Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Different Gas Turbine Axial Compressor Water Washing Systems

Abstract Nowadays the climate change is widely recognized as a global threat by both public opinion and industries. Actions to mitigate its causes are gaining momentum within all industries. In the energy field, there is the necessity to reduce emissions and to improve technologies to preserve the environment. LCA analyses of products are fundamental in this context. In the present work, a life cycle assessment has been carried out to calculate the carbon footprint of different water washing processes, as well as their effectiveness in recovering Gas Turbine efficiency losses. Field data have been collected and analyzed to make a comparison of the GT operating conditions before and after the introduction of an innovative high flow online water washing technique. The assessments have been performed using SimaPro software and cover the entire Gas Turbine and Water Washing skids operations, including the airborne emissions, skid pump, the water treatment and the heaters.

Download Full-text

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment of Different Gas Turbine Axial Compressor Water Washing Systems

10.1115/1.0002975v ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Serena Gabriele ◽

Angela Serra ◽

Ilaria Dominizi ◽

Domenico Borello

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle Assessment ◽

Life Cycle ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Water Washing ◽

Comparative Life Cycle Assessment

Download Full-text

Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Water-Washing in Gas Turbine Compressors

Volume 3B: Oil and Gas Applications; Organic Rankine Cycle Power Systems; Supercritical CO2 Power Cycles; Wind Energy ◽

10.1115/gt2014-25053 ◽

2014 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Klaus Brun ◽

William C. Foiles ◽

Terrence A. Grimley ◽

Rainer Kurz

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Blade Surface ◽

Compressor Blades ◽

Flow Recirculation ◽

Water Washing ◽

Air Stream ◽

Recirculation Zones

An investigation of the effectiveness of online combustion turbine axial compressor washing using various purity grade waters and commercial washing detergents was performed. For this project, blade surface fouling dirt was obtained from gas turbine axial compressor blades installed at various field sites. The dirt was analyzed to determine the composition and consistency of typical blade surface fouling materials. A representative dirt formula and blade coating procedure was developed so that comparative tests could be performed using various cleaning fluids. Dirt coated blades were installed in a wind tunnel capable of simulating compressor operating conditions. A spray nozzle upstream of the blade test section was used for washing blades with five different test liquids to determine the effectiveness or advantages of any liquid. Once this testing was completed, a similar test setup was then utilized to inject a mixture of formulated fouling dirt and the various online cleaning liquids upstream of the blade into the wind tunnel to assess redeposit characteristics. The effect of high-purity water versus regular water on fouling dirt was also studied in separate residue experiments. Results indicate that spraying cleaning fluid into a flowing air stream is a viable means of cleaning a compressor blade. Each of the fluids was able to clean the test blade at both low and high air velocities and at different blade incident angles. Within the parameters/fluids tested, the results indicate that: 1. The blade cleaning is primarily a mechanical function and does not depend on the type of fluid used for cleaning. The results showed that most of the cleaning occurs shortly after the cleaning fluid is introduced into the flow stream. 2. Dirt removed from the blades may redeposit in other areas as the cleaning fluid is evaporated. Redeposit occurred in flow recirculation zones during the cleaning tests, and heated flow tests demonstrated dirt deposit in the presence of a cleaning fluid. In addition, the type of fluid used for cleaning has no effect on the redeposit characteristics of the dirt. 3. Blade erosion was not found to be a significant issue for the short durations that online water-washing was performed. However, uncontrolled water-washing (or overspray) for extended periods of time did result in measureable leading and trailing edge blade erosions.

Download Full-text

Experimental Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Online Water-Washing in Gas Turbine Compressors

Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power ◽

10.1115/1.4028618 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 137 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Klaus Brun ◽

Terrence A. Grimley ◽

William C. Foiles ◽

Rainer Kurz

Keyword(s):

