*Director, Centre of Excellence for Training in Energy Efficiency, National Productivity Council, Chennai
**Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Liaison Officer, Directorate of Technical Education, Chennai
Online published on 25 June, 2014.
The power output of a gas turbine has a direct bearing on the ambient temperature conditions prevailing at the site. The higher the ambient temperature lower is the power output due to the decrease in air density and consequently lower mass of air entering the turbine. This is in conflict with the supply and demand matching of power as the maximum power will be required during peak summer months mostly due to increasing air conditioning loads. But at the same time the gas turbine will deliver lower output when the temperatures rise in summer. Cooling of turbine inlet air will help boost the power output thus maximising the rate of return on investment in power plant, alleviating power cuts and improving the overall efficiency of operations. This paper presents the impact of cooling gas turbine inlet air with energy efficient mans of cooling the gas turbine inlet air with a vapour absorption refrigeration system using waste heat in exhaust gases. The extent of improvements possible in power output and heat rate have been analysed for a test case of a combined cycle power plant with a simulation tool.
