Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling

Available Technologies
1. Evaporative cooler
2. Fogging system
3. Mechanical refrigeration system (direct type)
4. Mechanical refrigeration system (indirect type)
5. Mechanical refrigeration with ice storage
6. Mechanical refrigeration system with chilled water storage
7. Single stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
8. Two stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
Fuel
Combustion Turbine
Chilled Water
Pump
Mechanical Chiller
Combustion
Air
Air Cooling
Coil
Schematic of an Indirect System
Using a Mechanical Chiller
Exhaust Gas
Air
Filter
Condensate
Drip Pan
Mechanical Refrigeration System (Indirect Type)
Applications: Areas where relative humidity is rather high
Advantage
# Can increase gas turbine
performance better than
evaporative cooling, and fog
system
# Not very sensitive to ambient
air wet bulb temperature
Disadvantage
# High initial capital cost
# High O&M cost
# Long delivery and installation
time
# Expertise is needed to
operate and maintain the
plant
# Requires extra chilled water
cooling circuit
# Higher parasitic load than
direct type
# Higher energy input
compared to direct type chiller
Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling
Available Technologies
1. Evaporative cooler
2. Fogging system
3. Mechanical refrigeration system (direct type)
4. Mechanical refrigeration system (indirect type)
5. Mechanical refrigeration with ice storage
6. Mechanical refrigeration system with chilled
water storage
7. Single stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
8. Two stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
Fuel
Combustion Turbine
Chilled Water
Pump
Mechanical Chiller/
Ice Maker
Combustion
Air
Air Cooling
Coil
Inlet Air Cooling With Ice Storage,
Chilled Water Storage System Schematic
Ice Storage Tank
Exhaust Gas
Air
Filter
Condensate
Drip Pan
Fuel
Combustion Turbine
Chilled Water
Pump
Chilled
Water
Storage
Tank
Mech.
Chiller
Combustion
Air
Air Cooling
Coil
Inlet Air Cooling With Chilled Water Storage
System Schematic
Exhaust Gas
Air
Filter
Condensate
Drip Pan
Mechanical Refrigeration System
With Ice Storage
Applications: Areas where RH is rather high,plus a wide variation in
electricity tariff between peak and non peak hours
Advantage
# Can increase gas turbine
performance better than
evaporative cooling, and fog
system
# Not very sensitive to ambient
air wet bulb temperature
# Can utilise low night time
tariff to produce and store ice
for peak hours operation
Disadvantage
# High initial capital cost
# High O&M cost
# Longer delivery and
installation time
# Higher expertise is needed
to operate and maintain the
plant
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300
Gas Turbine Output MW
C
h
i
l
l
e
r

E
l
e
c
t
r
i
c
a
l

L
o
a
d

M
W
Chiller Electrical Load MW
36C DB, 25C WB, 10C Chilled Air Temp
Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling
Available Technologies
1. Evaporative cooler
2. Fogging system
3. Mechanical refrigeration system (direct type)
4. Mechanical refrigeration system (indirect type)
5. Mechanical refrigeration with ice storage
6. Mechanical refrigeration system with chilled water storage
7. Single stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
8. Two stage Lithium Bromide Absorption chiller
Fuel
Combustion Turbine
Chilled Water
Pump
Absorption Chiller
Combustion
Air
Air Cooling
Coil
Absorption Chiller Inlet Air Cooling
System Schematic
Heat Recovery
Steam Generator
Exhaust Gas
Air
Filter
Condensate
Drip Pan
L
P

S
t
e
a
m
R
e
t
u
r
n

C
o
n
d
e
n
s
a
t
e
6C
12C
Chilled
Water
Tower Water In
Tower Water Out
Heat Medium Out
Heat Medium In
Steam or Hot
Water
t
c
45C
9
5

C
7
0

C
to 4C
Condenser
Generator
Pressure
approx.
60 Torr
60 mm Hg
80 mbar
8 kPa
Pressure
approx.
6,2 Torr
6,2 mm Hg
8,2 mbar
0,83 kPa
ta 35C
Evaporator
Absorber
50C
70C
27C
32,5C
37C
Refrigerant (Water)
Steam or Hot Water
Diluted Solution (LiBr)
Concentrated Solution (LiBr)
Tower Water
Chilled Water
Flow Diagram
Picture courtesy of York International
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300
Gas Turbine Output MW
S
t
e
a
m

