Gas Turbine

Performance
Inlet Air System

Outline

A review on Gas Turbine Cycle

The Effects of Inlet Air Temperature on Gas Turbine Performance

Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling Methods

Evaporative Cooling Methods

Gas Turbine Inlet Air Fogging

Design and Operational Issues

A review on Gas Turbine Cycle

Gas turbines are steady-flow power machines in which a gas (usually air) is
compressed, heated, and expanded for the purpose of generating power.

The term turbine is the component which delivers power from the gas as it
expands; it is also called an expander.

The basic thermodynamic cycle on which the gas turbine is based is known as
the Brayton cycle.

Gas turbines are used in electric power generation, propulsion, and

compressor and pump drives.

The most efficient power generation systems in commercial service are gas
turbine combined cycle plants.

A review on Gas Turbine Cycle

Gas turbine cycles are plotted on temperatureentropy (TS) coordinates.

The Effects of Inlet Air Temperature on Gas Turbine

Performance

The Effects of Inlet Air Temperature on Gas Turbine

Performance

1 oC

0.7 % Net Power

0.2 % Heat Rate

Gas Turbine Performance Design Basis

What Does ISO Condition Mean?

Dry bulb 15C

Relative humidity 60%

Wet bulb temperature 7.2C

Atmospheric pressure 1 bar (sea level)

Most of the gas turbine installations are not in ISO

standard locations, they are in the real world

Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling Methods

Refrigeration Systems.

Mechanical Chillers

Absorption Chillers.

Thermal Energy Storage.

Evaporative Methods.

Evaporative Coolers.

Inlet Fogging.

Mechanical Chillers

In a mechanical compression chiller technology, the coolant is circulated

through a chilling coil heat exchanger that is inserted in the filter house,
downstream from the filtering stage. Downstream from the coil, a droplet
catcher is installed to collect moisture and water drops. The mechanical
chiller can increase the turbine output and performance better than wetted
technologies due to the fact that inlet air can be chilled below the wet bulb
temperature, indifferent to the weather conditions. Compression chiller
equipment has higher electricity consumption than evaporative systems. Initial
capital cost is also higher, however turbine power augmentation and efficiency
is maximized, and the extra-cost is amortized due to increased output power.

Other options such a steam driven compression are also used in industry.

Mechanical Chillers

Mechanical Chillers
Advantage

Can increase gas turbine performance better than

evaporative cooling, and fog system

Disadvantage

High initial capital cost

High O&M cost

Longer delivery and installation time

Expertise is needed to

operate and maintain the

plant

Absorption Chillers

In vapor-absorption chillers technology, thermal energy is used to produce

cooling instead of mechanical energy. The heat source is usually leftover
steam coming from combined cycle, and it is bypassed to drive the cooling
system. Compared to mechanical chillers, absorption chillers have a low
coefficient of performance, however, it should be taken into consideration
that this chiller usually uses waste heat, which decreases the operational
cost.

Absorption Chiller Inlet Air Cooling

System Schematic

Thermal Energy Storage

A thermal energy storage (TES) tank is a naturally stratified thermal

accumulator that allows the storage of chilled water (or ICE) produced during
off-peak time, to use this energy later during on-peak time to chill the
turbine inlet air and increment its power output. A TES tank reduces
operational cost and refrigerant plant capacity. One advantage is the
production of chilled water when demand is low, using the excess of power
generation, which usually coincides with the night, when ambient
temperature is low and chillers have better performance. Another advantage
is the reduction of the chilling plant capacity and operational cost in
comparison with an on-line chilling system, which produce delays during
periods of low demand.

Thermal Energy Storage

Thermal Energy Storage

Advantage

Disadvantage

Can increase gas turbine

performance better than
evaporative cooling, and fog
system

Not very sensitive to ambient

air wet bulb temperature

Can utilize low night time

tariff to produce and store ice
for peak hours operation

High initial capital cost

High O&M cost

Longer delivery and

installation time

Higher expertise is needed

to operate and maintain the
plant

Evaporative Air Cooling

The evaporative cooler is a wetted rigid media where water is distributed

throughout the header and where air passes through the wet porous surface. Part of
the water is evaporated, absorbing the sensible heat from the air and increasing its
relative humidity. The air dry-bulb temperature is decreased but the wet-bulb
temperature is not affected. Similar to the fogging system, the theoretical limit is
the wet bulb temperature, but performance of the evaporative cooler is usually
around 80%. Water consumption is less than that of fogging cooling.

Cooling systems based on latent heat as the water evaporates are preferred in
dry/desert climates not near the sea where the relative humidity is low, and where
the system can boost the turbine output by nearly 12%.The problem is that for a
desert climate, a large amount of water is a limiting factor. For warm and humid
climates the evaporative-kind of air cooling system may not increase the turbine
output by more than 2-3%.

Schematic of Evaporative Air Cooling

Evaporative Cooler
Advantage

Lowest capital cost

Lowest O&M cost

Can operate on raw water

Quick delivery and installation time

Operates as an air washer

and cleans the inlet air

Disadvantage

Limitation on capacity improvement

Highly influenced by the

site wet bulb

Fogging

This cooling system is based on fogging nozzles and a high pressure pump system. Fogging
reduces inlet air temperature by evaporating a spray of water after the filter stage but early
enough that moisture cannot reach turbine compressor blades. Usually moisture eliminators
are installed before the compressor stage to reduce the possibility of moisture carrying-over,
which could produce serious damage in the turbine. Cooling capacity is limited by ambient
conditions, and wet bulb temperature is theoretically the lowest limit. Typical fog system
performance is around 80-95%, and its effectiveness is limited by the difference between dry
bulb and wet bulb temperatures that depends on the relative humidity in the area.

This technology is a low-cost solution, with simple operation and low maintenance. However,
this technology also presents some disadvantages: cooling beyond wet bulb temperature is
impossible; performance is highly dependent on relative humidity changes; de-mineralized
water usage is necessary; there is some risk of erosion to blades of the first stages in the
compressor; corrosion may occur due to incomplete atomisation of injected water.

Fogging

Demineralized Water Quality For Fog

System Inlet Air Cooling

Fogging
Advantage

Disadvantage

Low capital cost

Low O&M cost

Can increase gas turbine

performance better than
evaporative cooling

Quick delivery and

installation time

Limitation on capacity
improvement
Highly influenced by the
site wet bulb