OREANDA-NEWS. September 17, 2015. GE Oil & Gas is unveiling its most efficient aeroderivative gas turbine to date, the LM6000-PF+, to the oil and gas industry this week at the Turbomachinery & Pump Symposia in Houston. The newly upgraded turbine has enhanced efficiency, excellent reliability and fuel flexibility in both power generation and mechanical-drive applications, whether installed onshore or offshore. The LM6000-PF+ aeroderivative gas turbine is the product of GE’s cross-sector technology. It is an example of the ‘GE Store’ at work – when technologies and expertise are drawn from across the company. Aeroderivative gas turbine technologies are applied to the oil and gas industry.

At GE Aviation’s facility every gas turbine is tested to full speed and full load before it’s shipped, ensuring that the required performance, power, heat rate and exhaust energy are met. At the GE Oil & Gas test facility in Massa (Italy), the entire gas turbine package can be set up exactly as it will be used in the final installation at a customer site.

LM6000PF+’s compact size and weight make it ideal for FLNG and FPSO, offering faster installation and commissioning. The modularized design and advanced composite materials were keys to reduce overall package weight and size, while enhancing operability and maintenance performance - vital for offshore installations. Also, preassembled delivery secures cut installation time of the turbine by about 30%.

GE Power & Water launched the LM6000-PF+ for power generation applications, and has announced a six-unit order of LM6000-PF+ earlier this month to Thailand’s Gulf Energy Development (GED) with Mitsui Corp (Mitsui) under EPC contract with Toyo Engineering.

The customized solution for oil and gas uses the same engine as Power & Water applications. It is a 54MW standard unit with an optional increase of up to 6 MW. It has flange-to-flange thermal efficiency of 42.7% — or 56% in combined cycle.

The PF+ is a 4% power growth version of the LM6000-PH and it makes use of the successful DLE 1.5 fuel system, introduced on the LM6000PF in 2004. This ideal blend gives the PF+ a very versatile operating mission – performing with either natural gas or liquid fuel.

The PF+ range builds on 20 years of proven global experience from GE’s fleet of LM6000-PF and -PH aeroderivatives. Over 1,100 LM6000 units are installed around the world with a combined total of more than 31 million operating hours.

The excellent thermal efficiency, high starting torque, and near-constant efficiency over a wide range of ambient temperatures (from 50-100°F/10-37°C) make the PF+ ideal for LNG plants and other energy-intensive processes. “Bringing the LM6000-PF+ to the gas market is a great opportunity for GE Oil & Gas and the operators who can benefit from its increased reliability and efficiency in their LNG operations, “ said Luca Maria Rossi, General Manager for Turbomachinery Solutions Product Management, GE Oil & Gas. “The collaboration of experts from across GE’s businesses to bring this product to life is testament to cross-sector cooperation and the strength of the GE Store concept. We look forward to seeing it in operation soon”.

The LM6000 was first introduced in the early 1990s and has since been improved continuously to meet industry and customer demands. As with all LM6000 models, the PF+ gas turbine is derived from GE’s Aviation engine heritage, the CF6 jet engine, which powers most aircrafts worldwide.