GE Power Product Service

Best practices for mitigating liquid fuel leaks

from mechanically attached fittings
Information
PSIB 20160603A Bulletin

Overview
Various tube fittings are used in all GE gas turbines, steam turbines, generators, and balance of plant systems and
equipment to connect piping and tubing. A typical mechanically attached fitting sub-assembly and its components are
shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Mechanically Attached Fitting Components in a Fitting Sub-Assembly

Field experience has shown that leaks may result from improper re-assembly, replacement, and tightening of these
fittings. The presence of a liquid fuel leak, particularly at a location where the leak is close to a hot section of the unit,
creates the risk of fire inside the turbine compartment. This document provides a checklist as well as an understanding
of tube fittings in order to help mitigate such risks. Some examples of the fittings included in the liquid fuel system are
shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Tube Fittings on the End Cover Assembly

Copyright © 2016 General Electric Company. This information is proprietary and is the property of GE Power. The content of this document is provided
for general information and awareness. Always refer to your unit’s O&M Manuals and applicable TILs for detailed information relevant to the
operation and maintenance of your equipment. This document shall not be reproduced in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any
third party without the written approval of GE Power Services Engineering
 PSIB 20160603A
Advisory
It is recommended to follow the checklist shown in Table 1 for every outage, keeping in mind some actions can be done
prior to the outage. More specific information for some of the actions is provided in the paragraphs following the table.
The site crew should ensure that all fittings are attached properly and tightened based on the specific manufacturer’s
guidelines for the particular fitting. If needed, parts should be ordered from the GE Parts team in order to ensure the
parts are according to GE specifications and from a qualified supplier.

Action
Action Category Brief description of the Action Scope
Number
Contact Engineering for a review of tubing with a possibility of reduced fittings or Pre-
1 Optional CM&U
modified fittings. Outage
Contact tube fitting vendor for Vendor Training and certification for the team that
Pre-
2 Training will work on the fittings. If the crew already has active certification, the refresher
Outage
training is optional.
Establish Contact Person at Vendor and GE Parts for urgent support; in case of Pre-
3 People
missing tube fitting part requirement or the request of a vendor site audit. Outage
Verify availability of correct tools per GEK121399, GEK110858 and the vendor Pre-
4 Inspection
manual. Outage

5 People Use dedicated crew per certification and training attendance. Outage

Inspect as-installed tubing with drawings to make sure they match and report
6 Inspection Outage
any non-conformances to engineering for corrections.
Verify each part number of the liquid fuel tubing-O-ring specification, thread
7 Inspection Outage
check: O-ring or thread sealant required.
Follow the recommendations and inspection criteria in GEK121399 regarding the
8 Inspection Outage
installation and re-assembly of mechanically attached fittings.

Adhere to tubing routing and support guidelines, vendor tube fitting guidelines
9 Installation per GEK121399, GEK110858 and vendor manual. Especially verify that tubes are Outage
not in danger of touching and the supports are in place per the piping drawing.

Crack and leak test of check valve or 3-way valve per the vendor maintenance
10 Testing Outage
manual, GEK111588 and/or the Combustion Inspection Instructions.
Leak test all the fittings after the assembly is complete, per the latest revision of
11 Testing Outage
GEK121116, to find any potential leaks
Color code or match-mark for tightness of fittings, and to confirm how many
12 Installation Outage
times the fitting has been opened and closed.

13 Inspection Check for hot air leaks and compartment ventilation per TIL 1619 latest revision. Outage

Table 1: Checklist of Preventative Actions for Liquid Fuel Leaks

To add more information to Action 1: As of April 2016, CM&Us have been done on 9E DLN1 units to reduce the number
of fittings as well as modify some of the fittings from ferruled, or mechanically attached, to flared. 9E DLN1 units have
the highest number of fittings, and therefore benefit most from this type of modification. The tube fitting assembly
typically used in the GE heavy duty GT fleet is a ferruled fitting, or mechanically attached fitting, as shown in Figure 1. A
flared fitting model is available via a CM&U, and has fewer assembled parts.

Copyright © 2016 General Electric Company. This information is proprietary and is the property of GE Power. The content of this document is provided
for general information and awareness. Always refer to your unit’s O&M Manuals and applicable TILs for detailed information relevant to the
operation and maintenance of your equipment. This document shall not be reproduced in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any
third party without the written approval of GE Power Services Engineering
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 PSIB 20160603A
To add more information to Action 7: During fitting assembly, it is important to follow the manufacturer installation
guidelines. Typically the fitting should be made finger-tight before needing a wrench. For example, the Swagelok Tube
Fitter’s Manual requires an additional 1¼ turns with a wrench after it is hand tightened, for several fitting sizes. For
threaded fittings, a distinction must be made between straight and the tapered models, as shown in Figure 3, as the
sealing points differ in each case:
- For straight fittings, sealing takes place at the body and hence it requires an O-ring.
- For tapered fitting, sealing takes place at the threads; and hence thread sealant is required.

Leaks have occurred in the past due to the lack of an O-ring or sealant, as well as the application of these on the wrong
thread type.

Figure 3: Difference in Seal Points: Tapered Thread (left) vs. Straight Thread (right)

To add more information to Action 8: Follow the recommendations and inspection criteria in GEK121399 regarding the
use of intermixed mechanically attached fittings. Intermixing is defined as the mixing of various manufacturers’ tube
fitting components in the same fitting sub-assembly (nut(s), ferrule(s), body).

To add more information to Action 11: During normal operation at base load, the liquid fuel pressure can be up to
approximately 500 psig. In abnormal conditions, the pressure can also go up to 1,200 psig which is the typical
maximum relief valve set-point. The ultrasonic leak inspection procedure in GEK 121116 tests the liquid fuel circuit at 80
psig but uses an enhanced ultrasonic detection method. As of April 2016, evaluation has been completed at several
sites to check that leaks which would occur at 500 psig with liquid can be successfully detected with this procedure.
Please note that this GEK covers the liquid fuel tubing and piping system from the flow divider, until the check valves or
the 3-way valve upstream of the combustion end-cover.

To add more information to Action 12: Field experience has shown that after 5 re-assemblies, more prudence is
required in checking that the fitting is not bottoming out. The purpose of match-marking is twofold: Once the fitting is
tightened properly, it needs to be match-marked so that in case of future leakage, inspection will show whether the
fitting has moved from its position. The other purpose of marking is to designate a number of re-assemblies. For
example, a mark or color code indicates how many times the part has been re-assembled.

Note: GE does not specify a limit for the number of times a fitting may be disassembled and reassembled. The fitting
should be inspected for re-use using the guidelines stated in GEK121399.

Please contact your local GE representative for additional information or assistance.

Copyright © 2016 General Electric Company. This information is proprietary and is the property of GE Power. The content of this document is provided
for general information and awareness. Always refer to your unit’s O&M Manuals and applicable TILs for detailed information relevant to the
operation and maintenance of your equipment. This document shall not be reproduced in whole or in part nor shall its contents be disclosed to any
third party without the written approval of GE Power Services Engineering
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