GE Energy's wide range of flexible power generation applications for the 9FB gas turbine include simple-cycle, combined-cycle, and cogeneration in both cyclic and baseload operation.

• Combined Cycle applications are common in today's powerplants. The gas turbine generator produces electricity and capturesthe waste heat to make steam to generate additional electricity viaa steam turbine. Today,  100% of GE's 9FB gas turbine fleet is operating in combined cycle mode. 
• Cogeneration is the production of electricity and useful thermal energy simultaniously from a common fuel source. The rejected heat from industrial processes can be used to power an electric generator. Surplus heat from an electric generator can beused for industrial processes or for heating purposes.
• Integrated Water and Power Plant (IWPP) is the co-production of electricity and water in a single plant. Potable water is generated using the thermal energy in the gas turbine exhaust to drive desalination.

GE's 9FB gas turbine is a 50Hz product that typically operates in a traditional market, such as Western Europe (England, Italy, Spain, etc.). Over the past few years, the customer base for the 9FB gas turbine has expanded to new markets in Eastern Europe and Western Europe, with opportunities for growth in Africa, the Middle East, South America, China and Asia. GE has shipped more than 35 9FB gas turbines and the fleet has accumulated more than 250,000 fired hours as of March 2011.

The 9FB heavy duty gas turbine is aerodynamically scaled from 7FA gas turbines. It uses advanced aircraft engine technology in its design. Key advantages of the 9FA gas turbine include its fuel-flexible combustion system and higher output performance.

• Dry Low NOx (DLN) 2.6+ combustor has five outer fuel nozzles with a single center fuel nozzle, which ensures a stable combustion across a wide range of operating conditions. The DLN 2.6 architecture also has an advanced fuel nozzle, called the swozzle, which combines the fuel injection gas ports into the swirler vanes all within the fuel nozzle body to provide a better mixed, more stable combustion zone. The DLN 2.6+ is able to maintain low NOx and CO emission levels while extending the load range available for operation.
• Eighteen-stage, axial flow compressor is designed with an ISO base pressure ratio of 18.1:1 and airflow of 203 kg/second. High strength, corrosion resistant stainless steel airfoil material is used on the first eight stages with the remaining airfoils made of steel alloy.
• Advanced controls - Model Based Control (MBC) - GE has developed industry leading, aviation-proven technology for advanced control of the gas turbine using detailed, thermodynamic models of the gas turbine and its sub-systems. By controlling the gas turbine using a real-time physics-based model, the overall performance, operability, and reliability of the gas turbine is increased. GE's MBC methodology has been used for several years on the 7FA gas turbine product and was introduced on the 9FB gas turbine in 2009.

• Baseload Efficiency (%): 38.3 simple cycle, 59.3 combined cycle (109FB)
• Emissions:  50 mg/Nm3 NOx (at 15% O2), 30 mg/Nm3 CO   
                          30 mg/Nm3 NOx (at 15% O2) option
• Emission compliant turndown (% CC baseload): 45%
• Start time (minutes for CC hot start): 35 minutes
• Combustion Interval (hours/starts): 12k/450
• HGP Interval (hours/starts): 24k/900
• Major Interval (hours/starts): 48k/1800
• Rotor Maintenance (hours/starts): 144k/5000

GE offers world-class project management services, such as project engineering, controls, global field operation, contract management, and sourcing. We are a leader in emission capabilities, providing our customers environmental permitting support. We also offer grid connectivity and compliance support from concept to project completion. By taking a systems engineering approach, we are able to help manage project risk and delays and ensure a timely COD.

Financing solutions and support for the 9FB gas turbine are available from GE Capital Markets for all stages of the initial project phase. We also support regulatory advocacy.

GE Energy's Quality Management System is designed to satisfy ISO 9001:2000 requirements. In particular,

• Rotor balancing and full-speed no-load test of the 9FB gas turbine is usually performed in the factory before shipment.
• Test software is validated on the 9FB gas turbine control cubicles before shipment.
• Overspeed test and full-load rejection tests are done at customer site.
• Performance, noise, and emission measurements are also performed in situ on the 9FB gas turbine.