Developments in gas turbine efficiency are extremely desirable in the power generation sector. Just a few percentage points improvement can represent millions of dollars in revenue over the course of a year’s operation. While current generators incorporate absorption cooling designs that direct chilled air to the inlet of the compressor, the proposed strategy in this research aims to direct low temperature air straight into the hot stages of the turbine. The new method was tested using a complex computer model that simulated the conditions seen in real-world gas turbine. By studying the effect of cooling parameters representative of the absorption machine that were imposed on the system, it was determined that the novel cooling design possessed a great deal of promise for further research. Evidence suggested that over a typical year’s power generation, the proposed strategy had the capability to generate significantly greater economy for the operator.
