Air filtration assembly for a gas turbine system and method for filtering intake air in a gas turbine system - Patents.com

Abstract

To provide methods for air filtration assemblies for gas turbine systems.SOLUTION: Air filtration assemblies 100 configured to provide instant detection of particles 112 and / or improve particle filtration are disclosed. The assemblies include an air inlet duct 102 in fluid communication with a compressor 12 of a gas turbine system 10. The air inlet duct includes an inlet 106 for receiving intake air 104 including intake air particles, and an outlet 108 positioned opposite the inlet. The assembly also includes a plurality of vane filters 118 at the inlet, an array of fabric filters 120 positioned in the air inlet duct, downstream of the vane filters, and a silencer assembly 122 positioned in the air inlet duct, downstream of the fabric filters. Additionally, the assembly includes an electrostatic component 124 positioned in the air inlet duct, downstream of the fabric filters. The electrostatic component is configured to charge the intake air particles that pass through the vane filters and the fabric filters.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to air filtration assemblies for gas turbine systems and, more particularly, to air filtration assemblies configured to provide real-time particle detection and / or improved particle filtration. [Background technology]

[0002] Gas turbines are used in many diverse applications and environments throughout the world. This diversity creates many challenges for air filtration systems, requiring different solutions for each type of environmental contaminant, gas turbine platform technology, and / or fuel quality. For example, gas turbines that operate in deserts or areas with high dust concentrations, and / or high efficiency gas turbines that operate at high operating temperatures must include filtration systems that prevent undesirable debris or particles (e.g., sand, dust) from entering the gas turbine. If a conventional filtration system fails and sand or other undesirable particles enter the gas turbine, gas turbine components may be damaged and / or rendered inoperable. Additionally, undesirable particles flowing through gas turbine components may reduce the operating efficiency of the gas turbine itself.

[0003] To prevent debris and / or particles from entering the gas turbine, a filtration system typically includes multiple stages of filtration components that filter debris and / or particles of various sizes before the working fluid (e.g., filtered air) enters the compressor of the gas turbine. However, these components included in a conventional filtration system may be damaged by the same debris and may no longer be able to filter debris and particles as needed. Additionally or alternatively, components included in a conventional filtration system may not operate as desired (e.g., not filter debris) due to improper installation, extended operating life or use, and / or other degradation factors. In conventional systems, there is typically no warning or indication system that such filtration components are damaged and / or inoperable. Thus, only when a gas turbine component is damaged / altered and / or the gas turbine's operating efficiency is degraded can a gas turbine operator determine that a filtration system component needs to be repaired and / or replaced. Additionally, in order to repair a damaged filtration component of the filtration system, the filtration system, or even the entire gas turbine, may need to be shut down for maintenance of the damaged filtration component and / or damaged components of the gas turbine, which may result in loss of power and / or revenue. Summary of the Invention

[0004] A first aspect of the disclosure provides an air filtration assembly for a gas turbine system, the air filtration assembly including an air inlet duct in fluid communication with a compressor of the gas turbine system, the air inlet duct including an inlet for receiving intake air including intake particles and an outlet positioned opposite the inlet, a plurality of vane filters at the inlet of the air inlet duct, a series of woven fabric filters positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the plurality of vane filters, a silencer assembly positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the series of woven fabric filters, the silencer assembly positioned adjacent to the outlet of the inlet duct, and an electrostatic component positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the series of woven fabric filters, the electrostatic component configured to charge intake particles passing through the plurality of vane filters and the series of woven fabric filters.

[0005] A second aspect of the disclosure provides a gas turbine system including a compressor and an air filtration assembly in fluid communication with the compressor, the air filtration assembly including an air inlet duct including an inlet for receiving intake air including intake particles and an outlet positioned opposite the inlet, a plurality of vane filters at an inlet of the air inlet duct, a series of woven fabric filters positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the plurality of vane filters, a silencer assembly positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the series of woven fabric filters, the silencer assembly positioned adjacent to the outlet of the inlet duct, and an electrostatic component positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the series of woven fabric filters, the electrostatic component configured to charge intake particles passing through the plurality of vane filters and the series of woven fabric filters.

[0006] A third aspect of the disclosure provides a method for filtering intake air of a gas turbine system, the method including flowing the intake air containing intake particles through a plurality of vane filters positioned at an entrance of an air inlet duct in fluid communication with a compressor of the gas turbine system and a series of woven fabric filters positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the plurality of vane filters, and charging intake particles contained in the intake air flowing through the plurality of vane filters and the series of woven fabric filters using an electrostatic component positioned in the air inlet duct downstream of the series of woven fabric filters.

[0007] The illustrative aspects of the present disclosure are designed to solve the problems described herein and / or other problems not discussed.

[0008] These and other features of the present disclosure will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the disclosure, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate various embodiments of the disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix ionizer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a front cross-sectional view of an air inlet duct of an air filtration assembly including a matrix ionizer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix ionizer according to an additional embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix ionizer according to a further embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 1 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6]1 is a front cross-sectional view of an air inlet duct of an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 7] 1A-1D are various schematic diagrams of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 8] 1A-1D are various schematic diagrams of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 9] 1A-1D are various schematic diagrams of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 10] 1A-1D are various schematic diagrams of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] 1A-1D are various schematic diagrams of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix of electrostatic filters according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a gas turbine system and an air filtration assembly including a matrix ionizer according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] It should be noted that the drawings of the present disclosure are not drawn to scale. The drawings are intended to illustrate only typical aspects of the present disclosure and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In the drawings, like numbers represent like elements between the drawings.

[0011] As a first issue, in order to clearly explain the present disclosure, it becomes necessary to select specific terminology when referring to and describing relevant machine components within the scope of this disclosure. When doing so, common industry terminology is used and utilized, whenever possible, with the same meaning as its accepted meaning. Unless otherwise stated, such terminology should be given a broad interpretation consistent with the context of this application and the scope of the appended claims. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in many cases, a particular component may be referred to using several different or overlapping terms. What may be described herein as being a single part may include and be referred to in other contexts as being made up of multiple components. Alternatively, what may be described herein as comprising multiple components may be referred to elsewhere as a single part.

[0012] In addition, some descriptive terms may be used in this specification in a regular manner, and it will prove useful to define these terms at the beginning of this section. These terms and their definitions are as follows, unless otherwise stated. As used herein, "downstream" and "upstream" are terms that indicate a direction relative to the flow of a working fluid through a turbine engine, or a fluid, such as, for example, the flow of air through a combustor, or a coolant through one of the turbine's component systems. The term "downstream" corresponds to the direction of the fluid flow, and the term "upstream" refers to the opposite direction of the flow. The terms "forward" and "aft" refer to directions, unless otherwise stated, with "forward" referring to the forward or compressor end of the engine, and "aft" referring to the rear or turbine end of the engine. In addition, the terms "leading" and "trailing" may be used and / or understood in a similar description to the terms "forward" and "aft," respectively. It is often necessary to describe parts that are in different radial, axial, and / or circumferential positions. The "A" axis represents an axial orientation. As used herein, the terms "axial" and / or "axially" refer to the relative position / orientation of an object along an axis A that is substantially parallel to the axis of rotation of the turbine system (particularly the rotor section). As further used herein, the terms "radial" and / or "radially" refer to the relative position / orientation of an object along a direction "R" (see FIG. 1) that is substantially perpendicular to and intersects axis A at only one location. Finally, the term "circumferential" refers to movement or position around axis A (e.g., direction "C").

[0013] As indicated above, the present disclosure relates generally to air filtration assemblies for gas turbine systems and, more specifically, to air filtration assemblies configured to provide real-time particle detection and / or improved particulate filtration.

