Enhancing Gas Turbine Power Plant Performance in Tropical Climates by Using Inlet Air Cooling with Desiccant Dehumidification and Evaporative Cooling

Abstract Gas turbine power plants play a crucial role in meeting the growing demand for electrical energy. However, their performance can be hindered by high ambient temperatures and humidity levels in tropical climates, leading to a drop in power output. This study investigates the potential benefits of using inlet air cooling with desiccant dehumidification and evaporative cooling to improve the performance of gas turbine power plants in tropical regions. The results show that this inlet air cooling method, integrating evaporative cooling, desiccant wheel, and Maisotsenko cooler, is a viable alternative for mitigating the performance decrease of gas turbines in hot tropical conditions. Furthermore, the compressor inlet temperature can be reduced on average by 11.5 °C by using turbine exhaust gases to heat the regeneration air utilized in the desiccant wheel for dehumidification. Additionally, the power requirement of the inlet air cooling system amounts to around 0.9 MW compared with an improvement of more than 2 MW in power output at peak temperature. Further research is needed to understand and quantify other benefits related to inlet air cooling, such as reducing emissions of harmful pollutants and operating at higher turbine inlet temperatures.