Parametric Analysis of Existing Gas Turbines With Inlet Evaporative and Overspray Fogging

With deregulation in the power generation market and a need for flexibility in terms of power augmentation during the periods of high electricity demand, power plant operators all over the world are exploring means to augment power from both the existing and new gas turbines. An approach becoming increasingly popular is that of the high pressure inlet fogging. In this paper, the results of a comprehensive parametric analysis on the effects of inlet fogging on a wide range of existing gas turbines are presented. Both evaporative and overspray fogging conditions have been analyzed. The results show that the performance parameters indicative of inlet fogging effects have a definitive correlation with the key gas turbine design parameters. In addition, this study indicates that the aeroderivative gas turbines, in comparison to the heavy-duty industrial machines, have higher performance improvement due to inlet fogging effects. Plausible reasons for the observed trends are discussed. This paper represents the first systematic study on the effects of inlet fogging for a large number (a total of 67) of gas turbines available from the major gas turbine manufacturers.