FMEA for Gas Turbines
Specialized Failure Mode & Effects Analysis programs for Gas Turbine Reliability & Maintenance.
Why it matters
Key Benefits
Proactive Risk Identification
FMEA systematically identifies all credible failure modes for gas turbines components including the compressor blades, combustion liners, turbine nozzles, bearings, and fuel system before failures occur. Ranking modes by risk priority number focuses resources on the highest-consequence scenarios.
Maintenance Task Justification
Failure mode analysis for gas turbines provides documented justification for each maintenance task by linking it to a specific failure mode and consequence. This eliminates unjustified tasks and ensures no critical failure mode goes unaddressed.
Design and Operational Improvement
FMEA findings for gas turbines identify design weaknesses, operating procedure gaps, and training needs that contribute to failures of the compressor blades, combustion liners, turbine nozzles, bearings, and fuel system. Addressing these systemic factors improves reliability beyond what maintenance alone can achieve.
Context
Challenge & Approach
The Reliability Challenge
Hot-section failure mode occurrence depends on firing temperature, fuel quality, start frequency, and trip history, requiring factored-hour calculations rather than simple time-based occurrence ratings. Compressor failure modes (blade fouling, erosion, corrosion pitting) have different occurrence rates depending on air quality and compressor washing practices. Combustion system failure modes vary between DLN and conventional combustion designs. Control system failure modes include both hardware and software/logic faults. Detection ratings must account for the limitations of borescope inspection intervals and exhaust temperature monitoring resolution.
Our Approach
We define gas turbine system functions and enumerate failure modes per section. Hot gas path modes: first-stage blade coating loss, blade cracking (thermal fatigue, creep), nozzle erosion, combustion liner cracking, transition piece distortion, and crossfire tube failure. Compressor modes: blade fouling, blade corrosion pitting, blade erosion, inlet guide vane actuator failure. Bearing modes: journal bearing wear, thrust bearing overload. Fuel system modes: fuel nozzle plugging, fuel valve malfunction. Control system modes: sensor failure, actuator failure, logic error. Severity ratings reflect OEM repair costs and outage durations. Occurrence ratings for hot-section modes use factored-hour life consumption calculations. Detection ratings evaluate borescope inspection capability, exhaust temperature monitoring, vibration monitoring, and performance trending. RPN-driven task selection aligns with OEM CI/HGPI/MO intervals while identifying where additional monitoring can extend intervals or catch between-inspection degradation. The FMEA integrates with your gas turbine maintenance plan.
Explore
Related Resources
Also Explore
Failure Mode & Effects Analysis by Industry
Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Oil and Gas Equipment
FMEA for oil and gas addresses compressor, pump, and turbine failure modes with cascade consequence assessment across interconnected process systems.
Learn More →Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Industrial Refrigeration
FMEA for industrial refrigeration includes PSM, cold chain, and safety consequence assessment for ammonia compressor and system failure modes.
Learn More →Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Logistics and Distribution Equipment
FMEA for distribution centers rates conveyor and sortation failure modes by order fulfillment impact — with seasonal consequence weighting for…
Learn More →Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Mining Equipment
FMEA for mining addresses critical concentrator and hauling equipment failure modes with consequence ratings reflecting remote-site spare parts lead times...
Learn More →Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Manufacturing Equipment
FMEA for manufacturing identifies how presses, conveyors, and CNC equipment can fail, rates each mode by severity and likelihood, and…
Learn More →Failure Mode & Effects Analysis for Plastics and Rubber Equipment
FMEA for plastics and rubber includes product quality consequence assessment — rating failure modes by scrap and quality impact alongside…
Learn More →Related Pages
More Failure Mode & Effects Analysis by Equipment
FMEA for Air Compressors
FMEA programs for Air Compressors, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Bearing Systems
FMEA programs for Bearing Systems, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Belt Conveyors
Our belt conveyor FMEA covers belt, splice, idler, drive, and structural failure modes with consequence-weighted RPN scores for maintenance prioritization.
Learn More →FMEA for Boilers
FMEA programs for Boilers, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Centrifugal Compressors
Our FMEA for centrifugal compressors evaluates impeller, bearing, seal, and control system failure modes with consequence-driven RPN prioritization.
Learn More →FMEA for Centrifugal Fans
Our centrifugal fan FMEA evaluates impeller, bearing, drive, and structural failure modes with RPN scores reflecting your specific gas conditions.
Learn More →FMEA for Centrifugal Pumps
Our FMEA for centrifugal pumps identifies dominant failure modes, assigns RPN scores, and selects the optimal maintenance task per RCM methodology.
Learn More →FMEA for Chillers & Cooling Systems
FMEA programs for Chillers & Cooling Systems, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Cooling Towers
FMEA programs for Cooling Towers, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Crushers & Mills
FMEA programs for Crushers & Mills, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for DC Motors
Our FMEA for DC motors covers commutation, brush, armature, and field winding failure modes with RPN scoring tailored to DC motor-specific risks.
Learn More →FMEA for Dust Collection Systems
FMEA programs for Dust Collection Systems, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Extruders
FMEA programs for Extruders, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Gearboxes
We perform gearbox FMEA using AGMA 1010 failure classifications and RPN scoring to select condition-based or time-based tasks for each failure mode.
