Performance Evaluation of Evaporative Compressor Inlet Air Cooling System in a Gas Turbine-Based Cogeneration Plant

Author(s):  
Farshid Zabihian ◽  
Alan S. Fung ◽  
Fabio Schuler

Gas turbine-based power plants are very sensitive to ambient conditions and their output power and efficiency can be decreased significantly with increase in the ambient temperature. Various compressor inlet air cooling systems have been proposed and utilized to reduce inlet air temperature to the system, including evaporative systems e.g. media and fogging, and mechanical cooling systems. In this work, different techniques for compressor inlet air cooling are briefly reviewed. Then, the fogging system employed in the Whitby cogeneration power plant is explained with particular attention to the location of the system installation. A model of the gas turbine-based cogeneration plant is also developed to simulate the Whitby cogeneration power plant. The effects of fogging compressor inlet air cooling system on the performance of the plant are investigated. The results indicate that at an ambient temperature of 30°C and relative humidity of 40% the inlet cooling of as high as 8.4°C is possible which can increase output power to more than 50 MW. Also, it is found that the model can predict the gas turbine exhaust temperature and the plant’s power production with the error level of lower than 0.5% and 3%, respectively.

Author(s):  
Paul Shaw ◽  
Farshid Zabihian ◽  
Alan S. Fung

This paper presents results of the combined cycle power plant (CCPP) modeling when the ambient temperature is varying. The model of the CCPP was developed using a gas turbine and a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) models that had been already developed and validated. The model of the components was developed based on an actual existing power plant and then the operational data of the power plant was used to validate the model. The results of running the model for various ambient temperatures demonstrated that the performance of the gas turbine part of the cycle was heavily affected by the changes in the ambient temperature, particularly the output power of the gas turbines. However, the performance of the steam cycle was almost untouched by the changes of ambient temperature. This suggests that operation of the CCPP is more stable than stand-alone gas turbine in hot summer days especially if the cycle is not equipped with an inlet air cooling system.


Author(s):  
Duan Liqiang ◽  
Guo Yaofei ◽  
Pan Pan ◽  
Li Yongxia

Abstract The environmental conditions (air temperature and relative humidity) have a great impact on the power and efficiency of gas turbine combined cycle (GTCC) system. Using the intake air cooling technology can greatly improve the performance of GTCC system. On the base of the PG9351FA gas turbine combined cycle system, this article builds the models of both the GTCC system and a typical lithium bromide absorption refrigeration system using Aspen Plus software. The effects of compressor inlet air cooling with different environmental conditions on the GTCC system performance are studied. The research results show that using the inlet air cooling technology can obviously increase the output powers of both the gas turbine and the combined cycle power. When the ambient humidity is low, the efficiency of GTCC changes gently; while the ambient humidity is high, the GTCC system efficiency will decline substantially when water in the air is condensed and removed with the progress of cooling process. At the same ambient temperature, when the relative humidity of the environment is equal to 20%, the gas turbine output power is increased by 35.64 MW, with an increase of 16.32%, and the combined cycle output power is increased by 39.57 MW, with an increase of 11.34%. At an ambient temperature of 35°C, for every 2.5 °C drop in the compressor inlet air, the thermal efficiency of the gas turbine increases by 0.189% compared to before cooling.


Author(s):  
Maurizio De Lucia ◽  
Ennio Carnevale ◽  
Massimo Falchetti ◽  
Alberto Tesei

Gas Turbine (GT) performance seriously deteriorates at increased ambient temperature. This study analyses the possibility of improving GT power output and efficiency by installing a gas turbine inlet air cooling system. Different cooling systems were analyzed and preliminary cost evaluations for each system were carried out. The following three cooling systems were considered in detail: a) Traditional compression cooling system; b) Absorption single-acting cooling system using a solution of lithium bromide; c) Absorption double-acting cooling system using a solution of lithium bromide. Results clearly indicate that there is a great potential for GT performance enhancement by application of an Inlet Air Cooling (IAC). Technical and economical analyses lead to selection of a particular type of IAC for significant savings in capital outlay, operational and maintenance costs and other additional advantages.


