GAS TURBINE STARTING SYSTEM
Us
IMPROVEMENT
INTRODUCTION
The majority of gas turbine plants have a mechanical
starting system to increase the speed of rotation from
zero rpm to a sufficient speed for ignition and to self-
sustaining speed. The starting system is generally
equipped with a device connecting the torque converter
and accessory gear, which disengages when the turbine is
running independently. Virtually all FR5 and FR6 turbines
installed prior to 1997 have a dog clutch, or jaw clutch, tor-
que transmission device. The jaw clutch consists of two
disks fitted on the end of the drive shaft of the torque
converter and on the end of the driven shaft of the
accessory gear. Both disks have shaped mating surfa-
ces with toothing made on the surface so that torque can
be transmitted solely from the torque converter to the
accessory gear and therefore from the starter motor to
the turbine. The disk connected to the torque converter
can slide along the spline made on the shaft. The disk is
moved, and consequently the clutch is engaged and
disengaged, by two hydraulically operated pistons.
Jaw clutch starting systems have the following draw-
backs:
Wear of spline toothing on the torque converter shaft
eventually prevents the disk from moving properly and
consequently the clutch fails to engage.
Correct meshing of the disks is jeopardized by wear of
disk toothing thus preventing clutch engagement.
GE Power Systems
Oil & Gas
CM&
TURBINES
GAS TURBINES
The control panel fails to receive the startup permissive
due to problems caused by the sliding disk limit swit-
ches.
The clutch fails to engage due to hydraulic piston pro-
blems.
The clutch fails to disengage and startup is therefore
aborted.
In addition, with a jaw clutch the turbine has to be statio-
nary (zero speed signal) before it can be restarted. A sin-
gle-shaft, generator drive FR5 gas turbine can take more
than 15 minutes to come to a complete rest if it decelera-
tes from full speed. A FR6 takes even longer due to the
greater inertia. For single-shaft, generator drive units it is
important to be able to have the turbine running at full load
in the shortest time possible. If the startup sequence aborts
for some reason (loss of flame, high vibration, high exhaust
temperature, etc.) the time delay necessary for restarting
can be an onerous restriction.
GAS
Use of a Synchronous Self-Shifting clutch (SSS) elimina-
tes the drawbacks associated with a jaw clutch.
APPLICATION
MS5001 and MS6001 gas turbines
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The SSS clutch is a self-engaging device that transmits
power through gears.
CM&Us TU/GA05-1/2003
The clutch is automatically engaged when the input shaft
speed overtakes the output shaft speed. A pawl-actuated,
helical sliding mechanism is used to bring the clutch driving
and driven teeth into smooth synchronous mesh. The clutch
disengages automatically when the torque is reversed.The
very instant the input side of the clutch begins to turn, pri-
mary pawls and ratchet teeth make contact aligning the dri-
ving and driven teeth ready for engagement.
The small torque applied by the pawl and ratchtet mechani-
sm progressively brings the driving and driven teeth into full
engagement. The clutch can then transmit full torque.
As the speed of the input shaft reduces, relative to the
speed of the output, or when the speed of the output shaft
increases relative to the speed of the input, a reverse torque
is applied. This reverse torque acts on the helical splines
making the clutch throw out of mesh. The clutch then free-
wheels. The driven shaft can be engaged even with the turbi-
ne running. As soon as the driven shaft decelerates as the
or when the gas turbine slows down, the secondary pawls
automatically become active. As the speed of the input
shaft tends to exceed that of the output shaft, the secondary
pawls make contact and the driving and driven teeth are ali-
gned ready for engagement. On an increase in the input
speed, coupling is completed. In this mode the turbine is
driven by the starter/ratchet system.
From this description it is clear that because of the design of
STARTING
SYSTEM
DISENGAGED POSITION
the SSS clutch, there is no possibility of the teeth clashing
while being engaged, or of the drive being taken up before
the teeth are engaged over their full width. The SSS clutch
coupling requires continuous lubrication (2 rpm = 9 l/min
for the 64T model). Consequently, a number of minor modi-
fications need to be made to the oil system. An oil feed
connection has to be fitted from the 1.7 barg header to the
clutch with an orifice. Depending on the accessory gear and
adjacent auxiliaries configuration, it may be necessary to
make some adjustments to install the clutch.
These depend on the type of torque converter installed, on
the high pressure oil pump and on the distance between the
accessory gear and torque converter shaft ends.
A number of modifications have to be made to the control
system depending on the type of control panel and starter
system driver.
As a rule, the following modifications are required:
Addition of a speed control card to give the control
system a signal when the turbine reaches or overtakes the
minimum firing speed (14HM);
Modification of the control sequences adding the flying
restart sequence so that restarting is possible at or under
the minimum firing speed (14HM);
Revision of the cranking motor sequences;
If the starting means is a diesel engine, modification of
the startup sequence to exclude warm-up;
TURBINE
ENGAGED POSITION
GAS
0.38" Clearance Min.
0.56" Jaw Tooth Depth
1.00" Total Piston
Rod Travel
 SEMPLIFIED OPERATING PRINCIPLES
Teeth are
The pawls are inactive (they only
become active when the input is
CLUTCH DISENGAGED
disengaged approaching the speed of the output)

