Inlet Cooling Solutions

Boost gas turbine power output & lower operational costs

Gas turbine output is affected by the temperature of the air entering the compressor. In general, gas turbines are rated at ISO conditions with an ambient temperature of 59 °F (15 °C). Therefore, when the temperature increases above this point there is a loss of power. Correspondingly, when the temperature falls below this temperature, there is a gain above rated power output.

On installations where the inlet temperature to the gas turbine exceeds the design operating temperature, an AAF evaporate cooler or chiller coils can be installed to increase engine efficiency. These cooling solutions will increase the density of the air which in turn increases the power output, lowers fuel consumption, and reduces emissions. AAF air inlet cooling solutions have a payback period of a few months and continue to generate significant savings thereafter.

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Maintain power output

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Lower fuel usage and emissions

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Short payback period

AAF’s AmerKool Evaporative Cooler reduces the temperature of gas turbine inlet airflow, which in turn improves the thermal efficiency of the engine. The temperature reduction can be over 68 °F (20 °C) in hot climates due to the high cooling efficiency of AAF’s evaporate cooler media. This can boost power output by over 25%.

AAF can provide a complete turnkey service with ongoing technical support and when used in combination with AAF high efficiency EPA filters you can be sure the gains made by cooling are not offset by losses in fouling.

• Boost power output

• Recover lost power

• Enhance fuel efficiency

• Lower heat rate

AAF’s AmerChill is a modular chiller system with a cooling coil installed behind the filters that reduces intake air temperature through refrigeration. This allows the intake air temperature to be reduced to a desired set point. AmerChill has excellent energy efficiency at full and partial load, the system design can also include variable speed drives to optimize power consumption.

Regardless of the surrounding environment, a desired set temperature can be achieved and when used in combination with AAF high efficiency EPA filters you can be sure the gains made by cooling are not offset by losses in fouling.

  • Consistent low temperatures
  • Boost power output
  • Enhance fuel efficiency
  • Lower heat rate
Case Study

AAF’s Evaporative Cooler boosts power output

AAF’s customer is based in Phoenix, US and operates two 55 MW gas turbines with integrating evaporative cooling to reduce the temperature of the inlet air. The original filter housing was in need of an upgrade to improve performance and boost power output. 

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