Development and Validation of a Computational Code for Wet Compression Simulation of Gas Turbines

Author(s):  
M. Bagnoli ◽  
M. Bianchi ◽  
F. Melino ◽  
P. R. Spina

In this paper, a calculation code, developed in house by the authors, able to evaluate the performance of a gas turbine with all possible fogging strategies (high pressure fogging, overspray, and interstage injection) is presented and discussed. The code has a flexible structure and can be applied to evaluate the performance of every commercial gas turbine model. The aim of the calculation code is to overcome the limits of the most widespread commercial software, especially with regard to the two phase flow compression process simulation. The calculation code was validated on results available in the literature showing a good agreement with experimental and theoretical results.

Author(s):  
M. Bagnoli ◽  
M. Bianchi ◽  
F. Melino ◽  
P. R. Spina

In this paper, a calculation code developed by DIEM – University of Bologna, able to evaluate the performance of a gas turbine with all possible fogging strategies (high pressure fogging, overspray and interstage injection) is presented and discussed. The aim of the developed calculation code is to overcome the calculation limits of the most widespread commercial software, specially with regards to the two phase flow compression process simulation. The self developed calculation code was validated on results available in literature. The developed code is standard, and can be applied to evaluate the performance of any commercial gas turbine model.


Author(s):  
Dmytro Konovalov ◽  
Mykola Radchenko ◽  
Halina Kobalava ◽  
Andrii Radchenko ◽  
Roman Radchenko ◽  
...  

Complex gas turbine schemes with air intercooling are usually used to bring the compression process of working fluid in compressor closer to isothermal one. A promising way to realize it is to use an aerothermopressor. The aerothermopressor is a two-phase jet apparatus, in which the highly dispersed liquid (water) is injected into the superheated gas (air) stream accelerated to the speed closed to the sound speed value (Mach number from 0.8 to 0.9). The air pressure at the aerothermopressor outlet (after diffuser) is higher than at the inlet due to instantaneous evaporation of highly dispersed liquid practically without friction losses in mixing chamber and with an increase in pressure of the mixed homogenous flow. The liquid evaporation is conducted by removing the heat from the air flow. In the course of the experimental research, the operation of the aerothermopressor for gas turbine intercooling air was simulated and its characteristics (hydraulic resistance coefficients, pressure increase, and air temperature) were determined. Within contact cooling of air in the aerothermopressor, the values of the total pressure increase in the aerothermopressor were from 1.02 to 1.04 (2–4%). Thus, the aerothermopressor use to provide contact evaporative cooling of cyclic air between the compressor stages will ensure not only compensation for pressure losses but also provides an increase in total air pressure with simultaneous cooling. Injection of liquid in a larger amount than is necessary for evaporation ensures a decrease in pressure losses in the flow path of the aerothermopressor by 15–20%. When the amount of water flow is more than 10–15%, the pressure loss becomes equal to the loss for the “dry” aerothermopressor, and with a further increase in the amount of injected liquid, they are exceeded. The values of errors in the relative increase of air pressure in the aerothermopressor measurements not exceeded 4%. The results obtained can be used in the practice of designing intercooling systems for gas turbines.


Author(s):  
M. Bagnoli ◽  
M. Bianchi ◽  
F. Melino ◽  
A. Peretto ◽  
P. R. Spina ◽  
...  

In recent years, among various available inlet air cooling techniques for gas turbine power enhancement, high pressure fogging has seen an increasing attention mainly because of its comparatively low initial investment cost and less downtime for its installation. The various fogging strategies such as inlet evaporative, overspray (or wet compression) and interstage injection have been implemented in simple and combined cycle applications. Unlike wet compression, air at the compressor inlet is not fully saturated with the interstage injection. However, both wet compression and interstage injection involve multi-phase flow and water evaporation during the compression process. The phenomenon of two phase flow compression in axial compressor is not yet fully understood. This paper investigates effects of interstage injection on the performance of a GE Frame 7EA gas turbine using aero-thermodynamic modeling. In addition to estimating the overall gas turbine performance changes achievable with the interstage injection approach, the study presented here discusses impact of interstage injection on the stage-by-stage compressor performance characteristics of the selected gas turbine. The plausible reasons for the observed performance changes are discussed.


Author(s):  
Rakesh K. Bhargava ◽  
Michele Bianchi ◽  
Francesco Melino ◽  
Antonio Peretto ◽  
Pier Ruggero Spina

In recent years, a great number of studies were carried out in order to analyze the main features of fogging technologies. The various fogging strategies seem to improve gas turbine and combined cycle power output with low initial investment cost and less installation downtime. In fact, nowadays fogging is successfully installed on several gasturbine and combined cycle power plants worldwide. In particular, overspray fogging and interstage injection involve two-phase flow consideration and water evaporation during compression process (also known as wet compression). The aim of the present paper is to further improve understanding of the wet compression process including stage-by-stage compressor behavior by investigating the influence of the axial compressor performance map shape on the evaporation process of the injected water through the compressor, achievable power boost, the maximum amount of water which can be injected and/or influence on the surge conditions. This analysis is carried out by using a calculation code, named IN.FO.G.T.E. (INterstage FOgging Gas Turbine Evaluation), developed and validated by the Authors.


