Turbine Inlet Air Cooling Systems – TIAC
While gas turbines are very efficient power-generation systems, when the weather gets hot, they lose power output. Unfortunately this happens at the exact time when power is needed most, as more people turn on air conditioning, causing a surge in electricity demand.
However, by applying Turbine Inlet Air Chilling (TIAC) systems, power producers can avoid this output drop, improving their profitability and guaranteeing constant power production. By mechanically chilling the inlet air before it enters the compressor, TIAC gives the turbine a boost and restores the power produced to the nominal-rated output. The result is up to 35 percent more overall power output.
CHILLER BASED SOLUTIONS
A chilling system for gas turbine inlet air is a beneficial option for installations where high ambient temperatures are common. With inlet air cooling a gas turbine will have a higher mass flow rate and pressure ratio, yeilding an increase in turbine output power and efficiency. With a chilling system, a chilling coil is inserted in the filter house downstream of the filtering elements, in the clean air path. Downstream from the coils, a mist eliminator is installed in order to prevent condensed water droplets from entering the gas turbine inlet duct. The chiller coil cooling fluid is usually a mixture of water and glycol to avoid freezing in the coil tubes.
The economic benefit of chilling system is directly related to the potential average increase in annual output, and this in turn is dependent on average ambient conditions. A chilling system can be installed on any gas turbine.
FOGGING SYSTEMS
Inlet Cooling Systems augment the power output of Gas Turbines. AMCO’s Direct Spray Inlet Cooling System consists of one or more skid-mounted positive displacement pumps to feed demineralized water at 3,000 psi (207-bar) into a series of seamless stainless steel headers connected to stainless steel nozzle manifolds located downstream of the filter housing.
Inlet Cooling Systems (also known as Fogging Systems) augment the power output of a Gas Turbine. With all Stainless Steel materials, AMCO’s fogging systems use positive displacement pumps to pump demineralized/ de-ionized water at 3000 psi (207 bar) from the pumping skid to spray nozzle manifolds located in the air duct downstream of the filter housing and ahead of the silencer.
- Higher nozzle flow – fewer nozzles required
- 90% droplets mass is less than 20 microns (see Swirljet Nozzle table)
- Smaller droplets – better evaporation
- Durable design – no impaction pin
- Safety lock wired to the manifold using aircraft industry standard locking methods
- Nozzle adapters are attached to seamless 316L stainless steel tubing via a full penetration TIG weld in accordance with ANSI-B31.1 standards
- Provides increased reliability, less maintenance, and longer service life