Brun K., Nored M.G. Guideline for Field Testing of Gas Turbine and Centrifugal Compressor Performance

Gas Machinery Research Council (GMRC), Southwest Research Institute (SWRI). Release August 2006. — 93 p.Field testing of gas turbines and compressors has become increasingly common due to the need to verify efficiency, power, fuel flow, capacity and head of the gas turbine package upon delivery. The performance test of the gas turbine and compressor in the field is often necessary to assure that the manufacturer meets performance predictions and guarantee a customer’s return on investment. Economic considerations demand that the performance and efficiency of a gas turbine compressor package be verified at the actual field site. The field environment is not ideal and measurement uncertainties are necessary to characterize the validity of a performance test. As the working field environments shift further from the ideal case, the uncertainties increase. Previous field tests have shown that the compressor efficiency uncertainty can be unacceptably high when some basic rules for proper test procedures and standards are violated.Purpose and Application
Performance Parameters
Centrifugal Compressor Flow/Flow Coefficient
Centrifugal Compressor Head/Head Coefficient
Centrifugal Compressor Efficiency
Gas Turbine Power
Centrifugal Compressor Absorbed Power (Gas Turbine Power Output)
Gas Turbine Heat Rate and Efficiency
Gas Turbine Exhaust Heat Rate
Turbocompressor Package Efficiency
Equations of State
Determination of Surge Point and Turndown
Similarity Conditions
Test Preparation
Pre-Test Meeting
Pre-Test Operation and Instrumentation Checkout
Pre-Test Equipment Checkout
Pre-Test Information
Test Stability
Safety Considerations
Measurement and Instrumentation
Measurement of Pressure
Measurement of Temperature
Measurement of Flow
Measurement of Gas Composition
Measurement of Rotational Speed
Measurement of Torque
Measurement of Generator Power
Test Uncertainty
deal Field Test Conditions For Reducing Uncertainties
Effects of Non-Ideal Installations on Uncertainty
Interpretation of Test Data
Data Reduction and Checking Uncertainties
Generation of Performance Curve from Recorded Data Points
Standardized Uncertainty Limits
Using Redundancy to Check Test Measurement and Uncertainty
Effects of Fouling on Test Results
Analysis of Measured Results
Other Field Testing Considerations
Determination of Influential Test Parameters
Field Testing of Compressor Under Wet Gas ConditionsAppendices
Determination of Gas Turbine Power
Equation of State Models
Uncertainty Analysis for Independent Variable Measurements
Similiarity Calculations for Wet Gas Conditions
Equation of State Model Comparison of Predicted Performance Data
Application of Compressor Equations for Side Stream Analysis