19

CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 EVOLUTION OF GAS TURBINE BASED POWER PLANTS

Gas, or combustion, turbines were originally developed in the 18th

century. The first patent for a combustion turbine was issued to England’s
John Barber in 1791. However early versions of gas turbines were all
impractical because the power necessary to operate the compressors
outweighed the amount of power generated by the turbine. It was not until the
middle of this century that gas turbines evolved into practical machines,
primarily as jet engines. Most developments in the 1950s and 1960s were
geared towards gas turbines for aircraft use (Darian Unger & Howard Herzog
1998).

The gas-turbine cycle is based upon the reversible Joule–Brayton

cycle. In 1851, Joule conceived an “air engine” using this cycle as a substitute
for the steam engine. Engineer George Brayton built a piston-driven internal
combustion engine based upon the same cycle, but its efficiency was too low
to be competitive. The Joule–Brayton cycle models not only gas turbine
power plants but also the familiar gas turbines of jet engines. Because they
can burn relatively clean fuel, have relatively low capital costs, and can be
started and stopped quickly, gas turbines have become popular for electricity
“peaking” and emergency power generation, as well as for base load
operations (providing minimum power requirements). Stationary gas turbines
have the flexibility to burn not only Natural gas (methane) but also distillate
 20

oil, which though less clean than natural gas, is often preferable to coal for
power plants.(Rolf Kehlhofer, 1997)

The early 1960s saw the beginning of gas turbine “packages” for
power generation mostly aimed at the need for additional peaking generation
capacity. Even though simple-cycle gas turbines of the day had dismal
efficiencies (only about 25%) compared to those of coal-fired plants, their
ability to handle peak loads led to an increase in demand and renewed R&D
from manufacturers. Gas turbines in both simple and combined cycle modes
have emerged as a strong force in the power generation market now even for
base load power generation due to a combination of technological
improvements, increasing availability of natural gas as fuel, restructuring of
electric utilities and environmental concerns arising from conventional coal
based thermal power stations. A doubling of efficiency has occurred for
simple cycles, with the introduction of combined cycles causing a tripling in
efficiency (Figure 2.1).(Boyce 2006)

Figure 2.1 Increasing efficiencies of gas turbine power plants

 21

2.2 EFFECT OF AMBIENT TEMPERATURE ON GAS

TURBINE PERFORMANCE

The performance of the gas turbine engine is dependent on the mass

of air entering the engine. At a constant speed, the compressor pumps a
constant volume of air into the engine with no regard for air mass or density.
If the density of the air decreases, the same volume of air will contain less
mass, so less power is produced. If air density increases, power output also
increases as the air mass flow increases for the same volume of air.
Atmospheric conditions affect the performance of the engine since the density
of the air will be different under different conditions. On a cold day, the air
density is high, so the mass of the air entering the compressor is increased. As
a result, higher horsepower is produced. In contrast, on a hot day, or at high
altitude, air density is decreased, resulting in a decrease of output shaft power.

Polyzakis et al. (2008) concluded that the change of power of the

gas turbine set resulting from the change of ambient temperature is due to the
following reasons: 1. Change of the inlet temperature in the compressor. 2.
Change of the mass flow rate of air and combustion gases. 3. Change of the
air excess ratio. 4. Change in the internal efficiency of the machine.

Gas turbine performance is strongly dependent on environmental

conditions, especially air temperature. For example, for heavy frame gas
turbines, at a temperature of 35oC, power output decreases as much as 20
percent with respect to ISO conditions ( l5oC and 60 percent relative
humidity) , while heat rate increases by approximately 5 percent, and all these
figures are almost independent of machine rating (De Lucia et al., 1994).

Arrieta and Lora (2005). showed that a drop in the ambient

temperature increases both the electric power generated and efficiency in the
 22

plant, and the rise in thetemperature of the gas after the supplementary firing
increases the generated electric power, but reduces the efficiency.

Therefore, ability to cool the inlet air will facilitate the production
of consistent gas turbine power output throughout the year, irrespective of the
changes in ambient temperature. Also cooling the inlet air increases the mass
flow of air into the gas turbine and at the exhaust outlet. The increased
exhaust mass flow increases steam production in the heat recovery steam
generator downstream of the gas turbine due to higher energy availability in
the exhaust gas (Claire Soares 2007)

Figure 2.2 shows that a 5.6°C reduction in gas turbine inlet dry-
bulb temperature for heavy-duty gas turbines improves combined cycle output
by about 2.7 %. The actual change is somewhat dependent on the method of
steam turbine condenser cooling being used. Simple- cycle output is improved
by a similar percentage (Mahmood et al 2009).

Figure 2.2 Effect of ambient temperature on heat rate and power output
 23

Kakaras (2006) reported that the gas turbine output and efficiency
is a strong function of the ambient air temperature. Depending on the gas
turbine type, power output is reduced by a percentage between 5 to 10 percent
of the ISO-rated power output (15oC) for every 10 K increase in ambient air
temperature. At the same time the specific heat consumption increases by a
percentage between 1.5 and 4 percent.

Chaker and Meher (2002) showed that depending on the type of a

GT, for every 1oC drop in inlet air temperature, there was about 0.5–0.9%
increases in power output.

Lamfon (1998) investigated the performance of a 23.7 MW gas

turbine plant operated at ambient temperature of 30 oC to 45oC. The net power
output is improved by 11 percent when the gas turbine engine is supplied with
cold air at the inlet. At the ambient temperature of 30oC the net power output
increases by 11 percent at ISO-rated condition, accompanied by a 2 percent
rise in thermal efficiency and a drop in specific fuel consumption of 2
percent.

Mohanty (1995) presented that by increasing the inlet air

temperature from the ISO-rated condition to a temperature of 30oC, would
result in a 10 percent decrease in the net power output. For gas turbine of
smaller capacities, this decrease in power output can be even greater. He also
indicated that a rise in the ambient temperature by 1oC resulted in 1 percent
drop of the gas turbine rated capacity.

Ameri (2004) reported that in a 16.6 MW gas turbine when the

ambient temperature decreases from 34.2oC to ISO-rated condition, the
average power output can be increased by as much as 11.3 percent. He also
indicated for each 1oC increase in ambient air temperature, the power output
will decrease by 0.74 percent.
 24

Alhazmy (2004) reported that an average power output increment

of 0.57 percent for each 1oC drop in inlet temperature. The power output is
increased by 10 percent during cold humid conditions and by 18 percent
during hot humid condition.

