Gas Turbine Performance Monitoring Software

The gas turbine performance monitoring software is designed for off-line monitoring of gas turbine power degradation due to compressor fouling, and for determining the benefits of water washing and inlet cooling. The software uses tables of manufacturers' performance curves to predict the expected performance of a gas turbine as a function of ambient temperature, ambient pressure, inlet temperature, inlet pressure drop, and exhaust pressure drop. The expected performance is then compared to actual, as-measured performance of the turbine in terms of heat rate and generator output. This data can be trended over time to detect deterioration in performance.

The software comes with the expected performance data of 27 gas turbine models pre-installed and allows the user to edit the models or create new models for other gas turbines. The rated performance ambient temperature correction factors are graphically displayed for each gas turbine. This system converts actual operating performance back to "standard day" or "ISO" conditions, factoring out variations in ambient temperature.

Fern Engineering, Inc., 55 Portside Drive, P.O. Box 3380, Pocasset, Massachusetts 02559.