[0014] These and other embodiments are discussed below with reference to Figures 1-12. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for purposes of illustration and should not be construed as limiting.

[0015] FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic diagram of an exemplary gas turbine system 10. The gas turbine system 10 may include a compressor 12 and an air filtration assembly 100 positioned upstream of and in flow communication with the compressor 12. The compressor 12 compresses an incoming flow of filtered air 18, which may be filtered by the air filtration assembly 100 and flow from the air filtration assembly 100 to the compressor 12, as discussed herein. The compressor 12 typically includes a number of rotatable blades, including airfoils (not shown) and static nozzles (not shown), that work together to compress the filtered air 18 as it flows through the compressor 12. The compressor 12 delivers a flow of compressed air 20 to a combustor 22. The combustor 22 mixes the flow of compressed air 20 with a pressurized flow of fuel 24 and combusts the mixture to generate a flow of combustion gases 26. Although only a single combustor 22 is shown, the gas turbine system 10 may include any number of combustors 22. The flow of combustion gases 26 is then delivered to a turbine 28. Similar to the compressor 12, the turbine 28 also typically includes a plurality of turbine blades including airfoils and stator vanes. The flow of combustion gases 26 drives the turbine 28, and more specifically, the plurality of turbine blades of the turbine 28, to generate mechanical work. The mechanical work generated in the turbine 28 drives the compressor 12 via a rotor 30 that extends through the turbine 28, and may be used to drive an external load 32, such as an electrical generator.

[0016] The gas turbine system 10 may also include an exhaust frame 34. As shown in Figure 1, the exhaust frame 34 may be positioned adjacent to the turbine 28 of the gas turbine system 10. More specifically, the exhaust frame 34 may be positioned adjacent to the turbine 28 and substantially downstream of the turbine 28 and / or of the flow of combustion gases 26 flowing from the combustor 22 to the turbine 28.

[0017] After the combustion gases 26 flow to drive the turbine 28, the combustion gases 26 may be exhausted, flowed in, and / or exhausted in a flow direction (D) through the exhaust frame 34. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 1 , the combustion gases 26 may flow in a flow direction (D) through the exhaust frame 34 and may be exhausted from the gas turbine system 10 (e.g., to the atmosphere). In another non-limiting example (not shown) where the gas turbine system 10 is part of a combined cycle power plant (e.g., including a gas turbine system and a steam turbine system), the combustion gases 26 may be exhausted from the exhaust frame 34 and flow in a flow direction (D) into a heat recovery steam generator of the combined cycle power plant.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1 and discussed in detail herein, the air filtration assembly 100 of the gas turbine system 10 may include a number of components, devices, and / or systems that may detect when particles are present in the intake air that may form the filtered air 18. Additionally or alternatively, the air filtration assembly 100 may include a number of components, devices, and / or systems that may improve filtering of particles and / or prevent particles from being present in the filtered air 18 before the filtered air 18 is delivered to the compressor 12. As discussed herein, particle detection and / or improved filtering of particles using the air filtration assembly 100 may reduce / prevent damage to internal components of the gas turbine system 10 that receive and / or utilize the filtered air 18 during operation. Additionally, embodiments of the air filtration assembly 100 may maintain / improve the operating efficiency of the gas turbine system 10 by reducing / eliminating the number of undesirable particles included in the filtered air 18.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , an air filtration assembly 100 of a gas turbine system 10 may include an air inlet duct 102. The air inlet duct 102 may be in fluid communication with the compressor 12 of the gas turbine system 10 and may provide filtered air 18 therein. The air inlet duct 102 may be formed from any suitable duct components and / or duct systems that may be configured to receive intake air 104 and include or house at least one component, device, and / or system therein for filtering the intake air 104. In a non-limiting example, the air inlet duct 102 may include an inlet 106 positioned and / or formed on a first end of the air inlet duct 102, an outlet 108 positioned opposite the inlet 106 on a second end of the air inlet duct 102, and an interior cavity 110 extending between the inlet 106 and the outlet 108. The inlet 106 may receive the intake air 104 containing particles 112, which may then be passed through an internal cavity 110 to an outlet 108 and provided to the compressor 12. As discussed herein, the intake air 104 containing particles 112 may travel through the internal cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102 and interact with and / or be processed by components, devices, and / or systems of the air filtration assembly 100 found in the internal cavity 110 to filter the particles 112 from the intake air 104. Filtering the particles 112 from the intake air 104 may form filtered air 18 that is utilized as a working fluid by the compressor 12.

[0020] The air filtration assembly 100 may also include a plurality of vane filters 118 that may filter larger particles 112 from the intake air 104. More specifically, the air filtration assembly 100 may include a plurality of vane filters 118 positioned on, at, within, and / or adjacent to the inlet 106 of the air inlet duct 102. The plurality of vane filters 118 positioned at the inlet 106 may provide a first form of filtration of the intake air 104 to remove particles 112 contained therein. The plurality of vane filters 118 may be formed as any suitable filtering component that may be configured to remove and / or filter larger particles and / or debris that may be found in the intake air 104, such as sand grains, dirt, raindrops, snow, and other undesirable debris. In a non-limiting example, the plurality of vane filters 118 may include a weather hood and / or screen formed over the inlet 106 of the air inlet duct 102.

[0021] A series of woven fabric filters 120 may also be included in the air filtration assembly 100. In a non-limiting example shown in FIG. 1, the series of woven fabric filters 120 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102, more specifically, in the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102. In addition, the series of woven fabric filters 120 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the inlet 106 and the plurality of vane filters 118. The series of woven fabric filters 120 may be formed as any suitable filtering component and / or device that may be configured to further filter particles 112 from the intake air 104 flowing therethrough. That is, the series of woven fabric filters 120 may be configured to filter finer and / or smaller particulates contained in the intake air 104 that may not necessarily be filtered by the plurality of vane filters 118. In the non-limiting example shown, the series of woven fabric filters 120 may be formed as a plurality of woven fabric filter bags. In another non-limiting example, the woven fabric filter 120 may be formed from a plurality of cone-shaped woven fabric filters. The series of fabric filters 120 may also be configured as either pulse fabric filters or static fabric filters.

[0022] The air filtration assembly 100 may also include a silencer assembly 122. The silencer assembly 122 may be positioned within the air inlet duct 102 and / or the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102. As shown in FIG. 1, the silencer assembly 122 may be positioned downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120 and adjacent to the outlet 108 of the air inlet duct 102. In a non-limiting example, the intake air 104 may pass through the silencer assembly 122 to form filtered air 18, which may then be provided to the compressor 12 from the silencer assembly 122 and / or the outlet 108 of the air filtration assembly 100 as discussed herein. The silencer assembly 122 may be formed as any suitable component, system, and / or assembly of components configured to reduce the “noise” of the compressor 12 transmitted through the air inlet 106. For example, the silencer assembly 122 may be formed as a number of silencer panels that are capable of muffling and / or reducing noise associated with the operation of the gas turbine system 10 .