Ratchet

Output
rotating

Oil rim.

Input Helical splines

stationary
Oil rim. prevents pawls from
ratchetting until the input speed
approachesthe output speed

Shaft centre

The clutch input speed

increases and at the
Teeth are
disengaged
PAWLS ACTIVE
instant it overtakes the
output the pawls contact
the ratchet and align the Output
clutch teeth ready for rotating
inter-engagement

Input
rotanting
Pawls in contact
with ratchet Teeth are aligned for
inter-engagement

Sliding
assembly CLUTCH ENGAGING
Helical Output
splines rotating Further slight rotation of the input
relative to the output applies the light
torque to the pawls necessary to
move the sliding assembly along the
helical splines. The aligned teeth are
Input moved axially to mesh and during
rotanting this travel the pawls disengage from
the ratchet teeth

The moment the sliding assembly meets its end

stop, the clutch is fully engaged and the driving
torque passes through the teeth, not the pawls CLUTCH ENGAGED
Output
rotating
End stop
The pawls are out of
Input contact with the ratchet
driving
output

When the clutch input slows down relative to the output, the CLUTCH DISENGAGED
torque is reversed on the helical splines and the teeth disengage
to revert to the condition shown in the first diagram above
GAS TURBINE STARTING SYSTEM
IMPROVEMENT
Re-allocation of the starting circuit (33CS), previously used
to signal the engaged jaw clutch position, to indicate SSS
clutch engaged.

SCOPE OF SUPPLY
The scope of supply of the Synchronous Self-Shifting
system is as follows:
SSS Clutch model 64T (or equivalent).
Lube oil inlet and drain pipes.
Starting system layout modifications.
Control panel modifications.

Modifications strictly depend on the configuration of the plant

in which the new clutch is to be installed.

BENEFITS
Enhanced reliability of the turbine starting system
Reduced maintenance
Greater starting system reliability
Significant reduction in restart time after a startup
sequence failure

Proximity
switch
Casing
assembly

Helical sliding
assembly

Input assembly
Output
assembly
COMK/MARK 666/I I- Studio Tre Fasi -1-2003 2003 Nuovo Pignone S.p.A. all rights reserved
STARTING

TURBINE
SYSTEM

GAS

Input half Output

coupling sleeve
Helical sliding Driving teeth
component
Primary pawls Secondary pawls

Driven teeth Clutch ring

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via F. Matteucci, 2 - 50127 Florence (Italy)
Tel. +39/055 423211- Fax +39-055-423-2800
E-mail: info.service@np.ge.com
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