Gas turbine design engineers have found over decades of operational experience that a relationship between "firing" temperature

(in your case, the temperature of the combustion gases at the trailing edge of the first stage turbine nozzle), exhaust temperature, and CPD (CPR) can be determined, such that for any combination of CPD (CPR) and exhaust temperature, the "firing" temperature is known/can be determined. By controlling "firing" temperature, parts life and power output can be optimized. However, "firing" temperature is not measured or monitored by any sensor--there is no sensor that can be used to monitor "firing" temp which is economically viable (which will last long enough and is inexpensive") and which, when damamged, will not cause and damage to the turbine nozzles and buckets. The relationship between exhaust temperature and CPD (CPR) is represented on an x-y plot usually referred to as the CPD (CPR) Biased Exhaust temperature Control Curve. (It's not really a curve, but that's what it's called...) There is an upper limit to the allowable exhaust temperature, often referred to as the "isothermal" limit. The "isothermal" limit is set to protect exhaust components (diffuser, duct workd, etc.) from damage at high temperatures/low exhaust flows. The sloped portion of the curve represents a constant "firing" temperature that is the optimum, maximum power output of the unit--Base Load. If more fuel were to burned, the "firing" temperature would increase and the turbine nozzles and buckets would not last as long (of course, more power output would result but the period between maintenance outages and hot gas path component replacement would decrease--which increases cost of operation...). An Exh. Temp. Control "curve" looks something like this:
| isothermal |________________ | + + + + +\ | + +\ | + +\ | + +\ | + +\ TTRX | +\ Constant | + "Firing" | * * Temperature | * \ | * \ | * \ | * \ | * \ |_________*____________________ CPD (or CPR)

The above is an attempt to draw a plot of TTRX (Turbine Temperature ReferenceExhaust) on the y-axis and CPD (Compressor Pressure-Discharge) or CPR (Compressor Pressure Reference--a fancy way of measuring compressor discharge pressure) on the xaxis. TTRX is a function of CPD (CPR). TTRX is also the Exhaust Temperature "limit"

for the unit--meaning that for any value of CPD (CPR) the exhaust temperature should never exceed the corresponding Exhaust Temperature (TTRX). On the graph, CPD (CPR) increases from left to right; TTRX increases from bottom to top. The flat portion of the graph represents the "isothermal" temperature limit of the Exh. Temp. Control Curve--the maximum allowable exhaust temperature under any operating condition. Without IGV Exhaust Temperature Control, as one loads a gas turbine, more fuel is being burned and the usual result is that the actual exhaust temperature, TTXM (Turbine Temperature-Exhaust, Median--really, it's the average value not the median value...), the "firing" temperature, and the CPD (CPR) all increase. When the actual exhaust temperature (TTXM) equals the Exhaust Temperature Reference (limit) for the current value of CPD (CPR), the unit is then on CPD (CPR)biased Exhaust Temperature Control, or, Base Load. The actual exhaust temperature of a unit without IGV Exhaust Temperature Control is represented by the "*" line; TTXM increases with load until it equals TTRX, and then the unit is on CPD (CPR)-biased Exhaust Temperature Control. The "+" line represents what happens to exhaust temperature (TTXM) while loading and unit with IGV Exhaust Temperature Control active. The IGVs are held closed as long as possible to maximize exhaust temperature; TTXM will never be allowed to increase above TTRX. (The same thing happens when the unit is being unloaded with IGV Exhasut Temp Control active. As fuel is reduced and TTXM would tend to decrease, the IGVs are modulated closed to maximize TTXM--but never exceed TTRX. NOTE: The "+" line cannot be drawn "on top" of the isothermal or Exh. Temp. Reference lines in this forum; but in reality it would be. Now here's the counterintuitive part: When the unit is operating on Base Load control, as the CPD (CPR) increases, the Exhaust Temperature Reference (limit) DECREASES-and load INCREASES--for a constant "firing" temperature. During part load operation, as load increases exhaust temperature increases and "firing" temperature increases--but on Base Load control as load increases exhaust temperature decreases while "firing" temperature remains constant! That's represented by the negative slope of the Constant Firing Temperature portion of the curve--as CPD (CPR) increases to the left, the corresponding Exh. Temp. decreases and the "firing" temperature remains constant. Remember: The sloped potion of the graph represents a constant "firing" temperature and the relationship between TTRX and CPD (CPR) when the firing temperature is constant. The Speedtronic is controlling fuel to control exhaust temperature based on the current value of CPD (CPR). Exhaust Temperature Reference (TTRX) is a function of CPD (CPR). Now, the question should be: Why is IGV Exhaust Temperature Control necessary for a DLN-I unit with Inlet Bleed Heat? The answer is simple: The design of a DLN combustor forces almost all of the air entering the combustion liner to do so through the primary combustion zone for premixing. If air is not reduced while fuel is reduced the air-fuel mixture in the primary combustion zone will be too lean, and high dynamics and/or flame instability will occur (even though GE says there's no "flame" in the

primary combustion zone when operating in Premix combustion mode...there is no diffusion flame, but where there's a temperature increase (and there is a temperature increase in the primary combustion zone when operating in Premix combustion mode) this author says something is burning...). Most GE-design heavy duty gas turbines with DLN-I combustors are not designed to be operated at rated speed with IGV angles less than approximately 57 DGA (DeGrees Angle). In order to remain in Premix combustion mode below approximately 80% of rated power output, the IGVs must be closed less than 57 DGA. To close the IGVs below 57 DGA, Inlet Bleed Heat is required. markvguy