Lloyd’s Register Consulting has launched the first phase of its latest joint industry project (JIP) aimed at optimising safety design of gas turbines used in facilities processing combustible fluids
“Ignition of hydrocarbon leaks in gas turbines is a critical issue for oil and gas operators,” says Ingar Fossan from the Consulting business of Lloyd’s Register. “Findings from this JIP will lead to safer design of new installations and reduction in risk of future incidents on existing infrastructure, leading to tangible cost reduction.”
Onshore and offshore installations contain dedicated turbine and power generation facilities that produce energy to run the installation’s various processes. The turbine enclosures and generator rooms are high risk areas because of the combination of very high temperatures, moving parts, fuel, and lubricants.
Flammable gas included in the intake air of a gas turbine is a widely-known and potential source of ignition. However, the residual risk is still not adequately understood. More detailed understanding of the potential ignition mechanism is required to find the best possible way to design the ignition control parameters for gas turbine equipment. It is based on the main conclusion from the MISOF report (Modelling of Ignition Sources on Offshore Oil and Gas Facilities) issued by Lloyd’s Register on behalf of the Norwegian Oil and Gas Association.
Fossan says, “The JIP brings together technical and operational expertise on gas turbines to collaborate on data gathering and advanced modelling of potential accidental scenarios. Considering the complexity of the various operating scenarios and differences in how gas turbine machinery are designed and manufactured, the JIP starts with an initial assessment and agreement with JIP partners on the primary issues and areas of investigation.”
Follow on phases of the JIP will study these issues through advanced modelling and experimental work.
The JIP is expected to attract interest across the globe from gas turbine vendors and owners, to research institutes and infrastructure operators. It already has the support of partners including ConocoPhillips Skandinavia AS, Maersk Oil and Gas AS, and Statoil AS. Academic partners include Nanyang Technological University and University of Twente along with Lloyd’s Register’s Global Technology Centre in Singapore which is financing and supervising a PhD study tied to the project. General Electric O&G is supporting the project with data on the design and operation of gas turbines.
The next phase of the project will be launched in Q2 2016.
