GE Power

POWER SERVICES ENGINEERING TIL 2055-R1

PRODUCT SERVICE Publish Date: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019
Compliance Category - C
Timing Code - 4

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LETTER

9F S2B TIP SHROUD DISTRESS
APPLICATION
This TIL is applicable to all 9F.01-.03 gas turbines with Compound Fillet or Modified configuration stage two blades
(S2B) with casting number 119E6182. 9F.04 gas turbines are not affected by this TIL.

PURPOSE
Inform affected users of S2B tip shroud modifications and recommended borescope inspections for Compound
Fillet or Modified configuration parts required for more reliable gas turbine operation. Failure to comply with these
recommendations may result in increased risk of a forced outage.

REASON FOR REVISION

Communicate learnings about the effectivenss of the Modified configuration of the S2B and to update recommendations including
recommended borescope inspection frequency.

COMPLIANCE CATEGORY
M - Maintenance Identifies maintenance guidelines or best practices for reliable equipment operation.

C - Compliance RequiredIdentifies the need for action to correct a condition that, if left uncorrected, may result in reduced
equipment reliability or efficiency. Compliance may be required within a specific operating time.
A - Alert Failure to comply with the TIL could result in equipment damage or facility damage. Compliance
is mandated within a specific operating time.
S - Safety Failure to comply with this TIL could result in personal injury. Compliance is mandated within a
specific operating time.
TIMING CODE
1 Prior to Unit Startup / Prior to Continued Operation (forced outage condition)
2 At First Opportunity (next shutdown)
3 Prior to Operation of Affected System
4 At First Exposure of Component
5 At Scheduled Component Part Repair or Replacement.
6 Next Scheduled Outage

© 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

BACKGROUND DISCUSSION

Over the past several years, multiple distress modes have been observed on the "Compound Fillet" configuration 9F
S2B. The Compound Fillet S2B is designated by casting part number 119E6182.

Multiple Compound Fillet S2B’s have been observed during borescope inspections with cracking or missing material
in the suction side Z-Notch region. Investigation has shown these cracks initiate at the suction side Z-Notch radius,
propagate, and eventually may lead to liberation of the suction side tip shroud contact face, as shown in Figure
1. Some of these events have resulted in unplanned outages where stage 2 and / or 3 blades have been replaced
early in life due to impact damage from liberated material. Parts have also been scrapped at repair due to this Z-
Notch crack initiation prior to liberation, as shown in Figure 2.

Compound Fillet S2B’s have also been observed during borescope inspections and at repair with cracks in the
suction side tip fillet, which is shown in Figure 2 as well. Investigation has shown these cracks to be the result of
creep distress. Similar to Z-Notch cracking, parts have been scrapped at repair due to these tip fillet cracks. There
have been no unplanned or forced outages associated with this distress, however, crack propagation along the
suction side tip fillet could lead to liberation of large sections of the tip shroud and significant secondary impact
damage that could result in a forced outage.

To help address the above distress modes, a Modified configuration of the S2B was developed and previously
communicated in the first release of TIL 2055. The modification consists of:

Re-contouring of the tip shroud shape and enlargement of the Z-Notch radius
Addition of thermal barrier coating
Addition of cooling holes to the suction side tip shroud region

During recent borescope inspections, S2Bs of the Modified configuration were found with Z-Notch liberations. These
S2Bs had been converted to the Modified configuration after ~48,000 fired hours of operation.

Figure 1: 9F S2B Z-Notch Liberation - Compound Fillet Configuration 

© 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

  

Figure 2: Example of Z-Notch Cracking and Tip Fillet Cracking - Compound Fillet Configuration  

Figure 3: 9F S2B Tip Shroud Damage - Modified Configuration 

RECOMMENDATIONS

The risk of S2B distress shown in Figures 1 and 2 occurring is a function of several factors including:

Part configuration - Compound Fillet and Modified

Life consumption - fired hours
Unit operating conditions

In order to reduce the potential risk of forced outage due to potential S2B tip shroud material liberation and the
potential secondary impact damage, GE recommends performing borescope inspections to monitor condition
of Compound Fillet and Modified configuration S2B tip shrouds. The recommended borescope inspection schedules
and frequency are given in Tables 1 and 2. For Modified configuration parts, Table 1 applies when the modification
has been performed after the parts accrued operating hours in a unit. Table 2 applies when modification has been
performed on unfired parts with no operating hours accrued.

