Gas Turbine Upgrades & Optimization

Gas turbine upgrades can provide significant improvements in output, heat rate, operational flexibility, and equipment reliability. However, every modification affects the entire power plant, not just the gas turbine. GTAnalysis provides independent engineering evaluations that quantify the true performance and financial impact of hardware upgrades, control changes, and operational optimization strategies before implementation.

Independent Evaluation of Upgrade Opportunities

Whether you are considering an Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade, combustion system modifications, compressor improvements, or controls changes, GTAnalysis uses detailed thermodynamic modeling and plant performance analysis to determine the expected benefits and identify potential operational constraints.

Unlike equipment suppliers, our recommendations are based solely on technical and economic performance. Our objective is to help owners make informed decisions that maximize return on investment while minimizing operational risk.

Our Services Include

• Advanced Gas Path (AGP) upgrade evaluations
• Power output and heat rate impact studies
• Combined cycle performance assessments
• HRSG and steam turbine margin evaluations
• Control curve verification and optimization
• Inlet cooling and power augmentation analysis
• Combustion tuning support
• Part-load performance optimization
• Operational flexibility studies
• Economic and financial benefit analysis

Plant-Wide Performance Matters

Increasing gas turbine output often changes exhaust gas flow, exhaust temperature, steam production, condenser loading, auxiliary power consumption, and emissions. A successful upgrade requires understanding how these changes affect the entire combined cycle facility.

GTAnalysis develops detailed performance models to evaluate the complete plant response under varying ambient conditions and operating scenarios. This ensures that expected gains are achievable without introducing new operational limitations or reducing long-term reliability.

Optimization Beyond Hardware

Many plants can achieve measurable performance improvements without major capital expenditures. Proper control tuning, operating procedure refinement, instrument verification, and performance monitoring frequently recover lost capacity while reducing heat rate and fuel costs.

Our engineers analyze operating data to identify performance degradation, equipment limitations, and optimization opportunities that improve plant economics throughout the operating range.

Typical Applications

• OEM upgrade validation
• Independent owner's engineering reviews
• Pre- and post-outage performance comparisons
• Upgrade feasibility studies
• Performance guarantee verification
• Life-extension and modernization projects
• Combined cycle optimization
• Financial impact assessments

Why GTAnalysis?

With more than 30 years of experience in gas turbines, steam turbines, and combined cycle power plants, GTAnalysis combines first-principles engineering, field testing experience, and advanced thermodynamic modeling to provide objective recommendations that improve plant performance. Our independent approach helps owners confidently evaluate upgrade opportunities and maximize the value of every investment.