Performance optimization for an open-cycle gas turbine power plant with a refrigeration cycle for compressor inlet air cooling. Part 1: Thermodynamic modelling

Abstract

A thermodynamic model of an open cycle gas turbine power plant with a refrigeration cycle for compressor inlet air cooling with pressure drop irreversibilities is established using finite-time thermodynamics in Part 1 of this article. The flow processes of the working fluid with the pressure drops of the working fluid and the size constraints of the real power plant are modelled. There are 12 flow resistances encountered by the working fluid stream for the cycle model. Three of these, the friction through the blades, vanes of the compressor, and the turbines, are related to the isentropic efficiencies. The remaining flow resistances are always present because of the changes in the flow cross-section at the mixing chamber inlet and outlet, the compressor inlet and outlet, the combustion chamber inlet and outlet, the heat exchanger inlet and outlet, and the turbine inlet and outlet. These resistances associated with the flow through various cross-sectional areas are derived as functions of the mixing chamber inlet relative pressure drop, and they control the air flowrate and the net power output. The analytical formulae about the power output, efficiency, and other coefficients are derived with the 12 pressure drop losses. The numerical examples show that the dimensionless power output reaches its maximum at the optimal value and that the dimensionless power output and the thermal efficiency reach their maximum values at the optimal values of the compressor fore-stages pressure ratio of the inverse Brayton cycle.

Thermodynamic Modeling for Open Combined Regenerative Brayton and Inverse Brayton Cycles with Regeneration before the Inverse Cycle

“…These resistances control the air flow rate m and the net power output W [26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][43][44][45][46]. For example, the pressure drop at the compressor inlet of the top cycle is given by:…”

“…The numerical examples showed that the increase in the effectiveness of intercooler increases both the maximum cycle thermodynamic first-law efficiency and the maximum net power output. Zhang et al [35,36] optimized the performance of an open-cycle gas turbine power plant with a refrigeration cycle for compressor inlet air cooling. It was found that the net power output and thermal efficiency are improved by using the refrigeration cycle for compressor air inlet cooling.…”

Gas Turbine Power Plant Modelling for Operation Training

“…Even when detailed modelling of the flow through the equipment, heat transfer phenomena and basing the process on a temperature-entropy diagram, the ideal gas assumption was present (Chen et al, 2009). In this case the gas composition was neglected, (considering only an increase of the temperature) and the model, designed for optimisation, runs around the full load point.…”

Exergetic Analysis of a Novel Solar Cooling System for Combined Cycle Power Plants

“…• Wetted media evaporative cooling [8], suitable for hot dry areas as it uses the latent heat of vaporisation to cool the ambient temperature from the dry-bulb to the wet-bulb temperature; • High-pressure fogging [9], consisting of cooling to wet-bulb temperature at 100% humidity by high-pressure spraying of water droplets into air-inlet ducts; • Refrigerative cooling using mechanical or electrical Vapour Compression Refrigeration (VCR) equipment [10]; • Absorption CHiller (ACH) cooling [11], using heat to produce chilled water in a double stage LiBr-H 2 O thermally-driven chiller for cooling the inlet air.…”