Don't Get Caught Up in The Rain and Mist

Gas turbines operate in a wide range of conditions, including 100% relative humidity. However, when rain or changes in wind drive free moisture into the inlet of a gas turbine, it can cause significant operating challenges. It’s very important to remove rain and mist from the gas turbine inlet air stream as this can impact the filter performance throughout its life cycle. Every inlet air filtration system is exposed to some levels of these contaminants, so how do we counteract this? The answer is simple: by using weather hoods, eliminator blades, and coalescer pads & holding frames.

Weather Hoods

Many air inlet systems are configured to provide separate stages to address moisture or particulate, where most designs address droplet elimination within the weather hood section. Normally, large droplets will not be able to remain in the upwards flow and drop out; however, there are times when windblown rain can overcome that. Weather hoods are designed so that the inlet air velocity is less than the terminal velocity of the precipitation (ex. Pneumafil designs rain hoods so that the vertical component of the average inlet velocity is ~600 fpm).

Eliminator Blades

Eliminator blades cause the air to enter the inlet system via a convoluted path. As the air turns, water droplets impinge upon the blades, then coalesce and drain out of the system. These blades are able to drain larger volumes of water than media / pad coalescers and are often employed for offshore applications. They are also able to function at higher face velocities; making them useful when space is limited.

Coalescer Elements & Pads

Coalescence is the process by which water droplets are combined into larger droplets, or a steady stream, that are more easily drained from the system. Coalescer elements are the most efficient at removing airborne water particles, as these are constructed like filter elements, but are intended for wet service. Fine water droplets are filtered by the medium and coalesced into a continuous stream that can then be drained from the gas turbine inlet system.

Holding Frames

Holding frames are designed to enclose synthetic media pads or stainless-steel mesh mist separators. The holding frame solution that we advise is FOGSTOP?. FOGSTOP? consists of a high-performance stainless-steel moisture eliminator medium, contained in a compact stainless-steel frame. The frame can be mounted either vertically or horizontally in the inlet system to capture and remove the small liquid droplets (like fog!) from the air stream. Unlike conventional non-metallic coalescing pads, the stainless-steel media can be cleaned and reused, increasing the lifecycle in comparison to other replaceable products. FOGSTOP? also requires significantly less space than conventional eliminator blade assemblies and can be customized for any installation (well suited to meet either your retrofit or new equipment needs).?

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