EDWIN PYLE & ROY PETERSON

SECOND GENERATION GAS TURBINE

THE AUTHORS
Mr. Pyle graduated from the Massachusetts Znstitute of Technology
October 1944 with a BS in Aeronuutical Engineering.
After a two year tour with the Navy (BUAZR) Mr. Pyle joined the
General Electric Company as a jet engine design engineer.
During the lust 22 years he has been associated with the 335, 547,
X211,579 LM1500 and LM2500 designs; mainly in the “hot section” of
the engine.
Currently Mr. Py& is the senior turbomachimy engineer for the
LM2500 at General Electric Company, Evendale, Ohio.
Mr. Peterson i s a graduate of Stevew Institute of Technology. After
graduation, he became associated with Atlantic Refining Company in
the Engineering & Construction Department. He serued in BuShips in
the Steam Turbines & Gears Branch during the war. Luter, as a civil-
ian, he was one of the original members of the Gas Turbine Branch. In
1962 he joined Maritime Administration 0s head of Power Plants Re-
search. In 1964 he rejoined NavShips (u Main & Auriliary Machinery
Program Matuzger-a position he now holds.
Editors Note: This paper was given at the sixth annual technical
symposium of ASE.

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION

Paper coven M approach to providing a greatly

improved marine gas turbine with nspect to fuel
cconomy.
Coupled with this improvement in fuel economy
arc potential improvements in nIiability and
maintainability.
A diseusrioa of the modular concepts of gae
turbine powering for future ships is given.
THE PAST DECADE HAS brought the emergence of
the aircraft derivative gas turbine as an outstand-
ing marine propulsion engine. Throughout the world,
in many navies, the first generation of derivative
gas turbines have been proven successful in applica-
tions ranging from boost and base propulsion for
torpedo boats, cutters, patrol gunboats, hydrofoils,
 GAS TURBINE
surface effect craft and cargo ships,to ships' service
sets and other auxiliary uses.
The uniquely apt features of these first-generation,
aircraft-derivative gas turbines (compact size, high
power-to-weight ratios, quick starts and rapid re-
sponse to sudden changes in power requirements)
have been amply demonstrated during these years.
Many of these engines are continuing to provide
yeoman service to the world's marine fleets, and
will continue to be used in new applications where
their power ratings, size, and other features fit.
But during the past ten years, aircraft gas turbine
technology has moved ahead very rapidly to meet
the needs of a new generation of aircraft, both
commercial and military. From advanced technol-
ogy, a new or second generation of derivative
marine gas turbines has evolved. Compared with
the earlier gas turbines, this second-generation offers
dramatic improvements in fuel economy, life, re-
liability, maintainability, and specific power, while
retaining all the inherent advantages of the first
genera tion.
This paper discusses not only the technological
advances that have contributed to these improve-
ments, it also points out how this new generation of
gas turbines, represented by the General Electric
LM2500, can increase the overall effectiveness and
operating economy of a new generation of naval
vessels.
FEATURES OF THE SECONDGENERATION GAS TURBINE
The basic characteristic that distinguishes the
second-generation gas turbine from the first is that
performance has improved to the point where the
gas turbine's fuel economy is directly competitive
with other marine propulsion engines of comparable
power. For example, the 25,000 HP Class LM2500
has a specific fuel consumption in the range from
.38 to .42 pounds of fuel per horsepower hour. This
rate is comparable to both diesel and steam power-
plants.
Historically, the aircraft gas turbine has improved
in performance and reliability at an ever-increasing
rate (Figure 1).Note that in the dozen or so years
separating the General Electric LA, the first U. S.
jet engine, from the J79 engine, specific fuel con-
sumption has been halved. And in the past few
years, the high bypass turbofans, such as the TF39
from which the Lh42500 was derived, have brought
another startling decrease in fuel consumption. The
same dramatic improvement from first-generation
marine gas turbine engines to second-generation de-
rivatives also is shown.
Similarly, gas turbine reliability has increased
from a few hundred hours of operation between
overhauls to an interval of more than 12,000 hours
for gas line pumper applications of the 579 deriva-
tive LM1500.
The LM2500, representing the second-generation,
basically is the " 3 9 engine with the front fan and
PYLEPETERSON
its shaft removed, and an aft-extending power shaft
added to the power turbine. In addition, the LM2500
incorporates features to provide corrosion protection
from contaminants in the air and in the fuel. (Figure
2)
In other respects, the " 3 9 and LM2500 are sub-
stantially identical. Therefore, the structural and
functional integrity of the rotating machinery and
other basic power-producing components of the de-
rivative -500 have been proven in some 15,000
engine test hours and almost 160,000 component test
hours on the "39.
The LM2500 is a dual-rotor gas turbine with a
18stage, single spool, variable-stator compressor,
an annular combustor, a two-stage air-cooled gas
generator turbine and a six-stage power turbine.
The power turbine is aerodynamically coupled to
the gas generator. Shaft power is extracted from the
power turbine by the aftextending coupling.
The LM2500 gas turbine consumes 135 pounds of
air per second, has an exhaust gas temperature of
980"F, and is max-rated approximately 25,000 shaft
horsepower a t 80°F. A compact engine, its length
is only 20 feet and its weight is approximately 10,500
pounds.
The great potential improvement in performance,
life, reliability and maintainability of the new gen-
eration of turbines stems from a number of features.
