Peaking capacity enhancement of combined cycle power plants by inlet air cooling—Analysis of the critical value of relative humidity

Abstract The enhancement of combined cycle power plant (CCPP) peaking capacity during hot seasons by vapor absorption inlet air cooling (VAIAC) has been analyzed. The vapor absorption chiller utilizes steam extracted from heat recover steam generator (HRSG) as thermal energy source. The cooling load, which consists of sensible heat and latent heat, is significantly affected by ambient relative humidity (RH). And the difference between theoretical and practical cooling load is compared. The integration of a VAIAC system to a cooled CCPP is modeled. The power output and efficiency of gas turbine, steam turbine and CCPP with and without VAIAC system under different environmental conditions are observed. A new concept, the critical value of RH, is proposed to evaluate the feasibility of VAIAC system for power augmentation considering ambient conditions. For CCPP with VAIAC system, the power augmentation in gas cycle is compared with the power reduction in steam cycle to determine the critical value of RH. The critical value of RH is the RH of an environmental condition that power output of CCPP with VAIAC system is equal to conventional CCPP (i.e., without inlet air cooling). The critical values of RH at different ambient temperature are carried out. It is observed that the critical value of RH is 79% at an ambient temperature of 30 °C and 68% at an ambient temperature of 40 °C.

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