[0023] The non-limiting example of the air filtration assembly 100 shown in FIG. 1 also includes components, devices, and / or systems that can detect undesirable particles 112 in the intake air 104. More specifically, during operation of the air filtration assembly 100, the undesirable particles 112 contained in the intake air 104 may not be filtered by the plurality of vane filters 118 and / or the series of woven fabric filters 120. The particles 112 may not be filtered due to their size (e.g., not being filtered by any of the vane filters 118 or the woven fabric filters 120) and / or due to obstructions or defects in the plurality of vane filters 118 and / or the series of woven fabric filters 120. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, the particles 112 may pass through, not be filtered by, and / or flow downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120 due to particle size, tears in the filters, and / or holes formed in some of the woven fabric filters 120, improper installation of the woven fabric filters 120, and / or respective dissolution and recrystallization processes. The tears and / or holes may form in the woven fabric filter 120 due to debris (e.g., insects) that may flow through the multiple vane filters 118, improper installation and / or care of the woven fabric filter 120, manufacturing defects, and / or operational wear of the woven fabric filter 120. As a result, the particles 112 contained in the intake air 104 may not be filtered and / or collected by the woven fabric filter 120 and may flow through the holes. As discussed herein, detecting particles 112 in the air inlet duct beyond the multiple vane filters 118 and / or the series of woven fabric filters 120 may indicate that components of the air filtration assembly 100 are not functioning properly and / or may require maintenance (e.g., replacing a torn woven fabric filter). This, in turn, may reduce / prevent damage to the compressor 12, combustor 22, and / or turbine 28 from the particles 112 during operation and / or may maintain / improve the operating efficiency of the gas turbine system 10 by reducing / eliminating the number of undesirable particles 112 contained in the filtered air 18.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 1 , the air filtration assembly 100 may include an electrostatic component 124 positioned within the air inlet duct 102. More specifically, the electrostatic component 124 may be positioned within the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. In addition, as shown, the electrostatic component 124 may be positioned upstream of the silencer assembly 122 of the air filtration assembly 100. The electrostatic component 124 may be configured to charge particles 112 that pass through the multiple vane filters 118 and / or the series of woven fabric filters 120 and then pass through and / or across the electrostatic component 124. As discussed herein, the charged particles 113 contained in the intake air 104 may enable easier and / or improved detection of the particles 113 before the particles 113 reach the compressor 12 of the gas turbine system 10.

[0025] In a non-limiting example shown in FIG. 1, the electrostatic component 124 may be formed and / or configured as a plurality or matrix of ionizers 126 (hereinafter, “matrix ionizers 126”). The matrix ionizers 126 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. Turning to FIG. 2 and continuing to refer to FIG. 1, the matrix ionizers 126 may span the entire front cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet duct 102. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, the matrix ionizers 126 forming the electrostatic component 124 may span and / or cover the entire area of ​​the internal cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102, such that all particles 112 that may pass through the series of woven fabric filters 120 must cross and / or pass through the matrix ionizers 126. In a non-limiting example, the matrix ionizers 126 forming the electrostatic component 124 may be formed as a plurality of matrix corona chargers or corona wires. However, it is understood that the ionizer 126 of the filtration assembly 100 may be formed from any suitable device, component, and / or system that may be configured to charge the inhaled particles 112 as discussed herein.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 2, the matrix ionizer 126 may include a plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H positioned within the inlet duct 102, more specifically within the interior cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102. In a non-limiting example where the ionizer 126 is formed as a corona charger, the ionizer cells 128A-128H may include a plurality of wires and / or plates that may be electrically charged and / or configured to provide a flux of electrically charged ions / electrons between the respective wires / plates within each ionizer cell 128A-128H. The electrical charge provided and / or generated by each ionizer cell 128A-128H may include a predetermined voltage. Additionally, during operation of the gas turbine system 10, each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H may operate at and / or generate a separate predetermined voltage from the other ionizer cells 128A-128H forming the matrix ionizer 126. For example, during a given moment, the first ionizer cell 128A may operate at and / or generate a voltage of 5 kilovolts (kV), the second ionizer cell 128B may operate at and / or generate a voltage of 6 kilovolts (kV), the third ionizer cell 128C may operate at and / or generate a voltage of 4 kilovolts (kV), and the fourth ionizer cell 128D may not be operating, be switched “off,” and / or generate no voltage. As discussed herein, as particles 112 in the intake air 104 cross and / or pass through one of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H, the corresponding ionizer cell 128A-128H may charge the particles 112 to form charged particles 113 (see FIG. 1 ) that are charged to different levels (e.g., total load carried) based on the voltage of the ionizer cell and the associated electron / ion flux in the air inlet duct 102. Additionally or alternatively, as a high density particle 112 crosses and / or passes through one of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H, the particle 112 may alter the breakthrough or breakdown voltage in the corresponding ionizer cell 128A-128H.In either example, the use of a matrix of ionizers 126 formed as ionizer cells 128A-128H can aid in detecting undesirable particles 112 flowing downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120 and / or can help identify locations within the air filtration assembly 100 (e.g., portions of the woven fabric filters 120) that are allowing particles 112 to flow undesirably through the matrix of ionizers 126.

[0027] It is understood that the number of ionizer cells 128A-128H forming the matrix ionizer 126 shown in the embodiment is merely exemplary. That is, in the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2, eight ionizer cells 128A-128H are shown. The matrix ionizer 126 of the air filtration assembly 100 may include a greater or lesser number of ionizer cells 128 than shown in the figure. In addition, the number and / or size of the ionizer cells 128 forming the matrix ionizer 126 depends at least in part on the size, shape, and / or dimensions / area of ​​the air inlet duct 102 that includes and / or houses the matrix ionizer 126.

[0028] The operation of the matrix ionizer 126, and more specifically, each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H, may be controlled by the control system 130. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the control system 130 may be operatively coupled to and / or in operative communication with each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H forming the matrix ionizer 126. Thus, the control system 130 of the air filtration assembly 100 may control the operation of each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H forming the matrix ionizer 126 by switching the ionizer cells 128A-128H between "on" and "off." In addition, the control system 130 may also control the separate predetermined voltages generated by each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H during operation. 1 , the control system 130 may also be in operative communication with a turbine control system 36 configured to control operation of the power generation devices (e.g., compressor 12, combustor 22, turbine 28, etc.) of the gas turbine system 10. As discussed herein, the control system 130 may provide information to the turbine control system 36 regarding the detected undesirable particles 112 flowing through the air filtration assembly 100. Additionally or alternatively, the control system 130 may bypass the turbine control system 36 and shut down the power generation devices of the gas turbine system 10 in response to detecting an undesirable amount / concentration of particles 112 in the air filtration assembly 100 that may cause damage to the compressor 12, combustor 22, and / or turbine 28 if exposed.

[0029] In a non-limiting example, the control system 130 and the turbine control system 36 may be formed or configured as a single standalone system or computing device that functions separately and communicates with one another as discussed herein. Alternatively, the control system 130 may be integrally formed within, in communication with, and / or as part of the turbine control system 36. However, when embodied, the control system 130 and the turbine control system 36 may be formed of any suitable device and / or system that may be configured to obtain and process information regarding the gas turbine system 10 and control various components of the gas turbine system 10 and the air filtration assembly 100.

[0030] The air filtration system 100 may also include at least one electrostatic sensor 132. As shown in FIG. 1, the electrostatic sensor 132 may be operably coupled and / or in operable communication with the control system 130. The electrostatic sensor 132 may be positioned downstream of the matrix ionizer 126. In addition, the electrostatic sensor 132 may be positioned upstream of the compressor 12. In a non-limiting example, the electrostatic sensor 132 may also be positioned downstream of the air inlet duct 102 and the silencer assembly 122, respectively. In other non-limiting examples (not shown), the electrostatic sensor 132 may be positioned upstream of the silencer assembly 122 and in the air inlet duct 102, respectively, or the electrostatic sensor 132 may be positioned in the silencer assembly 122, as long as the electrostatic sensor 132 is positioned downstream of the matrix ionizer 126 but upstream of the compressor 12. In a non-limiting example, electrostatic sensor 132 may be positioned in a conduit 134 that is in fluid communication with and / or fluidly couples air filtration assembly 100 and compressor 12. That is, electrostatic sensor 132 may be in communication with conduit 134 that may deliver filtered air 18 to compressor 12.

