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20
08
Emsland KA26 power plant:
high efficiency with flexibility

EmslandKA
A new 876 MWe GT26-based multi-shaft combined cycle power plant under construction at the Emsland
site in Germany will contribute to supply diversity in the RWE generation fuel mix. It will be capable of fast
start and quick response to changing demand conditions, with high efficiency and low emissions even at
part load. As well as featuring the latest rating of the GT26 gas turbine, it also includes innovations in the
water/steam cycle. The plant will, for example, employ HRSGs of the OCC/OT (Optimised for Cycling and
Constructability/Once Through) type, and, for the first time in a European plant of this size, the HP section
uses a once-through cycle design.
COMBINED CYCLE

Oliver Then and Christian Sanders, RWE, Essen, Germany; Detlef Viereck, Alstom, Mannheim, Germany;
Michael Ladwig, Alstom, Baden, Switzerland

T
he Emsland power plant site close to the
city of Lingen in Lower Saxony,
Germany, has for many years played an
important role in RWE's power
generation portfolio. In 1974/75 two 420 MWe
natural gas fired combined cycle units came on
stream. In 1988 a nuclear plant, a large
pressurised water reactor (currently rated at 1400
MWe), was commissioned at the site.
Now a new highly flexible natural gas fuelled
876 MWe combined cycle power plant is under
construction there, maintaining the strategic
importance of the site in the context of RWE's
overall system.
Against a background of the continuing
uncertainties facing new build investment
decisions in power generation, a key function of
the new Emsland combined cycle power plant is
to help maintain a diverse and balanced primary
energy mix. It completes the RWE portfolio in the
much sought-after medium and peak load segment
and is part of the current power generation and
modernisation programme underway within
RWE Power.
A particular attraction of the site is the excellent
gas supply, with access to five gas networks. One
of the five gas pipelines, the Vlieghuis line, is
connected to the Dutch gas exchange, TTF,
which allows gas to be supplied at short notice.
Another benefit of the site is that use can be
made of the existing infrastructure for the new
plant and synergies between the old and new units
can be exploited. For example, there will be a
joint operation centre for the existing twin gas
units and the new combined cycle plant.
Combining the control centres also helps to
optimise the deployment of operations and
service personnel across each of the units.
Water is supplied from the Dortmund–Ems
canal which passes by the site.
Plant flexibility
Another key consideration in planning of the
new Emsland KA26 combined cycle power
plant was the need to provide the increased

Visualisation of the completed plant Annular EnVironmental At the heart of the new plant:
(EV) combustor the Alstom GT26 gas turbine
Annular Sequential EV
(SEV) combustor
Maintenance-free
welded rotor

Compressor
with variable
inlet guide
vanes

High pressure turbine

Low pressure turbine

Recent optimisations
implemented on the
GT26 gas turbine
EV burner:
Pre-mixed combustion extended
over whole GT load range

Construction underway HP/LP turbine: Compressor:

Leakage reduction Approx. 1.5% mass
by improved seals flow increase through
re-staggered front rows

The HRSG incorporates FAST Start-up features, where FAST denotes

Flexibility And Stepped-component Thickness. The single-row construction
efficiently distributes loads and minimises temperature differences
Flexibility ALSTOM Conventional
And single row… multi- row…
Stepped-Component
Thickness

Emsland Small diameter thin walled

headers are efficiently
CCPP heated by conduction from
tubes to minimise tube-to-
header temperature
difference

Row-to-row temperature
differences cannot be
avoided but the single
row design transfers the
direct stress in the tube to
bending stresses at the
link-to-manifold connection
The many fuel gas supply options at the Emsland power plant site
flexibility that the German power sector has
been requiring in recent years and will continue
to do so.
Among the drivers of this increased flexibility:
• Germany is increasingly moving towards a
service economy, resulting in the decline
of heavy industry and a reduction in the
demand for baseload generation. Among the
consequences are much larger differences
between minimum and maximum load during
the day.
• The trend towards larger power plant unit sizes
(700 to 1000 MW) means that a high level of
regulating power is required to allow for
outages.
• The share of wind in the German market has
increased dramatically, leading to increasing
fluctuations in the available power supply.
The anticipated increase in wind installed
capacity from around 21 GW at present to
over 30 GW by 2020 will exacerbate the
situation.
The new flexible Emsland gas fired power
plant will facilitate adjustment to rapidly
changing situations and is expected to make a
significant contribution towards increasing
power supply reliability.
The new plant will employ the latest rating of
the GT26 gas turbine in an optimised overall
plant configuration, enabling rapid response to
changes in demand.
At the same time the new plant will achieve a
net efficiency of over 59% at full continuous
load as well as maintaining high efficiency at
partial load.
The efficiency is much higher than other
gas fired combined cycle units in the RWE
fleet, while the start-up times are considerably
shorter.
Having all the main components coming from
one supplier and employing the Alstom Plant
Integrator concept has helped with the task of
adjusting the new plant to make full use of the
existing infrastructure and facilities.
Layout and design
The new Emsland KA26 combined cycle power
plant is designed for medium load operation (5500
operating hours per year) and for 200 start-ups per
year, and will be able to generate electricity and
supply steam.
The plant will operate at ambient temperatures
of between -20 °C and +40 °C and is equipped
with a natural ventilation wet cooling tower.
To maximise the efficiency of the plant, a
multi-shaft configuration with two gas turbines
and one steam turbine was chosen. This is
because the bigger steam turbine results in higher
efficiency compared with two single-shaft power
trains with smaller steam turbines.
GT26 gas turbines
At the heart of the new combined cycle power
plant are the two Alstom GT26 gas turbines.
There are now over 115 GT24/GT26 units
installed or being installed worldwide and the
fleet has achieved over 2.7 million operating

