Power Augmentation Study of a Combined Cycle Power Plant Using Inlet Fogging

The power output of gas turbines decreases as a result of increased ambient temperature. One way to recover the output loss is to cool the inlet air. In Taiwan, most gas turbines operate with combined cycle for base load. Only a small portion operates with simple cycle for peak load. Therefore, the power augmentation strategies for combined cycle power plants need to be studied in advance in order to recover the power loss due to increased ambient temperature in hot summer days. The objective of this research is to study the effects caused by adding an inlet fogging system to an existing gas turbine-based combined cycle plant. Moreover, this paper also includes a parametric study of plant performance with different effectiveness of the inlet fogging system based on the average ambient conditions. Results from this study can be used as a guideline for combined cycle power augmentation using inlet fogging.