do we future-proof the current assets that we have and how do we look toward low- and zero-carbon technologies,” said Kevin Clark, Content Director for POWERGEN International, Clarion Events. “A switch doesn’t flip overnight. Renewables are going to change the way we operate our equipment and machines, and we want to provide a forward-looking platform for these kinds of discussions for now and in 10, 15, 20 years, because it’s changing rapidly, and it will look very different in the future.”

Renewables

Kevin Huberty, Senior Vice President and Project Director at Sargent & Lundy, led a session on small modular reactors (SMRs), highlighting their modern passive-safety features, which improve nuclear technology's safety. SMRs offer efficient land use, produce no direct carbon emissions, and have a smaller footprint, making them more flexible for various locations. They can also provide baseload power and support load-following of renewables. While licensing may be the biggest challenge, the U.S. government is supporting SMR development through current legislation, and companies can apply for site and technology licenses through a combined operating license application.

Low-Carbon Fuels

Marc Lemmons, Senior Technical Leader at the Electric Power Research Institute, discussed the growing interest in hydrogen and ammonia as energy sources. Hydrogen faces challenges with the electrical demand for production, embrittlement, and high flame temperatures, despite having about 1,600 miles of hydrogen-ready pipeline in the U.S. Gulf Coast. In contrast, ammonia—with its 3,000 miles of pipeline in the central United States and easier transportability—may be more suitable for remote areas though its use in power generation is not yet widespread. While larger utilities are not yet focused on hydrogen or ammonia for generation, smaller industries, such as refineries and utilities, are successfully utilizing these fuels on a smaller scale.

Using AI in Power Plants

Siemens Energy partnered with Jeffrey Energy Center, a coal-fired power plant in Emmet, LA, to implement AI and closed-loop optimizer solutions. Two of the plant's three 800-MW turbines were equipped with Siemens Energy’s Omnivise combustion optimizer, which targets optimal zone operation while considering dynamic constraints, along with soot-blowing and temperature optimizers—without any mechanical changes to the units. The project aimed to increase efficiency and reduce NOx and CO₂ emissions, resulting in a 22% reduction in reheat spray flows, an 85% reduction in superheat spray flows, and improvements in various performance metrics, including flue gas exit temperature, excess oxygen, CO, and NOx emissions.

Check out our video interviews from POWERGEN 2024 at turbomachinerymag.com/videos.

Western Turbine Users Inc. 2024

The 33^rd annual WTUI conference was held in late March 2024 in Palm Springs, CA, with nearly 1,100 attendees in attendance. WTUI President Ed Jackson, also the Plant Manager at Missouri River Energy Services' Exira Generating Station in Brayton, Iowa, welcomed the participants. During the event, he introduced the authorized service providers for LM turbines: IHI Power Services Corp., MTU Maintenance, and TransCanada Turbines. Each provider gave a presentation outlining their respective service offerings.

Following this, Clive Nickolay, CEO of GE Vernova’s Aero Business Line, spoke about a major issue in turbomachinery: supply chain deficiencies. “Demand for materials, components, and engines is exceeding supply across the aero-engine space,” said Nickolay. “We are maximizing the reuse of existing materials and components, beefing up our supply-chain options, and working out ways to increase the repairability of parts. We are also lowering lead times by placing stock in the right places within the supply chain, so they are closer to our depots and end users.”

LM Breakout Sessions

The continuing popularity of the WTUI conference stems from its in-depth focus on the maintenance of LM2500, LM6000, and LMS100 units, with even the LM5000, despite being at the end of its life, receiving attention through dedicated discussion forums. These sessions offer valuable insights for maintaining older units still in operation, including advice on sourcing parts and troubleshooting.

HRSG Maintenance

Jack Odlum, an engineer at HRST, led a session on heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) maintenance, focusing on how effective planning can prevent delays during outages, especially for aging HRSGs prone to issues like pitting, creep, and fatigue. He emphasized the importance of pre-outage inspections and highlighted non-destructive examination techniques, including ultrasonic thickness testing, phased array ultrasonic testing, and pulsed eddy current testing.

Dry Low Emissions Controls

Marc Forget from Engie Electrabel’s European Maintenance Support Aero Department presented on the complexities of dry low emissions (DLE) controls for GE LM-series machines, explaining the balance between reducing NOx and CO emissions. He noted that lowering flame temperature increases CO emissions, while higher temperatures lead to more NOx, requiring a "sweet spot" to be found within thermal limits. Forget emphasized the importance of a premix combustion system to ensure lean combustion and reduce flame vibration.

Excitation Controls

Ian Golightly, Senior Controls Engineer at BRUSH (part of Baker Hughes), discussed upgrading excitation controls to eliminate obsolescence and reduce unscheduled outages. He explained that older GE aeroderivative units often use analog controls like the MAVR, MicroAVR, and Prismic A30, which struggle to meet the demands of modern power grids, especially with the rise of renewables. Golightly highlighted how modern digital AVRs and protection relays can more effectively support fast grid synchronization and comply with NERC regulations.

