Wood Group GTS' ECOMAX® automated combustion tuning technology selected for Frame 7FA fleet

HOUSTON, April 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- An owner of a large fleet of combined-cycle power plants in the US has awarded Wood Group GTS a contract to install 15 ECOMAX^® systems, an automated combustion tuning technology. Twelve units have already been installed and the remaining units are scheduled to be installed later this year.

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The independent power producer granted the contract to Wood Group GTS following assessment of a pilot project at one of its facilities operating two GE Frame 7FA turbines. One year after installation ECOMAX tuning technology demonstrated more than 0.75 per cent power increase and more than a 0.15 per cent decrease in heat rate.

ECOMAX delivers a fully automated solution that optimizes gas turbine combustor systems in near real time, while controlling emissions, managing dynamics and providing increased output, without exceeding OEM design limits. The performance improvement demonstrated at the power plant has the potential to save operators hundreds of thousands of dollars in fuel every year.

"ECOMAX provides operators of Frame 7FA machines with flexibility to set operational objectives for a given time or set of circumstances, returning control of the unit to the operator," said Frank Avery of Wood Group GTS. "This award is a further endorsement of the value our independent and innovative services bring to operators of 'F' technology gas turbines and continues to demonstrate our commitment to our customers to not only reduce maintenance costs but also to improve the life cycle value of their technology investment."

In 2011, a master service agreement was signed with the customer governing terms of business for a range of services including field service, capital parts, and component repairs, gas and steam turbine overhauls, fuel nozzle repairs, and compressor water wash systems to support the fleet.

Note to Editors
Wood Group is an international energy services company with around $7bn sales, employing about 43,000 people worldwide and operating in 50 countries. The Group has three businesses – Wood Group Engineering, Wood Group PSN and Wood Group GTS – providing a range of engineering, production support, maintenance management and industrial gas turbine overhaul and repair services to the oil & gas and power generation industries worldwide.  www.woodgroup.com

Wood Group GTS is a leading independent provider of rotating equipment services and solutions for clients in the power and oil & gas markets. Worldwide, these services include power plant engineering, procurement and construction; facility operations & maintenance; and repair & overhaul, optimisation and upgrade of gas and steam turbines, pumps, compressors and other high-speed rotating equipment. www.woodgroupgts.com

The ECOMAX turbine tuning system provides an automated, fully customizable solution to achieve customer-determined operational objectives, while continually monitoring and adjusting key combustion control parameters to maintain NOx & CO compliance, flame stability and acceptable combustion dynamics. Watch the video to see how the ECOMAX system automates combustion tuning on large industrial gas turbines.

SOURCE Wood Group GTS