Implementation of an adaptive thermodynamic fault model to compensate the gas turbine degradation

In this research, a thermodynamic model has been developed to simulate the effects of fouling and erosion of the compressor blades of a V94.2 gas turbine. The novel approach of this study involves considering the influence of ambient temperature and humidity on the performance of a faulty turbine as well as using the turbine control system under full load conditions, referred to as Outlet Temperature Control (OTC). In this approach, maintaining a corrected turbine outlet temperature is employed to keep the turbine inlet temperature within a safe range for the blades. This model has been validated using real-world data of a gas turbine. The results demonstrate that by adjusting the OTC control setpoint and taking into account the turbine inlet temperature, a portion of the performance losses can be compensated for. The findings indicate that compressor fouling has a greater impact on parameters such as power output, turbine inlet temperature, and gas turbine efficiency compared to blade erosion. Furthermore, deviation from healthy performance varies with environmental conditions. The results also show that by increasing the control setpoint of a degraded turbine by 6 degrees, considering ambient temperature, power can be increased by 1%, and turbine inlet temperature can be increased by 0.8%.