GE's Fleet Of DLE-Equipped Aeroderivative Gas Turbines To Exceed 300,000 Operating Hours By Year End

December 09, 1998

ORLANDO, Florida - GE Industrial AeroDerivative Gas Turbines' (GE-IAD) fleet of LM aeroderivative gas turbines equipped with its Dry Low Emissions (DLE) combustion systems will exceed the 300,000-fired hour mark by the end of 1998.

"This is the highest number of hours logged in the world on gas turbines equipped with unique annular DLE combustion systems," said Dan Werrell, general manager of GE-IAD's service and factory technical support. "This long-term experience proves our gas turbines are capable of consistently meeting the stringent emissions requirements that are being put in place throughout the globe."

In 1990, GE-IAD launched its DLE combustion system development program on the LM6000 aeroderivative gas turbine. Since that time, GE-IAD has consistently met its DLE program objectives, which call for less than 25 ppm NOx and CO over a wide range of power and ambient conditions, with precise flame temperature and air flow control. This is being accomplished using GE's triple-annular DLE combustion system technology for the LM6000, LM2500+ and LM2500 gas turbines, and a double-annular system for LM1600 units.

What follows are some milestones for GE-IAD's DLE program:

  • More than 100 DLE-equipped LM gas turbines have been ordered for a variety of power generation and mechanical drive applications.
  • To date, there are 51 LM6000, LM2500+, LM2500 and LM1600 DLE-equipped aeroderivative gas turbines in operation throughout the world.
  • The first dual-fuel DLE unit was recently installed at a combined-cycle cogeneration facility owned by British Sugar at its Wissington beet sugar factory in eastern England. Commercial operation of this LM6000 with dual-fuel capabilities is slated by the end of 1998.
  • An LM2500 with a DLE combustion system which has been operating since July 1996 at a cogeneration facility in Izegem, Belgium, has accumulated 14,000 fired hours -- the most hours logged for any LM gas turbine equipped with a DLE combustion system.
  • The first LM6000 DLE unit began commercial service in July 1994 at the Ghent site in Belgium. The first LM2500 DLE unit start-up was at Ruhrgas' Gescher station in Germany in September 1995. The first LM1600 DLE unit began operating in late 1997 in Elko, British Columbia. The first LM2500+ DLE began commercial cogeneration service in September 1998 in Dordrecht, The Netherlands.

GE-IAD is part of GE Power Systems, and is headquartered in Evendale, OH. GE-IAD is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of power generation and gas compression applications.