Wind Tunnel ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Blade Surface ◽

Compressor Blades ◽

Flow Recirculation ◽

Water Washing ◽

Air Stream ◽

Recirculation Zones

An investigation of the effectiveness of online combustion turbine axial compressor washing using various purity grade waters and commercial washing detergents was performed. For this project, blade surface fouling dirt was obtained from gas turbine axial compressor blades installed at various field sites. The dirt was analyzed to determine consistency of typical blade surface fouling materials. A representative dirt formula and blade coating procedure was developed so that comparative tests could be performed using various cleaning fluids. Dirt coated blades were installed in a wind tunnel capable of simulating compressor operating conditions. A spray nozzle upstream of the blade test section was used for washing blades with five different test liquids to determine the effectiveness or advantages of any liquid. Once this testing was completed, a similar test setup was then utilized to inject a mixture of formulated fouling dirt and the various online cleaning liquids upstream of the blade into the wind tunnel to assess redeposit characteristics. The effect of high-purity water versus regular water on fouling dirt was also studied in separate residue experiments. Results indicate that spraying cleaning fluid into a flowing air stream is a viable means of cleaning a compressor blade. Each of the fluids was able to clean the test blade at both low and high air velocities and at different blade incident angles. Within the parameters/fluids tested, the results indicate that: (1) The blade cleaning is primarily a mechanical function and does not depend on the type of fluid used for cleaning. The results showed that most of the cleaning occurs shortly after the cleaning fluid is introduced into the flow stream. (2) Dirt removed from the blades may redeposit in other areas as the cleaning fluid is evaporated. Redeposit occurred in flow recirculation zones during the cleaning tests, and heated flow tests demonstrated dirt deposit in the presence of a cleaning fluid. In addition, the type of fluid used for cleaning has no effect on the redeposit characteristics of the dirt. (3) Blade erosion was not found to be a significant issue for the short durations that online water-washing was performed. However, uncontrolled water-washing (or overspray) for extended periods of time did result in measureable leading and trailing edge blade erosions.

Download Full-text

Structural Analysis of a Gas Turbine Axial Compressor Blade Eroded by Online Water Washing

Volume 2B: Turbomachinery ◽

10.1115/gt2020-15942 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Rossella Cinelli ◽

Gianluca Maggiani ◽

Serena Gabriele ◽

Alessio Castorrini ◽

Giuliano Agati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Structural Analysis ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Compressor Blades ◽

Performance Levels ◽

Water Washing ◽

Critical Issues ◽

Air Intake ◽

Set Up ◽

The Impact

Abstract The Gas Turbine (GT) Axial Compressor (AXCO) can absorb up to the 30% of the power produced by the GT, being the component with the largest impact over the performances. The axial compressor blades might undergo the fouling phenomena as a consequence of the unwanted material locally accumulating during the machine operations. The presence of such polluting substances reduces the aerodynamic efficiency as well as the air intake causing the drop of performances and the increase of the fuel consumption. To address the above-mentioned critical issues, several washing strategies have been implemented so far, among the most promising ones, High Flow On-Line Water Washing (HFOLWW) is worth to mention. Exploiting this technique, the performance levels are preserved, whereas the stops for maintenance should be reduced. Nevertheless, this comes at the cost of a long-term erosion exposure caused by the impact of water washing droplets. Hence, it was deemed necessary to carry out a finite element method (FEM) structural analysis of the first rotor stage of the compressor of an aeroderivative GT, integrated into the HFOLWW scheme, in order to evaluate the fatigue strength of the component subjected to the erosion; possibly along with its acceptability limits. The first step requires the determination of the blade areas affected by erosion, using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations, followed by the creation and the 3D modelling of the damaged geometry. The final step consists in the evaluation of the static stress and the dynamic agents, to perform a fatigue analysis through the Goodman relation and carrying out a simulation of damage propagation exploiting the theory of fracture mechanics. This procedure has been extended to the damage-free baseline component to set-up a model suitable for comparison. The structural analysis confirms the design of the blade, moreover dynamic and static evaluation of the eroded profiles haven’t outlined any working, nor mechanical, issue. This entitles the structural choice of HFOLWW as a system which guarantees full performance levels of the compressor.

Download Full-text

Structural Analysis of a Gas Turbine Axial Compressor Blade Eroded by Online Water Washing

10.1115/1.0003054v ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rossella Cinelli ◽

Gianluca Maggiani ◽

Serena Gabriele ◽

Alessio Castorrini ◽

Giuliano Agati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Structural Analysis ◽

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Compressor Blade ◽

Water Washing

Download Full-text

Experimental Assessment of Fouling Effects in a Multistage Axial Compressor

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202019711007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 197 ◽

pp. 11007

Author(s):

Nicola Casari ◽

Michele Pinelli ◽

Pier Ruggero Spina ◽

Alessio Suman ◽

Alessandro Vulpio

Keyword(s):

