NO-94-01-5 -- Gas Turbine Inlet-Air Chilling at a Cogeneration Facility PDF

Combustion gas turbines are constant-volume engines for which shaft horsepower is proportional to the combustion air mass flow. Engine output improves if the air temperature is depressed at the compressor inlet to increase the air density. When a combustion turbine generator is used in a power plant, increased engine output increases the electrical generating capacity. That is the concept presented in this case study of an air-chilling system installed in a cogeneration plant in California. The plant also uses a thermal energy storage (TES) system with the inlet air chiller the plant's economic performance. This application has improved the hot weather generating capacity by 10%.

KEYWORDS: gas, turbines, inlets, air, cooling, combined heat and power, large, combustion, energy storage, summer, compression refrigeration, ice makers, optimisation, economics, performance, case studies, USA.