C
o
n
s
u
m
p
t
i
o
n

t
/
h
Single Stage
Two Stage
Absorption Chiller Steam Consumption
36C DB, 25C WB, 10C Chilled Air Temp
Single Stage Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller
Applications: Areas where relative humidity is rather high, and the plant
is going to operate in a combined cycle or cogeneration mode and has
access to low pressure steam
Advantage
# Can increase gas turbine
performance better than
evaporative cooling, and fog
system
# Not very sensitive to ambient
air wet bulb temperature
# Low electrical parasitic load
Disadvantage
# High initial capital cost
# High O&M cost
# Longer delivery and
installation time
# High expertise is needed to
operate and maintain the
plant
# In case of a steam operated
chiller, cannot be applied in
an open cycle gas turbine
plant
Two Stage Lithium Bromide Absorption Chiller
Applications: Areas where relative humidity is rather high, and the plant
is going to operate in a combined cycle or cogeneration mode and has
access to low pressure steam
Advantage
# Can increase gas turbine
performance better than
evaporative cooling, and fog
system
# Not very sensitive to ambient
air wet bulb temperature
# Low electrical parasitic load
# Requires less steam per unit
of refrigeration than single
stage chiller
Disadvantage
# High initial capital cost
# High O&M cost
# Longer delivery and
installation time
# High expertise is needed to
operate and maintain the
plant
# In case of a steam operated
chiller, cannot be applied in
an open cycle gas turbine
plant
0
5
10
15
20
25 35 45 55 65 75 85 95 105 115 125 135 145 155 165 175 185 195 205 215 225 235 245 255 265
Gas Turbine Output MW
C
o
n
d
e
n
s
a
t
e

F
o
r
m
a
t
i
o
n

t
/
h
Condensate Formation on the Chilled Water Coil t/h
Based on 36C DB, 25C WB, 10C Chilled Inlet Air
Temperature
Performance Evaluation
Of Different Inlet Air Cooling Systems
Base Condition
! 35C Dry bulb
! 25C Dry bulb Real world condition
! 44.7% Relative humidity
Increase in power output
Gas turbine output before inlet air
cooling
Gas turbine output with mechanical
refrigeration system and inlet air
temperature of 10C
Gas turbine with evaporative cooler
running at 85% RH
Gas turbine with fog system
running at 100% RH
0%
108.23 MW
(net)
Percent Change
15.3%
124.8 MW (net
including chiller
electrical load)
6% 114.8 MW (net)
7.69%
116.65 MW
(net)
Capital Cost Comparisons of
Inlet Cooling Systems
Options
Evaporative cooler
Fog system (excluding
water treatment plant)
Relative Costs
1
2
Single stage LiBr
absorption chiller
Two stage LiBr
absorption chiller
Ammonia mechanical
refrigeration system
8
10
9.5
Major Contributors To The O&M Costs
Options
Evaporative cooler
Fog system (excluding
water treatment plant)
O&M Costs
# Make up water
# Water treatment (if applicable)
# Make up water
# Demineralised water treatment
# Injection pump power consumption
Single stage LiBr
absorption chiller
Two stage LiBr
absorption chiller
Ammonia mechanical
refrigeration system
# Steam
# Cooling tower chemical treatment
# Chiller maintenance
# Electric power consumption
# Steam
# Cooling tower chemical treatment and
make up water
# Chiller maintenance
# Electric power consumption
# Electric power consumption
# Cooling tower chemical treatment and
make up water
# Chiller maintenance
Heavy Duty Gas Turbine NO
x
Emission kg/MWh
GT with Dry Low NOx burner
0.410
0.420
0.430
0.440
0.450
0.460
0.470
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Ambient Temperature deg C
N
O
x
E
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

k
g
/
M
W
h
Heavy Duty Gas Turbine CO
2
Emission kg/MWh
520
530
540
550
560
570
580
590
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Ambient Temperature deg C
C
O
2
E
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

k
g
/
M
W
h
Aero-Derivative Gas Turbine NO
x
Emission kg/MWh
GT with Dry Low NOx burner
0.37
0.38
0.39
0.4
0.41
0.42
0.43
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Ambient Temperature deg C
N
O
x
E
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

k
g
/
M
W
h
Aero-Derivative Gas Turbine CO
2
Emission kg/MWh
470
480
490
500
510
520
530
540
550
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Ambient Temperature deg C
C
O
2
E
m
i
s
s
i
o
n

k
g
/
M
W
h
In Selecting Inlet Air Cooling As A
Retrofit To An Existing Plant
Points to watch:
! Check the generator capacity in order not to overload the
generator
! Quality of raw water for the evaporative cooler
! When using an existing demineralised water treatment
plant, be careful about the capacity and quality of
available demineralised water
! With an existing heat recovery steam generator, inlet air
cooling will change the behaviour of the existing HRSG,
leading to a drop in steam production at high pressure
and increase in intermediate and low pressure steam