Using Combustion Turbine Exhaust Heat for Turbine Inlet Air Chilling

Two of the most common methods currently being employed for combustion turbine inlet air temperature control are evaporative cooling and mechanical chilling. The former requires significant quantities of water, while the latter has a large parasitic power consumption. This article outlines an emerging technology, absorption refrigeration turbine inlet air conditioning (ARCTIC™) that mitigates both of these issues, while offering precise control over inlet air temperatures. Such control is quite important during peak load periods, when every megawatt can be of enormous value to a power producer. Also of significant importance is that operation of combustion turbines at maximum efficiency minimizes the CO₂ footprint of the machines. This aspect has positive implications for power producers wishing to be as green as possible. The ARCTIC process is based on straightforward absorption-refrigeration technology utilizing combustion turbine waste heat, and thus should present the reader with easy-to-understand details.