Author(s):  
T. Tanaka ◽  
A. Ishikawa ◽  
K. Aoyama ◽  
K. Kishimoto ◽  
Y. Yoshida ◽  
...  

Gas turbine performance, especially power output and efficiency, is strongly dependent on ambient air temperature. Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling (GTIAC) has the effect of enhancing gas turbine capacity during peak hours in summer season. This paper presents an unique GTIAC system with liquid air, which will produce and store liquid air during off peak periods and spray it directly into the compressor inlet during peak hours. In the summer of 1996, an experimental study using a 150MW base load gas turbine was successfully performed on Chita Power Station to prove this new GTIAC performance. Test results show that the new GTIAC has a big advantage of increasing gas turbine capacity flexibly and economically for peak demands or emergencies.


Volume 1 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad Ameri ◽  
Hamid Nabati ◽  
Alireza Keshtgar

Gas turbines are almost constant volume machines at a specific rotating speed, i.e., air intake is limited to a nearly fixed volume of air regardless of ambient air conditions. As air temperature rises, its density falls. Thus, although the volumetric flow rate remains constant, the mass flow rate is reduced as air temperature rises. Power output is also reduced as air temperature rises because power output is proportional to mass flow rate. This power output reduction is from 0.5% to 0.9% of the ISO output power for every 1°C rise in the ambient temperature. The solution of this problem is very important because the peak demand season also happens in the summer. One of the useful methods to overcome this problem is to apply the fog inlet air cooling system for the gas turbines. In this paper the Rey Power Plant site climate conditions in the summer have been studied. The design conditions regarding the dry bulb temperature and relative humidity have been selected. The different inlet air cooling systems have been studied and the Fog system has been chosen. The economical study has shown that this system is very cheap in comparison with the installation of the new gas turbines. The capital cost is estimated to be 40 $/KW. The pay back period is around 1.5 year. The testing of this system has shown that the average power capacity of the power plant is increased by 19 MW and prevented the installation of a new gas turbine.


Author(s):  
Maurizio De Lucia ◽  
Rinaldo Bronconi ◽  
Ennio Carnevale

Gas turbine air cooling systems serve to raise performance to peak power levels during the hot months when high atmospheric temperatures cause reductions in net power output. This work describes the technical and economic advantages of providing a compressor inlet air cooling system to increase the gas turbine’s power rating and reduce its heat rate. The pros and cons of state-of-the-art cooling technologies, i.e., absorption and compression refrigeration, with and without thermal energy storage, were examined in order to select the most suitable cooling solution. Heavy-duty gas turbine cogeneration systems with and without absorption units were modeled, as well as various industrial sectors, i.e., paper and pulp, pharmaceuticals, food processing, textiles, tanning, and building materials. The ambient temperature variations were modeled so the effects of climate could be accounted for in the simulation. The results validated the advantages of gas turbine cogeneration with absorption air cooling as compared to other systems without air cooling.


1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-365 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. De Lucia ◽  
R. Bronconi ◽  
E. Carnevale

Gas turbine air cooling systems serve to raise performance to peak power levels during the hot months when high atmospheric temperatures cause reductions in net power output. This work describes the technical and economic advantages of providing a compressor inlet air cooling system to increase the gas turbine’s power rating and reduce its heat rate. The pros and cons of state-of-the-art cooling technologies, i.e., absorption and compression refrigeration, with and without thermal energy storage, were examined in order to select the most suitable cooling solution. Heavy-duty gas turbine cogeneration systems with and without absorption units were modeled, as well as various industrial sectors, i.e., paper and pulp, pharmaceuticals, food processing, textiles, tanning, and building materials. The ambient temperature variations were modeled so the effects of climate could be accounted for in the simulation. The results validated the advantages of gas turbine cogeneration with absorption air cooling as compared to other systems without air cooling.


Author(s):  
A. Al Bassam ◽  
Y. M. Al Said

This paper summarizes the experiences with the first gas turbine inlet air cooling project in Saudi Arabia. It will cover the feasibility study, cooling system options, overview, system equipment description, process flow diagram, construction, commissioning, start-up and performance of the project which is currently under commissioning and initial start up at Qassim Central Power Plant (QCPP) owned by Saudi Electric Company (S.E.C.) Central Region Branch.


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