[0031] The electrostatic sensor 132 may be formed of any suitable sensor and / or device that may be configured to detect the charged particles 113 of the intake air 104 that may be pre-charged by the matrix ionizer 126 and flow past the electrostatic sensor 132 (e.g., a particulate matter sensor). As discussed herein, the electrostatic sensor 132 detects the total load carried by the uncharged particles 112 and the charged particles 113 generated by a particular ionizer cell 128A-128H of the plurality of ionizer cells forming the matrix ionizer 126. In a non-limiting example, the electrostatic sensor 132 may be formed as a button sensor with high local resolution, a multiple button system sensor arranged in a ring, a circumferential ring sensor, etc. Additionally or alternatively, the electrostatic sensor 132 may be staged in the flow direction and correlated with the signals of the different stages and the known flow velocity from the turbine control system 36 to increase the detectability of the charged particles 113 that are dragged by the flow and charged by the matrix ionizer 126.

[0032] It is understood that the number of electrostatic sensors 132 shown in the embodiment is merely exemplary, i.e., in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 1, two electrostatic sensors 132 are shown. The air filtration assembly 100 may include more or less electrostatic sensors 132 than are shown in the figure.

[0033] During operation of the gas turbine system 10, the intake air 104 may flow through the air filtration assembly 100 to provide a working fluid (e.g., filtered air 18) to the compressor 12. Particles 112 contained in the intake air 104 may flow undesirably through the filtration components (e.g., the plurality of vane filters 118, the series of woven fabric filters 120) due to damage and / or defects of the same components. In the air filtration assembly 100, the particles 112 that are not filtered by the plurality of vane filters 118 and / or the series of woven fabric filters 120 may pass through a matrix-like ionizer 126 forming an electrostatic component 124. The matrix-like ionizer 126 may then charge the particles 112. More specifically, each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128 forming the matrix-like ionizer 126 may electrically charge each particle 112 flowing therethrough based on a separate predetermined voltage of each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128 controlled by the control system 130. Furthermore, when a particle 112 crosses and / or passes through one of the plurality of ionizer cells 128A-128H, the particle 112 may alter the breakthrough or breakdown voltage within the corresponding ionizer cell 128A-128H, which may also be detectable by the control system 130.

[0034] As the charged particles 113 exit the air filtration assembly 100 and are delivered to the compressor 12 via the conduit 134, the charged particles 113 may be detected by the electrostatic sensor 132. The electrostatic sensor 132 may detect the charged particles 113 and provide information regarding the charged particles 113 to the control system 130, including, but not limited to, the amount / concentration of the charged particles 113 and / or an associated or corresponding carrying load for each detected charged particle 113. Using this information generated by the electrostatic sensor 132, the control system 130 may determine whether the amount of non-charged particles 112 and charged particles 113 included in the filtered air 18 provided to the compressor 12 may damage the compressor 12 and / or reduce the operating efficiency of the gas turbine system 10. For example, in a non-limiting example where a concentration and / or amount of charged particles 113 may or will damage the compressor 12, combustor 22, and / or turbine 28, the control system 130 may suggest or signal to the turbine control system 36 that the gas turbine system 10 should be shut down to prevent damage. Additionally, based on the detected load for each charged particle 113, as well as the altered breakthrough or breakdown voltage within the corresponding ionizer cell 128A-128H, the control system 130 may readily identify which filtering components and which locations or areas may have defects and / or damage. 2, if the breakthrough voltage is altered at the first ionizer cell 128A and / or charged particles 113 are detected at a first carrying load (a predetermined load related to the voltage of the first ionizer cell 128A), the control system 130 may determine that a portion and / or area of ​​the series of woven fabric filters 120 aligned upstream from the first ionizer cell 128A may require repair / replacement. The inclusion of the air filtration assembly 100 in the gas turbine system 10 may allow for early detection of undesirable particles 112 flowing into the compressor 12, which in turn may prevent or reduce damage to the compressor 12 by allowing for an immediate indication of repair, maintenance, and / or replacement of components of the air filtration assembly 100.

[0035] 3 and 4 show schematic diagrams of additional non-limiting examples of the gas turbine system 10 including an air filtration assembly 100. The air filtration assembly 100 shown in each of the non-limiting examples of FIGs. 3 and 4 may include different configurations and / or additional features discussed herein. It is understood that similarly numbered and / or named components may function in a substantially similar manner. Redundant descriptions of these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0036] As shown in FIG. 3, the air filtration assembly 100 may also include an evaporator 136 and a droplet remover 138. The evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138 may be positioned within the air inlet duct 102, more specifically, within the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102, downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120, and upstream of the silencer assembly 122. In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the droplet remover 138 may be positioned downstream and directly adjacent to the evaporator 136. The evaporator 136 may be configured as any suitable device and / or system that may be configured to evaporate and / or increase moisture in the intake air 104. In a non-limiting example, the evaporator 136 may be formed as a wet cloth or droplet spray system configured to also remove unwanted particles 112 from the intake air 104. The droplet remover 138, sometimes referred to as a demister, may be formed as any suitable device and / or system that may be configured to remove and / or capture droplets / mist that may remain within the intake air 104 after the intake air 104 passes through the evaporator 136.

[0037] In a non-limiting example shown in FIG. 3, the electrostatic component 124 formed as a matrix ionizer 126 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138, respectively. Thus, the fine water droplets and / or particles 112 flowing through the air inlet duct 102, or the residual solid particles 112 generated from the former dried water droplets, may be charged by the matrix ionizer 126 as similarly discussed herein with respect to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, only after the particles / water droplets 112 pass and / or flow downstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138. Furthermore, the matrix ionizer 126 positioned downstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138 may be configured to charge the water droplets that may pass through and / or be removed from the droplet remover 138. As with the particles 112, it may be undesirable for the water droplets removed from the droplet remover 138 to reach the compressor 12. Thus, detection of water droplets using electrostatic components 124 (e.g., matrix ionizers 126) may be desirable to prevent damage and / or reduced operating efficiency of gas turbine system 10. Water droplets may be detected using electrostatic sensor 132 by detecting the carrying load of water droplets, as also discussed herein, and / or based on altered breakthrough or breakdown voltage. Additionally, like particles 112, spills in evaporator 136 caused by overloads in evaporator 136 may also be detected based on altered breakthrough or breakdown voltages detected in ionizer cells 128A-128H.

[0038] In addition, in a non-limiting example, the air inlet duct 102 of the air filtration system 100 may include at least one access door 140. The access door 140 may be formed in and / or through the inlet duct 102 to provide easier access to the interior cavity 110 and the components of the air filtration assembly 100 contained therein. For example, a first access door 140A formed in the inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120 and upstream of the evaporator 136 may allow easier access to the series of woven fabric filters 120 and the evaporator 136 for inspection, repair, maintenance, and / or replacement as discussed herein. In addition, a second access door 140B may be formed in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the matrix ionizer 126 to allow easier access to the matrix ionizer 126 and / or the plurality of ionizer cells 128 forming the matrix ionizer 126. It is understood that the number of access doors 140 shown in the embodiments is merely exemplary, i.e., in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 3, two access doors 140 are shown. The air filtration assembly 100 may include more or less access doors 140 than are shown in the figures.