Meher and Mee (1999) demonstrated that for every 0.56oC increase
in compressor inlet temperature, gas turbine efficiency is lowered by 0.3–
0.5%.

Studies on effective parameter of the triple-pressure reheat

combined cycle by Thamir Ibrahim et al (2013) have revealed strong
influence of ambient temperature which produces a fall in the power output of
a CCGT plant analysed from 571 MW to 487 MW when the ambient
temperature was increased from 273 K to 323 K (0-50°C).

Bahadori and Behafarid (2006) reported a reduction in a GT power

output from 20 to16 MW when ambient temperature increased from 10oC to
36oC.

Power output and efficiency of a gas turbine plant depends largely

on the condition of the compressor inlet air temperature. Research has shown
that gas turbine power output decreases by 18% for a 10°C increase in
compressor inlet air temperature (Cortes and William, 2003).

It has also been reported that high ambient temperature increases

the turbine’s heat rate resulting in gas turbine plants producing 25-35% less
power in summer than winter at an average increase of 6% in fuel
consumption (McCracker, 1991).

A lower ambient temperature leads to a higher air density and a

lower compressor work that in turn gives a higher GT power output as
 25

demonstrated through thermodynamic analysis. Conversely there will be an

increase in power consumption in the compressor of a GT with increase in the
ambient temperature.

In gas turbines, since the combustion air is taken directly from the
environment, their performance is strongly affected by weather conditions
(Mahmoudi et al., 2009). Power rating can drop by as much as 20 to 30%,
with respect to international standard organization (ISO) design conditions,
when ambient temperature reaches, 35 oC to 45°C.

El Hadik (1993) studied the impact of atmospheric conditions such

as ambient temperatures, pressure and relative humidity on the performance
of gas turbine.

The performance of a gas turbine power plant is sensible to the

ambient condition. As the ambient air temperature arises, less air can be
compressed by the compressor since the withdrawing capacity of compressor
is given, and so the gas turbine output is reduced at a given turbine entry
temperature. Additionally, the compression work increases because the
limited volume of the air increases in proportionality to the intake air
temperature (Xiaojun et al., 2010).

2.3 TURBINE INLET COOLING

Turbine Inlet Cooling (TIC) is cooling of the air before it enters the
compressor that supplies high-pressure air to the combustion chamber from
which hot air at high pressure enters the combustion turbine. TIC is also
called by many other names, including Combustion Turbine Inlet Air Cooling
(CTIAC), Turbine Inlet Air Cooling (TIAC), Combustion Turbine Air
Cooling (CTAC), and Gas Turbine Inlet Air Cooling (GTIAC).
 26

The basic theory of inlet air cooling for gas turbines is simple
enough. Combustion turbines are constant volume machines – at a given shaft
speed they always move the same volume of air – but the power output of a
turbine depends on the flow of mass through it. That’s why on hot days, when
air is less dense, power output falls off. By feeding cooler air into the gas
turbine, mass flow is increased, resulting in higher output. Another factor is
the power consumed by the gas turbine’s compressor. The work required to
compress air is directly proportional to the temperature of the air, so reducing
the inlet air temperature reduces the work of compression and there is more
work available at the turbine output shaft.

Cooling the air at the compressor intake increases the air density
and help boosting the power output. In addition, the ambient air humidity
ratio plays an important role on selection of the cooling process. Several
techniques are in use such as evaporative cooling, mechanical, absorption
chillers and/or ice thermal storage (Dincer and Rosen, 2002).

The gas turbine inlet air cooling methods can be divided into five
categories including the evaporative cooler, indirect mechanical refrigeration
system, direct mechanical refrigeration system, mechanical refrigeration
system with chilled water storage and absorption chiller inlet air cooling
system (Kamal and Zuhairm, 2006).

One way of restoring, operating conditions is to add an air cooler at

the compressor inlet. The air cooling system serves to raise the turbine
performance to peak power levels during the warmer months when the high
atmospheric temperature cause the turbine to work at off-design conditions,
with reduced power output (Kakaras et al., 2004).

There is, however, a limitation on the amount of inlet air cooling

that can safely be accomplished. If the temperature is allowed to go too low,
 27

ice can form on the bell-mouth or inlet guide vanes, with the risk of this ice
flaking off and doing mechanical damage to the compressor blades. This
phenomenon can occur even when the inlet air temperature is above freezing,
because suction at the turbine inlet creates a low pressure ‘cool zone’ at the
bell-mouth. To avoid this problem, most turbine manufacturers recommend
that inlet air be kept at or above 8ºC.

2.4 ADVANTAGES OF INLET AIR COOLING

When compared to standard capacities in conditions where ambient

temperature is above 15°C, the prevention or reduction in gas turbine power
losses can be viewed as the primary benefit of Turbine inlet air cooling.
Cooling the combustion turbine inlet air below 15°C also enables power plant
owners to obtain a power yield above the standard generation capacity of the
gas turbine. Naci Sahin et al (2007) extensively studied the effect of
Combustion Turbine Inlet Air Cooling on Energy Efficiency and has listed its
multiple benefits.

2.4.1 Increase in Capacity

Figure 2.3 Effect of ambient temperature on power output

 28

When compared to standard capacities in conditions where ambient

temperature is above 15°C, the prevention or reduction in gas turbine power
losses can be viewed as the primary benefit of turbine inlet air cooling.
Cooling the combustion turbine inlet air below 15°C also enables power plant
owners to obtain a power yield above the standard generation capacity of the
gas turbine (Figure 2.3)

Ondryas et al. (2007) demonstrated the impact of using chillers at

the air intake system to enhance gas turbine power output in a cogeneration
plants they obtained over 20% increase in net power output.

The study of (Elliot, 2001) shows that a 1% gain of the output

power was obtained for every 1.6°C drop in compressor inlet air temperature
using water chillers.

Kolp et al. (2001) demonstrated the effect of various forms of inlet

air cooling and super charging of 40MW GE LM6000 gas turbine plant. Their
results indicate that a 28°C reduction in the compressor inlet air temperature
increased the net power output by 30%.

The same is also true for most of the aeroderivative gas turbines
like, whose performance charts show great sensitivity to ambient conditions,
with maximum power output for an inlet air temperature of about 10oC
(Casper, 1993).

