Effect of air filtration system on gas turbine performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Denis Balzamov ◽  
Veronika Bronskaya ◽  
Olga Soloveva ◽  
Gulnaz Khabibullina ◽  
Alsu Lubnina ◽  
...  
Author(s):  
Steve Ingistov ◽  
Michael Milos ◽  
Rakesh K. Bhargava

A suitable inlet air filter system is required for a gas turbine, depending on installation site and its environmental conditions, to minimize contaminants entering the compressor section in order to maintain gas turbine performance. This paper describes evolution of inlet air filter systems utilized at the 420 MW Watson Cogeneration Plant consisting of four GE 7EA gas turbines since commissioning of the plant in November 1987. Changes to the inlet air filtration system became necessary due to system limitations, a desire to reduce operational and maintenance costs, and enhance overall plant performance. Based on approximately 2 years of operational data with the latest filtration system combined with other operational experiences of more than 25 years, it is shown that implementation of the high efficiency particulate air filter system provides reduced number of crank washes, gas turbine performance improvement and significant economic benefits compared to the traditional synthetic media type filters. Reasons for improved gas turbine performance and associated economic benefits, observed via actual operational data, with use of the latest filter system are discussed in this paper.


Author(s):  
Stian Madsen ◽  
Lars E. Bakken

Gas turbine performance has been analyzed for a fleet of GE LM2500 engines at two Statoil offshore fields in the North Sea. Both generator drive engines and compressor driver engines have been analyzed, covering both the LM2500 base and plus configurations, as well as the SAC and DLE combustor configurations. Several of the compressor drive engines are running at peak load (T5.4 control), and the production rate is thus limited to the available power from these engines. The majority of the engines discussed run continuously without redundancy, implying that gas turbine uptime is critical for the field’s production and economy. Previous studies and operational experience have emphasized that the two key factors to minimize compressor fouling are the optimum designs of the inlet air filtration system and the water wash system. An optimized inlet air filtration system, in combination with daily online water wash (at high water-to-air ratio), are the key factors to achieve successful operation at longer intervals between offline washes and higher average engine performance. Operational experience has documented that the main gas turbine recoverable deterioration is linked to the compressor section. The main performance parameter when monitoring compressor fouling is the gas turbine compressor efficiency. Previous studies have indicated that inlet depression (air mass flow at compressor inlet) is a better parameter when monitoring compressor fouling, whereas instrumentation for inlet depression is very seldom implemented on offshore gas turbine applications. The main challenge when analyzing compressor efficiency (uncorrected) is the large variation in efficiency during the periods between offline washes, mainly due to operation at various engine loads and ambient conditions. Understanding the gas turbine performance deterioration is of vital importance. Trending of the deviation from the engine baseline facilitates load-independent monitoring of the gas turbine’s condition. Instrument resolution and repeatability are key factors for attaining reliable results in the performance analysis. A correction methodology for compressor efficiency has been developed, which improves the long term trend data for effective diagnostics of compressor degradation. Avenues for further research and development are proposed in order to further increase the understanding of the deterioration mechanisms, as well as gas turbine performance and response.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Wilcox ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Klaus Brun

An inlet air filtration system is essential for the successful operation of a gas turbine. The filtration system protects the gas turbine from harmful debris in the ambient air, which can lead to issues such as FOD, erosion, fouling, and corrosion. These issues if not addressed will result in a shorter operational life and reduced performance of the gas turbine. Modern day filtration systems are comprised of multiple filtration stages. Each stage is selected based on the local operating environment and the performance goals for the gas turbine. Selection of these systems can be a challenging task. This paper provides a review of the considerations for selecting an inlet filtration system by covering (1) the characteristics of filters and filter systems, (2) a review of the many types of filters, (3) a detailed look at the different environments where the gas turbine can operate, (4) a process for evaluating the site where the gas turbine will be or is installed, and (5) a method to compare various filter system options with life cycle cost analysis.


Author(s):  
Peter T. McGuigan

Contaminants are ever-present in the air. Contaminated air entering a Gas Turbine will damage internal components and bring about a reduction in overall efficiency. The amount of contaminant entering a Gas Turbine, therefore, needs to be minimised. This paper describes recent developments in the understanding of one such contaminant, salt. It describes how salt is produced, how it varies climatically and how it varies from location to location and is presented here in the context of the author’s particular field of competence — air filtration system design. Salt ingestion by a Gas Turbine intake can cause corrosion and, given time, can accumulate on the compressor blades and reduce the aerodynamic efficiency. The removal of salt in the air is therefore of primary concern to all those involved in the design and operation of Gas Turbines. Salt removal systems are manufactured in various guises. The concept, however, remains the same — salt capture upstream of the Compressor stage. The drawback to this method of salt removal is that it results in a decrease in air pressure entering the Compressor and will consequently bring about a decrease in the overall system performance. As the requirement to remove more and more salt contaminant increases, the pressure drop across the method of filtration required to achieve this, increases. The responsibility of the Filtration Engineer is therefore to fully understand the requirements of the Gas Turbine, to understand the balance between pressure drop, salt removal and salt size and, consequently, to design an appropriate filtration system — one fit for purpose. Gas Turbines in the marine environment are generally found at heights less than 50m above sea level. It is this environment (the Marine Boundary Layer) which historically has been difficult to fully quantify. Herein lies the problem for those involved — if the environment is not fully understood how can the proper exploitation of the technologies be achieved? Recent developments, however, have led to a better understanding of salt in the Marine Boundary Layer. This paper describes these recent developments.


Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  

The quality and purity of the air entering a gas turbine is a significant factor influencing its performance and life. Foulants in the ppm range which are not captured by the air filtration system usually cause deposits on blading, which results in a severe drop in the performance of the compressor. Through the interdisciplinary approach proposed in this paper, it is possible to determine the evolution of the fouling phenomenon through the integration of studies in different research fields: (i) numerical simulation, (ii) power plant characteristics, and (iii) particle-adhesion characteristics. In fact, the size of the particles, their concentrations and adhesion ability, and filtration efficiency represent the major contributors for performing a realistic quantitative analysis of fouling phenomena in an axial compressor. The aim of this work is the estimation of actual deposits on the blade surface in terms of location and quantity. This study combines the impact/adhesion characteristic of the particles obtained through a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and the real size distribution of the contaminants in the air swallowed by the compressor. The blade zones affected by deposits are clearly reported by using easy-to-use contaminant maps realized on the blade surface, in terms of contaminant mass. The analysis has shown that particular fluid-dynamic phenomena and airfoil shape influence the pattern deposition. The use of a filtration system decreases the contamination of blade and the charge level of electrostatic filters seems to be less important than the air contaminant concentration. From these analyses, some guidelines for proper installation and management of the power plant (in terms of filtration systems and washing strategies) can be drawn up. Characterization of the air contaminants in the power plant location represents the most important step in improving the management of the gas turbine power plant.


Author(s):  
Alessio Suman ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Rainer Kurz ◽  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Klaus Brun ◽  
...  

The quality and purity of the air entering a gas turbine is a significant factor influencing its performance and life. Foulants in the ppm range which are not captured by the air filtration system usually cause deposits on blading, which results in a severe drop in the performance of the compressor. Through the interdisciplinary approach proposed in this paper, it is possible to determine the evolution of the fouling phenomenon through the integration of studies in different research fields: (i) numerical simulation, (ii) power plant characteristics and (iii) particle-adhesion characteristics. In fact, the size of the particles, their concentrations and adhesion ability, and filtration efficiency represent the major contributors to performing a realistic quantitative analysis of fouling phenomena in an axial compressor. The aim of this work is the estimation of the actual deposits on the blade surface in terms of location and quantity. This study combines the impact/adhesion characteristic of the particles obtained through a CFD and the real size distribution of the contaminants in the air swallowed by the compressor. The blade zones affected by deposits are clearly reported by using easy-to-use contaminant maps realized on the blade surface, in terms of contaminant mass. The analysis has shown that particular fluid-dynamic phenomena and airfoil shape influence the pattern deposition. The use of a filtration system decreases the contamination of the blade and the charge level of the electrostatic seems to be less important than the air contaminant concentration. From these analyses, some guidelines for proper installation and management of the power plant (in terms of filtration systems and washing strategies) can be drawn up. Characterization of the air contaminants in the power plant location represents the most important step in improving the management of the gas turbine power plant.


Author(s):  
Gianluca de Arcangelis

Abstract Traditional air filtration systems for Gas Turbine Naval applications consist of 3 stages: 1st vane separator + pocket filter + 2nd vane separator. The 2nd vane separator is required to drain out droplets formed by the traditional pocket filter during its coalescing function. Further to technological advancements in the water repellency of filter media, as well as leak-free techniques, it is now possible to implement a pocket filter that avoids leaching water droplets downstream. This enables the elimination of the 3rd stage vane separator in the air filtration system. The result is a suitable 2-stage air filtration system. The elimination of the 3rd stage vane separator provides the obvious following advantages: • Reduced pressure drop • Reduced weight • Reduced foot-print • Reduced cost Latest technological advancements in water repellency and high efficiency melt-blown media also allow the attainment of higher performance such as: • Increased efficiency against water droplet and salt in wet state • Increased efficiency against dry salt and dust This results in higher cleanliness of the Gas Turbines with benefits in terms of compressor fouling, compressor blades corrosion and turbine blades hot erosion. Higher performance also results in simplified maintenance as technicians need only focus on the replacement of the elements as opposed to the cleaning and overhauling of the intake duct. The paper goes through the engineering challenges of evolving from a 3-stage to 2-stage filtration system. The paper provides data from testing at independent laboratories with results that back the claims. Furthermore, reference is made to Offshore Oil & Gas installations and testing that have proven successful with independently measured data.


2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (02) ◽  
pp. 48-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Wilcox

This article discusses five steps for evaluating a gas turbine inlet air filtration system. The first step to evaluate an inlet filtration system is to study the operating environment. It is important to understand what must be removed from the air by the filtration system before evaluating the existing system. Once the operating environment is defined, the existing filtration system can be evaluated. Third step is the maintenance, which is an important part of any system. It ensures that the system will stay in an operable condition and perform as required. There are several tasks which, if performed consistently and correctly, can ensure that the filtration system operates properly. Fourth step is the upgrades, which should be considered if the operator finds deficiencies in the current filtration system. The fifth step is completing a lifecycle cost analysis. This analysis quantifies the cost and performance of a system in monetary terms to obtain a lifetime cost of the system. The lifetime costs between two different system options can be directly compared.


Author(s):  
Joseph P. Murphy ◽  
Harry Camplin

This paper describes the design and development of a innovative filtration system for a vehicular gas turbine engine that contains a high efficiency self-cleaning element and is integrated with the propulsion system for a tenfold increase in filter service interval, a 1/3 reduction in overall pressure loss and a 40 percent reduction in package size. The system consists of self-cleaning, rotating drum barrier filter surrounded by curved vortex tube precleaner panels and mounted directly to the engine inlet. A water tight external housing is provided to give the system the necessary deep water fording capability. The conceptual design is described as well as the detailed design of both precleaner element and the self-cleaning barrier filter. The full size prototype fabrication and testing is described to demonstrate operational integrity and cleanability.


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