On September 12, as GE celebrated the 40th anniversary of the launch of 6B gas turbine, it announced the signing of the world's first upgrade service agreement for 6B gas turbine.By upgrading three existing 6B gas turbines, the plant will save considerable fuel costs each year.

"It's great to be launching the 6B upgrade solution on the 40th anniversary of the gas turbine," said Scott Strazik, GE's global President and CEO of power generation services.At present, the global average reliability of 6B gas turbine is as high as 98.4%, which is 2% higher than the industry level and equivalent to 17 more usable days per year.However, as 6B gas turbine enters the later stage of the equipment design service life, the voice of customers to improve the performance of 6B gas turbine is also growing.Today, we announce the implementation of the world's first 6B upgraded 6f.01 gas turbine solution and extend the coverage of advanced heat channel (AGP) solution to 6B.

As part of the overall solution of GE Fleet360, the 6B upgrade 6f.01 gas turbine solution integrates the first research and development achievements of F and H gas turbines, which can improve the unit performance to the leading level in the industry.The scheme implements the "flange-to-flange" upgrade of the original 6B gas turbine including combustion system, heat channel and compressor.After the upgrade, the original 6B gas turbine will be upgraded to a brand new 6f.01 gas turbine.

Xu xin, general manager of GE power generation service in China, said, "the 6B upgrade 6f.01 turbine transformation program is economical and efficient, which can help 6B units to achieve performance improvement, save fuel and life cycle maintenance costs, and help customers to maximize the value of existing power assets.The GE power generation service China team is ready to bring this solution to 6B customers in China, relying on global advanced technology and strong local manufacturing and service capabilities.

The 6B upgrade solution can make full use of the existing foundation, water washing system, gas inlet tower, air inlet and cooling water system, with a small scope of renovation, which can help the unit to achieve performance improvement at the level of gas turbine ontology and combined cycle.Specifically, it could boost gas turbine output by as much as 35%, increase efficiency by 5 percentage points, save $3 million a year in fuel costs for a single unit, and extend thermal access interval from 24,000 hours to 32,000 hours, and overhaul interval from 48,000 hours to 64,000 hours.GE has delivered more than 1,150 of its 6B units worldwide.6B gas turbine is widely used in petrochemical, petroleum, natural gas, exploration and cement production, providing power for energy production facilities and industrial applications.Up to now, there are still 900 sets of 6B units in service, of which 55% are continuous operation units.Since the first unit was operated at the Glendive power plant in Dakota, Montana, the 6B unit has been a remarkable success over the past 40 years.

"In the 1970s, we ordered the first unit 6B from GE.We've always had a friendly partnership with GE, "says Darrin Holzer, manager of gas generation and wind power at Dakota utilities in Montana." in 1978, we ordered the world's first 6B gas turbine.

Forty years later, the gas turbine is still in service, as a peak-shaving unit to fill power gaps in the grid in extreme hot and cold weather conditions.It can be seen that GE gas turbine technology is a proven 6B gas turbine with excellent adaptability to extreme weather.Temperatures in Montana vary enormously throughout the year, from as low as -30 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 110 degrees Fahrenheit.And 6B units can still operate stably at large temperature differences.It's been very beneficial for us."

Since the operation of the Glendive power plant, the GE 6B unit has been operating over 65 million hours worldwide.

In 1991, 6B gas turbine was introduced into dry low-nitrogen combustion technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions to 25ppm, opening a new era of low nitrogen emissions.At the same time, the gas turbine's flexibility in low-load operation and fuel selection is further improved.

In 2000, the design upgrade of 6B gas turbine increased its output by 6% and its efficiency by 0.5%, helping global power generation remain competitive in the energy industry during the transition period.

In 2009, the 6B performance improvement program (PIP) was officially launched.This scheme integrates advanced design of f-class gas turbine in material, coating, seal and aerodynamics, and improves output and efficiency of 6B gas turbine.So far, the 6B performance improvement program has benefited more than 200 sets of 6B units worldwide, and has become the standard configuration of the new 6B.

In 2011, GE completed the "flang-to-flange" upgrade of the world's first 6B unit at the Spanish private company S.A.Industrious Celulosa Aragonese (SAICA) paper mill.This upgrade increases unit output by more than 13%, efficiency by 8% and steam output by more than 10%.

In 2018, GE began to implement advanced thermal channel transformation (AGP) for three 6B gas turbines of Saudi cement Hofuf power plant, which is the first time the cement industry's self-owned power plant adopts advanced thermal channel technology and the fifth unit in the world using advanced thermal channel technology.