Gas turbine breathes new life 2.0

Coastal environment case study

Key achievements

Equally Spaced Items

4X
Greater final filter lifetime

9X
Greater Prefilter lifetime

540,000 Sm3
Fuel consumption savings

1,100 tons

CO2 reduction per year

Summary

Customer profile

A co-generation plant equipped with a 44MW LM6000 gas turbine supplies electricity and steam to the adjacent paper mill, as well as the district heating network of Riva del Garda, benefiting homes, offices, and schools. It operates with a high availability requirement of 7,900 hours per year.

Original installation

The original system featured a 2-stage design with T2[1] efficiency pleated prefilters and T9[2] efficiency composite-style, non-pulsing cartridge filters. Its limitations—low filtration efficiency, restricted filter openings and media area, and low hydrophobicity—were contributing to engine degradation and the frequent pressure spikes.

Site conditions
Located in the northwestern corner of Lake Garda, the site experiences a humid sub-Mediterranean climate with no dry season. With around 151 rainy days per year and a consistently high relative humidity of 74.12%, the area is also frequently affected by fog and mist.
Camfil solution
Camfil recommended upgrading the existing filter frame to a 2-stage static filtration solution. The system features two airtight filter banks equipped with T7 efficiency Cam-Flo GT Hybrid pocket filters and T10 efficiency CamGT 3V-600 V-bank final filters. Its EPA-efficiency, hydrophobic construction, and optimized aerodynamics led to the following results.
Problem statement
Due to a combination of challenging site conditions and limitations of the original installation, the power plant experienced rapid engine degradation and high pressure drop (dP) spikes, requiring three prefilter replacements and one final filter replacement annually.
Results
The upgrade reduced the average pressure drop by 50%, resulting in a 4x greater final filter lifetime, needing replacement only once every 4 years, and a 9x greater prefilter lifetime, needing replacement only once every 3 years. Additionally, the installation was completed in the 2-day requested timeframe, presenting no obstruction to the operation.

Results

See the graphs below for the comparison between the competitor and Camfil filters, in terms of their resulting pressure drops and filter lifetime in gas turbine running hours.


Graph 1 first stage: Competitor filters had a high average pressure drop of 254 Pa (1.02” w.g.), needing replacement 3 times every year had they continued using these filters. In comparison, Camfil filters had a low average pressure drop of 185 Pa (0.75” w.g.), lasting over 3 years.

Graph 2 second stage: Competitor filters had a high average pressure drop of 459 Pa (1.85” w.g.), needing replacement every year had they continued using these filters. In comparison, Camfil filters had a low average pressure drop of 184 Pa (0.74” w.g.), lasting over 4 years.

In conclusion, the upgraded system reduced the average pressure drop by 50%, resulted in a ninefold longer prefilter lifetime and a fourfold longer final filter lifetime. The improved engine efficiency enabled fuel consumption savings of 540,000 Sm3 and a CO2 reduction of 1, 100 tons per year.