Common Problems with Hydraulic Actuators in Heavy Duty Gas Turbines

›Hydraulic fluid viscosity dependent on ambient temperatures

– leads to slower response times in cold temperatures

– resulting in failed starts

›Fluid varnishing can lead to clogged servovalve passages resulting in failed starts or stops

›Potential of high pressure hydraulic leaks pose safety risks

›Premature seal failure – noise on hydraulic control circuits can lead to premature

wear on hydraulic and gas seals

›No actuator/valve data to predict failure in advance of outages

Benefits of Electric

›Elimination of hydraulic fluid and associated problems with contamination,

cold weather and leakage

›Higher reliability design inherent to electric actuation significantly increase maintenance intervals

› Improved control response and precision

›OEM Qualified and included with the majority of new Gas Turbines

›Compliant with NERC standards for cold weather preparedness

›Service Tool provides enhanced diagnostics for plant personnel and early indication

of performance issues at the DCS operator terminal