Moog Gas Control Valve 64K Upgrade Program

The Industrial Group of Moog Inc. said its new Moog Gas Control 64 K Upgrade for GE 7FA turbines extends the maintenance interval of gas control equipment from the typical 48 000 hours of operation to 64 000 hours of operation.

The new 64 K Upgrade Program is a hardware upgrade that offers GE turbine owners the Moog Extended Life Actuator and the Fisher Extended Life EAB Process Valve. Moog said its upgrade is the only solution available that has the reliability to last the full 64 000 hours, eliminating the need for interim planned maintenance.

The Moog Extended Life Actuator Upgrade was developed to ensure the product had a long service life even in conditions with varnished, contaminated lube oil. Moog implemented the use of a contacting seal design, harder rod surface with a proprietary aerospace overlay and chrome coating for the cylinder bore. In environments with clean oil, these same enhancements can extend the expected service life, the company said. Emerson has introduced an extended life upgrade for their EAB process valves, establishing the same 64 000-overhaul cycle for both components, Moog said. The process valve receives an upgraded live-loaded packing and a Stellite alloy sleeve in the valve stem travel area.

To complete the 64 K upgrade package, the actuator and process valve are returned to “zero-hour” condition, the company said. The actuator receives a Moog factory overhaul and the process valve undergoes a Fisher Encore repair performed at the company’s local Emerson IVS repair facility. The integrated assembly overhaul is a 100% OEM repair, performed by trained technicians using genuine parts, the company said. This process ensures the turbine’s valves are returned to as-new specifications and operation, resetting the inspection clock to hour zero, according to the company.

Many GE 7FA turbines are now equipped with advanced gas path (AGP) technology which extends a typical maintenance interval to 64 000 hours. Moog said its upgrade solution of an extended life Moog Actuator and Fisher Process Valve is the only solution available today that has the reliability to last the full 64 000 hours, eliminating the need for interim planned maintenance. Customers that have not performed the GE AGP upgrade on their 7FA turbine, can still achieve substantial savings realized by the extended service intervals due to the long service life of the Actuator/Process Valve Assembly.

“Anyone getting the advanced gas path upgrade on a GE 7FA turbine should upgrade their gas valve assemblies as well,” said Steve Beddick, regional sales manager for the Industrial Group of Moog. “By doing this, you synchronize your major inspection periods, which means you’ll never find yourself trying to overhaul gas valves when you have a much smaller outage window.”

Moog said it also eliminates any risks during a scheduled outage through its Advanced Exchange Program, which offers a 7FA turbine owner rebuilt gas control valves that arrive prior to the start date of an outage. This enables a team to install and remove the valves in sequence, thereby saving money and time, the company said. For more information about the Moog Gas Control 64 K Upgrade for GE 7FA turbines or Advanced Exchange Program, visit http://info.moog.com/64KEU.