[0039] To ensure that the access door 140 does not provide leakage air containing undesirable particles similar to the particles 112 contained in the intake air 104 to the internal cavity 110, the air filtration assembly 100 may also include at least one auxiliary ionizer 142. For example, when the access door 140 is not properly sealed after opening the access door 140 to access or inspect the components contained within the internal cavity 110, the air containing undesirable particles may leak into the internal cavity 110 through a gap or space formed in the unsealed access door 140. In the case of an access door 140 (e.g., the second access door 140B) positioned downstream of the matrix ionizer 126, the particles contained in the leakage air cannot pass through the matrix ionizer 126 and therefore are not charged by the matrix ionizer 126. In a non-limiting example, the auxiliary ionizer 142, different from the matrix ionizer 126, may be positioned in the internal cavity of the inlet duct 102 adjacent to and / or downstream of the access door 140B. Similar to each ionizer cell 128A-128H of the matrix ionizer 126 discussed herein with respect to FIG. 1, the auxiliary ionizer 142 may generate and / or provide a separate predetermined voltage to particles contained in the leaking air that may enter the interior cavity 110 through the access door 140. In a non-limiting example, the auxiliary ionizer 142 may provide a voltage that may be different from all other voltages generated by the matrix ionizer 126. Thus, as also discussed herein, the electrostatic sensor 132 may identify and / or detect particles in the leaking air from the access door 140 that are charged using the auxiliary ionizer 142 based on the detected total load carried by the air. Additionally or alternatively, the control system 130 may be configured to detect particles in the leaking air that enters the interior cavity 110 through the access door 140 based on a modified breakthrough or breakdown voltage in the auxiliary ionizer 142, as also discussed herein with respect to the ionizer cells 128A-128H.

[0040] In a non-limiting example shown in FIG. 4, the electrostatic component 124 formed as a matrix ionizer 126 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 upstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138, respectively. In addition, the matrix ionizer 126 may be positioned downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120 and positioned in the interior cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102 between the series of woven fabric filters 120 and the evaporator 136. Thus, the particles 112 flowing through the air inlet duct 102 may be charged by the matrix ionizer 126 after the particles 112 undesirably flow through the series of woven fabric filters 120 and before the particles 112 pass and / or flow downstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138, taking advantage of the improved filter efficiency of the charged particles passing through the carefully configured evaporator 136.

[0041] Additionally, in the non-limiting example shown in Figure 4, the air filtration assembly 100 may also include at least one auxiliary electrostatic sensor 144 in communication with a drain line 146 of the evaporator 136. That is, the evaporator 136 may include a drain line 146 for removing and / or draining liquid (e.g., deionized water) that may be used in the evaporation process performed on the intake air 104. The inclusion of the drain line 146 may prevent spillage and / or overloading of the evaporator 136 as discussed herein with respect to Figure 3. The liquid contained within the drain line 146 of the evaporator 136 may include particles 113 that have been charged by the matrix ionizer 126 as discussed herein.

[0042] Similar to the electrostatic sensor 132 discussed herein, the auxiliary electrostatic sensor 144 may be operatively coupled to and / or in operative communication with the control system 130 and may be in fluid communication with and / or positioned within a drain line 146 for the evaporator 136. The auxiliary electrostatic sensor 144 may be in communication within the drain line 146 to analyze liquid removed from the evaporator 136 via the drain line 146. More specifically, if the matrix ionizer 126 is positioned upstream of the evaporator 136, the auxiliary electrostatic sensor 144 may detect charge imparted to charged particles 113 contained in the liquid that were previously charged by the ionizer cells 128A-128H that form the matrix ionizer 126 and may be collected in the drain line 146. The auxiliary electrostatic sensor 144 provides additional information (e.g., optical particle detection) to the control system 130 to more accurately determine the amount / concentration of particles 112 that are not filtered by the multiple vane filters 118 and / or series of woven fabric filters 120, as discussed herein.

[0043] 5-12 illustrate schematic diagrams of additional non-limiting examples of the gas turbine system 10 including an air filtration assembly 100. The air filtration assembly 100 illustrated in each of the non-limiting examples of FIGS. 5-12 may include distinct configurations and / or additional features discussed herein for improved filtration of particles 112 from the intake air 104. It is understood that similarly numbered and / or named components may function in a substantially similar manner. Redundant descriptions of these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0044] 5, as similarly discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4, air filtration assembly 100 may include an electrostatic component 124 positioned within interior cavity 110 of air inlet duct 102, downstream of series of woven fabric filters 120. In addition, as shown, electrostatic component 124 may be positioned upstream of silencer assembly 122 of air filtration assembly 100. Electrostatic component 124 may be configured to charge and filter particles 112 (see FIG. 1) that pass through multiple vane filters 118 and / or series of woven fabric filters 120 and then pass through and / or across electrostatic component 124.

[0045] In a non-limiting example shown in FIG. 5, unlike the examples discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4, the electrostatic component 124 may be formed and / or configured as a matrix electrostatic filter 148. The matrix electrostatic filter 148 may be positioned within the air inlet duct 102, more specifically within the interior cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. Turning to FIG. 6 and continuing to refer to FIG. 5, the matrix electrostatic filter 148 may span the entire front cross-sectional area of ​​the inlet duct 102. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, the matrix electrostatic filter 148 forming the electrostatic component 124 may span and / or cover the entire area of ​​the interior cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102, such that all particles 112 that may pass through the series of woven fabric filters 120 must cross and / or pass through the matrix electrostatic filter 148.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 6, the matrix electrostatic filter 148 may include a plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 positioned within the inlet duct 102, more specifically within the interior cavity 110 of the inlet duct 102. Each electrostatic filter cell 150 may include a plurality of filter components (e.g., screens) that operate at a voltage independent of all other electrostatic filter cells 150. Returning briefly to FIG. 5, in a non-limiting example shown in enlarged insert "5" of FIG. 5, each electrostatic filter cell 150 may include an ionizing device or ionizer 151 (hereinafter "ionizer 151") that charges particles flowing through the inlet duct 102, and at least one collector plate 152 that precipitates the charged particles. As shown in insert 5, the ionizer 151 and collector plate 152 of each electrostatic filter cell 150 may be formed and / or positioned within the air inlet duct 102, more specifically within the interior cavity 110 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. In addition, in a non-limiting example, the collector plate 152 may also be positioned adjacent to and downstream of the ionizer 151 of the electrostatic filter cell 150. The ionizer 151 may be substantially similar to the matrix-like ionizer 126 discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1-4 and may be formed, for example, as a corona charger cell and / or a corona wire. In addition, the collector plate 152 may be formed as any suitable device and / or assembly that may be configured to filter and / or remove the particles 112 from the intake air 104 after the particles 112 flow through and / or past the ionizer 151 of the electrostatic filter cell 150. In a non-limiting example, the collector plate 152 may be formed as multiple plates that are supplied with different voltages. In a non-limiting example, the collector plate 152 may sequentially provide a voltage to the intake air 104 flowing through the air inlet duct 102, charged by the ionizer, as discussed herein, and / or attract / filter the particles 112 therefrom.

[0047] The charge provided and / or generated by each electrostatic filter cell 150, and more specifically, the ionizer 151 and collector plate 152, respectively, may be controlled by an applied voltage during operation. Additionally, during operation of the gas turbine system 10, the voltage to each of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 / ionizers 151 may be altered and / or adjusted by the control system 130 to adjust the charge of the particles 112 and the filtering efficiency of the collector plate 152. For example, the first electrostatic filter cell 150A and the second electrostatic filter cell 150B may be "on", operable, active, and / or generate a voltage of 5 kilovolts (kV) on the ionizer 151 and a voltage of 2 kilovolts (kV) on the collector plate 152, and the third electrostatic filter cell 150C may operate and / or generate a voltage of 4 kilovolts (kV) on the ionizer 151 and a voltage of 7 kilovolts (kV) on the collector plate 152. The remaining electrostatic filter cells 150 forming the matrix electrostatic filter 148 may be “off”, inactive, and / or not generating voltage up to the local breakdown voltage of the ionizer 151 and / or collector plate 152. As discussed herein, turning on the electrostatic filter cells 150 of the matrix electrostatic filter 148 to provide an electrical charge to the particles 112 may aid in filtering and / or removing the particles 112 within the air filtration assembly 100.