How sequential combustion helps bring flexibility to Emsland

Flexibility, including low emissions and high efficiency at part load, was a
key requirement for the Emsland project. In the case of the GT24/GT26 a
major contributor to this flexibility is the sequential combustion concept.
Sequential combustion is based on a simple concept: the reheat
principle.
An efficient 22-stage subsonic compressor feeds combustion air into
the first combustor, called the EV (EnVironmental) combustor, where fuel
is mixed with the high-pressure air. The hot gases drive a first turbine,
the single-stage high-pressure turbine. At full load, approximately half of
the total amount of fuel is burnt in this first combustor.
The high-pressure turbine exhaust gas temperature is around 1000°C,
at baseload. In a radical departure from "conventional" gas turbine
design, the remaining fuel is then introduced into the second, 'reheat',
combustor (called the SEV (Sequential EV) combustor), where it ignites
spontaneously and reheats the air.
The second expansion occurs in a four-stage low-pressure turbine
(LPT). At over 600°C, the exhaust gas temperatures are ideal for
combined cycle applications and these temperatures can be maintained
down to about 40% load.
The sequential combustion concept achieves low NOx emissions, not
only at full load, but also down to part loads of below 40%. This is due to
the operation concept that maintains the EV combustor temperature at a
high, nearly constant, level from about 10% load up to baseload. Further,
the SEV combustor produces only minor additional NOx.
The EV combustor has an annular burner arrangement and the GT26 is
fitted with 24 retractable EV burners. The annular combustor distributes the
hot gas, circumferentially, at a much more even temperature than other
designs. Radial temperature uniformity is accomplished by pre-mixing
virtually all incoming compressor air with the fuel in the EV burner, and by
the absence of film cooling in the convection-cooled combustor walls. This
produces a single, uniform flame ring in the free space of the EV
combustion zone.
A key benefit is that the flame has no contact with the walls of the
burner. These design features distinguish the EV combustor significantly
from other combustion systems.
In the annular SEV combustor, the combustion process is similar to
that in the EV: vortex generation, fuel injection, pre-mixing and
combustion. The SEV combustor consists of ring-distributed burners,
followed by the annular combustion zone surrounded by convection-
cooled walls. Exhaust gas from the high-pressure turbine enters the SEV
combustor through the diffuser area. Combustion temperature
uniformity in the SEV, as in the EV, is determined by the spatial
homogeneity of the fuel/air mixture that is again thanks to the use of
vortices.
Each SEV burner contains delta-shaped wings, formed like ramps and
located on all four interior walls of the burners, which swirl combustion air
into vortices. Fuel is then injected through an air-cooled fuel lance,
distributing it such that it forms a perfect fuel/air mixture prior to
combustion. The fuel jet is surrounded by cold carrier-air that postpones
spontaneous ignition until the combustion zone, beyond the burner area.
There, combustion occurs in a single, stable flame ring, operating
across its entire load range.
Neither the EV nor SEV combustor contains any moving parts. No so
called "combustor inspection" is needed – neither for the EV nor SEV
combustor.
This mechanical simplicity, in combination with relatively low turbine
temperatures, contributes to high reliability and availability.
Sequential combustion: how it works