2.4.2 Increase in Fuel Efficiency

When compared to standard capacities in conditions where ambient

temperature is above 15°C, cooling of inlet air also improves the efficiency of
the gas turbine. In other words the heat rate or energy required to produce one
 29

kWh of electrical energy will be less. From Figure 2.4 it can be seen that the
heat rate keeps on rising with increase in ambient temperatures.

Figure 2.4 Effect of ambient temperature on heat rate as % of design

2.4.3 Reduction of Main Investment Cost Depending on Capacity

Yield of Power Generation Units

If combustion turbine inlet air cooling is not applied on the power

generation system, yet it is desired to make up for the capacity loss resulting
from the rise in ambient temperature, the only applicable option is to use
another gas turbine in the system or to assign a generator of another type.
These alternatives are generally much costlier than combustion turbine inlet
air cooling. Furthermore the capacity increase (the additional capacity that is
gained) resulting from the cooling system application enables the delay of the
necessary future investments.
 30

2.4.4 Increase in Power Output of the Steam and Steam Turbine

and raising the Combined Cycle Efficiency

In conditions where ambient temperature exceeds 15°C,

combustion turbine inlet air cooling prevents loss of steam generated within
the cogeneration system and power generation losses in the steam turbines
within the combined cycle (Bilgen 2000).

As previously stated, the power generation of a gas turbine varies

inversely with air temperature. This is due to the reduction in the mass flow
rate of inlet air. A low mass flow rate leads to a decrease in the total energy of
the gas turbine exhaust and consequently a reduction in the amount of steam
generated in the heat recovery steam generators within the cycle. Low steam
generation in heat recovery steam generators causes low generation in
turbines within the combined cycle. (Ganapathy 2003)

2.4.5 Better Predictability of the Quantity of Power Generation

Some combustion turbine inlet air cooling technologies enable

operation at the desired temperature which can potentially be as low as 6°C,
independently of air conditions. Systems utilizing this technology make the
prediction of the power output easier, and eliminate one of the variables –air-
required for predicting the production in power generation plants utilising gas
turbines. (Habib 1995)

2.4.6 Elimination of the need for spraying water/steam

Water/steam spraying applications are used to increase mass flow

and decrease NOx emission of the turbines. However, in some cases spraying
steam reduces turbine capacity or increases CO emission. Low inlet air
 31

temperature achieved through combustion turbine inlet air cooling cuts NOx
emissions by reducing combustion air temperature, thus eliminating the need
for spraying water/steam for NOx control. The combustion turbine inlet air
cooling system also eliminates the need for various capacity increase actions
leading to increased CO emission. Its control is also straightforward and saves
the operator from having to use complicated control systems.

2.4.7 Increase in Baseload Efficiency of the System

When power demand fluctuates inlet cooling increases the total

efficiency of the system by operating electric chiller equipment during off-
peak periods. Also, electric chillers operated during the night are more
efficient due to reduced condenser temperatures. When maximum power is
desired on a continuous basis, continuously operating systems must be used
instead of systems that store energy.

2.4.8 Extension of the life of the Combustion Turbine

Turbines operating at lower inlet air temperatures have extended

life and reduced maintenance. Lower and constant inlet air temperature
reduces the wear on turbines and turbine components.

2.4.9 Other benefits

When evaporative media is used it also additionally filters the inlet

air. In case of chillers, cooling coils condense a significant amount of water,
which is a valuable source of makeup water for cooling towers or evaporative
condensers
 32

The air inlet temperature can be matched to the required turbine

capacity. In this way, 100% open inlet guide vanes eliminate inlet guide vane
pressure loss penalties

When compared to the efficiency and heat rate declared in the

design in conditions where ambient temperature is above 15°C, the prevention
of reduction in fuel efficiency is the most important benefit of combustion
turbine inlet air cooling (Heat rate: the amount of heat required for one unit of
electrical energy.)

An increase in air inlet temperature of 15°C to 38°C increases the

heat ratio. This leads to an approximate 4% drop in fuel efficiency. The drop
in fuel efficiency can be prevented by cooling the combustion turbine inlet
air. For a typical gas combustion turbine, cooling the inlet air from 15°C to
6°C lowers the heat ratio and increases fuel efficiency by approximately 2%.

2.5 INLET AIR COOLING METHODS

Several methods are available for reducing gas turbine inlet

temperature. There are two basic systems currently available for inlet cooling.
The first and perhaps the most widely accepted system is evaporative cooling.
Evaporative coolers make use of the evaporation of water to reduce the gas
turbine’s inlet air temperature. The second system employs various ways to
chill the inlet air. In this system, the cooling medium (usually chilled water)
flows through a heat exchanger located in the inlet duct to remove heat from
the inlet air. Evaporative cooling is limited by wet-bulb temperature. Chilling,
however, can cool the inlet air to temperatures that are lower than the wet
bulb temperature, thus providing additional output albeit at a significantly
higher cost.
 33

Ewa et al (2012) presented through their study different options for

gas turbine inlet air cooling.The method of defining power gain caused by air
cooling as well as the results of applying air cooling to several models of gas
turbines and one in combined cycle in domestic ambient conditions have been
discussed. Significant power gains were obtained.

2.5.1 Evaporative Cooling

Evaporation is a natural process that results in the conversion of

water from a liquid to a vapor. This conversion is called a phase change.
When water changes phase, it either absorbs or releases heat. For instance,
when a kilogram of water changes from the liquid phase to vapor phase it
consumes 2257 kJ of heat. A good example of evaporation is the cooling
effect of a breeze on a summer day. Even if the air is hotter than body
temperature, the breeze feels cooler because it evaporates perspiration off the
skin. (Saravanamuttoo et al 2001)

Evaporative cooling takes advantage of the latent heat of

vaporization of water which is evaporated in the air stream to be cooled. This
process is often referred to as adiabatic cooling, since by definition an
adiabatic process is one where heat is neither lost nor gained in the system. In
this process, as water is evaporated in the air stream, the latent heat of
vaporization of the water is provided by sensible heat from the air with the
end result being a reduction in temperature of the air stream which is
accompanied by an increase in relative humidity.

In the simple psychrometric chart shown in Figure 2.5 air is cooled

from an ambient condition (A) of 33.3°C and 51.8 % R.H., which
corresponds to 25.1°C WB, down to 26.3 °C (B) along a line that represents
constant wet bulb temperature. The adiabatic cooling process from any other
point on the chart would have to follow a similar process i.e. cooling along a
 34

line of constant wet bulb temperature, which will be parallel to the process
line shown.

