Energy, Exergy and Thermoeconomics Analysis of Water Chiller Cooler for Gas Turbines Intake Air Cooling

Galal Mohammed Zaki, Rahim Kadhim Jassim, Majed Moalla Alhazmy

.

DOI: 10.4236/sgre.2011.23023                

Abstract

Gas turbine (GT) power plants operating in arid climates suffer a decrease in output power during the hot summer months because of the high specific volume of air drawn by the compressor. Cooling the air intake to the compressor has been widely used to mitigate this shortcoming. Energy and exergy analysis of a GT Brayton cycle coupled to a refrigeration air cooling unit shows a promise for increasing the output power with a little decrease in thermal efficiency. A thermo-economics algorithm is developed to estimate the economic feasibility of the cooling system. The analysis is applied to an open cycle, HITACHI-FS7001B GT plant at the industrial city of Yanbu (Latitude 24^o 05” N and longitude 38^o E) by the Red Sea in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Result show that the enhancement in output power depends on the degree of chilling the air intake to the compressor (a 12 - 22 K decrease is achieved). For this case study, maximum power gain ratio (PGR) is 15.46% (average of 12.25%), at an insignificant decrease in thermal efficiency. The second law analysis show that the exergetic power gain ratio drops to an average 8.5%. The cost of adding the air cooling system is also investigated and a cost function is derived that incorporates time-dependent meteorological data, operation characteristics of the GT and the air intake cooling system and other relevant parameters such as interest rate, lifetime, and operation and maintenance costs. The profit of adding the air cooling system is calculated for different electricity tariff.

Keywords

Gas Turbine, Exergy Analysis, Power Boosting, Hot Climate, Air Cooling, Water Chiller

