Engineering And Validating A World Record Gas Turbine

This article presents an overview of GE’s HA gas turbines that represent the most reliable and efficient machines in the world for converting natural gas into electricity. In a combined cycle arrangement, these turbines provide cost-effective and clean generation that offers reliable electricity to an expanding, global population. The 7/9HA turbine is based upon the original H-class 4-stage gas turbine with exception of simplification by eliminating steam cooling. Metals chosen for the 7/9HA are proven alloys with over 50 million hours of operation on F- and H-class gas turbines. The first 9HA.01 entered commercial operation on June 17, 2016 at the Électricité de France Bouchain plant, located in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region of France. GE followed the Guinness Book of World Records’ definition for a consistent and traceable operating condition for establishing efficiency in world records. Under the oversight of Guinness World Records staff, GE set the record for the world’s most efficient combined-cycle power plant with an efficiency of 62.22% while producing more than 605 MW of electricity.