Figure 2.5 Evaporative cooling psychrometrics

As can be observed from the process the maximum temperature

theoretically achievable with this kind of cooling is the wet bulb temperature.

Wet bulb temperature of moist air is also referred to as adiabatic

saturation temperature and can be most simply defined as the temperature
which a quantity of air would theoretically reach if adiabatically cooled to
saturation e.g. 100% relative humidity. By that very definition, the adiabatic
cooling process is depicted in the psychrometric chart as moving along a line
of constant wet bulb temperature towards the saturation curve. Reaching the
prevailing wet bulb temperature is a theoretical low limit for evaporative
cooling systems which is generally not achievable since the air/water contact
surface and droplet residence times for evaporation in the case of fogging
 35

systems are insufficient to achieve this goal. Typical quoted effectiveness

rates for such systems are in the range of 85%, i.e. they can achieve up to
85% of the available wet bulb depression, which is defined as the difference
between prevailing dry bulb and wet bulb temperatures

These systems are typically divided into two categories, although

thermodynamically they use the exact same process. Both methods attempt to
maximize the air to water contact surface to maximize evaporation rates.

1) Media type evaporative coolers – These units will use a wetted

media similar to cooling tower fill over which water is trickled
down with the air flowing in a crossflow configuration

2) Inlet fogging systems – These systems use an array of

hydraulic water atomizing nozzles mounted in the inlet
airstream to produce fine droplets that are intended to
evaporate quickly.

Media-type evaporative coolers make use of this principle and are

the most common cooling system employed in gas turbine inlet air cooling.
They generally consist of a wetted honeycomb-like pad of cellulose fiber
material (the medium). When air is pulled through, it evaporates water off the
convoluted surfaces of the wetted media, thereby cooling the inlet air.
(Jonsson et al 2005)

High pressure fogging is a more recent addition to the roster of

technologies employed for inlet air cooling. Fogging systems are similar to
mediatype evaporative cooling systems in that they cool by evaporating
water, but instead of using an evaporative medium, the water is atomized into
billions of super-small fog droplets.
 36

Amell andCadavid, (2002) established that evaporative coolers

gives an increase of about 10-15% power output, while evaporative fogging
technique will enhance power output by 10-20%.

Johnson (1998) discussed the theory of evaporative cooling and

explained the evaporative cooler design, installation, operation, feed water
quality, and the causes and prevention of water carry over.

Kraneis et al. (2000) studied the effects of an evaporative cooler on

the available power plant capacity with a detailed outline of the climatic
conditions prevailing on the various continents.

In another study using inlet fog cooling to boost GT power, Al-

Amiri (2006) performed a study in hot and dry climates; results showed that
power output was reduced by a significant amount.

Rahman and Wang (2006) had performed a study on fogging and

overspray cooling of gas turbines. Their results demonstrated that compressor
consumes more power at elevated ambient temperature condition, and an
increase in ambient temperature or relativehumidity resulted in a decrease in a
GT net power output. It was concluded that the increase in the relative
humidity has a lesser effect than the increase in ambient temperature.

Abam et al (2012) investigated the effect of inlet air cooling system

and components irreversibility on the performance of an active 25 MW gas
turbine power plant. The objective of this study was to establish potential
benefits of improving the performance of the current gas turbine plant into a
more advanced cycle with high efficiency and power output through inlet air
cooling. In this study, performance characteristics were determined for a set
of actual operational conditions including ambient temperature, relative
humidity, turbine inlet temperature and pressure ratio. The results obtained
show that the use of a spray cooler on the existing gas turbine cycle gives a
 37

better thermal efficiency and less irreversibility rate in the components system
and the entire plant. The power output of the gas turbine plant with spray
cooler was found to have increased by over 7% accompanied by a 2.7%
increase in machine efficiency with a 2.05% reduction in specific fuel
consumption and 10.03% increase in the energy of the exhaust. Furthermore a
0.32% reduction in the total irreversibility rate of the plant for the cooled
cycle was obtained and a 0.39, 0.29 and 0.17% reduction in the irreversibility
rate of compressor, turbine and combustion chamber respectively were also
obtained.

Darmadhikari et al (2004) studied the performance enhancement of

gas turbine power plants by cooling the compressor intake air. The use of an
evaporative cooler in this case increased both the daily power output and the
thermal efficiency by 2.52% and 0.112% respectively.

Yap and Wang performed a study on a 5MW GT, using low

calorific value fuel; they reported that an increase of 0.5–4.76% in output
power was observed as aresult of reducing ambient temperature by an inlet
fog cooling technique.

Hosseini et al (2007) studied a media evaporative cooling system

installed in the gas turbines of the Farhs (Iran) combined cycle power plant
which was then modeled and evaluated. The practical and analytical results
show that the output of the gas turbine when cooled from conditions of 38oC
ambient temperature and 8% relative humidity to 19oC with media
evaporative cooling installations, a 11 MW rise in power output was
observed. The investment would get paid back in four years with the sale of
additional energy generated.

Johnke and Mast (2002) reported that a mediacooler can increase

the relative humidity of the inlet air to about 90%, thus increasing the power
output by 5–10% and the efficiency by 1.5–2.5%.
 38

To evaluate the general applicability of inlet air cooling for a

combined cycle power plant, parameters such as efficiency ratio, profit ratio
and payback period were defined and analysed by Yang (2009) through off-
design performance of both gas turbine and inlet air cooling systems. An
analytical method for applicability evaluation of inlet air cooling with
absorption chiller (inlet chilling) and saturated evaporative cooler (inlet
fogging) was presented. The conclusions were that the applicability depended
on the design economic efficiency of the power plant, climatic data and the
design capacity of inlet air cooling systems. The results also showed that inlet
chilling with absorption chiller was the preferred option when the ambient
temperatures are more than 25oC

Kim et al. (2000) studied the role of ambient conditions in

determining the thermodynamic performance of humid air turbine (HAT)
cycle compared with a simple gas turbine cycle. Their results showed that as
the ambient temperature rises, a larger amount of water vapor can be added to
the air due to the increased humidifier inlet temperature.

Zadpoor et al (2006) used a desiccant based dehumidifying process

to direct the air to the evaporative cooling system. The technique proved more
effective in hot and humid conditions over the other evaporative techniques.

Dawoud et al (2005) presented the results from the study of gas

turbine plant in two locations in Oman. The results showed that fogging
cooling is accompanied with 11.4 percent more electrical energy in
comparison with evaporative cooling in both locations. On the other hand,
absorption cooling offers 40 percent and 55 percent more energy than fogging
cooling.
 39

Problems of water carryover, Tillman et al. (2005), which are

hazardous for compressor blades, are among the reasons to barricade the use
of evaporative coolers for GTplants in humid coastal areas.

