Title: A theoretical investigation on exergy analysis of a gas turbine cycle subjected to inlet air cooling and evaporative after cooling

Authors: Abdul Khaliq; Suleman Haroon; M.A. Habib

Addresses: Mechanical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia ' Mechanical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia ' Mechanical Engineering Department, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia

Abstract: A thermodynamic investigation based on energy and exergy analyses was carried out for the gas turbine cycle utilising Brayton refrigeration cycle for inlet air cooling and water injection for evaporative after cooling. Combined application of inlet air cooling and evaporative after cooling enhanced cycle's exergetic output from 29% to 33% and reduces the exergy loss from 24% to 3%. This arrangement in gas turbine also changed the percentage of local irreversibility of the cycle components considerably. At a given ambient relative humidity of 60%, proposed modification in basic gas turbines boost the cycle first and second law efficiency by 3.7% and 4.2%, respectively. The results obtained reveal that application of reverse Brayton refrigeration cycle for inlet air cooling along with evaporative after cooling could be a most promising option for performance enhancement of gas turbines operated in hot and humid climatic regions.

Keywords: gas turbine; inlet air cooling; evaporative after cooling; first law; second law; Brayton refrigeration cycle.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEX.2018.095407

International Journal of Exergy, 2018 Vol.27 No.3, pp.364 - 392

Received: 15 Mar 2018
Accepted: 13 May 2018
Published online: 03 Oct 2018 *

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