[0048] It is understood that the number and cross-sections of the electrostatic filter cells 150 forming the electrostatic filter matrix 148 shown in the embodiment are merely exemplary. That is, in the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 6, 32 rectangular electrostatic filter cells 150 are shown. The electrostatic filter matrix 148 of the air filtration assembly 100 may include a greater or lesser number of electrostatic filter cells 150 than shown, having different cross-sectional shapes. In addition, the number and / or size of the electrostatic filter cells 150 forming the electrostatic filter matrix 148 depends at least in part on the size, shape, and / or dimensions / area of ​​the air inlet duct 102 that includes and / or houses the electrostatic filter matrix 148.

[0049] The electrostatic filter cell 150 may also include a measuring device 154. In a non-limiting example shown in insert 5 of FIG. 5, the measuring device 154 may be integrated into the plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150, more specifically, positioned on and / or in communication with the collector plate 152 of the electrostatic filter cell 150. In another non-limiting example (see FIG. 7), the measuring device 154 may be positioned downstream of the ionizer 151 of the electrostatic filter cell 150. The measuring device 154 may be formed as any suitable device, component, and / or assembly that may be configured to identify and / or detect the amount, concentration, and / or location of particles 112 in the intake air 104 that may undesirably flow through and / or through the series of woven fabric filters 120. In a non-limiting example, the measuring device 154 may be formed as a plurality of sensors (e.g., optical sensors) that can detect particles 112 flowing through the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102. In another non-limiting example, the measurement device 154 may include multiple ionizers or wires that can detect the amount, concentration, and / or location of the particles 112 in the intake air 104 by identifying a voltage breakthrough or breakdown in the ionizers, as similarly discussed herein with respect to the ionizer cells 128A-128H of Figures 1-4. As discussed herein, utilizing the measurement device 154 to detect the amount, concentration, and / or location of the particles 112 in the intake air 104 may enable the control system 130 to more precisely activate (e.g., "turn on") certain electrostatic filter cells 150 to aid in filtering the particles 112.

[0050] Additionally, during operation of the gas turbine system 10, activation of selected electrostatic filter cells 150 by the control system 130 can further aid in filtering and / or removing the particles 112 by the collector plates 152. That is, the measurement device 154 can detect the particles 112 after they flow downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. More specifically, the measurement device 154 can detect the amount, concentration, and location of the particles 112 flowing through the air inlet duct 102. Using information about the particles 112 detected by the measurement device 154, the control system 130 can identify at least one electrostatic filter cell 150 of the matrix-like electrostatic filter 148 that can be aligned with and / or receive the detected particles 112.

[0051] The control system 130 may determine whether the detected amount and / or concentration of the particles 112 exceeds a predetermined threshold of particles. The predetermined threshold of particles may be based on a predetermined or predefined maximum value of particles that may be found in the intake air 104 before damage to the compressor 12 occurs and / or a decrease in the operating efficiency of the gas turbine system 10 becomes noticeable. In response to the detected amount / concentration of particles 112 exceeding the predetermined threshold, the control system 130 may adjust the operating parameters of the identified electrostatic filter cells 150 that may accept the particles 112. In a non-limiting example, adjusting the operating parameters may include the control system 130 activating the identified electrostatic filter cells 150 and / or more specifically switching the voltage supplied to the ionizer 151 and / or the collector plate 152 from "off" (e.g., inoperable) to "on" (e.g., operable). In another non-limiting example, the control system 130 can adjust the operating parameters of the identified electrostatic filter cell 150 by increasing or decreasing the charge and / or voltage generated by, as well as the components (e.g., ionizers) contained therein. When the operating parameters of the identified electrostatic filter cell 150 are adjusted, the particles 112 passing through can be charged and subsequently flow to the collector plates 152 contained in each electrostatic filter cell 150 of the matrix of electrostatic filters 148 for filtering.

[0052] 7-11 illustrate schematic diagrams of additional non-limiting examples of gas turbine systems 10 and air filtration assemblies 100 including a matrix electrostatic filter 148. It is understood that similarly numbered and / or named components may function in a substantially similar manner, and redundant descriptions of these components have been omitted for clarity.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, the air filtration assembly 100 may include an evaporator 136 positioned in the air inlet duct 102. More specifically, the evaporator 136 may be positioned in the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. In a non-limiting example, the air filtration assembly 100 may not include a droplet remover 138 (see FIG. 3). Rather, the air filtration assembly 100 may only include a matrix-like electrostatic filter 148 positioned in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the evaporator 136. Specifically, a plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 including an ionizer 151, a collector plate 152, and a measurement device 154 may all be positioned downstream of the evaporator. Thus, all particles 112 may flow through and / or past the evaporator 136 before flowing through the matrix-like electrostatic filter 148.

[0054] Additionally, as shown in non-limiting insert 7 of Figure 7, the measurement device 154 can be positioned downstream of the ionizer 151 for the electrostatic filter cells 150 and upstream of the collector plate 152. Thus, the measurement device 154 can detect particles 112 and water droplets emitted by the evaporator after the particles 112 and water droplets of the intake air 104 pass through and / or traverse the ionizer 151 for each of the multiple electrostatic filter cells 150 and before being filtered / precipitated by the collector plate 152. In another non-limiting example, the collector plate 152 is equipped with a water drainage system to address the amount of water droplets settling resulting in a water film running down the settling plate.

[0055] 8, the air filtration assembly 100 may include an evaporator 136 and a droplet remover 138 positioned within the air inlet duct 102. The evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138 may be positioned within the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. In addition, the droplet remover 138 may be positioned downstream of the evaporator 136 and upstream of the matrix electrostatic filter 148. In a non-limiting example, all of the particles 112 may flow through and / or past the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138 before flowing with the discharged water droplets through the matrix electrostatic filter 148.

[0056] In addition, as shown in non-limiting insert 8 of FIG. 8 , the measuring device 154 can be positioned downstream of the ionizer 151 and the collector plate 152, respectively. That is, both the ionizer 151 and the collector plate 152 of the electrostatic filter cell 150 can be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 upstream of the measuring device 154 of the electrostatic filter cell 150. Thus, the measuring device 154 can detect the particles 112 of the intake air 104 after they pass through and / or traverse the ionizer 151 as well as the collector plate 152.

[0057] The air filtration assembly 100 shown in FIG. 8 may also include a wastewater detection system 156. The wastewater detection system 156 may be in communication with the electrostatic matrix filter 148 to collect liquid (e.g., water) generated and / or collected during the filtration process performed by the electrostatic matrix filter 148. In a non-limiting example, the wastewater detection system 156 may be in communication with the collector plate 152 of the electrostatic matrix filter 148 to collect the liquid. In addition, the wastewater detection system 156 may also be operatively coupled and / or in operative communication with the control system 130. In a non-limiting example, the wastewater detection system 156 may include various devices and / or components (e.g., sensors) for analyzing the liquid received therein at a central location, as shown in FIG. 9 and as an integral part of the electrostatic filter cell 150. In particular, the wastewater detection system 156 may analyze the liquid received by the electrostatic matrix filter 148 to obtain data regarding the liquid and / or the charged particles 113 contained therein. For example, the effluent detection system 156 may detect and / or determine the size and / or amount of particles 112 contained in the liquid, the composition of the particles 112 contained within the liquid (e.g., dissolved salts), and / or the charge deposited by the particles 112 in the liquid. Information obtained and / or detected by the effluent detection system 156 may be provided to the control system 130, which may then utilize the information to adjust the operating characteristics of the electrostatic filter cell 150, as similarly discussed herein with respect to FIGS.