2.5.2 Inlet Chilling

The chilling process is fundamentally different from evaporative

cooling. No longer restricted from cooling the air to an approach to the
prevailing wet bulb temperature, the inlet chilling systems routinely cool the air
well below this as well as the prevailing dewpoint temperature. A properly sized
system is therefore capable of maintaining a stable downstream or leaving air
temperature, regardless of the prevailing relative humidity, making these systems
much more suitable for turbine inlet cooling in hot and humid sites.

Figure 2.6 Chilling process psychrometrics

In a chilling system, heat is removed from the inlet airflow by

means of heat exchangers (chilling coils). Cooling is achieved through both
sensible cooling (no condensation of water) and latent cooling (with
condensation of water), where the former is more energy efficient but the air
is only cooled down to the dew point. For example as shown in Figure 2.6
 40

given a dry bulb temperature of 30°C and a relative humidity of 40%, air can
be cooled down to its dew point (15°C) without water condensing and then
further cooled to 8°C by removing latent heat. In the example provided, the
cooling would have an effect of up to a 22% increase in power and a
reduction in heat rate of as much as 6.5%.. (GE Oil & Gas)

The lower limit for inlet air air cooling temperatures have been
recommended not to reach values below 7°C to safeguard against potential ice
build up in the compressor suction line and also in the compressor blades
(Lucia et al., 1994).

The drawback of the mechanical chilling is the risk of ice formation

either as ice crystals in theair or as solidified layer on surfaces, such as the
bell mouth or inlet guide vanes Stewart et al (2000)

Different cooling systems were analyzed and preliminary cost

evaluations for each system were carried out for a gas turbine power plant by
Maurizio et al.(1997). The study considered the traditional compression
cooling system, single and two stage absorption cooling with lithium bromide
as absorbent. Results clearly indicate that there is a great potential for GT
performance enhancement by application of an Inlet Air Cooling (IAC).

Ondryas et al. (1991) investigated the various options for cooling

the inlet air including mechanical vapour compression and aqua-ammonia
absorption refrigeration. In the vapor compression type, the air is cooled by a
cooling coil served by a mechanical compressor, which draws its electricity
supply from the generation unit itself. In the aqua-ammonia system water is
the refrigerant and ammonia is the absorbent.

The chilling system makes use of either vapour compression

refrigeration or vpour absorption refrigeration systems. In mechanical vapour
 41

compression systems a low boiling point liquid called the refrigerant is used
to cool chilled water which circulates around the cooling coil. The refrigerant
which vaporizes after chilling the water is compressed to a higher pressure
and temperature by a compressor. The high pressure and high temperature
gases are sent to a condenser where it condenses. The high pressure liquid
refrigerant undergoes a sudden expansion in an expansion valve to become a
low temperature and low pressure refrigerant ready for cooling the water
again. This system requires a large amount of electrical energy for its
operation.

Ebeling and Halil (1992) studied the impact of chilled water

cooling with thermal storage system using mechanical chillers. They
concluded that using of such system would provide 21 to 25% increase in
power output when inlet air is cooled down to a temperature of 10°C.

Ryohei Yokoyama (2004) carried out investigations to determine

the effects of inlet air cooling by ice storage by driving electric compression
chillers using off-peak power generated during the nighttime on the unit
sizing and cost of a gas turbine cogeneration plant.

Alhazmy and Najjar (2004) concluded that for spray coolers the
drop in air temperature by 3–15oC increased the power by 1–7%, while
cooling coils improved the net power by 10–18%..

Alhazmy et al. (2006) further performed analysis for the

performance improvement of open GT units using spray and mechanical
cooling methods. They introduced two generic terms, power gain ratio (PGR)
and thermal efficiency change (TEC) factor, for the evaluation of intake air-
cooling approaches. They presented the results in general dimensionless
working charts covering a wide range of working conditions
 42

Hall et al.(1994) documented the performance of a 36 MW gas

turbine power plant in which a chilled water-based storage refrigeration
system was used to cool the inlet air. The cooling system was able to reduce
the air from an ambient temperature of 35oC to 7oC, thus enhancing plant
performance by 10%.

The mechanical chillers increase the gas turbine performance better

than evaporative coolers because they can produce any required air
temperature irrespective of the weather conditions (Kamal and Zuhairm,
2006).

Zamzam and Al-Amiri (2002) examined the potential use of

employing mechanical refrigeration systems in the United Arab Emirates.
They used the annual wet-bulb and dry bulb weather data to determine
annual gross energy increase, average heat-rate reduction, cooling load
requirement, and net power increase. For viability, they recommended an inlet
air temperature of 15-25oC.

In a vapour absorption system too, chilled water is generated and

circulated over a cooling coil. An absorption system uses a combination of
lithium bromide and water. Water is the refrigerant and lithium bromide is an
absorbent. The system operates under vacuum. The only energy required as
input to the system is heat energy for concentrating the dilute lithium
bromide. The heat energy requirement can be met by low pressure steam or
any waste heat. This is especially advantageous when waste heat is available
as the cost of refrigeration becomes negligible. (Misra et al 2003).

Aphornratana et al (1995) demonstrated that an

appreciable improvement in the thermal efficiency of a gas turbine power
plant, operating under relatively high ambient temperature (above 32 ºC),
could be achieved by utilizing the waste heat of the gas turbine, and waste
 43

heat was used to operate an absorption chiller unit. The cooling effect reduces
the air temperature at inlet to the compressor

Boonnasa et al (2006) presented the results from the study of

combined cycle power plant operated in Bangkok. The results showed that
decreasing temperature from 35oC to ISO-rated condition increases the power
output of a gas turbine by 10.6 percent and the combined cycle power plant
by 6.24 percent annually. The gas turbine was rated at 110.76 MW. The
increase in power output with respect to temperature would vary with the
turbine depending on cycle parameters, component efficiencies and mass
flow.

The lowering of the ambient temperature leads to the increase of

flow rate of combustion gases, which resulted in the increase of power output.
But if the inlet temperature is reduced below the ISO rated temperature of
15°C, then the temperature of the exhaust gases entering the waste heat boiler
become lower, which may influence the capacity of the waste heat boiler
(Paepe and Dick, 2001).

