Augmentation of Gas-Turbine Performance Using Inlet Air Cooling and Turbine Blade Cooling: A Thermodynamic Approach

A systematic and comprehensive first law analysis of a cooled gas turbine cycle subjected to vapor compressor inlet air cooling (VC-IAC) has been conducted in our study. Film air cooling technique has been implemented to cool the gas turbine (GT) buckets. The gas turbine is subjected to variation of various operating and ambient parameters and the corresponding effect is analyzed to find out the optimal one. The integration of VC-IAC has been reported to further enhance the plant specific work and plant efficiency of gas turbine cycle, the enhancement being higher in regions having a hot and dry climate. This increase in cycle performance due to VC-IAC has been found superior in case of bucket cooled GT cycle when compared to uncooled one. It has further been witnessed that the plant specific work increases by more than 0.35 % and the plant efficiency increases by little above 0.1 % for every 1o C drop in CIT. The work ratio representing the excess of work of turbine over work of compression has been observed to improve when the ratio of inlet temperatures (rIT) is increased or pressure ratio (rp, c.) is decreased. For every turbine inlet temperature , an optimal rp,c has been reported to exist at which, the plant efficiency is maximized.