Field testing of gas turbine compressor packages requires the accurate determination of efficiency, flow, head, power, and fuel flow in sometimes less than ideal working environments. Nonetheless, field test results have significant implication for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers and their customers. This paper discusses field testing of gas turbine driven compressors and measurement uncertainties one can expect when following appropriate test guidelines. Such field tests provide the user with valuable operation and maintenance data and the manufacturer with information complementary to the data gathered through factory testing. A compressor field testing procedure that reduces measurement inaccuracies and maintains cost efficiency is outlined herein. The paper also addresses the issues of planning and organization of field tests, necessary instrumentation, and test data interpretation. Applicable test codes and their relevance for field testing are reviewed. The appropriate use of powerful portable computers, which have introduced tools for analysis, data acquisition and data reduction even in remote locations is discussed.
Gas turbines are used to drive gas compressors in a variety of applications, including pipeline service. Field performance testing of gas turbine packages is increasing because economic pressures demand that the efficiency, power, fuel flow, capacity, and head of an installation be verified to assure a project''s return on investment. However, during the field tests, an accurate determination of the performance of the package or its components is often difficult because of working environments that are not optimized for testing. Nonetheless, field test results may have significant financial implications for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers and their customers. Field tests may also be the basis of future decisions on plant modifications or extensions, or may serve as baseline data for monitoring purposes. Field tests also provide the operator and the equipment manufacturers with information complementary to the data collected during factory testing. Thus, for the end user and the manufacturer, an accurate determination of the package field performance is critical. This paper discusses problems and challenges related to the field performance testing of gas turbine-driven compressor sets. Testing procedures that reduce measurement inaccuracies and maintain cost efficiency are outlined herein. Special attention is given to the preparation and organization of the test. This paper also addresses the issues of instrumentation and the interpretation of test data. Applicable test codes and their relevance for field testing are mentioned. The appropriate use of portable computers, which have introduced new powerful tools for analysis, data acquisition and data reduction, even in remote locations, is also discussed. To conduct a field test as economically as possible, methods to identify the test parameters that create the most significant influence on the performance uncertainties are presented and suggestions are provided on how to optimize their accuracy. The effect of different equations of state(EOS) on the calculated performance is discussed. Furthermore, issues are discussed that