Turbo Expo London 2024

The ASME 2024 Turbomachinery Technical Conference & Exposition took place in London from June 24 - 28 at ExCeL London. The event saw significant growth, with over 111 exhibiting companies from 22 countries, a notable increase from the 89 exhibitors at the previous Europe-based event in 2022. More than 2,500 attendees participated in networking opportunities, technical presentations, and explored the exhibitor floor.

“ASME's Turbo Expo continues to attract leaders from industry, government agencies, and academia thanks to its strong reputation and program, which includes companies shaping the future of propulsion and power,” said ASME’s Executive Director and CEO, Tom Costabile.

Gas Turbines’ Integral Role in a Sustainable Future

Panelists from GE Vernova, Mitsubishi Power, Siemens Energy, and Solar Turbines discussed gas turbine's role in decarbonized power generation, including key challenges and advancements. The discussion focused on integrating lower-carbon fuels, including hydrogen and ammonia, and the importance of retrofitting existing gas turbines to handle these fuels.

Peter Stuttaford of Thomassen Energy presented its FlameSheet combustion system retrofit, which allows for high hydrogen co-firing. Experts like Robert Schrecengost from the DOE and Jason Jermark of Siemens Energy highlighted progress in hydrogen production, storage, and transportation, while Carlos Koeneke of Mitsubishi Power discussed ammonia's role as a hydrogen carrier.

Panelists also emphasized the need for fuel-flexible combustion technologies and the importance of adapting gas turbines to support renewable energy sources. Gas turbines, with their fuel flexibility and high efficiency, are seen as crucial for providing dispatchable, reliable power in decarbonized energy systems.

Turbomachinery Strategies for a Clean-Energy Future

This panel session focused on addressing the challenges of decentralized energy systems with clean, dispatchable, and affordable energy solutions, emphasizing the flexibility and advancements in turbomachinery. Key strategies discussed included fuel flexibility, digitalization, and efficiency improvements, with gas turbines evolving to operate on various fuels like hydrogen and biofuels, alongside digital tools optimizing performance.

As flexible capacity in Europe is projected to decrease, these advancements are vital to ensure reliable, sustainable energy supply during the energy transition. Gas turbines also play a crucial role in decentralized power generation by providing reliable backup power, supporting renewable energy integration, and maintaining grid stability. The session highlighted the importance of overcoming technology gaps such as fuel availability and regulatory support for a cleaner, more resilient energy future.

Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia 2024

The 2024 TPS conference, held Aug. 20 - 22 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, attracted over 4,500 attendees and more than 300 exhibitors. Organized by Texas A&M’s Turbomachinery Laboratory, engineers, directors, and managers shared insights on topics such as optimizing compressor anti-surge control systems, integrating CO₂ capture plants, bottoming cycles, and more.

The conference keynote focused on the value of AI and its challenges and risks as the new technology is embraced. “The impact of AI on our industry and all industries, not just those represented here, is a business discontinuity,” said Dr. Douglas Allaire, Associate Professor at Texas A&M. “Think of streaming services and how they impacted the video rental industry; think about the Internet and touch screens and how they impacted the mobile phone industry; think about the companies that come to mind when I talk about these industries; think about digital photography how it impacted the film industry: for all of these discontinuities, there were companies that failed to embrace new technology and failed to innovate when they had the opportunity. They were outcompeted. So, my main message today as this AI discontinuity comes about is that you must engage, or you will be left behind.”

Anti-Surge Control Systems

Presenters from Compressor Controls Corp. and Petrobras discussed optimizing compressor anti-surge control to reduce power consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in offshore oil production units. The anti-surge system helps prevent compressor damage, maintain suction pressure, avoid high discharge temperatures, and improve reliability by reducing downtime. It also enhances safety by preventing dangerous surge conditions. The system’s integration led to significant energy savings, with potential reductions of up to 500 kW per year. By improving efficiency and tracking energy use, the approach can reduce CO₂ emissions, with one compressor train saving up to 1,600 tons of CO₂ annually.

Integrating CO₂ Capture Plants

The technical session, "Integration of CO2 Capture Plants with Open Cycle Gas Turbines," explored the challenges and solutions in combining CO₂ capture technologies with open-cycle gas turbines. While gas turbines can aid decarbonization by using low-carbon fuels, they face difficulties in carbon capture due to low CO₂ concentration and high exhaust temperatures. Various technologies, such as amine-based systems and rotating packed beds, are available, each with unique strengths and limitations in terms of space, energy demand, and scalability. CO₂ compression, a key step for transportation, is energy-intensive but can be optimized using heat recovery from compressors, which provides additional steam for capture systems, reducing overall energy consumption.

Analyzing Gas Turbines

The tutorial, "Performance of Industrial Gas Turbines and Bottoming Cycles," covered key concepts in gas turbine thermodynamics, control strategies, and bottoming cycle performance. The panel discussed thermodynamic cycles, including the Brayton cycle, which involves isentropic compression, heat addition, expansion, and heat rejection. Control strategies for single- and two-shaft machines driving generators, compressors, and pumps were also explored. The bottoming cycles—Steam Rankine, Organic Rankine, and Closed Brayton—were highlighted as common methods for utilizing waste heat. Each cycle offers different efficiencies and operational benefits, with the Organic Rankine Cycle being particularly efficient at lower temperatures.

Check out more of our TPS 2024 coverage at turbomachinerymag.com/conference.