Inlet Air Cooling Applied to Combined Cycle Power Plants: Influence of Site Climate and Thermal Storage Systems

2008 ◽  
Vol 130 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Palestra ◽  
Giovanna Barigozzi ◽  
Antonio Perdichizzi
Keyword(s):  
Power Output ◽  
Parametric Analysis ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Cooling Systems

The paper presents the results of an investigation on inlet air cooling systems based on cool thermal storage, applied to combined cycle power plants. Such systems provide a significant increase of electric energy production in the peak hours; the charge of the cool thermal storage is performed instead during the night time. The inlet air cooling system also allows the plant to reduce power output dependence on ambient conditions. A 127MW combined cycle power plant operating in the Italian scenario is the object of this investigation. Two different technologies for cool thermal storage have been considered: ice harvester and stratified chilled water. To evaluate the performance of the combined cycle under different operating conditions, inlet cooling systems have been simulated with an in-house developed computational code. An economical analysis has been then performed. Different plant location sites have been considered, with the purpose to weigh up the influence of climatic conditions. Finally, a parametric analysis has been carried out in order to investigate how a variation of the thermal storage size affects the combined cycle performances and the investment profitability. It was found that both cool thermal storage technologies considered perform similarly in terms of gross extra production of energy. Despite this, the ice harvester shows higher parasitic load due to chillers consumptions. Warmer climates of the plant site resulted in a greater increase in the amount of operational hours than power output augmentation; investment profitability is different as well. Results of parametric analysis showed how important the size of inlet cooling storage may be for economical results.

Inlet Air Cooling Applied to Combined Cycle Power Plants: Influence of Site Climate and Thermal Storage Systems

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Palestra ◽  
Giovanna Barigozzi ◽  
Antonio Perdichizzi
Keyword(s):  
Power Output ◽  
Parametric Analysis ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Cooling Systems

The paper presents the results of an investigation on inlet air cooling systems based on cool thermal storage, applied to combined cycle power plants. Such systems provide a significant increase of electric energy production in the peak hours; the charge of the cool thermal storage is performed instead during night time. The inlet air cooling system also allows the plant to reduce power output dependence on ambient conditions. A 127 MW combined cycle power plant operating in the Italian scenario is the object of this investigation. Two different technologies for cool thermal storage have been considered: ice harvester and stratified chilled water. To evaluate the performance of the combined cycle under different operating conditions, inlet cooling systems have been simulated with an in-house developed computational code. An economical analysis has been then performed. Different plant location sites have been considered, with the purpose to weigh up the influence of climatic conditions. Finally, a parametric analysis has been carried out in order to investigate how a variation of the thermal storage size affects the combined cycle performances and the investment profitability. It was found that both considered cool thermal storage technologies perform similarly in terms of gross extra-production of energy. Despite to that, ice harvester shows higher parasitic load due to chillers consumptions. Warmer climates of plant site resulted to increase more the amount of operational hours than power output augmentation; investment profitability is different as well. Results of parametric analysis showed how important may be, for economical results, the size of inlet cooling storage.

An Innovative Inlet Air Cooling System for IGCC Power Augmentation: Part I—Analysis of IGCC Plant Components

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Mauro Venturini
Keyword(s):  
Simulation Model ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Separation ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Characteristic Energy ◽  
Separation Unit ◽  
Plant Components

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plants are energy systems mainly composed of a gasifier and a combined cycle power plant. Since the gasification process usually requires oxygen as the oxidant, an Air Separation Unit is also part of the plant. Moreover, a producer gas cleaning unit is always present between the gasifier and the gas turbine. With respect to Natural Gas Combined Cycles (NGCCs), IGCCs are characterized by a consistent loss in the overall plant efficiency due to the conversion of the raw fuel in the gasifier and the electrical power parasitized for fuel production which considerably reduces plant net electric power. In order to reduce this loss, synergies among the different components of the plant should be improved. In this paper, an analysis of state-of-the-art IGCC plant components is presented. Particular interest is given to characteristic energy and flow streams in order to evaluate possible synergies and optimizations. Moreover, a simulation model of an IGCC plant, built in a commercial energy system simulation environment, is set up and the influence of ambient conditions on IGCC net power output is analyzed. The suggestions gained from the current paper and the simulation model will be used in the Part II of this paper to evaluate the capability of a strategy for IGCC power augmentation, based on ASU discharged nitrogen utilization.

Inlet Air Cooling Methods for Gas Turbine Based Power Plants

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Kakaras ◽  
A. Doukelis ◽  
A. Prelipceanu ◽  
S. Karellas
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Evaporative Cooling ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Cooling Methods

Power generation from gas turbines is penalised by a substantial power output loss with increased ambient temperature. By cooling down the gas turbine intake air, the power output penalty can be mitigated. The purpose of this paper is to review the state of the art in applications for reducing the gas turbine intake air temperature and examine the merits from integration of the different air-cooling methods in gas turbine based power plants. Three different intake air-cooling methods (evaporative cooling, refrigeration cooling and evaporative cooling of pre-compressed air) have been applied in two combined cycle power plants and two gas turbine plants. The calculations were performed on a yearly basis of operation, taking into account the time-varying climatic conditions. The economics from integration of the different cooling systems were calculated and compared.