[0058] 9-11 show various non-limiting examples of electrostatic matrix filters 148 positioned in separate locations of the air inlet duct 102. For example, FIG. 9 shows an electrostatic matrix filter 148 positioned in the air inlet duct 102 upstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138. More specifically, a plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 including an ionizer 151, a collector plate 152, and a measurement device 154 (see, e.g., FIG. 5, FIG. 7, and / or FIG. 8) can all be positioned in the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102, upstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138. In this non-limiting example, all particles 112 may flow through and / or pass the electrostatic matrix filter 148 before flowing to and / or through the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138, respectively.

[0059] In a non-limiting example shown in Figure 10, a matrix electrostatic filter 148 may be positioned in the air inlet duct 102 downstream of the evaporator 136 but upstream of the droplet remover 138. More specifically, a plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 including an ionizer 151, a collector plate 152, and a measurement device 154 (see, e.g., Figures 5, 7, and / or 8) may all be positioned in the interior cavity 110 of the air inlet duct 102 between the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138. In this non-limiting example, all particles 112 may flow through and / or through the matrix electrostatic filter 148 after flowing through the evaporator 136 and before flowing through the droplet remover 138.

[0060] In a non-limiting example shown in Fig. 11, the collector plate 152 may be positioned within and / or integrally formed with the silencer assembly 122. That is, the collector plate 152 of the matrix electrostatic filter 148 may be distinct from the plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 and / or may be a stand-alone component and may be formed and / or positioned within the silencer assembly 122 downstream of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 including the ionizer 151 and the measurement device 154 (see insert 11 in Fig. 11). In a non-limiting example, the ionizer 151 and the measurement device 154 forming the plurality of electrostatic filter cells 150 may be positioned downstream of the evaporator 136 and the droplet remover 138, respectively, and upstream of the silencer assembly 122. The charged particles 113 may flow from the multiple electrostatic filter cells 150 to the silencer assembly 122 and may undergo a filtration process performed by the collector plates 152 simultaneously, or nearly simultaneously, with the silencer assembly 122 performing a silencing process on the intake air 104 before the filtered air 18 is provided to the compressor 12.

[0061] 12 illustrates another non-limiting example of a gas turbine system 10 including an air filtration assembly 100. In a non-limiting example, similar to the non-limiting examples shown and discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the air filtration assembly 100 may include an electrostatic component 124 formed as a matrix ionizer 126. Also similar to the embodiments discussed herein, the matrix ionizer 126 may include a plurality of ionizer cells 128 (see, e.g., FIG. 2) operably coupled and / or in operable communication with a control system 130. In a non-limiting example, the control system 130 may maintain and / or operate each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128 forming the matrix ionizer 126 with the same charge or voltage while the particles 112 flow through the matrix ionizer 126 downstream of the series of woven fabric filters 120. Alternatively, as similarly discussed herein with respect to FIGS. 1 and 2, the control system 130 can operate each of the plurality of ionizer cells 128 forming the matrix ionizer 126 operating at a distinct voltage. The distinct charge and / or voltage can be dependent on the amount, concentration, and / or size of the particles 112 flowing through the matrix ionizer 126. For example, the control system 130 can operate one of the plurality of ionizer cells 128 at a higher voltage than the remaining ionizer cells 128 due to the presence of the particles 112 flowing through that particular ionizer cell 128 and / or the amount, concentration, and / or size of the particles 112 flowing through that particular ionizer cell 128. The control system 130 can detect the particles 112 in the air inlet duct 102 by identifying when a breakthrough or breakdown voltage occurs or is changed in one of the plurality of ionizer cells 128. As discussed herein, increasing the ionizer voltage to the particles 112 by the multiple ionizer cells 128 may increase the removal and / or filtration of the particles 112 downstream of the matrix ionizer 126 .

[0062] In addition, a matrix-like ionizer 126 including a plurality of ionizer cells 128 may be positioned upstream of the evaporator 136. In the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 12, the evaporator 136 may be formed and / or may include a wet cloth, a droplet spray system, or any other suitable components that may perform an evaporation process by saturating the intake air 104 and / or the particles 112. By positioning the matrix-like ionizer 126 upstream of the evaporator 136 and forming the evaporator 136 to include a wet cloth or a droplet spray system, the filtration and / or removal of the particles 112 from the intake air may be improved. That is, using the matrix-like ionizer 126 to charge the particles 112 of the intake air 104 and then passing the charged particles 113 through the evaporator 136 including a wet cloth or a droplet spray system may increase and / or improve the filtration of the charged particles 113, since the charged particles are more attracted by the water droplets or moisture generated by the evaporator 136 due to electrophoretic forces. Thus, more particles 112 that may undesirably flow through a series of woven fabric filters 120 may be removed and / or filtered from the intake air 104 using a matrix of ionizers 126 and evaporators 136, as shown in FIG. 12.

[0063] Although discussed herein as being formed in the air inlet duct 102, it is understood that at least a portion of the components of the air filtration assembly 100 discussed herein with respect to Figures 1-12 may be positioned within and / or immediately downstream of separate portions and / or components of the gas turbine system 10. For example, at least a portion of the air filtration assembly 100, as discussed herein, may be positioned within the combustor 22 and / or downstream of the compressor 12 to filter particles 112 from the fluid (e.g., air) utilized by the combustor 22.

[0064] Technical effects of the present disclosure include providing an air filtration assembly for detecting undesirable particles that may flow downstream of a damaged or defective filtration component, as well as improving filtration of undesirable particles in an air filtration assembly that includes a damaged or defective filtration component.

[0065] The terminology used herein is merely for the purpose of describing certain embodiments and is not intended to limit the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an" and "the" are intended to include the plural unless otherwise specified. It will be further understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising" as used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or sets thereof. "Optional" or "optionally" means that the subsequently described event or circumstance may or may not occur, and the description includes instances in which the event occurs and instances in which it does not occur.

[0066] As used herein throughout the specification and claims, approximation language can be applied to modify any quantitative expression that can be reasonably varied without causing a change in the basic function involved. Thus, values ​​modified by terms such as "approximately," "about," and "substantially" are not limited to the exact value specified. In at least some instances, approximation language can correspond to the precision of the instrument for measuring the value. Here, and throughout the specification and claims, range limitations can be combined and / or substituted, and such ranges are identified and include all subranges encompassed therein, unless the context and language dictate otherwise. "About" applied to a particular value in a range applies to both values ​​and can indicate + / - 10% of the stated value, unless specifically dependent on the precision of the instrument for measuring the value.

