Combined Cycle Power Augmentation by Inlet Fogging

Abstract

Inlet fogging of gas turbine engines has attained considerable popularity due to the ease of installation and the relatively low first cost compared to other inlet cooling methods. With increasing demand for power and with shortages envisioned especially during the peak load times during the summers, there is a need to boost gas turbine power. In Taiwan, most gas turbines operate with combined cycle for base load. Only a small portion operates with simple-cycle for peak load. To recover lost power output due to increased ambient temperature in hot days, the power augmentation strategies for combined-cycles need to be studied in advance. Therefore, the objective is to study the effects caused by adding inlet fogging to an existing gas turbine-based combined-cycle power plant. Simulation runs were made for adding inlet fogging to a combined cycle with two Alstom gas turbines, two heatrecovery steam generators, and one steam turbine. Results show that the power output will be increased by 1% to 5% in typical hot summer days. Since there are seventeen combined-cycle power plants located in different areas in Taiwan, total extra power output gained by inlet fogging can make up the power loss in hot summer days. This paper also includes a parametric study of performance to provide guidelines for combined-cycle power augmentation by inlet fogging.