Gas Turbine Validation Test Stand

The world standard in gas turbine validation

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Located in Greenville, South Carolina, GE’s full-speed, full-load test facility is the largest and most thorough gas turbine system validation in the world. With over $170 million invested, this robust facility will test the new 9FB Gas Turbine—the core of the new FlexEfficiency* 50 Combined Cycle Power Plant—at full capacity and under “real-world” plant conditions.

The Greenville test facility, with full 340-megawatt (MW) gas turbine validation testing capabilities, simulates real-world plant conditions with required accessories to run a fully loaded gas turbine—both on natural gas and distillate fuels. To eliminate limitations of the grid, testing is performed without a generator and grid connection.

The full capacity drive train consists of a heavy duty gas turbine driver, full-scale compressor validation rig, torque converter, gearbox and motor—GE’s largest.

When testing a compressor, the gas turbine driver and motor can provide any desired load to the compressor validation rig. The design allows for full choke-to-stall compressor operation, as well as variable speed capability simulating unstable grid events. For variable speed and variable load gas turbine testing, the load compressor provides the desired load to the gas turbine.

This facility is also equipped with an advanced data acquisition system that will allow for over 7,000 data streams to be acquired. This data acquisition system allows for accelerated, yet fully comprehensive, testing for the 9FB Gas Turbine.

This sophisticated level of testing on the new 9FB Gas Turbine prior to shipment will enhance the reliability of GE’s new technology advancements and may increase insurability. It also reduces construction cycle times at new power plant sites because the need for field-testing is greatly decreased.

Key Test Stand Features

  • Full characterization of the 9FB Gas Turbine under simulated plant conditions - 340MW validation
  • Full-speed, full-load testing without grid connection
  • Variable-speed, variable-load testing simulating unstable grid events
  • Gas and liquid fuel testing
  • Full-capacity drive train
    • Heavy-duty gas turbine driver
    • Full-scale compressor validation rig
    • Torque converter and gearbox
    • Motor
  • Full choke-to-stall compressor operation
  • Complete data acquisition
    • Mark* VIe controls with distributed I/O
    • Advanced load measurements