Loss of GT performance in vain
By Pertti Sundberg, Your Friendly Filter Guy at Eagle Filters
Everytime Gas Turbine is started it is losing Output and performance starts to deteriorate exponentially if tiny particles are allowed to hit the compressor blades. The tiny air borne particles are entering the compressor through damaged or insufficient Inlet Air filtration.
Standard F9 inlet air filters capture only about 88% of airborne contaminants while Eagle Filters’ F8/E11+ filters can capture up to 99,8% of these very same airborne contaminants.
In numbers, 7FA running 5000 hrs/year in an industrial area with 30 ug/m3 airborne dust in the air is sucking in annually 190 kg of impurities to the Air inlet house.
With F9 filtration 12,5 kg per year hits the compressor blades causing deposits and surface roughness of the blades causing the loss of compressor efficiency.
The decrease in GT performance with F9 filtration can be substantial, and can lead to:
- Power output of a gas turbine dropping 2% to 5% between off-line washing periods; and
- Fuel efficiency of gas turbines dropping 1% to 3% between off-line washing periods.
With Eagle Filters G4/F8/E11+ filtration amount of particles annually entering the compressor is reduced to 0,15kg – that is 150 grams or 1/3 lbs – and the compressor blades are being kept MUCH cleaner eliminating the degradation almost completely and reducing the benefit of costly On-line and Off-line washings to a point where it is no longer feasible to wash the compressor.
Reduction of contaminants with F8/E11+ entering a compressor means that the GT efficiency deterioration is less than 0,5% annually (red line).
Especially after a costly Major Overhaul the output gain can be substantial with the compressor rotor being replaced or at least cleaned – but with minimal additional cost to improve the filtration you have the possibility to actually benefit from the improved output and avoid losing the benefits to Degradation.
Improving the GT Inlet air Filtration with Eagle Filters proprietary two-layer cartridges require NO modification to the Inlet house structure – Improved filters fit to the existing tripods and require no modification to the auxiliaries. A real Plug&Play solution improving your Inlet air filtration and your Plant performance!