Almost as soon as they appeared, gas turbine generator sets began to be actively used not only in the field of air transport, but also in the energy sector: as a key component of gas compressor stations, and as a key component of thermal power plants as a first-stage form of electricity generation.
As time goes by, the demands placed on gas turbine plants become higher and higher, and engineers need to meet these requirements. Especially today’s Rostec state company report It is understood that its subsidiary United Engine Company (UEC) is developing a “smart” gas turbine engine GTD-8SM, with the digital index indicating a power of 8 megawatts.
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It is expected that such engines will be used as generator sets to provide power when necessary to data centers, industrial enterprises and other distributed energy facilities.
GTD-8SM Based on the gas generator of the AL-31ST engine, the main feature of the new gas turbine unit is its modularity, which allows the replacement of individual components without the need to dismantle adjacent components. The engine has at least 120,000 hours of built-in resources and an overhaul cycle of 30,000 hours.
By “smart”, the manufacturer refers to modern control systems and a “digital twin” of the GTD-8SM, which can monitor the condition of the equipment and predict the time required for its maintenance and repairs. According to the plan, the first prototype of GTD-8SM will be born in 2028.