Chacartegui et al. (2008) performed an analysis to study the effect

of relative humidity and ambient temperature on the performance of a
combined GT cycle with HRSG to produce inlet air cooling. They reported a
decrease in the available heat in the exhaust gases as inlet temperature
increases.

Al Tobi (2009) compared the performance achieved by two gas

turbines: single and two shaft engines, when vapour compression chiller was
used. The single shaft engine presented an increase of 27% in the power
output, while the two shafts achieved 20% both simulated to ambient
temperature of 50oC.
 44

Farzaneh-Gord et al (2011) presented a comparison between two

commons and one novel inlet air cooling method using turbo-expanders to
improve performance of a gas turbine located at the Khangiran refinery in
Iran. Two common methods used were evaporative coolers and a mechanical
chiller. The idea behind the novel method is to utilize the potential cooling
and power capacity of the refinery natural gas pressure drop station by
replacing throttle valves with turbo-expander. Based on the results it is found
that using turbo-expander is the most economical option for the refinery
application.

Nixdorf et al. (2002) investigated the economic benefits of different

ambient airconditioning methods for reducing the gas turbine intake air
temperature in order to enhance the gas turbine power.

Galal et al (2007) investigated the impact of cooling the intake air

by an air Brayton refrigerator(reverse Joule Brayton cycle) driven by the gas
turbine which used air as the working fluid. Fraction of the air was extracted
from the compressor at an intermediate pressure, cooled and then expanded to
obtain a cold airstream, which mixed with the ambient intake. The results
indicated that the intake temperature could be lowered below the ISO
standard with power increase up to 19.58% and appreciable decrease in the
thermal efficiency (5.76% of the site value).

Ibrahim et al (2011) reviewed up to date techniques that were

developed to cool the inlet air to the gas turbine. It was observed that the
power consumption of mechanical chillers is very high compared to media
type evaporative coolers. However mechanical chilling is useful to boost
power during high ambient temperature usually synchronous with on-peak
power generation allowing leveling of gas turbine output.
 45

Gas turbine power augmentation in a cogeneration plant using inlet

air chilling was investigated by Ondryas et al (1991). Options included
absorption chillers, mechanical chillers and thermal energy storage. Motive
energy for the chillers was steam from the gas turbine exhaust or electrical
energy for the mechanical chillers. The overall economics of power
augmentation benefits were investigated.

In addition, (Mercer, 2002) reported in his study that chillers

utilizing thermal storage systems would increase the gas turbine power output
by over 25% during peak periods.

However, the main disadvantages of mechanical chillers are their

high consumption of electricity. Such air cooling systems require an electric
capacity of 40 to 50 kW/MW GT for the cooling compressor which will
reduce the potential output of the power plant. Out of the possible power
output elevation of 20%, one third of which will be used by the cooling
system itself. Such penalty and the high cost, primary plus operation cost, of
mechanical compression systems inhibits their use (Sadrameli and Goswami,
2007).

In mechanical refrigeration systems equipment and O&M costs are

less than absorption chillers, but capital costs are higher and parasitic power
requirements can be 30% of the power gain (Abdulrahman et al 2010).

Malewski and Holldroft (1986) analyzed the performance of the gas

turbine engine fitted with an aqua-ammonia absorption system to cool the
inlet air. In their system, the generator received the required heat from the
exhaust gases by a direct contact heat exchanger. The author found that the
gas turbine power can be boosted by 21% when the inlet air cooled down to
8°C.
 46

Ondryas et al. (1991) also studied the possibility of using aqua-

ammonia absorption chilling systems for inlet air cooling below 10°C. The
examined air cooling plant used steam generated from HRSG. It was reported
that only a fraction of thermal energy recoverable from the gas turbine
exhaust flow, 10% is used to cool the air from 35oC to10°C, a value that
decreases proportionally with temperature. The power boost was reported to
be approximately 19 to 21%, and as a result of that, the adoption of the aqua-
ammonia absorption chilling system was documented as the most suitable
option.

The performance of two General Electric aero derivative gas

turbines, the LM2500+ and the LM1600, with and without absorption
refrigeration was investigated by Jamal N. (2002) using aqua-ammonia
refrigeration system to cool the inlet air. For meteorological conditions
existing in the particular site considered in Oman, pre-cooling gas turbine
inlet air to 7°C augments power, on a yearly basis, of LM2500+ and LM1600
machines by 20% and 14% respectively. During the peak hours in summer
months, when power is mostly needed, the percentage of power augmented
climbed to 39% and 33% for the two gas turbines.

Al-Bortmany (2002) discussed the use of aqua-amonnia absorption

chillers powered by heat extracted from gas-turbine exhaust gases. The inlet
air of two gas turbines in Oman was cooled to 7oC resulting in power gains of
20% and 14%.

Ameri and Hejazi, 2004 conducted an economic analysis of a gas

turbine intake air-cooling system in the Iranian Chabahar powerplant. The
system described uses a steam-absorption chiller and output power was
increased by 11.3%. Economic studies based on increased revenue as a result
of the additional 14 000 MWh per year electricity production, gave a rate of
return of 23.4% with a payback period of 4.2 years.
 47

An evaluation of various intake air cooling systems was carried out

by Zhang et al (2014). Absorption chiller cooling technology has advantages
of wide range of adjustments and cooling degrees, which is suitable for
various kinds of gas turbine power plants. However simulation results showed
that using steam as a source for absorption chiller affects the efficiency of
combined cycle and hence comprehensive consideration should be taken
before adopting a technology.

Nasser and El-Kalay (1991) proposed the use of a simple Lithium

bromider heat-recovery absorption system to cool the air intake of a gas
turbine compressor in Bahrain to compensate for the 30oC summer to winter
variation in ambient temperature. They calculated that heat from the exhaust
gases can decrease a 40oC ambient inlet air temperature by 10oC, giving a
power increase of 10%.

Mohanty and Paloso (1995) studied a similar absorption system for

a 100 MW gas turbine in Bangkok, taking the inlet temperature down to 15oC.
They achieved instantaneous power output increases of between 8 and 13%,
with an overall increase of 11%.

Ameri and Hejazi (2004) have carried out feasibility of installing an

absorption chillersystem to cool the inlet air to the Chabahar powerplant gas
turbines. It has been shown that the average power output can be increased by
asmuch as 11.3%.

Bies et al. (1999) studied the use of a lithium bromide double-effect

absorption chiller to cool warm ambient air entering a gas turbine compressor.

