Gas turbine intake air cooling systems of combined type and their optimum designing

Abstract

Turbine intake air cooling (TIAC) by absorption lithium-bromide chillers (ACh) utilizing the exhaust heat is considered as the most effective fuel saving technology for temperate climatic conditions. But the cooling potential of TIAC systems based on ACh of a simple cycle is limited by a comparatively increased chilled water temperature of about 7°C excluding cooling intake air lower than 15°C. The application of a refrigerant as a coolant enables deeper cooling intake air to 10°C and lower. The application of two-stage hybrid absorption-ejector chillers (AECh) with a refrigerant ejector chiller (ECh) as a low temperature stage makes it possible to increase the annual fuel saving approximately twice in temperate climate due to deeper cooling air as compared with ACh. Furthermore, this effect can be achieved with the sizes of TIAC system reduced by about 20 % due to determining the rational refrigeration capacity of AECh providing practically maximum annual fuel saving increment and the use of the current excessive refrigeration capacities to cover peaked loads.