Abstract
Water injection into the compressed air between the compressor and the heat exchanger of a gas turbine plant represents only one of various possible methods of introducing water into a gas turbine cycle. With this process, it is advantageous to inject just sufficient water to produce saturation of the compressed air with water vapour.
Assuming that the same size of heat exchanger is used, the following changes are introduced as compared with a gas turbine cycle without water injection. The efficiency is increased to an extent equivalent to raising the temperature at the turbine inlet by 100 degC. The gain in specific work is still greater. It attains values which can only be achieved with about 140 degC higher temperature at the turbine inlet.
With a normal size of heat exchanger, the water consumption is about 6–8 per cent of the mass flow of air. This rate of consumption is not high enough to introduce any detrimental side effects in the cycle. Special water treatment is not necessary.
The performance of existing designs or installations without a heat exchanger can be improved by adding a heat exchanger and water injection without necessitating any change in pressure ratio.
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