EXPERIENCE SHARING ON SPRING LOADED TURBO GENERATOR FOUNDATION OF LARGE RATING OF THERMAL UNITS Naresh Kumar Bansal,

General Manager (PS-TS), Power Sector Technical Services, Noida, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

ABSTRACT TG Machine components transfer their static and dynamic forces through support structure like pedestal, grouting and foundation. Support structure also plays role in providing stiffness and damping effect. The article discusses power industrys feedback on use of Spring loaded TG deck. Spring-loaded TG deck was introduced in BHEL supplied thermal power plants in late eighties. This system known as Vibration Isolation System (VIS) was expected to offer benefits like isolation of vibration from main column to machine by spring units during earth quake and ease of adjustment of rotor catenary / alignment by adjusting shims below TG deck springs during overhauling. With the experience gained in the past 20 years over 50 projects, it emerged that there is an increase in cycle time during erection and overhauling in case of spring loaded TG deck. Cost wise also there is not much benefit w.r.t conventional TG deck. With respect to dynamic performance of the machine with or without spring loaded TG deck, not much difference was observed. During earthquake in the recent decades in our country, no failure /damage has been reported in the machine erected on conventional as well as spring-loaded TG decks foundations. In view of the above, BHEL has recommended to all its customers that it is more advantageous to use conventional foundation to reduce cycle time of erection and overhaul, which is also the need of present power scenario of our country.

INTRODUCTION BHEL supplied number of 210 / 500 MW KWU TG sets in early 1980s, which were mounted on conventional foundation. In late 1980s, based on collaborators recommendations, Spring loaded TG deck was first introduced as a technological up-gradation in our country at Trombay-6 (500 MW) in the year 1990. These spring elements are named as a Vibration Isolation System (shown in Figure 1) as it isolates the vibrations from main column to machine and vice versa during any seismic activity or in normal operation of the machine.

Figure 1: Vibration Isolation System (VIS) Only one vendor is available for supply of spring units for TG foundation. Following advantages are expected out of Spring loaded TG foundation:- Lesser civil cost due to reduction in base mat size and optimization of columns - Better Layout - Convenience in adjustment of rotor catenary and adjustment - Earthquake protection A Typical Scheme of Spring Element Assembly indicating location of tie rods, springs and shims are shown in Figure-2.

Shims TG Deck

Springs elements

Tie Rods

TG Column

Figure 2: Scheme of Spring Element Assembly

FEEDBACK OF SPRING LOADED TG DECK Teething problems were faced during early days of introducing this technology. Feed back have been collected from about 50 project sites commissioned in the last 20 years on Spring Loaded TG deck and discussed within BHEL and with customers at various forum.

Following feedback emerged from number of sites using Spring loaded TG deck w.r.t Design, Erection, Overhauling, Operation & Maintenance: Design:-

There is no cost benefit of Spring loaded TG deck with respect to Conventional TG deck as Cost of spring element assemblies off set the savings of lean foundation.

Erection: At number of units, it was observed that tie rod of certain spring assemblies were found loose (Springs get compressed) even when the erection of machine has not started on TG deck (with dead weight of civil structure of TG deck only). This is despite the fact that during erection of the spring elements, spring units are pre compressed for about 125% of designed load taking capacity. Consequently, with addition of every major machine assembly, TG deck keeps on changing its position, making it difficult for TG Erection engineer to finalize casing / pedestal keys, packers and alignments etc. Cycle time of erection has increased as o Final alignment /catenary can not be completed till whole of the load is put on the TG deck. o Readiness of cooling water system for condenser is necessary o Flexibility in the sequence of erection has reduced Uncertainty of deck movement results in not only delay in erection but also results in poor catenary / alignment / centering during erection. Overhauling: Cycle time of overhauls have increased as o Final alignment/ catenary can not be completed till whole of the load is put on the TG deck. o Every time, spring elements are adjusted in the overhaul by suppliers representative, there is a need to recheck / readjust condenser spring assemblies resulting in increase in overhauling cycle time. For achieving design catenary / alignment values, after correction from spring, finer corrections are still necessary at bearing / bearing pedestals level. Rate of misalignment is found higher w.r.t. conventional TG deck. Thereby, period between two inspections /overhauls has greatly reduced in the initial years after commissioning. In one of the 500 MW Unit, catenary values were measured during the erection and initial overhauling (as shown in Table 1) which shows a very large variation in catenary values. CATENARY VALUES Erection Before 1st Before 2nd Values Overhaul Overhaul After 2nd Overhaul

Pedestal No 1 2 3 4 7

Design Values

5.75 6.35 3.88 4 7,27 4.28 3.72 1.49 0.85 3.62 2.52 1.3 -1.81 -1.4 -0.61 0 0 0 0 0 15.74 19.06 16.64 17.17 18 Table 1: Change in Catenary in a 500 MW set

Such variations are normally not reported in Units with Conventional foundation. It is also observed that despite carrying out shims adjustment in spring units design catenary could not be achieved. In one of the Units, wire to wire gap in the springs were left with almost no margin. Additionally, the piping connected to turbine and generator casing gets stressed.

Operation & Maintenance: Not much change in dynamic behaviour of turbine-generator with or without spring loaded TG deck was observed. It has been observed that despite earth quake experience in recent decades in India, no failure /damage has been reported in the machine erected on conventional as well as on Spring loaded TG decks foundations. Due to faster change in alignment / catenary in the initial years,problem of barring gear has increased, especially during crisis operation like total AC power failure. Adjustment of alignment by adding / removing shims above spring assembly has been found to be cumbersome and time consuming process. CONCLUSION :With the experience gained in the past 20 years over 50 projects, it emerged that there is an increase in cycle time during erection and overhauling in case of spring loaded TG deck. With Spring loaded TG deck, there is not much benefit either in operation or in cost. In view of this, BHEL has recommended to all its customers that it is more advantageous to use conventional TG foundation to reduce erection and overhauling cycle time, which is the need of present power scenario of our country.