Gas Turbine Intake Systems in Unusual Environments

Properly conditioned intake air is vital for top operating performance of a turbine. Equipment selection is dependent upon many factors — dust concentration in the area — climatic conditions — space limitations. Seven basic environmental locations are discussed with regard to the dust concentration, particle sizes, temperature and weather conditions which frequently make them unusual environments. In far too many instances the basic decision to use some form of air intake filter is taken without a proper understanding of the prevailing environmental conditions at the proposed gas turbine location and equally important without a proper understanding of what a given generic type of filter can do for the turbine in terms of preventing corosion erosion, and fouling.