Wet Compression Boosts Power Output by 28 MW
Project Profile: MeeFog’s wet compression systems enhances power output by 28 MW for two GE 7F.03 turbines,......
Wet Compression Safely Delivers 14 MW in Two Minutes at Arizona Plant
Gas Turbine Wet Compression
Onward Energy
Onward Energy is an independent power generator that owns and operates a 6.2 GW portfolio of solar, wind, and gas generation projects in the U.S. With 55 projects in 22 states, Onward Energy. The company owns nine gas generation plants in the U.S. amounting to 3.36 GW.
Mesquite Block 2 is in Arlington, Arizona. It is situated in Maricopa County on the outskirts of Phoenix. This combined cycle facility opened in 2003 and has a rated summer output of 625 MW. While it is owned by Onward, it is operated and maintained by SRP. Block 2 consists of a 2 GE 7FA.03 gas turbines, a D11 steam turbine and Nooter/Eriksen Heat Recovery Steam Generators (HRSGs). The maximum rating of each gas turbine is 180 MW, and the steam turbine provides 321 MW. Block 2 operates in base load most of the year.
Challenges Faced:
Running a gas turbine plant in Arizona during the summer is not for the faint of heart. For four months of the year, average temperatures are 100°F or above and the mercury can soar as high as 115°F. Outside of the summer period, October averages 89°F, May 94°F and April 86°F. As a result, the output of the 7FA.03 turbines plummeted for more than half the year.
Solution:
The Mesquite Block 2 plant, owned by Onward Energy, implemented wet compression from Mee Industries on two 7F.03 turbines to increase power throughout the year, especially during the hot summer months. Wet compression consists of injecting pure-water fog into the inlet of a gas turbine to improve output and heat rate. When the water droplets evaporate inside the compressor, they reduce the temperature and hence the work of compression. This means more power is available at the output shaft. Wet compression produces a power boost of 5% to 10% for each 1% (of the air mass flow) of water injected. Droplets evaporate inside the compressor to give an evaporative intercooling effect. Spraying 2% of the air mass flow gives up to 20% power boost. Some systems have been installed that output as much as 2.5% of the air mass flow.
Installation Specifications:
Onward selected and installed a MeeFog wet compression system in each turbine in the spring of 2021 to be ready for the hot summer months. Each MeeFog wet compression unit can spray up to 35 gpm with a droplet diameter of 8 microns SMD. The spray nozzle arrays are in the vertical section of the inlet, downstream of evaporative coolers that continue to operate. The array design includes easily removable sections for keyway access for rotor removal. Each wet compression system uses a single high-pressure pump with a variable frequency drive (VFD) providing two stages of demineralized water spray. The operating pressure is 2,000 psi and the flow rate is 0.045 gpm per nozzle across a total of 780 nozzles. The fog system’s maximum power requirement is 60 HP.
Benefits of MeeFog Technology:
- 7 MW of power boost for each 7FA turbine within two to three minutes.
- Mean fog droplet diameter of 8 microns.
- System ordered, designed and commissioned in a few months and ready for the hot summer season.
- Zero erosion or scaling on blades after three years and more than 600 hours of operation.
“The high demand, high temperature peaks that occurred in the region in August 2020 required a solution that could be designed and implemented in less than nine months. Our wet compression system produces 7 MW per 7F.03 unit within two to three minutes. We have not had any issues with erosion or scaling.”
-Todd Hart, Director of Gas Engineering at Onward Energy
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