Author(s):  
M. Bianchi ◽  
F. Melino ◽  
A. Peretto ◽  
P. R. Spina ◽  
S. Ingistov

In the last years, among all different gas turbine inlet air cooling techniques, an increasing attention to fogging approach is dedicated. The various fogging strategies seem to be a good solution to improve gas turbine or combined cycle produced power with low initial investment cost and less installation downtime. In particular, overspray fogging and interstage injection involve two-phase flow consideration and water evaporation during compression process (also known as wet compression). According to the Author’s knowledge, the field of wet compression is not completely studied and understood. In the present paper, all the principal aspects of wet compression and in particular the influence of injected water droplet diameter and surface temperature, and their effect on gas turbine performance and on the behavior of the axial compressor (change in axial compressor performance map due to the water injection, redistribution of stage load, etc.) are analyzed by using a calculation code, named IN.FO.G.T.E. (INterstage FOgging Gas Turbine Evaluation), developed and validated by the Authors.


Author(s):  
Thomas Wagner ◽  
Robert J. Burke

The desire to maintain power plant profitability, combined with current market fuel gas pricing is forcing power generation companies to constantly look for ways to keep their industrial gas turbine units operating at the highest possible efficiency. Gas Turbines Operation requires the compression of very large quantities of air that is mixed with fuel, ignited and directed into a turbine to produce torque for purposes ranging from power generation to mechanical drive of pumping systems to thrust for air craft propulsion. The compression of the air for this process typically uses 60% of the required base energy. Therefore management of the compression process efficiency is very important to maintain overall cycle efficiency. Since fouling of turbine compressors is almost unavoidable, even with modern air filter treatment, and over time results in lower efficiency and output, compressor cleaning is required to maintain gas turbine efficiency.


Author(s):  
Anil K. Tolpadi ◽  
David L. Burrus ◽  
Robert J. Lawson

The two-phase axisymmetric flowfield downstream of the swirl cup of an advanced gas turbine combustor is studied numerically. The swirl cup analyzed is that of a single annular GE/SNECMA CFM56 turbofan engine that is comprised of a pair of coaxial counter-swirling air streams together with a fuel atomizer. The atomized fuel mixes with the swirling air stream resulting in the establishment of a complex two-phase flowfield within the swirl chamber. The analysis procedure involves the solution of the gas phase equations in a Eulerian frame of reference. The flow is assumed to be nonreacting and isothermal. The liquid phase is simulated by using a droplet spray model and by treating the motion of the fuel droplets in a Lagrangian frame of reference. Extensive Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) data for the CFM56 engine swirl cup has been obtained at atmospheric pressure by using water as the fuel (Wang et al., 1992a). This includes measurements of the gas phase velocity in the absence and presence of the spray together with the droplet size, droplet number count and droplet velocity distribution information at various axial stations downstream of the injector. Numerical calculations were performed under the exact inlet and boundary conditions as the experimental measurements. The computed gas phase velocity field showed good agreement with the test data. The agreement was found to be best at the stations close to the primary venturi of the swirler and to be reasonable at later stations. To compare the droplet data, a numerical PDPA scheme was formulated whereby several sampling volumes were selected within the computational domain. The trajectories of various droplets passing through these volumes were monitored and appropriately integrated. The calculated droplet count and mean droplet velocity distributions were compared with the measurements and showed very good agreement in the case of larger size droplets and fair agreement for smaller size droplets.


2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 006-015
Author(s):  
E. H. Betelmal ◽  
A. M. Naas ◽  
A. Mjani

In this paper, we investigated a thermodynamic model of the regeneration gas turbine cycle with nitrogen supplied during the compression process. A suitable quantity of nitrogen that comes from the air separation cycle (Linde cycle) is injected between the stages of the compressor where it is evaporated, then the nitrogen and air mixture enters into the combustion chamber where it is burned and expanded in the turbine. We used this method to reduce greenhouse gases and improve gas turbine efficiency. In this work, we evaluated the operational data of the regeneration gas turbine cycle and the maximum amount of nitrogen that can be injected into the compressor. We also investigated the performance variation due to nitrogen spray into the compressor, and the effect of varying ambient temperature on the performance of gas turbines (thermal efficiency, power), as well as a comparison between the normal gas turbine cycle, and the remodelled compression cycle. The exergy analysis shows that the injection of the nitrogen will increase exergy destruction. The results demonstrated an 8% increase in the efficiency of the cycle, furthermore, CO2 emission decreased by 11% when the nitrogen was injected into the compressor.


1977 ◽  
Vol 99 (4) ◽  
pp. 575-579
Author(s):  
W. S. Y. Hung

An experimentally verified NOx emission model for gas turbines has been reported previously. The model has been modified to determine the NOx emission levels of various fuels as compared to No. 2 distillate oil. The NOx emission levels of various conventional and unconventional gas turbine fuels of interest are predicted. The predicted NOx emission levels for these fuels, including methanol, ethanol, propane, and hydrogen, are in good agreement with available laboratory and field data from stationary, aircraft, and automotive gas turbine combustors. The predicted results should be applicable to other fuel-lean, heterogeneous combustion systems.


Author(s):  
H. I. H. Saravanamuttoo ◽  
B. D. MacIsaac

Thermodynamic models suitable for use as diagnostic tools for pipeline gas turbines have been developed. A basic requirement was the prediction of the performance of gas turbines subject to in-service deterioration, including effects such as compressor fouling, foreign object damage and turbine damage. This was met by creating thermodynamic models capable of operation over the complete running range expected, with a provision for introducing arbitrarily controlled degradations. Models for a variety of types of gas turbines currently in pipeline use have been tested, demonstrating good agreement with user experience. The models are extremely flexible in use and may be used either for investigation of specific problems or to increase user understanding of operating problems.


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