We are evaluating to upgrade our MKV to MKVe to accommodate installing GEs OPFLEX software upgrades such as Wide Wobbe. In addition, the MKVe would allow faster processing, circular list trending,more alarm addresses, etc.
What are the users experiences with the MKVe controllers and what was the time frame required to implement the upgrade?

At the users group meeting this year there was a plant in California which upgraded to the MKVe with Wide wobbe. You can try to find out which site and hopefully they can provide some feedback on the performance. From what i can see the wide wobbe is a great product...if its proven. Plants will save time and money from forced outages (lean blow out, combustion hardware damage, dynamincs, etc). Also eliminates the need to set up tuning boxes (those without RDLNT) and call in a TA for tuning services.
With the introduction of LNG, this auto tuning will be a must for all dry low nox turbines.

Tony,

At the moment GE can do the Mk-V to Ve upgrade (not sure about the Wide Wobbe, though) in 7 days, with only 3 days outage time (general case, without any extra mods, like addition of DLN, etc.).

The first Mark-V to Ve jobs were done on Endesa Ostiglia, Endesa Tavazanno and ASM Brescia plants in Italy as well as Redhawk Arizona. more plants have been done by now, though, Ive just lost track of it.

Ve controllers have, basically the same computing power and reliability as the VIe ones. However, theyre based on UCSA form factor, and dont require the crates and colling fans (theyre rated for fanless operation at up to 60 degC ambient) like the CPCI version of Mark-VIe controllers do. Moreover, they can be installed in simplex, dual and TMR configuration. This is the first time when GE (dont confuse it with GE-Fanuc) can do the dual-redundant controls (previously it used to come in simplex and TMR versions only), which is the reason why it is now used for Mark-VIe DCS applications as well.
So, personally, I like these controllers more than the previous generation VME Mark-VI or CPCI Mark-VIe controllers.

Ve upgrade also allows you to get rid of the old-school coax Arcnet-based UDH and have the UTP or FO Ethernet-based UDH instead.


Alexei

Alexei thanks for the detailed description of the MKVe upgrade. Do you know if the new software can be set up to trigger data collection such as a "View2T"? Im familar with toolbox and circular list from working on exciters, Lcis and the MKVI. Is the MKVe software equally as user friendly?

Ive also heard through other users that the Wide Wobbe upgrade has caused a number of lean blow out events. Ive never understood how the OPflex-WW can auto tune and leave a safety margin without and feedback from emissions and dynamics! Standard tuning is based on those two critical parameters where as the WW is based on characterized curves. Characterized curves would work on units where there is not a huge change in climates... I know for a fact that a 10deg change in ambient temps can cause the combustion system to run more lean or rich. If the unit is resting on the margin... it only takes one combustion can with poor flame stability to get high temp spreads and trip.

Tony,

Mark Ve, just like MarkVIe uses the latest version of ToolboxST software for the configuration. It`s definitely been improved since the Mark-VI Toolbox version, and has nothing in common with the Mark-V.
For fast rate data collection, you can use DDR (Dynamic Data Recorders), which you can assign to certain triggers using the same ToolboxST (so you don´t need to use the ˝View2T˝ anymore, all configuration is done in ToolboxST). The DDR data, once collected, must be uploaded via ToolboxST (I haven`t actually done this part myself, but I`m pretty sure you can assign a command or another trigger to automate this). Then, it can be analyzed via ToolboxST trending tools, archived, or exported to .csv file.

So, compared to that good old MkV software with a whole bunch of executables and batch files that you needed for maintenance, all Ve functions have been put into a single application with the long-awaited Windows-style user-friendly GUI.... Makes me feel a bit nostalgic about those good old MSDOS days, but I`m sure that`s a change for good :-)

As for WW, I´m, obviously, not an expert, but I also agree with you on Characterized curves. They only work well in the labs with the controlled ambient conditions :-)