GT Inlet Air Boosting and Cooling Coupled With Cold Thermal Storage in Combined Cycle Power Plants

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Palestra ◽  
Giovanna Barigozzi ◽  
Antonio Perdichizzi
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Energy Production ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Electric Energy ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Inlet Pressure ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Air Cooling System

Investigation results of compressor inlet air boosting and cooling, applied to combined cycle power plants, are presented and discussed. Gas turbine performances may be reduced by site altitude and inlet losses due to air ducts and filters. Increasing inlet pressure by fans allows the restoring of gas turbine power output and efficiency at least to ISO reference conditions. Coupling such a system with inlet air cooling may completely suppress the temperature increase given by inlet air compression and the pressure losses through air coils as well; therefore, by this way, a further increase of electric energy production can be achieved. An in-house simulation code, developed for evaluating inlet air cooling system performance by cool thermal storage, has been adapted in order to also simulate off-design behaviour of boosting applied to combined cycle plants. A 127 MW reference power plant, operating in the Italian scenario, has been considered. Inlet pressure increase has been evaluated with and without inlet cooling, and in comparison with inlet cooling solution alone. Both thermodynamic and economical results have been analyzed. A parametric analysis on both system sizing parameters has been carried out. Best solution was found in coupling boosting to inlet cooling system through cool thermal storage; it produced an important increase in electric energy production. Location site influence on investment pay-back proved to be less important compared to the solution with inlet air cooling system alone.

Optimization of fog inlet air cooling system for combined cycle power plants using genetic algorithm

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 ◽  
pp. 449-461 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehdi A. Ehyaei ◽  
Mojtaba Tahani ◽  
Pouria Ahmadi ◽  
Mohammad Esfandiari
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Algorithm ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Air Cooling System

Development of Next Generation Gas Turbine Combined Cycle System

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroyuki Yamazaki ◽  
Yoshiaki Nishimura ◽  
Masahiro Abe ◽  
Kazumasa Takata ◽  
Satoshi Hada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Plant ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Air Cooling System ◽  
Forced Air ◽  
Cooling Air

Tohoku Electric Power Company, Inc. (Tohoku-EPCO) has been adopting cutting-edge gas turbines for gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) power plants to contribute for reduction of energy consumption, and making a continuous effort to study the next generation gas turbines to further improve GTCC power plants efficiency and flexibility. Tohoku-EPCO and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd (MHPS) developed “forced air cooling system” as a brand-new combustor cooling system for the next generation GTCC system in a collaborative project. The forced air cooling system can be applied to gas turbines with a turbine inlet temperature (TIT) of 1600deg.C or more by controlling the cooling air temperature and the amount of cooling air. Recently, the forced air cooling system verification test has been completed successfully at a demonstration power plant located within MHPS Takasago Works (T-point). Since the forced air cooling system has been verified, the 1650deg.C class next generation GTCC power plant with the forced air cooling system is now being developed. Final confirmation test of 1650deg.C class next generation GTCC system will be carried out in 2020.

Gas Turbine Performance Enhancement by Inlet Air Cooling and Coolant Pre-Cooling Using an Absorption Chiller

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyun Min Kwon ◽  
Jeong Ho Kim ◽  
Tong Seop Kim
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Absorption Chiller ◽  
Large Power ◽  
Cycle Simulation ◽  
Standard Design

The gas turbine combined cycle is the most mature and efficient power generation system. While enhancing design performance continuously, a parallel effort to make up for the shortcomings of the gas turbine should be pursued. The most critical drawback is the large power loss in hot season when electricity demand is usually the highest. Therefore, it is important to implement an effective power boosting measure in gas turbine based power plants, especially in areas where the annual average temperature is much higher than the standard design ambient temperature. The simplest method in general is to reduce the gas turbine inlet air temperature by any means. Several schemes are commercially available, such as mechanical chilling, evaporative cooling, inlet fogging and absorption chilling. All of them have merits and demerits, either thermodynamically and economically. In this study, we focused our interest on the absorption chilling method. Theoretically, absorption chilling provides as much cooling effect (air temperature reduction) as the mechanical chilling, while electric power consumption is negligibly small. A distinct feature of an absorption chiller in contrast to a mechanical chiller is that thermal energy (heat) is needed to drive the chilling system. In this research, we propose an innovative idea of making the independent heat supply unnecessary. The new method provides simultaneous cooling of the turbine coolant and the inlet air using an absorption chiller. The inlet cooling and coolant precooling boost the gas turbine power synergistically. We predicted the system performance using cycle simulation and compared it with that of the conventional mechanical cooling system.

