Products: Gas Turbine Systems, Heavy-Duty Process Dampers
Industry: Gas Turbine Power
Location: Middle-East

Boldrocchi welcomed over 30 customers from some of the largest OEMs to its in-house testing facilities near Milan, Italy in 2018, for the functional testing of an enormous 7m X 7m (23’ X 23’) diverter damper. The gas turbine diverter, one of three delivered to the client, not only offers extreme capacity, but surpasses the norm in terms of geometrical sealing, sealing pressure and closing time, while reducing maintenance and easing transportation and assembly.

7m X 7m Diverter Damper: Capabilities

  • This large diverter damper was designed to withstand temperatures of up to 700 °C (1300 °F), vibrations and gas turbulence, as well as elevated wear of components.
  • The geometrical seal around the perimeter is more than 99.95 % effective (it is measured at 99.99 % effective for in this specific application) due to its special geometry. This means the sum of all residual gaps in the free air passage section is less than 0.05% (less than 0.01% for this specific application). This percentage is the measure of the residual leakage areas between the blade and the landing bar, along the entire blade perimeter.
  • The diverter is equipped with an air sealing system which allows the sealing degree on exhaust gases to equal 100 % (full tightness). The air sealing pressure is > + 500 mm wc, whereas original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) only require +50 mm wc.
  • This 7m x 7m (23’ X 23’) diverter has hydraulic actuators, giving it a normal operation time of less than 60 seconds and an emergency closing time of less than 20 seconds, as per the customer’s request. However, the diverter has been engineered and manufactured to obtain even shorter actuation times.
  • This diverter was designed and fabricated to reduce maintenance costs and time. Indeed, the sealing lamellas (the strength point) have, on some applications, lifetimes of up to 10 years. Additional benefits include self-lubricated, high temperature, maintenance-free internal bearings as well as a state-of-the-art solution for the internal thermal-acoustic insulation.
  • The team designed this diverter to offer easy transportation and assembly. The diverter was pre-assembled in few pieces or could have been delivered fully assembled in one single part).
  • This new diverter also allows for a rapid transition from single-cycle to combined-cycle systems. Boldrocchi engineered the diverter for easy installation under single-cycle exhaust stacks, instead of existing bend ducts. Boldrocchi has proven experience in the conversion of existing open cycle power plants into combined cycle plants.

We offer a complete 360° experience when it comes to supplying customers with the ideal diverter/damper for their operation. They offer an on-site status assessment and joint site surveys. Every diverter damper is customized to optimize performance given the customer’s specific process parameters, layout and site activities. In addition, Boldrocchi includes a detailed site operation plan to minimize installation time (which is usually done during GT shutdown).