The General Electric LM6000 is a stationary gas turbine which was developed from the family of CF6 jet engines. The aircraft version of this engine is called CF6-80C2 turbofan engine that is used to drive several types of commercial aircraft like the Boeing 740-400. It is used in power generation to drive alternating current generators.
The GE LM6000 gas turbine is a dual-rotor, concentric drive shaft gas turbine, capable of driving a load from the front and rear of the low-pressure rotor. The main components consist of a variable inlet guide vanes assembly, a 5-stage low-pressure compressor, a 14-stage variable-geometry high-pressure compressor, an annular combustor, a 2-stage high-pressure turbine, a 5-stage low-pressure turbine, an accessory gear box assembly, and accessories.
The low-pressure rotor consists of the low-pressure compressor and the low-pressure turbine that drives it. Attachment flanges are provided on both the front and the rear of the the low-pressure rotor for connection to the packager-supplied power shaft and load. The high-pressure rotor is made up of the 14-stage high-pressure compressor and the 2-stage high-pressure turbine that drives it. The high and low-pressure turbines drive the high and low-pressure compressors through concentric drive shafts.
Air enters the gas turbine at the variable inlet guide vanes and passes into the low-pressure compressor. The low-pressure compressor compresses the air by a ratio of aproximately 2.4:1. Air leaving the low-pressure compressor is directed into the high-pressure compressor. Variable bypass valves are arranged in the flow passage between the two compressors to regulate the airflow entering the high-pressure compressor at idle and at low power. To further control the airflow, the high-pressure compressor is equipped with variable stator vanes.
High-pressure compressor compresses the air to a ratio of 12:1, resulting in a total compression ratio of 30:1, relative to ambient. From the high-pressure compressor the air is directed into the signal annular combustor section, where it mixes with the fuel from the 30 fuel nozzles. An igniter initially ignites the fuel-air mixture and, once combustion is self-sustaining, the igniter is turned off. The hot gas that results from the combustion is directed into high-pressure turbine that drives the high-pressure compressor. This gas further expands through the low-pressure turbine, which drives the low-pressure compressor and the output load.
The LM6000 gas turbine was developed and manufactured in 1992 by General Electrics, who was one of the first developers of the aeroderivative; a gas turbine designed first as a flight engine, then redesigned for industrial use. The following features have been changed to convert the CF6-80C2 into the LM6000:
Front fan removed and inlet guide vanes added.
Low pressure compressor from the CF6-50/ LM used.
Front and rear frames adapted.
Output shafts added to the front of the low pressure compressor.
Bearing 7R added.
Balancing disk added to the low pressure turbine.
Hydraulic control system for the variable geometry added.
Below, images and drawing of the General Electric LM6000
