Applications of PTC-51 Gas Turbine Inlet Air Conditioning Equipment

The ASME Performance Test Code PTC-51 “Gas Turbine Inlet Air Conditioning Equipment” (PTC-51) [1] is currently in its final editing phase prior to publication. This paper will give a brief introduction to the code and outline some examples of how to apply PTC-51 to actual testing scenarios. Many plants are designed for hot summer peak ambient temperatures, but need to be tested in early spring for substantial completion and commercial contractual requirements. PTC-51 puts limits on the ambient conditions in which you can test inlet air conditioning equipment. Understanding these limits during the contract and design phase is critical if code-level testing will be a requirement for final completion.