Three different intake air-cooling, methods (evaporative cooling,

refrigeration cooling, and evaporative cooling of pre-compressed air) have
been applied in two combined cycle power plants and two gas turbine plants.
 48

The calculations were performed on a yearly basis of operation, taking into

account the time-varying climatic conditions. The economics from integration
of the different cooling systems were calculated and compared. The results
have demonstrated that the highest incremental electricity generation is
realized by absorption intake air-cooling. (Kakaras et al., 2004).

Perez-Blanco (1993) presented a conceptual design aimed at

obtaining higher efficiencies of a vapor absorption refrigeration using Lithium
Bromide and water mixture. The calculated COPs were of the order of 1.8
which is almost double that of the prevailing COPs. Such high efficiency
chillers can bring down the initial cost of absorption chillers making inlet air
cooling more viable and profitable.

2.6 SIMULATIONS

In their continuous planning for load growth, electricity utilities

search for the most economic generation schemes. But this will be subject to a
number of constraints, such as, the type of fuel available, peak-to-base
demand ratio and compliance with national environmental standards. To
assess the behavior of a power plant over its expected ranges of operation,
appropriate mathematical models which can predict the performance under
both design-point and off-design or part-load operating conditions have been
deployed in the case of inlet air cooling of gas turbine power plants.. (Horii et
al1987)

Jaber et al(2007) carried out investigation on the performance

analysis of two air cooling systems evaporative and refrigeration on a gas
turbine of CEGCO power plant in Jordan using computer simulation. The
simulated results were compared with the base-case scenario without inlet air
cooling. The obtained results shows that the evaporative cooling system
appears to be capable of boosting generated power by about 5% and
 49

enhancing efficiency of the selected gas turbine unit in a way that is less
expensive than a refrigeration cooling coil. However huge quantity of water is
required for evaporative cooling at 0.7 % of the turbine air mass flow rate.

Hariri and Aghanajafi (2009) used mathematical simulation tools to

assess several techniques to boost the power output of a simple cycle gas
turbine having a rated efficiency of 27.06%. They showed that if an
absorption cooling system was used to cool the inlet air, the turbine efficiency
could be boosted to 28.22%.

Jamal Atia Abdusamad (2011) applied modeling techniques to

carryout improvements to the performance of an existing power plant (452.75
MW) situated at Benghazi-Libya. This plant was schematically modeled and
mathematically simulated using two different model libraries, (power plant
and refrigeration) of a well-known package called IPSEpro.

Ana Paula Santos et al (2012) performed a numerical simulation on

a gas turbine comparing the performance parameters with three modes of
cooling: evaporative, mechanical chilling and absorption chilling. The results
showed that for a given inlet condition, an increase of 3.2 MW in power
output is obtained with evaporative cooling while mechanical and absorption
chilling augmented the power output by 4.5 MW and 5.3 MW respectively.

Oyedepoet al (2014) studied the performance enhancement of gas

turbine power plants by cooling the compressor intake air with an evaporative
cooler through simulated models. This study investigated the effect of inlet air
cooling system on the performance of an existing gas turbine power plant in
Nigeria. The results show that for each 5oC decrease of inlet air temperature,
net output power increases around 5-10% and the thermal efficiency increases
around 2-5%. It is shown that the amount of this increase is higher when the
pressure ratio is high and turbine inlet temperature is low.
 50

De Lucia (1996) made a comparative analysis of different solutions

for cooling the turbine inlet air for LM 6000 (General Electric) gas turbine
plant operating in a cogeneration mode. The simulation considered a single
stage absorption cooler, a two stage absorption cooler and evaporative
cooling. The simulations show that evaporative cooling is able to supply a 2-
4 % valid power increases with rather low investment. Absorption cooling can
enhance the power output by 5-10 % on an annual basis depending on site
climate and upto 18 % during the warm summer months. These benefits are
double than those supplied by evaporative cooling and absorption cooling
depends much less on humidity conditions. However investments are higher
and hence suggested for base load plants.

A thermodynamic model of a gas turbine was built by Ana Paula et

al (2012) to calculate heat rate, power output and thermal efficiency at
different inlet air temperature conditions using evaporative cooler and
absorption chiller and solved for different inlet conditions (temperature and
relative humidity). The evaporative cooling brought an increment of 8.4% and
the absorption chiller represented a power output gain of 12.7%.

A simple gas turbine combined cycle power plant was simulated by

Darmadhikari (2004) using thermoflex software. In this study a fogging
system and an absorption chiller system were commissioned before the air
inlet of the compressor. Heat requirement of absorption chiller was fed by
bleed steam from steam cycle. Three cases; inlet air cooling with fogging,
absorption chillers with and without inlet air cooling were compared in case
of net electricity production, net efficiency (LHV) of the power plant, water
consumption, heat consumption and energy economy. Though the net power
generation increased the net efficiency decreased beyond 20oC due to the
increased cooling requirements for inlet air.
 51

Jumok Won et al.(2015) investigated the net benefit of

implementing selected technologies for enhancing power and efficiency of an
existing combined cycle power plant . For a comparative study, gas turbine
intake cooling system, wet cycle (steam injection), and turbine cooling air
precooling were implemented in Busan power plant, Republic of Korea. The
complete plant is modeled using Gatecycle simulation software and its
validation against field operation data showed the differences in the generated
power and efficiency at the base load condition within 0.5% and the
difference in the turbine inlet temperature value less than 3%.

Zhang et al. (2014) used a thermodynamic model to identify the

system operating condition that yields the optimum performance of the
turbine inlet air cooling system. They varied the inlet air mass flow rate to the
inlet air cooling system, and found that an optimum air mass flow rate exists
that yields the maximum system performance

Panchalinge Gowda.et al (2014) used THERMOFLOW simulation

for assessing the performance of hot water based vapor absorption machine
for cooling the inlet air of a 350 MW combined cycle power plant. The results
showed a 5.9% increase in power output and 0.56% point increase in
efficiency compared to combined cycle power plant performance parameter at
site condition without the GT inlet air cooling system.

Dinindu R. Kodituwakku, (2014) studied the Kelanitissa gas

turbine plant having single shaft gas turbines (GE MS5001 R) operated in
open cycle with diesel as fuel. The designed exhaust temperature was 5130C.
The heat in the exhaust was designed to drive a 700 TR two stage absorption
chiller. The efficiency improvement achieved by cooling the inlet from 27oC
(average daily temperature) down to 15oC is 0.4 %-points, as per the
simulation results.
 52

Wang et al. (2007) developeda computer code to evaluate the

performance ofa combined GT cycle with HRSG in combination with IAC
and steam injected GT (STIG). Results demonstrated that such a system has
the highestefficiency and power generation. Also results demonstrated that the
combined power output decreases linearly as the ambient temperature
increases from 15 oC to 30oC.

