The Fouling of Axial Flow Compressors: Causes, Effects, Susceptibility, and Sensitivity

Increased fuel costs have created a strong incentive for gas turbine operators to understand, minimize and control performance deterioration. The most prevalent deterioration problem faced by gas turbine operators is compressor fouling. Fouling causes a drop in airflow, pressure ratio and compressor efficiency, resulting in a “re-matching” of the gas turbine and compressor and a drop in power output and thermal efficiency. This paper addresses the causes and effects of fouling and provides a comprehensive treatment of the impact of salient gas turbine design parameters on the susceptibility and sensitivity to compressor fouling. Simulation analysis of ninety two (92) gas turbines of ranging from a few kW to large engines rated at greater than 300 MW has been conducted. It is hoped that this paper will provide practical information to gas turbine operators.