Hi,

I am an EPC person. in my project I am asked to update the Speedtronic V Control System to Speedtronic VI Control System for Gas Turbine.

Please tell me what are the important things to be considered for this as I am totally new in this.

Thanks in advance.

 

JD,

There are so many differences between the Mark V and the Mark VI it's MUCH easier to cite the similarities.

But, it would be difficult to find a Mark VI (new) toady; GE is no longer selling them. They're latest product is the Mark VIe, which is also very different from either the Mark V or the Mark VI (though it does share some I/O terminal boards with the Mark VI product family).

GE offers something called the Mark V Life Extension or Mark Ve Migration or similar other names. It's basically a Mark VIe in Mark V clothing. Many of the things people disliked about the Mark V (high density terminal boards; ribbon cables; cards mounted upside down and backwards) don't change with the Mark V Life Extension/Mark Ve. Many, but not all, of the printed circuit cards change, but the field wiring mess in the bottom of the panel and at the terminal boards doesn't change. There are still a lot of ribbon cables in the control panel, and there are still cards mounted upside down and backwards.

A full Mark VIe replacement would require de-terminating all of the field wires from the Mark V, removing the Mark V, installing the new Mark VIe, and re-terminating the wires on the Mark VIe terminal boards. It would also require loop-checks (verification that each device is terminated where it should be and functions properly)--which should be done when any turbine control system is replaced. But, for the effort it's possible to clean up a lot of wiring problems, and a chance to sort out some field wiring problems and find field devices and instruments which should be replaced as part of this reliability improvement.

Upgrading a turbine control system is a costly and involved process--made all the more costly because for decades afterwards its going to be necessary to maintain the operator interfaces as well as the control system, and if the Mark V/Mark VI/Mark VIe product line is any indication that's horrifically expensive each time new HMIs have to be purchased from the OEM. I would estimate that some HMI "upgrades" have cost as much as a complete turbine control system replacement--and they're still based on MS-Windows CIMPLICITY/PROFICY which is a horrible platform for a turbine control system.

Anyway, it's my strong recommendation to avoid the Mark V Life Extension/Mark Ve Migration (whatever it's called). A lot of sites don't seem to know what they're getting--and the salespeople don't really seem to know what they're selling. So, buyer beware.

Unfortunately, you can only purchase Speedtronic products from GE (though that seems to be under review and changing). And, it seems that different divisions of GE are now competing against each other selling Speedtronic turbine control systems. So, if you want to wade in to that deep ocean known as "GE" you might find some interesting pricing/competition.

All of the Speedtronic turbine control systems are excellent--they are purpose-built (meaning they are designed to be turbine control systems--not generic PLCs with a few special cards). The faults with the system are: the operator interface (it's kludgey and unnecessarily complicated--though simpler than some other OEMs offerings), and the application of the control system (turbine operation and maintenance using the control system) is extremely poorly documented. Having said those two things about the Speedtronic turbine control system, they are extremely reliable and well-suited for their intended purpose--much better than many other offerings.

Best of luck--let us know how you fare, and if you have any further questions.

 

I totally agree with CSA in this matter.

I have heard complaints from those who have upgraded their Mark V is that they do not have as much insight in the logic and functionality. I do not know how much that could influence your decision but it did ours.

We were at one point considering upgrading to the Mark VIe, but have since decided to hold off on the upgrades, for now. At the time we were considering ABB, GE and Emerson Ovation products.

We felt that the GE product was an excellent replacement, but was not the best fit for our particular needs.

There are still a lot of companies that offer support and parts for the Mark V platform. That, and a plentiful set of spare cards made us feel more secure in holding off on the upgrades.

There is a lot involved in deciding if you want to upgrade or not. Then, if you do decided to upgrade (sounds like you are), are you going to considering non-OEM options.

In your research, if you find anything specific that you want to know more about, please post it. Let us know what route you take. I am interested to know, as well as any factors that lead to that decision.

Thanks!