Patent Application
20150345390
The disclosure relates generally to gas turbine engines and more particularly relates to systems and methods for de-icing inlet screens and dehumidifying inlet air filters for gas turbine engines.
Gas turbine engines are utilized globally for electric power generation or as mechanical drives for operating equipment under a variety of climatic conditions. Operation during cold ambient temperature and high humidity conditions often causes ice to build up on the inlet filter house components. Frequently, this ice build-up on air filtration elements (e.g., bird screens, moisture separators, coalescer filters, or filtration modules) is severe enough to restrict air flow and to increase the inlet air pressure drop across the filter house, thus leading to performance loss or even shut down. Precipitating icing forms when water ingested as liquid or solid at a temperature near or below freezing (e.g., wet snow, freezing rain, etc.) adheres to most exposed surfaces, causing ice buildup. Also, ice formation occurs when saturated cooled air comes in contact with colder filter house surfaces.
Some or all of the above needs and/or problems may be addressed by certain embodiments of the disclosure. The disclosure provides systems and methods for de-icing an inlet screen and dehumidifying an inlet air filter in a gas turbine engine. In one embodiment, a method for de-icing an inlet screen and dehumidifying an inlet air filter in a gas turbine engine may include determining a current inlet screen temperature. The method also may include determining a desired inlet screen temperature. If the current inlet screen temperature is less than the desired inlet screen temperature, the method may further include determining a first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air necessary to achieve the desired inlet screen temperature, extracting the first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air, and conveying the first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air to the inlet screen.
In another embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for de-icing an inlet screen and dehumidifying an inlet air filter in a gas turbine engine. The system may include a gas turbine engine, a gas turbine compartment disposed about the gas turbine engine, an inlet screen configured to provide air to the gas turbine engine, a manifold coupled to the inlet screen, and a first conduit fluidly coupling the gas turbine compartment and the manifold.
In yet another embodiment, the disclosure provides a system for de-icing an inlet screen and dehumidifying an inlet air filter in a gas turbine engine. The system may include a compressor, a combustor in communication with the compressor, and a turbine in communication with the combustor. The system also includes a gas turbine compartment disposed about the compressor, the combustor, and the turbine. Moreover, the system includes an inlet screen configured to provide air to the compressor, a manifold coupled to the inlet screen, and a first conduit fluidly coupling the gas turbine compartment and the manifold.
These and other embodiments, aspects, and features of the disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer to like elements throughout the several views,
The gas turbine engine 102 may use natural gas, various types of syngas, and/or other types of fuels. The gas turbine engine 102 may be anyone of a number of different gas turbine engines such as those offered by General Electric Company of Schenectady, N.Y. and the like. The gas turbine engine 102 may have different configurations and may use other types of components. Other types of gas turbine engines also may be used herein. Multiple gas turbine engines, other types of turbines, and other types of power generation equipment also may be used herein together.
The gas turbine engine 102 may include an inlet screen 112 or filter house that includes one or more filter assemblies having a number of inlet air filters 114 that remove moisture and/or particulate matter (such as dust and/or debris) from intake air 116 channeled to the gas turbine engine 102. In some instances, a manifold 118 may be coupled to the inlet screen 112. The manifold 118 may be configured to de-ice the inlet screen 112 and/or dehumidify the inlet air filters 114.
The gas turbine engine 102 may be wholly or partially enclosed by a gas turbine compartment 120. During operation of the gas turbine engine 102, waste heat may be released into the gas turbine compartment 120, which in turn may heat the air within the gas turbine compartment 120. The system 100 utilizes the waste heat from the gas turbine compartment 120 for de-icing the inlet screen 112 and/or dehumidifying inlet air filters 114. For example, a first conduit 122 may fluidly couple the gas turbine compartment 120 with the manifold 118. In this manner, the heated air from the gas turbine compartment 120 may be used to de-ice the inlet screen 112 and/or dehumidifying inlet air filters 114. For example, a first control valve 124 may be disposed about the first conduit 122. The first control valve 124 may be adjusted to provide a first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air necessary to achieve a desired inlet screen temperature. The desired inlet screen temperature may be sufficient to de-ice the inlet screen 112. In addition, the desired inlet temperature may be sufficient to de-humidify the inlet air filter 114.
In some instances, a second conduit 126 may fluidly couple the gas turbine compartment 120 with the surrounding atmosphere. In this manner, excess gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air may be vented to the atmosphere or elsewhere. For example, a second control valve 128 may be disposed about the second conduit 126. The second control valve 128 may be adjusted to discharge a portion of the gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air to the atmosphere.
The gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air may be extracted from the gas turbine compartment 120 by at least one extraction blower 130 (or exhaust fan) disposed about the first conduit 122 and/or the second conduit 126. That is, the extraction blower 130 may draw the heated air out of the gas turbine compartment 120. In some instances, the heated air from the gas turbine compartment 120 may be supplied to the manifold 118 to de-ice the inlet screen 112 and/or dehumidifying the inlet air filters 114. In other instances, the heated air from the gas turbine compartment 120 may be discharged to the atmosphere.
In some instances, additional sources of waste heat may be used in conjunction with or alternative to the waste heat from the gas turbine compartment 120 to de-ice the inlet screen 112 and/or dehumidifying inlet air filters 114. For example, as depicted in
As depicted in
At block 408, a first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air necessary to achieve the desired inlet screen temperature may be determined. Next, at block 412, the first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air may be extracted from the gas turbine compartment. For example, the extraction blower 130 may draw the heated air out of the gas turbine compartment 120. The first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air may then be conveyed to the inlet screen at block 414. For example, the first control valve 124 may be adjusted to provide the first amount of gas turbine compartment ventilation discharge air necessary to achieve the desired inlet screen temperature.
It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
