GAS TURBINE INLET AIR CHILLING FOR LNG

摘要

It is well recognized that gas turbines used as compressor drivers in LNG liquefaction plants suffer from decreased power output as the ambient temperature increases. This fluctuation in driver output can result in reduced LNG production and process instability. An established technology in the power generation industry, gas turbine inlet air chilling (TIC) can allow the liquefaction compressor drivers to operate at near constant power output. This technology is widely accepted by gas turbine OEM's and has been proven safe and reliable in hundreds of installations worldwide. TIC can eliminate one aspect of the weather as a process variable in the liquefaction plant, and even allow a simpler approach to compressor selection. Unlike traditional evaporative cooling methods, TIC is not restricted to cooling the inlet air to the prevailing wet bulb temperature, and as such is ideal for inlet air cooling in the high humidity, coastal environments associated with LNG liquefaction plants.