STEP 10 MWe sCO2 Turbine Commissioning

A 10 MWe sCO2 turbine was developed for the Supercritical Transformational Electric Power (STEP) demo pilot plant, which is a supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) test facility located at Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in San Antonio. The plant was fully assembled for simple cycle operation, and the initial commissioning of the turbine was performed. The project was developed in partnership between Southwest Research Institute, GTI Energy, and GE Vernova Research Center and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the $169 million STEP Demo project. The goal of the program is to demonstrate cycle efficiency in both the simple and recompression recuperated Brayton cycle. Initial testing in the simple cycle configuration will be performed with turbine inlet temperatures up to 500°C. In the RCBC configuration at 700°C, the turbine has a 16 MW output yet weighs under 100 kg, making it one of the highest power densities of any industrial turbine. This paper provides design and assembly information and commissioning results for turbine ancillaries like lube oil and dry gas seal systems. The initial rotation of the turbine is described along with the test results of the over-speed trip system. Other mechanical test data will be presented, including radial vibration and thrust position, along with the operating conditions of the test loop.