A state-of-the-art M501J gas turbine manufactured by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI), installed in a gas turbine combined-cycle (GTCC) validation power plant at the company's Takasago Machinery Works, has achieved two major landmarks by exceeding an accumulated 8,000 hours in operation and more than 100 starts. The turbine, featuring an inlet temperature of 1,600°C, went into operation in February 2011, and long-term validation got under way several months later, in July.
As the M501J validation operation has produced results above anticipated levels, MHI has enhanced its performance specifications for future offerings. Upward revisions include gas turbine output increased to 327 MW (megawatts), gas turbine efficiency of 41% and combined-cycle efficiency of 61.5% (with a one-on-one single-shaft configuration). Specifications for the M701J gas turbine, a 50Hz companion model in the J-Series, have been enhanced to output of 470 MW, gas turbine efficiency of 41% and combined-cycle efficiency of 61.7%.
Since the successful launch of the J-Series, a total of 16 units of the M501J have been sold in Japan and South Korea. Two units of the M701J have been sold, both in Japan.
The Kansai Electric Power Company, Inc. ordered six M501J gas turbines for its Himeji No.2 Power Station, to be installed in a 486.5 MW single-shaft configuration firing LNG, for a total of 2,919 MW. The first two units were delivered in 2011, and commissioning of the first block has been started in this year. Commercial operation of the six blocks is scheduled to begin successively between October 2013 and June 2015.
The J-Series gas turbines have been designed with targets on higher efficiency and increased power output. The significant 1,600?C turbine inlet temperature was achieved in February 2011; it is 100?C higher than the current high temperature of 1,500?C featured in G-Series gas turbines.
GTCC is a superior power generating system in which a gas turbine generates power and its exhaust energy is used to drive a steam turbine. The system is in high demand owing to its outstanding efficiency and environmental friendliness.
MHI oversees all aspects relating to its gas turbines' development, design, manufacture and verification, relying on proprietary technologies.
With its J-Series gas turbines and other high-efficiency power system products, MHI is contributing toward the achievement of a low-carbon society and a cleaner environment for generations to come.