[0067] The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means-plus-function or step-plus-function elements in the following claims are intended to encompass any structures, materials, or acts for performing that function in combination with other specifically claimed claim elements. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, and is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the disclosure to the disclosed form. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The present embodiment has been chosen and described in order to best explain the principles and practical application of the disclosure, and to enable others skilled in the art to understand the disclosure in its various embodiments with various modifications as appropriate for the particular use envisaged. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 5 Insert 7 Insert 8 Insert 10 Gas Turbine System 11 Insert 12 Compressor 18 Filtered Air 20 Compressed Air 22 Combustor 24 Fuel 26 Combustion Gas 28 Turbine 30 rotors 32 External Load 34 Exhaust frame 36 Turbine Control System 100 Air Filtration Assembly / Air Filtration System 102 Air inlet duct 104 Intake 106 Air inlet 108 Exit 110 Internal cavity 112 Intake particles / Non-charged particles / Residual solid particles / Water droplets 113 Charged Particles 118 Vane Filter 120 series of woven fabric filters 122 Silencer assembly 124 Electrostatic Components 126 Matrix Ionizer 128 Ionizer Cell 128A Ionizer Cell 128B Ionizer Cell 128C Ionizer Cell 128D Ionizer Cell 128E Ionizer Cell 128F Ionizer Cell 128G Ionizer Cell 128H Ionizer Cell 130 Control System 132 Electrostatic Sensor 134 Conduit 136 Evaporator 138 Droplet remover 140 Access Door 140A First Access Door 140B Second Access Door 142 Auxiliary ionizer 144 Auxiliary electrostatic sensor 146 Drainage Line 148 Matrix electrostatic filter 150 Electrostatic Filter Cell 150A First Electrostatic Filter Cell 150B Second electrostatic filter cell 150C 3rd electrostatic filter cell 151 Ionizer 152 Collector Plate 154 Measuring Devices 156 Wastewater Detection System A axis C direction D Flow direction R direction

Claims

1. An air filtration assembly (100) for a gas turbine system (10), comprising: an air inlet duct (102) in fluid communication with a compressor (12) of the gas turbine system (10), comprising: an inlet (106) for receiving the intake air (104) containing the intake air particles (112); an outlet (108) positioned opposite said inlet (106); an air inlet duct (102) including a plurality of vane filters (118) at the inlet (106) of the air inlet duct (102); a series of woven fabric filters (120) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the plurality of vane filters (118); a silencer assembly (122) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the silencer assembly (122) being positioned adjacent to the outlet (108) of the air inlet duct (102); an electrostatic component (124) positioned in the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the electrostatic component (124) being configured to charge the intake air (104) particles (112) passing through the plurality of vane filters (118) and the series of woven fabric filters (120), the electrostatic component (124) including a matrix of ionizers (126) spanning a frontal cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the matrix of ionizers (126) including a plurality of ionizer cells (128) positioned in the air inlet duct (102); Equipped with During operation of the gas turbine system (10), each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128) operates at a separate predetermined voltage to provide a separate electrical charge to the intake air particles (112) as the intake air particles (112) flow past each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128).

2. The electrostatic component (124) comprises: a matrix of electrostatic filters (148) spanning the frontal cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet duct (102), downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120); The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 1, comprising:

3. a control system (130) operatively coupled to each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128) of the matrix ionizer (126), the control system (130) configured to control the distinct predetermined voltage for each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128); at least one electrostatic sensor (132) operably coupled to the control system (130), the at least one electrostatic sensor (132) positioned downstream of the matrix ionizer (126) and configured to detect the inhaled particles (112) charged by the matrix ionizer (126); The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 1, further comprising:

4. The at least one electrostatic sensor (132) positioned downstream of the outlet (108) of the air inlet duct (102) and upstream of the compressor (12) of the gas turbine system (10); or a series of woven fabric filters (120) downstream of said series of woven fabric filters (120) and in communication with an evaporator (136) positioned in said air inlet duct (102); The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 3, which is at least one.

5. an evaporator (136) positioned in the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120); a droplet remover (138) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) immediately adjacent and downstream of the evaporator (136); Further equipped with The matrix ionizer (126) is positioned upstream of the evaporator (136) or downstream of the droplet remover (138). The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 2.

6. The matrix electrostatic filter (148) comprises: a plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) positioned within the air inlet duct (102), each of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) comprising: At least one ionizer (151); at least one collector plate (152) positioned downstream of said at least one ionizer (151); A plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) including The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 2, comprising:

7. a control system (130) operatively coupled to each of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) of the matrix of electrostatic filters (148); a measuring device (154) operably coupled to the control system (130), the measuring device (154) being positioned in the air inlet duct (102) downstream or upstream of the at least one collector plate (152) of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150); Further equipped with The control system (130) using the measuring device (154) to detect a concentration of the intake particles (112) flowing through the air inlet duct (102); determining a position of the intake particles (112) flowing through the air inlet duct (102) using the measuring device (154); and Identifying at least one electrostatic filter cell (150) of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) that receives the inhaled particle (112) based on the determined location of the inhaled particle (112). It is configured as follows: The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 6.

8. an evaporator (136) positioned in said air inlet duct (102) downstream of said series of woven fabric filters (120); Further equipped with The matrix electrostatic filter (148) is positioned upstream of the evaporator (136) or downstream of the evaporator (136). The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 2.

9. a droplet remover (138) positioned in said air inlet duct (102) downstream of said evaporator (136); Further equipped with The matrix electrostatic filter (148) is positioned upstream of the droplet remover (138) or downstream of the droplet remover (138). The air filtration assembly (100) of claim 8.

10. A compressor (12); an air filtration assembly (100) in fluid communication with the compressor (12), the air filtration assembly (100) comprising: An air inlet duct (102), an inlet (106) for receiving the intake air (104) containing the intake air particles (112); an outlet (108) positioned opposite said inlet (106); an air inlet duct (102) including a plurality of vane filters (118) at the inlet (106) of the air inlet duct (102); a series of woven fabric filters (120) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the plurality of vane filters (118); a silencer assembly (122) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the silencer assembly (122) being positioned adjacent to the outlet (108) of the air inlet duct (102); an electrostatic component (124) positioned within the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the electrostatic component (124) being configured to charge the intake air (104) particles (112) passing through the plurality of vane filters (118) and the series of woven fabric filters (120), the electrostatic component (124) of the air filtration assembly (100) being configured to include a matrix electrostatic component (124) spanning a frontal cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120); and a matrix ionizer (126) including a plurality of ionizer cells (128) positioned within the air inlet duct (102), wherein during operation of the compressor (12), each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128) operates at a distinct predetermined voltage and provides a distinct charge to the intake air (104) particles (112) as the intake air particles (112) flow past each of the plurality of ionizer cells (128); An air filtration assembly (100) comprising: A gas turbine system (10) comprising:

11. The electrostatic component (124) of the air filtration assembly (100) comprises: a matrix of electrostatic filters (148) spanning a frontal cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120), the matrix of electrostatic filters (148) comprising: a plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) positioned within the air inlet duct (102), each of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) comprising: At least one ionizer (151); at least one collector plate (152) positioned downstream of the at least one ionizer (151) of the plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150); A plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) including A matrix-type electrostatic filter (148) comprising: The gas turbine system (10) of claim 10, comprising:

12. A method for filtering an intake air (104) of a gas turbine system (10), comprising: a plurality of vane filters (118) positioned at an inlet (106) of an air inlet duct (102) in fluid communication with a compressor (12) of the gas turbine system (10); and a series of woven fabric filters (120) positioned within said air inlet duct (102) downstream of said plurality of vane filters (118); flowing the intake air (104) containing the intake air particles (112) through a charging the intake air (104) particles (112) contained in the intake air (104) flowing through the plurality of vane filters (118) and the series of woven fabric filters (120) using an electrostatic component (124) positioned in the air inlet duct (102) downstream of the series of woven fabric filters (120); Including, The method further comprises: detecting a concentration of the intake particles (112) flowing through the air inlet duct (102) using a measurement device (154); determining a position of the intake particles (112) flowing through the air inlet duct (102) using the measurement device (154); identifying at least one electrostatic filter cell (150) of a plurality of electrostatic filter cells (150) forming the electrostatic component (124) receiving the inhaled particle (112) based on the determined location of the inhaled particle (112); A method comprising:

Images