Auburndale Power Plant Saves Over $390,000 USD after 3 years with CamPulse GTC low pressure drop air filters

Commissioned in 1994, the gas turbine is a Siemens Westinghouse 501D5 with a typical capacity of 117 megawatts. The inlet airflow of this turbine is approximately 650,000 cubic feet per minute. The filter house is a vertical design using 860 filters with a “twist lock” retention method. Auburndale has a humid subtropical climate, with two main seasons. Hot and rainy summers bring temperatures that exceed 90°F (32°C) nearly every day. The average annual rainfall in Orlando is 50.6 inches (1.290 mm) and mainly occurs from June through September. During the cooler seasons, humidity is lower and temperatures average 71°F (22°C).

A hot and humid climate causes challenges

The plant was experiencing high pressure drop and short filter life. A review revealed that the hot and humid climate of Florida was degrading the filter's performance. It was causing the filter media to swell and in turn the filter pleats were deforming, pinching together under the humid conditions, causing the pressure drop to increase. The operator was looking for a high-performing filter to solve these issues.

BENEFITS OF HEMIPLEAT

The HemiPleat open pleating technology offered wider spacing, exposing more surface media to the air stream. This brought the following benefits:

• Lower overall pressure drop and, more importantly, minimal pressure drop increases in high humidity
• Improved dust release during pulse cleaning
• Longer element life 

RESULTS

After three years, the operator purchased HemiPleat filters rather than returning to filters from the original supplier. The performance advantages after three years more than paid off:

• Power output improved thanks to the lower pressure drop, saving the operator approximately $390,000 over the 3 years.
• The longer life reduced the frequency of filter change-outs and the man-hours needed to change the filters.
• The operator achieved a lower overall life cycle cost for the filters.