Learn More →FMEA for Generators
We perform FMEA on generators covering stator insulation, rotor winding, cooling, and protection system failure modes with IEEE-based detection ratings.
Learn More →FMEA for HVAC Systems
FMEA programs for HVAC Systems, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Hydraulic Cylinders
We perform FMEA on hydraulic cylinders covering seal, rod, bore, and structural failure modes with occurrence ratings linked to fluid cleanliness.
Learn More →FMEA for Hydraulic Systems
Our hydraulic system FMEA covers pump, valve, actuator, and contamination-related failure modes with RPN scores tied to ISO 4406 cleanliness impacts.
Learn More →FMEA for Induction Motors
Our FMEA for induction motors categorizes bearing, winding, and rotor failure modes per IEEE 1415 and assigns tasks using RCM criticality analysis.
Learn More →FMEA for Industrial Blowers
We perform FMEA on industrial blowers covering rotor, timing gear, bearing, and oil system failure modes with practical RPN-driven maintenance decisions.
Learn More →FMEA for Industrial Ovens & Furnaces
FMEA programs for Industrial Ovens & Furnaces, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Industrial Refrigeration Systems
FMEA programs for Industrial Refrigeration Systems, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Industrial Robots
FMEA programs for Industrial Robots, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Injection Molding Machines
FMEA programs for Injection Molding Machines, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Lubrication Systems
Our team conducts failure mode and effects analysis for lubrication systems, targeting pump wear, filter element clogging, and related degradation...
Learn More →FMEA for Mixers & Agitators
FMEA programs for Mixers & Agitators, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Packaging Equipment
FMEA programs for Packaging Equipment, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →FMEA for Plate Heat Exchangers
We perform FMEA on plate heat exchangers covering gasket, plate corrosion, and port erosion failure modes with service-specific occurrence ratings.
Learn More →FMEA for Positive Displacement Pumps
We perform FMEA on PD pumps to identify critical failure modes across gear, lobe, and diaphragm designs and select risk-prioritized maintenance tasks.
Learn More →FMEA for Reciprocating Compressors
We perform FMECA on reciprocating compressors covering valve, ring, packing, and crosshead failure modes with RPN-based maintenance task selection.
Learn More →FMEA for Screw Compressors
We perform FMEA on screw compressors covering air-end, oil system, and capacity control failure modes with practical RPN-based task recommendations.
Learn More →FMEA for Screw Conveyors
We perform FMEA on screw conveyors covering flight wear, hanger bearing, trough, and drive failure modes with service-specific occurrence ratings applied.
Learn More →FMEA for Shell & Tube Heat Exchangers
Our FMEA for shell and tube exchangers identifies corrosion, fouling, and vibration failure modes with detection ratings matched to NDE capabilities.
Learn More →FMEA for Steam Turbines
We perform FMECA on steam turbines covering blade, bearing, seal, and governor failure modes with consequence-driven task selection per API 612 guidance.
Learn More →FMEA for Submersible Pumps
Our FMEA for submersible pumps addresses motor, impeller, and cable failure modes with detection ratings that account for limited access constraints.
Learn More →FMEA for Synchronous Motors
We perform FMEA on synchronous motors including field winding, excitation, and pull-out failure modes with RPN scoring for maintenance task selection.
Learn More →FMEA for Variable Speed Drives
Our VSD FMEA covers IGBT, capacitor, fan, and control board failure modes with RPN scores that account for thermal aging and power quality factors.
Learn More →FMEA for Vibration Monitoring Equipment
Our team conducts failure mode and effects analysis for vibration monitoring equipment, targeting sensor degradation, cable faults, and related degradation...
Learn More →FMEA for Water Treatment Equipment
FMEA programs for Water Treatment Equipment, targeting common failure modes and degradation mechanisms.
Learn More →The most critical failure modes for gas turbines are those with the highest combination of severity, occurrence probability, and detection difficulty affecting the compressor blades, combustion liners, turbine nozzles, bearings, and fuel system. Common high-risk modes include hot section degradation, compressor fouling, combustor liner cracking, and bearing wear. FMEA risk priority numbers rank each mode objectively so resources focus on the greatest threats to safety, production, and equipment integrity.
FMEA for gas turbines starts by listing all functions, then identifying how each function can fail, what causes each failure mode, and what the effects would be on safety, operations, and maintenance. Each mode receives severity, occurrence, and detection ratings that multiply into a risk priority number. Modes exceeding the RPN threshold receive specific mitigation actions with assigned owners.
The FMEA for gas turbines should be reviewed after any failure that reveals a previously unidentified failure mode, after design modifications to the compressor blades, combustion liners, turbine nozzles, bearings, and fuel system, and at minimum annually as part of the reliability program review. Operating experience and new condition monitoring data may reveal that occurrence or detection ratings need adjustment, changing the prioritization of mitigation actions.
Get Started
Request a Free Reliability Assessment
Tell us about your equipment and facility. Our reliability team will review your situation and recommend a tailored reliability program — no obligation.
Analyze Gas Turbine Failure Risks
Our FMEA uses life-consumption modeling for accurate gas turbine risk assessment. Contact us to analyze your turbine fleet.
Claim Your Free Assessment →