GE alliance brings breakthrough in Brazil
Camfil Industrifilter is supplying gas turbine filtration equipment for Marathon’s Alvheim FPSO project in the Norwegian sector. The company is due to deliver inlet systems for two Nuovo Pignone PGT25+ turbines by the end of the year.
The order also strengthens Camfil’s relationship with the Italian turbine and compressor supplier, part of the GE group. Besides Alvheim, it is preparing to supply inlet systems for four Nuovo Pignone PGT25+ turbines, to be installed on the Petrobras P54 production floater. In addition, Camfil’s Canadian affiliate Camfil Farr, Inc. has supplied enclosures for the same turbines to GE in Houston.
This was Camfil Industrifilter’s first contract for an offshore project in Brazil, according to Peter Sandberg, managing director. Being part of the Camfil group was advantageous in making it possible to perform some of the manufacturing closer to the client, he says. During project execution, the group’s Brazilian affiliate, Camfil do Brasil, was also supporting the local fabrication effort, and will in the future be in a position to support Petrobras and other local customers in the operations phase.
“The inlet systems for both these projects are based on Camfil’s established CamGT high efficiency filter,” Sandberg explains. “In both cases, the customer was seeking high efficiency for small particulates as well as wet and dry salt to protect the projects’ high performance turbines.
“To handle the highly corrosive environment, the P54 inlet systems were constructed from 316L stainless steel combined with an external paint system. Alvheim, being an FPSO, additionally required low weight: this led to the selection of marine grade aluminum, a material used previously on many North Sea installations to achieve weight reduction of around 40%.”
Another development is Camfil Industrifilter’s life-cycle cost (LCC) system software. The LCC, which was designed initially as an aid for Camfil’s sales personnel, is now available to customers interested in understanding how different filtration options pan out in the long term. As an example, the tool can show when the additional cost of installing a more efficient filter is outweighed by the accumulated fuel savings. The system has also proven useful in estimating the likely lifetime of various filters in different environments
One recent application resulted from a query from Saltend Cogeneration in the UK. Saltend was seeking a solution to the failure of filters, supplied by a US manufacturer, to cope with the very humid, damp conditions at its gas turbine power plant which is located on an island. Following selection and installation of Camfil equipment - a Camfil 30/30 WR G4 water-resistant pre-filter, a Cam GT F9 intermediate stage filter, and a Cam GT H12 final stage filter - filtration performance at the plant improved substantially in several areas. For instance, the customer reported doubling of the pre-filter change-out period to six months.
“Following our experience with the CamGT, we have now also developed the CamGT Box, a filter intended as a replacement for traditional compact filter installations,” says Sandberg. “This new product can replace existing filters without the need to modify the filter frames. Advantages include lower pressure drop, improved engine protection and longer system life.”•
For more information contact Peter Sandberg, Camfil Industrifilter. Tel +46 3317 8575, fax +46 3317 8555, [email protected], www.camfilfarr.com