© 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

 S2B Cumulative Hours Boroscope Frequency
Less than 44,000 Annually
Between 44,000 and 64,000 Every 4000 hours
Greater than 64,000 Every 2000 hours
Table 1 - Recommended Borescope Inspection Schedule for Compound Fillet and Modified Configuration
S2Bs - Modification Applied After Parts Have Operated in a Unit

 
S2B Cumulative Hours Borescope Frequency
Less than 64,000 Annually
Greater than 64,000 Every 4000 hours
Table 2 - Recommended Borescope Inspection Schedule for Modified Configuration S2Bs - Modification
Applied Before Parts Have Operated in a Unit

 
NOTE: Contact your GE Power representative should the installed part configuration be in question.

Recommended S2B Inspection Procedure:

Check for liberated tip shroud material and linear indications on the underside of the tip shroud fillets and Z-
notch radii on all 92 blades (see Figures 1-3).
If indications are observed on the underside of any tip shrouds, submit photos and a mapping of the location of
the parts with indications to GE for further recommendations.
If tip shroud liberations have occurred:
Note relative position of each S2B with missing tip shroud material
If tip shroud contact faces are missing on two or more adjacent parts, then S2B replacement is
recommended
If a missing tip shroud is adjacent to part(s) with visible linear indications on the underside of the tip
shroud, submit photos to GE for further recommendations
Perform S3B inspection to check for any impact damage on S3B

NOTE: A missing S2B tip shroud may be acceptable for continued operation if:

It is not adjacent to another bucket with tip shroud damage (indication or liberation), and
Any S3B foreign object damage (FOD) is not severe (i.e. within blendable limits)

NOTE: Continue to monitor unit vibrations for any changes that may indicate possible material loss and / or FOD.

Recommended S3B Inspection Procedure (if necessary):

Check for impact damage to all S3Bs

If any / all indications are within blend limits, perform in-situ blends to removed damaged areas.
Consult GE for clarification on if damage is within blend limits.
If any indications are beyond the blend limits, submit photos of damage to GE for review and
disposition – part replacement may be required.

 
  © 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

Affected S2B Part Numbers and Modification Recommendations:

Table 3 summarizes the list of S2B kit assembly part numbers affected by this TIL with casting number 119E6182.
The casting part number can be found on the bucket nameplate located on the pressure side shank pocket surface,
as shown in Figure 4. For these part numbers the following actions are recommended:

Spare sets of the Compound Fillet configuration should be sent back to a GE Repair Service Center
for evaluation and potential conversion to the Modified configuration prior to installation and operation if
possible
Compound Fillet and Modified configuration sets that are currently operating in a unit should be sent to a
GE Repair Service Center following the completion of their current tour for evaluation

NOTE: Fired parts must pass the standard defined service shop inspection criteria prior to conversion to the
Modified configuration.

Affected S2B Kit Part Numbers

100T7087G001/2/5/6/8/9/13/14
247B5783G012/16/17/20/24/30
107T9835G0001
100T7087G016
125T7946G0001
Table 3: Affected S2B Kits 

Figure 4: Example of S2B Nameplate with Casting Number 119E6182

Contact your local GE Power service representative to request an evaluation of unit S2B configuration, life
consumption, and a recommendation for potential actions to be taken should the Compound Fillet or
Modified configuration parts be installed.

PLANNING INFORMATION
Compliance
• Compliance Category: C
• Timing Code: 4

Manpower Skills
GE LES inspector for borescope inspections

© 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019

Scope of Work
Borescope inspection of S2B tip shroud can be completed in one 12 hour shift

TIL DISPOSITION

Disposition of TILs should be entered in local records and also in GE Power ServiceNow. Follow the below instructions for
entering the disposition record;

• Log into the Power ServiceNow at https://gepowerpac.service-now.com/til_new/ using your GE SSO number and
password.

• Select "TIL Disposition".

• Click on the TIL for the serial number you want to update.

• Choose the most appropriate "Disposition Status" and enter "Disposition Notes".

• Click "Save".

Contact your local GE Services representative for assistance or for additional information

© 2019 General Electric Company

The proprietary information published in this Technical Information Letter is offered to you by GE in consideration of its ongoing sales and service relationship
with your organization. However, since the operation of your plant involves many factors not within our knowledge, and since operation of the plant is in your
control and ultimate responsibility for its continuing successful operation rests with you, GE specifically disclaims any responsibility for liability based on
claims for damage of any type, i.e. direct, consequential or special that may be alleged to have been incurred as result of applying this information regardless
of whether it is claimed that GE is strictly liable, in breach of contract, in breach of warranty, negligent, or is in other respects responsible for any alleged injury
or damage sustained by your organization as a result of applying this information. This Technical Information Letter contains proprietary information of
General Electric Company and is furnished to its customer solely to assist that customer in the installation, testing, operation and/or maintenance of the
equipment described. This document shall not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any third party without the
written approval of GE Power Services Engineering. All rights reserved.

Date Printed: 23 SEPTEMBER 2019