Gas Turbine ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Rotor Blades ◽

Small Scale ◽

Performance Loss ◽

Machine Performance ◽

Internal Surfaces ◽

Analysis Package ◽

Multistage Axial Compressor

The study of the adhesion of micro sized particles to gas turbine internal surfaces, commonly known as gas turbine fouling, has gained increasing attention in the last years due to its dramatic effect on machine performance and reliability. On-field fouling analysis is mostly related to visual inspections during overhaul and/or programmed stops, which are performed, in particular, when gas turbine performance degradation falls under predetermined thresholds. However, these analyses, even if performed in the most complete as possible way, are rarely (or never) related to the conditions under which the gas turbine contamination takes place since the affecting parameters are difficult or even impossible to be adequately monitored. In the present work, a small scale multistage axial compressor is used to experimentally simulate the fouling phenomenon. The test rig allows the accurate control of the most relevant operating parameters which influence the fouling phenomenon. The compressor performance loss due to particle contamination has been quantitatively assessed. Soot particles appear stickier, especially in the presence of high humidity, and represent the most harmful operating conditions for the compressor unit. The deposits on the stator vanes and the rotor blades have been detected and post-processed, highlighting the most affected regions of each compressor stage employing an image analysis package tool.

Download Full-text

Aerodynamic Instability and Life Limiting Effects of Inlet and Interstage Water Injection Into Gas Turbines

Volume 4: Turbo Expo 2005 ◽

10.1115/gt2005-68007 ◽

2005 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Klaus Brun ◽

Rainer Kurz ◽

Harold R. Simmons

Keyword(s):

Gas Turbine ◽

Gas Turbines ◽

Water Injection ◽

Axial Compressor ◽

Careful Analysis ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Aerodynamic Stability ◽

Surge Margin ◽

Power Enhancement ◽

Aerodynamic Instability

Gas turbine power enhancement technologies such as inlet fogging, interstage water injection, saturation cooling, inlet chillers, and combustor injection are being employed by end-users without evaluating the potentially negative effects these devices may have on the operational integrity of the gas turbine. Particularly, the effect of these add-on devices, off-design operating conditions, non-standard fuels, and compressor degradation/fouling on the gas turbine’s axial compressor surge margin and aerodynamic stability is often overlooked. Nonetheless, compressor aerodynamic instabilities caused by these factors can be directly linked to blade high-cycle fatigue and subsequent catastrophic gas turbine failure; i.e., a careful analysis should always proceed the application of power enhancement devices, especially if the gas turbine is operated at extreme conditions, uses older internal parts that are degraded and weakened, or uses non-standard fuels. This paper discusses a simplified method to evaluate the principal factors that affect the aerodynamic stability of a single shaft gas turbine’s axial compressor. As an example, the method is applied to a frame type gas turbine and results are presented. These results show that inlet cooling alone will not cause gas turbine aerodynamic instabilities but that it can be a contributing factor if for other reasons the machine’s surge margin is already slim. The approach described herein can be employed to identify high-risk applications and bound the gas turbine operating regions to limit the risk of blade life reducing aerodynamic instability and potential catastrophic failure.

Download Full-text

Preliminary design and performance analysis of a low emission aero-derived gas turbine combustor

The Aeronautical Journal ◽

10.1017/s0001924000008848 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 117 (1198) ◽

pp. 1249-1271 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

B. Khandelwal ◽

A. Karakurt ◽

V. Sethi ◽

R. Singh ◽

Z. Quan

Keyword(s):

Gas Turbine ◽

Combustion Efficiency ◽

Operating Conditions ◽

Gas Turbine Combustor ◽

Detailed Method ◽

Low Emission ◽

Heat Shields ◽

Lean Fuel ◽

Reduce Emissions ◽

And Performance

Abstract Modern gas turbine combustor design is a complex task which includes both experimental and empirical knowledge. Numerous parameters have to be considered for combustor designs which include combustor size, combustion efficiency, emissions and so on. Several empirical correlations and experienced approaches have been developed and summarised in literature for designing conventional combustors. A large number of advanced technologies have been successfully employed to reduce emissions significantly in the last few decades. There is no literature in the public domain for providing detailed design methodologies of triple annular combustors. The objective of this study is to provide a detailed method designing a triple annular dry low emission industrial combustor and evaluate its performance, based on the operating conditions of an industrial engine. The design methodology employs semi-empirical and empirical models for designing different components of gas turbine combustors. Meanwhile, advanced DLE methods such as lean fuel combustion, premixed methods, staged combustion, triple annular, multi-passage diffusers, machined cooling rings, DACRS and heat shields are employed to cut down emissions. The design process is shown step by step for design and performance evaluation of the combustor. The performance of this combustor is predicted, it shows that NO x emissions could be reduced by 60%-90% as compared with conventional single annular combustors.

Download Full-text