ENERGY CASE STUDY

POWER GENERATION NATURALGAS TURBINEOMNISEAL® METALSPower Generation Natural Gas Turbine
Alex Josephson
ENERGY

June 2021

HIGH TEMPERATURE

HIGH PRESSURE

Environment
A natural gas turbine is a type of internal combustion (IC) engine, converting the heat producedby natural gases into mechanical energy. This energy is then supplied to power generators that
produce electricity for residential and industrial use. Gas turbines are used to power aircraft,trains, ships, electrical generators, pumps, gas compressors, and tanks. There are threesignificant manufacturers: General Electric of the US, Siemens of Germany and Mitsubishi
Hitachi Power Systems of Japan. According to a report by Fortune Business Insights, the world’sgas turbine market should rise annually and reach $10.23 billion by 2026. As the power
generation industry looks to further increase efficiency and reduce emissions, seals play anintegral part - particularly metal seals known to handle higher temperatures and pressures.

Challenge
Natural gas turbines can become as hot as 1427°C (2600°F); therefore, the need for robust, hightemperature seals is imperative to the efficiency of the turbine. With more efficient turbines,
blades must spin faster to output more energy. A tight seal must address many rigors andensure that fuel supplies, as well as air flow, are properly sealed to ensure highest possible
efficiency. Another important factor in productivity is the reliability of seals in certain sections ofthe turbine. For instance, even with safeguards in place, a seal failure in the combustion system
could lead to fuel leakage and combustion, resulting in damaged hardware that could cost
millions of dollars to repair, not to mention the cost of downtime, which can quickly escalate.

Solution
Currently, Omniseal Solutions™ metals seals are used in various gas turbine frames, including
in some of the most efficient turbines in the industry. With unique solutions for extreme
environments, these metal sealing solutions can address higher temperature, pressure, andreliability challenges.
•Pressures ranging from vacuum to 100,000 psi (6895 bar) depending on the seal design•

Temperatures ranging from cryogenic to 1010°C (1850°F) depending on the seal material•Various mating hardware materials and shapes•

Obstacles from vibration, separation, and thermal expansion

How Do Metal Seals Work In The Combustion System & Turbine?
Metals seals are often used in two of the three main parts of gas turbines: the combustion
system and turbine.
•Combustion System – This is where air and fuel are mixed and combusted to create thehigh temperature, high pressure gas stream that is used to turn the turbine. As such, this isalso often the place where the highest pressures and temperatures are experienced. Metal
E-Seals, spring-energized C-Seals, lip seals, as well as proprietary seals are frequently used toaddress these high pressures and temperatures.

•Turbine – The turbine section uses the high pressure, high temperature gas stream fromthe combustion system to drive the turbine blades, thus converting chemical energy intomechanical energy. Segmented E-Seals, V-Seals, and turbo seals are just a few of the seals
used to seal the shroud sections of the turbine. Segmented seals vary by size and are
typically supplied in 2, 4, or 6 segments for easier installation. They are installed against theturbine shrouds, sealing any open joints and limiting the amount of high velocity air thatescapes.

Omniseal Solutions™ performs several tests and analyses to ensure that each seal design willfunction properly in the environment it is meant to seal.

Benefits•

With almost 100% useful springback and tolerance to flange separation, these seals are well
suited for combustion applications.

•Jacket is fabricated with a unique forming process using Inconel® as the base material. The
specially designed jacket and helically wound spring provides a fatigue resistant gasket tomeet the operating limits of temperature, pressure and deflection associated withcombustion applications.

•Primary goal of this unique seal is high resiliency, reliability and solution integrity.

Design Expertise & Tailor-madeSolutions for Your Critical Applications
Omniseal Solutions™ is a global engineering leader withover 65 years of historical legacy, relentlessly dedicated tothe design and manufacture of precision sealing andmaterial solutions that protect critical applications in themost demanding environments and passionately driven topush Beyond the Boundaries of Possible.

About the Author
Alex Josephson
Inside Sales – Power Generation
Orange, CT, USA+1 203-848-3754
alex.d.josephson@saint-gobain.com

Omniseal Solutions™

help@omniseal-solutions.com
www.omniseal-solutions.com

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