Economic Design of Hybrid Wet-Dry Cooling Systems

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. W. Card
Keyword(s):  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Weather Data ◽  
Net Generation ◽  
Steam Turbines ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Hybrid Cooling ◽  
Seasonal Basis ◽  
Dry Cooling

A hybrid wet-dry cooling system can be designed for a large combined-cycle power plant. A well-designed hybrid cooling system will provide reasonable net generation year-round, while using substantially less water than a conventional wet cooling tower. The optimum design for the hybrid system depends upon climate at the site, the price of power, and the price of water. These factors vary on a seasonal basis. Two hypothetical power plants are modeled, using state-of-the-art steam turbines and hybrid cooling systems. The plants are designed for water-constrained sites incorporating typical weather data, power prices, and water prices. The principles for economic designs of hybrid cooling systems are demonstrated.

Towards a Technoeconomic Framework for Estimating Cost-Performance Tradeoffs for Power Plants Incorporating Transformative Dry-Cooling Technologies

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey Short ◽  
Addison K. Stark ◽  
Daniel Matuszak ◽  
James F. Klausner
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Power Plant ◽  
Fresh Water ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Cooling Systems ◽  
Natural Gas Combined Cycle ◽  
Evaporative Cooling System ◽  
Dry Cooling

Fresh water withdrawal for thermoelectric power generation in the U.S. is approximately 139 billion gallons per day (BGD), or 41% of total fresh water draw, making it the largest single use of fresh water in the U.S. Of the fresh water withdrawn for the power generation sector, 4.3 BGD is dissipated to the atmosphere by cooling towers and spray ponds. Dry-cooled power plants are attractive and sometimes necessary because they avoid significant withdrawal and consumption of freshwater resources that could otherwise be used for other purposes. This could become even more important when considering the potential effects of climate change (1). Additional benefits of dry-cooling include power plant site flexibility, reduced risk of water scarcity, and faster permitting (reducing project development time and cost). However, dry-cooling systems are known to be more costly and larger than their wet-cooling counterparts. Additionally, without the benefit of additional latent heat transfer through evaporation, the Rankine cycle condensing (cold) temperature for dry-cooling is typically higher than that for wet-cooling, affecting the efficiency of power production and the resultant levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E) has developed a technoeconomic analysis (TEA) model for the development of indirect dry-cooling systems employing steam condensation within a natural gas combined cycle power plant. The TEA model has been used to inform the Advanced Research in Dry-Cooling (ARID) Program on the performance metrics needed to achieve an economical dry-cooling technology. In order to assess the relationship between air-cooled heat exchanger (ACHX) performance, including air side heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop, and power plant economics, ARPA-E has employed a modified version of the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) model of a 550 MW natural gas combined cycle (NGCC) plant employing an evaporative cooling system. The evaporative cooling system, including associated balance of system costs, was replaced with a thermodynamic model for an ACHX with the desired improved heat transfer performance and supplemental cooling and storage systems. Monte Carlo simulation determined an optimal ACHX geometry and associated ACHX cost. Allowing for an increase in LCOE of 5%, the maximum allowable additional cost of the supplemental cooling system was determined as a function of the degree of cooling of the working fluid required. This paper describes the methodologies employed in the TEA, details the results, and includes related models as supplemental material, while providing insight on how the open source tool might be used for thermal management innovation.

An Innovative Inlet Air Cooling System for IGCC Power Augmentation: Part II—Thermodynamic Analysis

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Pier Ruggero Spina
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Air Separation ◽  
Air Cooling ◽  
Separation Unit ◽  
Gasification Process

Integrated Gasification Combined Cycles (IGCCs) are energy systems mainly composed of a gasifier and a combined cycle power plant. Since the gasification process usually requires oxygen as the oxidant, the plant also has an Air Separation Unit (ASU). Moreover, a producer gas cleaner unit is always present between the gasifier and the gas turbine. Since these plants are based on gas-steam combined cycle power plants they suffer from a reduction in performance when ambient temperature increases. In this paper, an innovative system for power augmentation in IGCC plants is presented. The system is based on gas turbine inlet air cooling by means of liquid nitrogen spray. In fact, nitrogen is a product of the ASU, but is not always exploited. In the proposed plant, the nitrogen is first chilled and liquefied and then it can be used for inlet air cooling or stored for a postponed use. This system is not characterized by the limits of water evaporative cooling (where the lower temperature is limited by air saturation) and refrigeration cooling (where the effectiveness is limited by pressure drop in the heat exchanger). A thermodynamic model of the system is built by using a commercial code for the simulation of energy conversion systems. A sensitivity analysis on the main parameters (e.g. ambient air temperature, inlet air temperature difference, etc.) is presented. Finally the model is used to study the capabilities of the system by imposing the real temperature profiles of different sites for a whole year.

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