Detection of Axial Compressor Fouling in High Ambient Temperature Conditions

This paper discusses gas turbine engine health monitoring with a fleet of 3 MW units operating at ambient temperatures up to 45 °C. The engines operate continuously near the topping temperature and cannot tolerate a significant performance loss due to compressor fouling. Various parameters indicating engine health condition were investigated and the single best parameter was found to be compressor delivery pressure. A simple predictive monitoring scheme was developed for assessing the degree of compressor fouling to help in optimizing the time between compressor washes.