Most si&cant to performance is the greatly im-
proved cycle efficiency; to life, the conservative
operating pressure and temperature levels compared
with the parent engine; to reliability, the improved
materials, manufacturing techniques and stringent
assurance testing; and to maintainability, the de-
signed-in features such as split casings, modular
construction, borescope inspection and condition
monitoring provisions.
CYCLE V C Y
By comparison with firat-generation gaa turbine
engines, the L?v¶2500 operates at higher pmsure
ratios (18:l versus 13:1), and a t turbine inlet
temperatures several hundred degrees higher. It is
axiomatic that higher pressures and temperatures
bring higher efficiencies. Operating at higher pres-
sures and temperatures also means that the engine
is producing more horsepower per pound of air
flowing through it. In the LM2500, this specific
power is more than twice that of some first-genera-
tion gas turbines. One result for the shipbuilder and
operator is that smaller air inlet and exhaust ducts
are required; thus, less space below decks and t o p
side is required.
A significant feature in aircraft-derivative gas
turbines is their ability to bum a variety of fuels.
The LNI2500 is designed to operate efficiently on
JP5, multi-purpose fuels, and diesel fuel. Of high
importance to Navy operation is the fact that com-
bustor design has advanced to the point where the
exhaust of the LM2500 is virtually free from visible
smoke. Figure 3 shows the parent engine operating
a t full power on JP4. Only heat waves are visible
throughout the entire operating range. Recent com-
bustor rig testing with heavier distillate fuels has
shown very low smoke levels.
RELIABILITY AND MAINTAINABILITY
Experience gained with the first-generation gas
turbines has contributed substantially to improve-
ments in reliability, life and maintenance procedures
for these second-generation gas turbines.
On earlier engines, for example, life-limiting
cracks from stress concentrations at fillets or bolt
holes were observed in some applications following
many cycles of operation. On the LM2500, these
fillets and bolt holes were “designed-out” wherever
possible. As a result, the cyclic life has been in-
creased by a minimum of five-fold.
Borescope inspection ports at key locations
throughout the engine allow internal condition to
be visually inspected without disassembly. When
the engine must be opened, split compressor and
turbine casing designs give easy access. Many com-
GAS TURBINE
ponents of the engine are replaceable with onIy
slight shifting of the engine from its installed posi-
tion, should such a need arise.
CORROSION PROTECTION
Marine gas turbines require careful attention to
the problems of corrosion. In the first-generation
engines, the problem was solved by coating those
parts susceptible to corrosion. In the “cold” section
(those parts forward of the combustor) special
high-temperature paints, such as Sermetal W and
Silicone Aluminum paints, were used with varying
degrees of success, On the LM2500 the cold section
parts are made from materials that are inherently
corrosion-resistant (Titanium, Inco 718, A 286, and
17-4PH).
In the “hot” section, however, the problem of
corrosion is greater, and it is there that a significant
step forward has been taken. First-generation ma-
chines have demonstrated the value of an alumi-
nized diffusion coating on the turbine blades and
vanes. Applied at very high temperatures, this coat-
ing actually diffuses into the base metal to a depth
of one to three mils and effectively prevents cor-
rosive attack while it remains intact.
Cooled turbine technology also is very important
to prevention of corrosion. On the LM2500, a thin
layer of relatively cool, clean air is applied around
the airfoils of the first-stage vane and blade (Fig. 4).
This film of cool air provides a buffer that keeps
the contaminants in the fuel and main airstream
away from the airfoil to a significant degree. The
air, in conjunction with a diffusion coating, is ex-
pected to extend the life of these parts beyond that
expected on the first-generation engines.
COMPONENT TECHNOLOGY
COMPRtsaOR
The LM2500 compressor incorporates improved
aerodynamic developments over the comparable
first-generation LM1500.
For example, the LM2500 compressor is about
four efficiency points higher than the LM1500. This
higher efficiency is a result of improved radial dis-
tribution design techniques, new blade incidence
angle setting procedures, and stage matching de-
PYLEPETERSON
velopments.
The higher pressure ratio of the LM2500, 18:l in
16 stages versus 13:l in 17 stages for the LM1500 is
primarily a result of higher tip speeds and higher
radius ratios.
These aerodynamic improvements result in the
high performance second-generation LM2500 com-
pressor.
COMBUSTOR
The annular combustor has 30 fuel nozzles. This
number of fuel n d e s provides a good fuel spray
pattern and reduces variations in gas temperature.
The design provides careful control over cooling air,
protecting the walls of the liner 50 that hot spots
are virtually eliminated. These features permit a
higher temperature rise through the combustor,
while maintaining cooler combustor liner walls.
TURBINE
The highest temperature in the engine is at the
entrance to the high-pressure turbine. Although
hollow air-cooled turbine blades and van- have
been used on earlier engines, the -00, as a
second-generation engine, makes extensive use of
film cooling and convection cooling 90 that metal
temperatures are actually lower than in earlier
engines, while gas temperatures arc several hundred
degrees higher. With a special process, small, ac-
curately-located holes can be placed where needed
in the airfoil to give optimum film or convective
cooling. While these holes are relatively small and
the amount of air passine through them is care-
I(.vJ kl
u n Jmd. A- IW 41
PYLE/PETEXSON GAS TURBINE