Also Garataet al. (2004) reported a methodology for the economic

evaluation of the effect of IAC on a combinedGT cycle in connection with
HRSG. Their analysis demonstrated that best efficiencies were obtained at 15
o
C –18oC.

Al-Fahed et al (2009) developed a computational model and solved

using engineering equation solver professional package to investigate the
performance of a dual pressure GT-HRSG system. Results indicated that
operating GT under elevated values of inlet air temperatures is characterized
by low values ofnet power and thermal efficiency. At elevated inlet air
temperatures, increasing relative humidity has a small positive impact on GT
cycle net power and thermal efficiency.

Shi (2010) proposed an integrated advanced power system to

improve the performance of the conventional combined cycle power plant.
Both inlet air cooling and intercooling were utilized within the proposed
system to limit the descrease in air mass flow and and reduce the compression
power required. The conventional combined cycle and the proposed system
were simulated using the commercial process simulation package IPSEpro.
The results show the net electrical efficiency and the overall work output of
the proposed system can be increased by 2.8%.

Exergy and energy analysis of a gas turbine coupled to a

refrigeration air cooling units shows a promise for increasing the output
 53

power with a little decrease in thermal efficiency. Zaki (2012) developed a

thermo-economic algorithm to estimate the economic feasibility of the
cooling system. The analysis was applied to open cycle HITACHI-FS7001 B
GT plant at Yanbu, Saudi Arabia. Results showed that the enhancement in
power output depends on the degree of chilling the air intake to the
compressor. For this case study an average power gain of 12.25% was
achieved with a marginal decrease in thermal efficiency.

A exergetic analysis was performed for a 116 MW gas turbine

power plant by Ebadi et al (2005). Mass and energy conservation laws were
applied to each component of the system. The crucial dependency of the
exergetic efficiency and energy destruction on the change in turbine inlet
temperature was confirmed. Kwak et al (2003) carried out similar analysis
with identical results.

Korakianitis (1994) presented a set of computer programs for the

performance prediction of design point and off-design point operation using
appropriate component efficiencies. The effects of various cycle choices on
overall performance were discussed.

Kurt et al (2009) studied the performance of an open cycle gas

turbine system based on thermodynamic simulation. The results showed that
to have a high net output power the compressor inlet temperature has to be
kept as low as possible.

2.7 COMPARISON OF INLET COOLING TECHNIQUES

The relative merits and key considerations for each of the methods
are compared in Erickson (2003). Each of these methods has its own
advantages and offsetting disadvantages. These are summarized in Table 2.1.
 54

The evaporative chillers incur low operational costs but require

huge quantity of water. The mechanical vapor compression refrigeration
system can cool the air to any temperature irrespective of the wet bulb
temperature limitations as encountered by evaporative cooling. However the
energy cost of operation are quite high. The vapor absorption systems are
effective and economical when waste heat is used. However they are also
expensive if steam from HRSG of a combined cycle plant is to be used as a
heat source.
 Table 2.1 Comparison of various gas turbine inlet air cooling techniques
Technology Benefits Drawbacks
Evaporative Cooling Very low unit capital cost Limited power gain due to the ambient
The injection of water into the inlet air Simple and reliable design and operation wet-bulb limitation on inlet air
stream, thereby cooling the inlet air from No limitation on time or duration of inlet air- temperature
its dry-bulb temperature to a point near cooling operation High consumption of large amounts of
to its wet-bulb temperature Low parasitic power consumption purified water
Low operational costs High maintenance costs due to scaling and
Quick delivery and installation. water treatment Limited capacity
improvement
High-Pressure Fogging Low capital cost Limited power gain due to the ambient
Cooling to wet-bulb temperature at 100% Excess fogging evaporates in compressor wet-bulb limitation on inlet air
humidity by high-pressure spraying of reducing turbine compressor work and temperature
water droplets into air-inlet ducts increasing turbine power Higher water consumption than
No limitation on time or duration of inlet air- evaporative cooling
cooling operation Requires demineralised water
Low annual maintenance time Additional filters and drainage systems
Low parasitic power consumption required
Quick delivery and installation Limited capacity improvement

55
 Table 2.1 (Contd.) Comparison of various gas turbine inlet air cooling techniques
Technology Benefits Drawbacks
Absorption Cooling Not sensitive to ambient-air wet-bulb High capital cost
The use of vapor absorption system temperature High O&M costs
involving lithium bromide/water or Potential use of recovered energy from the Requires expertise to operate and maintain
water/ammonia with input heat source as gas turbine exhaust Requires larger heat rejection (and cooling
waste heat or steam No limitation on time or duration of inlet air- tower water) than mechanical refrigeration
cooling operation systems
Minimum parasitic electric power losses
Greater performance increase than
evaporative or fogging
Mechanical Refrigeration Not sensitive to ambient-air wet-bulb High capital cost
The use of vapor compression temperature Very large electric power demand during
refrigeration equipment to cool the inlet No practical limitation on achievable inlet air peak times
air temperature High O&M costs
No limitation on time or duration of inlet air- Higher level of O&M expertise required
cooling operation Long delivery and installation time
Relatively simple and reliable design and Requires additional chilled-water cooling
operation circuit
Greater performance increase than Higher parasitic load than evaporative or
evaporative or fogging fogging Ice

56
 57

2.8 IDENTIFIED GAPS AND NEED FOR THIS WORK

Several works have been carried out by researchers to arrive at

technically feasible and economically viable options for gas turbine inlet
cooling. The inlet cooling methods discussed in these works entail significant
amount of energy to operate them. In the current context the focus is not only
on increasing the generation output but also minimizing the auxiliary power
consumption ie the power required by a power plant to operate its own
utilities needs. Though waste heat recovery has been used for chilling with
absorption systems, the application has been restricted to open cycle gas
turbines. In the combined cycles where absorption systems have been
attempted, steam from the HRSG has been used resulting in power loss from
steam turbines. Hence the focus of this research is on recovering low grade
heat from the exhaust gases of the combined cycle power plant. Since steam
cannot be produced from low grade heat hot water is generated and used as
heat source for absorption chillers.