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Cortes CPE, D. Williams, “Gas Turbine Inlet Cooling Techniques: An Overview of Current Technology,” Proceedings Power GEN 2003, Las Vegas, 9-11 December 2003.
[2]	T, Wang, X. Li and V. Pinniti, “Simulation of Mist Transport for Gas Turbine Inlet Air-Cooling,” ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress, Anaheim, 13-19 November 2009.
[3]	M. Ameri, H. Nabati and A. Keshtgar, “Gas Turbine Power Augmentation Using Fog Inlet Cooling System,” Proceedings ESDA04 7th Biennial Conference Engineering Systems Design And Analysis, Manchester, 2004.
[4]	M. Ameri, H. R. Shahbazian and M. Nabizadeh, “Comparison of Evaporative Inlet Air Cooling Systems to Enhance the Gas Turbine Generated Power,” International Journal of Energy Research, Vol. 31, 2007, pp. 483-503. doi:10.1002/er.1315
[5]	M. Jonsson and J. Yan, “Humidified Gas Turbines-A Review of Proposed and Implemented Cycles,” Energy, Vol. 30, 2005, pp. 1013-1078. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2004.08.005
[6]	M. M. Alhazmy and Y. S. Najjar, “Augmentation of Gas Turbine Performance Using Air Coolers,” Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 24, 2004, pp. 415-429. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2003.09.006
[7]	M. M. Alhazmy, R. K. Jassim and G. M. Zaki, “Performance Enhancement of Gas Turbines by Inlet Air-Cooling in Hot and Humid Climates,” International Journal of Energy Research, Vol. 30, 2006, pp. 777-797. doi:10.1002/er.1184
[8]	S. Sanaye and M. Tahani, “Analysis of Gas Turbine Operating Parameters with Inlet Fogging and Wet Compression Processes,” Applied Thermal Engineering, Vol. 30, 2010, pp. 234-244. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2009.08.011
[9]	T. C. Tillman, D. W. Blacklund and J. D. Penton, “Analyzing the Potential for Condensate Carry-Over from a Gas Cooling Turbine Inlet Cooling Coil,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 111, 2005, pp. 555-563.
[10]	M. Chaker, C. B. Meher-Homji and M. Mee, “Inlet Fogging of Gas Turbine Engines - Part B: Fog Droplet Sizing Analysis, Nozzle Types, Measurement and Testing,” ASME Proceedings of Turbo Expo 2002, Vol. 4, 2002. pp. 429-442.
[11]	M. Chaker, C. B. Meher-Homji and M. Mee, “Inlet Fogging of Gas Turbine Engines—Part C: Fog Behavior in Inlet Ducts, Cfd Analysis and Wind Tunnel Experiments,” ASME Proceedings of Turbo Expo 2002, Vol. 4, 2002, pp. 443-455.
[12]	M. Chaker, C. B. Meher-Homji, Mee III and A. Nicholson, “Inlet Fogging of Gas Turbine Engines Detailed Climatic Analysis of Gas Turbine Evaporation Cooling Potential in the USA,” Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 125, No. 1, 2003, pp. 300-309. doi:10.1115/1.1519266
[13]	B. C. Homji-Meher, T. Mee and R. Thomas, “Inlet Fogging of Gas Turbine Engines, Part B: Droplet Sizing Analysis Nozzle Types, Measurement and Testing,” Proceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo 2002, Amsterdam, June 2002.
[14]	H. Gajjar and M. Chaker, “Inlet Fogging for a 655 MW Combined Cycle Power Plant-Design, Implementation and Operating Experience,” ASME Proceedings of Turbo Expo 2003, Vol. 2, 2003, pp. 853-860.
[15]	J. Elliot, “Chilled Air Takes Weather out of Equation,” Diesel and Gas Turbine World Wide, October 2001, pp. 49-96.
[16]	C. Yang, Z. Yang and R. Cai, “Analytical Method for Evaluation of Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling in Combined Cycle Power Plant, ” Applied Energy, Vol. 86, 2009, pp. 848-856. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2008.08.019
[17]	I. S. Ondrays, D. A. Wilson, N. Kawamoto and G. L. Haub, “Options in Gas Turbine Power Augmentation Using Inlet Air Chilling,” Engineering Gas Turbine and Power, Vol. 113, 1991, pp. 203-211. doi:10.1115/1.2906546
[18]	D. Punwani, T. Pierson, C. Sanchez and W. Ryan, “Combustion Turbine Inlet Air Cooling Using Absorption Chillers Some Technical and Economical Analysis and Case Summaries,” ASHRAE Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, June 1999, p. 99.
[19]	E. Kakarus, A. Doukelis and S. Karellas, “Compressor Intake Air Cooling in Gas Turbine Plants,” Energy, Vol. 29, 2004, pp. 2347-2358. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2004.03.043
[20]	W. Stewart and A. Patrick, “Air Temperature Depression and Potential Icing at the Inlet of Stationary Combustion Turbines,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 106, 2000, pp. 318 -327.
[21]	M. Farzaneh-Gord and M. Deymi-Dashtebayaz, “A New Approach for Enhancing Performance of a Gas Turbine (Case Study: Khangiran Refinery),” Applied Energy, Vol. 86, 2009, pp. 2750-2759. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2009.04.017
[22]	G. M. Zaki, R. K. Jassim and M. M. Alhazmy, “Brayton Refrigeration Cycle for Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling,” International Journal of Energy Research, Vol. 31, 2007, pp. 1292-1306. doi:10.1002/er.1302
[23]	R. K. Jassim, G. M. Zaki and M. M. Alhazmy, “Energy and Exergy Analysis of Reverse Brayton Refrigerator for Gas Turbine Power Boosting,” International Journal of Exergy, Vol. 6, No. 2, 2009, pp. 143-165. doi:10.1504/IJEX.2009.023995
[24]	J. R. Khan, W. E. Lear, S. A. Sherif and J. F. Crittenden, “Performance of a Novel Combined Cooling and Power Gas Turbine with Water Harvesting,” ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Vol. 130, No. 4, 2008. doi:10.1115/1.2830854
[25]	D. C. Erickson, “Aqua Absorption Turbine Inlet Cooling,” Proceedings of IMEC 03, ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition, Washington DC, 16-21 November 2003.
[26]	D. C. Erickson, “Power Fogger Cycle,” ASHRAE Transactions, Vol. 111, 2005, pp. 551-554.
[27]	R. Gareta, L. M. Romeo and A. Gil, “Methodology for the Economic Evaluation of Gas Turbine Air Cooling Systems in Combined Cycle Applications,” Energy, Vol. 29, 2004, pp. 1805-1818. doi:10.1016/j.energy.2004.03.040
[28]	S. M. Hasnain, S. H. Alawaji, A. M. Al-Ibrahim and M. S. Smiai, “Prospects of Cool Thermal Storage Utilization in Saudi Arabia,” Energy Conversion & Management, Vol. 41, 2000, pp. 1829-1839. doi:10.1016/S0196-8904(00)00026-1
[29]	R. J. Dossat, “Principles of Refrigeration,” John Wiley and Sons, New York, 1997.
[30]	A. J. Cleland, D. J. Cleland and S. D. White, “Cost-Effec- tive Refrigeration, Short Course Notes,” Institute of Tech- nology and Engineering, Massey University, New Zealand, 2000.
[31]	T. J. Kotas, “The Exergy Method of Thermal Plant Analysis,” Krieger, Malabar, 1995.
[32]	R. K. Jassim, T. Khir, B.A. Habeebullah and G. M. Zaki, “Exergoeconomic Optimization of the Geometry of Continuous Fins on an Array of Tubes of a Refrigeration Air Cooled Condenser,” International Journal of Energy, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2005, pp. 146-171. doi:10.1504/IJEX.2005.006985
[33]	T. Khir, R. K. Jassim and G. M. Zaki, “Application of Exergoeconomic Techniques to the Optimization of a Refrigeration Evaporator Coil with Continuous Fins,” Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Vol. 129, No. 3, 2007, pp. 266-277. doi:10.1115/1.2751507
[34]	H. Zubair, “Personal Communication,” Johnson Control International, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
[35]	F. C. McQuiston, J. D. Parker and J. D. Spilter, “Heating, Ventilating and Ai r conditioning: Design and analysis,” 6th Edition, John Wily, New York, 2005.
[36]	K. A. Klein and F. L. Alvarado, “EES-Engineering Equation Solver,” Version 6.648 ND, F-Chart Software, Middleton, 2004.