Influence of Steam Injection on Thermal Efficiency and Operating Temperature of GE-F5 Gas Turbines Applying VODOLEY System

Abstract

An industrial gas turbine has the characteristic that turbine output decreases on hot summer days when electricity demand peaks. For GE-F5 gas turbines of Mashad Power Plant when ambient temperature increases 1° C, compressor outlet temperature increases 1.13° C and turbine exhaust temperature increases 2.5° C. Also air mass flow rate decreases about 0.6 kg/sec when ambient temperature increases 1° C, so it is revealed that variations are more due to decreasing in the efficiency of compressor and less due to reduction in mass flow rate of air as ambient temperature increases in constant power output. The cycle efficiency of these GE-F5 gas turbines reduces 3 percent with increasing 50° C of ambient temperature, also the fuel consumption increases as ambient temperature increases for constant turbine work. These are also because of reducing in the compressor efficiency in high temperature ambient. Steam injection in gas turbines is a way to prevent a loss in performance of gas turbines caused by high ambient temperature and has been used for many years. VODOLEY system is a steam injection system, which is known as a self-sufficient one in steam production. The amount of water vapor in combustion products will become regenerated in a contact condenser and after passing through a heat recovery boiler is injected in the transition piece after combustion chamber. In this paper the influence of steam injection in Mashad Power Plant GE-F5 gas turbine parameters, applying VODOLEY system, is being observed. Results show that in this turbine, the turbine inlet temperature (T3) decreases in a range of 5 percent to 11 percent depending on ambient temperature, so the operating parameters in a gas turbine cycle equipped with VODOLEY system in 40° C of ambient temperature is the same as simple gas turbine cycle in 10° C of ambient temperature. Results show that the thermal efficiency increases up to 10 percent, but Back-Work ratio increases in a range of 15 percent to 30 percent. Also results show that although VODOLEY system has water treatment cost but by using this system the running cost will reduce up to 27 percent.