Sequential combustion in the GT26: the key components

1. Compressed air is fed into the EV burner, creating a homogeneous, lean fuel/air
mixture. The vortex flow, induced by the shape of the burner, breaks down at the EV
burner exit into the combustion zone, forming a recirculation zone.
2. The mixture ignites into a single, low temperature flame ring. The recirculation zone
stabilises the flame in free space within the combustion zone, avoiding contact with
the combustor wall.
3. The hot exhaust gas exits the first combustor and moves through the high pressure
turbine stage before entering the SEV combustor.
4. Vortex generators in the SEV burner enhance the mixing process, while carrier air,
injected with the fuel at the SEV fuel lance, delays spontaneous ignition until it is
outside the SEV burner.
5. Ignition occurs when the fuel reaches self-ignition temperature in the free space of the
SEV combustor. The hot gas then continues its path into the low-pressure turbine.
hours, with over 50 000 start-ups.
A key feature of the GT24/GT26 family is
sequential combustion (see panel, pp 18-19). The
sequential combustion concept contributes to
higher efficiency, greater fuel flexibility and
improved performance at partial load, notably in
terms of emissions and combined-cycle
efficiency, leading to lower maintenance costs,
coupled with higher availability and reliability.
The first combustion chamber uses the proven
dry low NOx EV (EnVironmental) burner, which
is also used in all other Alstom gas turbines. The
second combustion chamber employs the SEV
(Sequential EnVironmental) burner.
Other core elements of the gas turbine are the
welded gas turbine rotor, a 22-stage subsonic
compressor, as well as the single-stage high
pressure and four-stage low pressure turbine.
To improve combustion regulation at different
loads, the compressor has three adjustable vane
rows, which are used for adjusting the air intake
according to the required gas turbine output. The
exhaust gas temperature can thus be kept constant
over a wide load range and this results in higher
part load efficiencies.
Part of the air extracted from the compressor
for cooling the hot gas components is first cooled
down in two once-through coolers (OTCs) and
the energy is passed into the heat recovery steam
generator, so improving overall cycle efficiency.
The current version of the gas turbine has
improved seals in the HP and LP sections, premix
operation over the entire load range and an
increased air mass flow through the compressor
due to restaggered compressor front stages.
Water/steam cycle
The water/steam cycle is a three-pressure and
reheat cycle (the steam at the exhaust of the HP
steam turbine being sent back to the boiler mixed
with the intermediate pressure steam and
resuperheated to the highest temperature).
The two Alstom three-pressure and reheat heat
recovery steam generators are horizontally
orientated. While the intermediate and low
pressure sections are designed according to the
principle of natural cycle vaporisation, for the
first time in a European plant of this output class,
the high pressure section is a once-through cycle
design without a drum but with a water separator.
The choice of the once-through cycle principle
and the absence of an HP drum subjected to high
thermal loads mean that higher live steam
parameters can be used, thus leading to higher
efficiency, improved flexibility for load gradients
and shorter start-up/shutdown times. The heat
recovery steam generator also provides heat (hot
water) for preheating the fuel gas to help increase
plant efficiency and feedwater for the gas turbine
cooling air coolers (once-through coolers, OTCs).
The boiler is fitted with a condensate
preheating loop for heating and deaerating the
feedwater.
Steamturbine,condenserandgenerators
The Alstom STF30c reheat steam turbine is of
the three casing type, employing a dual-flow low
pressure section with one sided lateral exhaust
on ground level.

Decoupling emissions and performance formation means that emissions levels, at 15% O2, remain similar
NOx formation depends on the temperature, pressure and residence time across the SEV combustor. This phenomenon results from the
in high temperature regions inside the combustion area. In both the EV consumption of oxygen within the SEV combustor with minimal
and SEV combustors, high temperature residence times are 50% shorter NOx production. MPS
than in conventional combustors. In addition,
Sequential combustion: the thermodynamics
when comparing conventional and reheat gas
turbines, the Brayton cycle demonstrates T
T
thermodynamically that conventional machines
need a higher combustion exit temperature to Specific enthalpy qsev Whpt
achieve an equivalent specific output. Wlpt
Specific enthalpy