fully controlled, many hundreds of thousands of
hours of operation have demonstrated that they do
not become clogged.
Tests have been run where dirt has been de-
liberately injected into the compressor. Since the
flow path has several dirt traps, or reversals in
direction, only the very finest of solid particles enter
these cooling passages. By actual measurement, the
largest dirt particle was 7 microns (many times
smaller than the holes through which the air is
discharged from the blade). Samples of blades
randomly selected and cut apart also confirm that
no significant accumulation of dirt occurs.
POwta TURBINE
The power turbine of the LM2500 has six stages,
a number higher than usually associated with first-
generation machines. The higher number of stages
gives higher efficiencies at smaller diameters and
lower turbine speeds. No special cooling is needed
for this component, since the temperature levels are
down.
ASSURANCE TESTING
The LM2500 gas generator component tests have
been run for 700 hours under severe cyclic condi-
tions. Cyclic tests were followed by 250 hours of
marine atmosphere testing, wherein salt was in-
jected into the compressor inlet and salt water was
added to the fuel. A large portion of the 250-hour
test was run with fuels containing two parts per
million of vanadium. Corrosion in the LM2500 was
minimal.
In-service evaluation of the LM2500 engine is
planned later this year on board a ship, which will
be used as a sea-going test bed for the LM2500. This
ship, with its high ratio of operating time, will p r e
vide a ready method of accumulating test time
under sea conditions. Once the installation is com-
plete, a minimum of 1000 hours of at-sea operation
is planned for the LM2500. This test bed demon-
stration is intended to give an early answer to the
all-important question: “How well will it perform at
sea?”
MODULAR GAS TURBINE PROGRAM
In an attempt to look ahead at the non-nuclear
needs of the U.S.Fleet, it is possible to visualize that
future ship propulsion requirements and ships ser-
vice requirements could be met with perhaps five
or six basic aircraftderivative gas turbine modules.
In other words, needs of small, intermediate and
large ships might be met by a common family of
gas turbine engines, whose lower power range would
allow them to double as ships service generator
drives as well as propulsion units.
The modular concept also has attendant advan-
tages in the areas of crew training, integrated
logistics support, and ship availability.
SUMMARY
In summary, advanced technology incorporated
in second-generation aircraft-derivative gas turbine
provides a marine propulsion engine that offers:
(1) High performance
(2) Compact installation
(3) Rapid start from cold iron
(4) High reliability
(5) Simple maintenance
(6) Minimum smoke
Obviously not a propulsion panacea, these tur-
bines may, by benefiting from the technological
advances made in their parent aircraft engines,
continue to fill the generation gap for the coming
decade or longer.

SECOND
SHIP CONTROL SYSTEMS
SYMPOSIUM
The second symposium on Ship Control Systems wilt be held at the NavaJ Ship
Research and Development Laboratory, Annapolis, Md., November 4, 5, and 6, 1969.
Three yesn have elapsed since the fint Ship Control Systems S mposium. In
the interval there has been considerable activity: investigations, new Jevelopmentr,
and tests in the field of ship automation end control technolog These have covered
increased urn of automatic control and monitoring, control of Cgh performance pro-
pulsion and maneuvering systems, and investigations of plant dynamics.
It is again timely for the technical people directing and contributing to the up-
surge in ship automation now taking place to get together and participate in another
Ship Control Systems Symposium.

42 Naval b q l n w r a Journal. Auqwt It49