MILAN, ITALY- GE Industrial AeroDerivatives (GE-IAD) introduces its new spray intercooling system for its LM6000 models which is expected to increase this aeroderivative gas turbine's power output by at least 9%. Known as the LM6000 SPRINTTM(SPRay INTercooling), this product enhancement also will reduce simple- and combined-cycle life cycle costs.
"Our tests show that by injecting water between the low pressure and high pressure compressors of an LM6000, we could increase the output of this gas turbine by at least 9%," said Doug Westerkamp, manager of market development for GE-IAD, Evendale, OH. "We believe that this enhancement to an already-popular gas turbine translates into numerous benefits for our customers worldwide."
Benefits of the SPRINT system include:
- 9% power boost at ISO conditions;
- 17% increase in power on hot days (greater than 800F) with some efficiency improvement; and
- elimination of inlet chillers for most installations.
GE-IAD collaborated with S&S Energy Products, Houston, TX, on the testing of the SPRINT spray intercooling system. Tests began in early June 1997 at GE-IAD's Evendale, OH facility. Field tests were conducted on an LM6000 PA retrofitted with the intercooling system at the Ft. Lupton cogeneration facility in Colorado. This unit has been operating at this site since 1994 with four additional LM6000s. The SPRINT tests were completed in February 1998.
Additional testing, completed in May 1998 on the first production SPRINT LM6000s, verified the power increase. These two SPRINT LM6000s recently began commercial operation at two separate power plants owned by Southern Electric Power Generation Ltd., United Kingdom.
Description
The SPRINT cooling lowers the high-pressure compressor inlet temperature, which in turn effectively lowers the compressor discharge temperature. The system consists of an interstage mist injection system which cools the low pressure booster discharge air. Water is injected into the airflow path through a series of 24 air-assisted spray injection nozzles located in the engine front frame. Air for the system is supplied from the engine's 8th stage customer bleed extraction port.
By using the SPRINT spray intercooling system, the compressor pressure ratio can be increased and additional air can be directed through the compressor to increase the gas turbine's output characteristics (see the attached SPRINT system schematic.)
In addition to being offered for production LM6000 PC units, the SPRINT system is available for those LM6000 PA models that have already been retrofitted using an LM6000 uprate kit.
GE-IAD is part of GE Power Systems, and is headquartered in Evendale, OH. GE-IAD is the world's largest designer, developer and manufacturer of aeroderivative gas turbines for a variety of power generation and gas compression applications.