Given the importance of the relationship

between NOx production and flame
temperature, it is also notable that the
temperature profiles in both the EV and the
SEV combustors are much more uniform than
in conventional combustors.
This effectively prevents temperature peaks
and resultant NOx formation.
NOx emissions for the GT24/GT26 units are
well below 25 vppm.
The design of the SEV combustor provides
additional advantages. In the SEV burner,
where incoming hot gas has considerably
lower oxygen content than normal air, less
oxygen is available for NOx formation.
Furthermore, because the SEV incoming air is
at a considerably higher temperature than
conventional combustion air, it requires less
heating to reach flame temperature.
Both of these NOx mitigating phenomena
are known from other combustion
technologies employing exhaust gas
recirculation.
Although about 50% of the total unit fuel
is burned in the SEV combustor, the low NOx
Wt q ev
q
Wc
Wc
Specific entropy
ENTHALPY–ENTROPY DIAGRAM FOR TURBINE WITH
Specific entropy
SEQUENTIAL COMBUSTION (GT24/GT26)
ENTHALPY–ENTROPY DIAGRAM FOR CONVENTIONAL qev - specific heat input (fuel) to EV
GAS TURBINE qsev - specific heat input (fuel) to SEV
q - specific heat input (fuel) Wc - specific work input (compressor)
Wc - specific work input (compressor) Whpt - specific work output (high pressure turbine expansion)
Wt - specific work output (expansion through turbine) Wlpt - specific work output (low pressure turbine expansion)
T - temperature T - temperature
The thermodynamic benefits of sequential combustion are illustrated in these enthalpy-entropy diagrams, which represent
the thermodynamic processes (compression, combustion and expansion) and states (temperature and pressure)
experienced by fuel and air in the gas turbine. Enthalpy is a measure of the energy density, while entropy reflects the
efficiency of the compression and expansion processes as well as heat transfer to the gas during the combustion process.
Conventional gas turbines all operate on the same principle. The compressor increases the pressure of the inlet air from
ambient conditions to the compressor discharge state. In the combustor, energy of the fuel is released into the combustion
air, which increases its specific energy (enthalpy) and raises its temperature to peak level. The hot gases expand through
the turbine, producing the work to drive the compressor and the electric generator. To achieve more work, turbine inlet
temperature has to be increased.
Sequential combustion breaks the link between higher efficiency and higher inlet temperature. In sequential combustion,
the process is characterised by splitting the combustion process into two stages, separated by an expansion to an
intermediate pressure level. In this so-called "reheat" process, energy is added part way through the expansion process,
resulting in high gas turbine efficiency and high power density.

Sequential combustion – the advantages summarised. The benefits include low NOx and high operational flexibility. The high exhaust temperature is
maintained from about 25% to 100% load, giving high combined cycle part load efficiency. The EV temperature remains essentially constant from about
10% to 100% load, resulting in low emissions over the whole operating range – see right hand graph

Sequential
combustion

Conventional
combustor
COMBINED CYCLE

Horizontal once-through Emsland KA26 power plant: basic data

OCC/OT HRSGs will
be used at Emsland, Power plant
allowing rapid start-up Configuration Multishaft, 2 gas turbines
and frequent cycling Optimised for plus one steam turbine
Cycling
Installed net
with superior design for capacity (MWe) 876
transient operation and
Net plant efficiency (%) over 59
Constructability Steam extraction (t/h) 100
That maximises shop NOx emissions (ppm) 22
content and packaging Starts/year Approx. 200
of components to Operating mode Mid (5500 h/a)
reduce construction
Ambient temperature (°C) -20 to + 40
labour
Average temperature, design (°C) 10
OT Once-through HP Ambient rel. humidity (%) 83
evaporator for rapid Ambient pressure (mbar) 1013
startup and frequent
Gas turbines
cycling
Number 2
Type GT26
Fuel Fuel gas only
Steam turbine
Number 1
The STF30c steam Type STF30c, three casing, with titanium
turbine to be used 49in last stage blades
at Emsland Turbogenerators
Number 3
Type TOPGAS (indirectly hydrogen cooled)
Voltage (kV) 21
Apparent power (MVA) 460
Heat recovery steam generators
Number 2
Type 3 pressure reheat, with once
through high pressure evaporator, 15
module design, no bypass stack
Stack height (m) 75
Condenser
Tubing Titanium
Pressure (mbar) 45
Main cooling water system
Titanium 49in Brush seals
last stage blades
Type Atmospheric cooling tower
Height (m) 120

Alaststagebladelengthof49inhasbeenselected 3-phase synchronous hydrogen cooled machines mix and invest heavily in updating its fleet
for the steam turbine, enabling the use of a single giving maximum generator efficiency. to achieve higher efficiency and reduced
low pressure cylinder. This was made possible by emissions, other key projects being deployment
the development of a titanium blade. Titanium Power plant modernisation of BoA lignite power plant technology and
blades have high strength and a relatively low The Emsland combined cycle project can be seen advanced pulverised coal technology, as well as
weight, which means there are less mechanical as part of RWE's drive to achieve a balanced fuel major retrofit efforts. MPS
restrictions on the aerodynamic design, leading to
higher stage efficiency. In addition they are The site at the
equipped with shrouds to again improve efficiency time of writing
and together with snubbers they form a rigid blade
ring that is insensitive to blade resonances.
The concept for reducing droplet erosion
involves increasing the distance between the
vane and blade rows and using the proven vane
suction system, with, in addition, an extended
blade leading edge.
The latest design techniques have been used
for the complete steam path sealing systems,
including selective applications of brush seals
and abrasive layers.
A high performance Alstom-supplied surface
condenser with titanium piping will be used for
exhaust steam condensation. An exhaust steam
pressure of 45 mbar under the site reference
conditions (ambient temperature 10°C) will be
achieved.
The two GT26 gas turbines and the STF30c
steam turbine will drive three identical Alstom
TOPGAS turbogenerators, which are two-pole
www.power.alstom.com
Printed in England, TBC 03 08E