Gas turbines in power stations are operated using diesel, crude or heavy fuel oil. All these oils not only have to have water removed, but also water-soluble salts and abrasive solid particles which can be a hazard to the turbine blades and consequently also to the entire power station. GEA Westfalia Separator supplies efficient conditioning units for all fuels, with self-cleaning separators at the heart of each one.

 

Refinery distillates are frequently used as diesel oil for gas turbines. Pure distillates correspond to gases in terms of their properties. Contamination with trace elements such as potassium, sodium, lead or vanadium is very low in this case. However, the fuel is often contaminated with sand, dust and water during transport – in orders of magnitude which frequently exceed the specification limit of the gas turbines.

 

A single-stage separation process is generally adequate to return contamination to the minimum possible to suit the specification of the turbine manufacturer. This separation usually takes place at normal ambient temperatures. In the case of high-viscosity distillates or at ambient temperatures which are too low, it can make sense to heat the oil before feeding it in.

 

Crude oil from a huge variety of sources is now increasingly being used as an alternative to diesel oil to drive turbines. Even if it is supplied already cleaned and degassed, the quality is still inadequate for combustion. To ensure that the turbines are protected reliably, the crude oils have to be efficiently cleaned of water and other foreign substances. Under normal circumstances, a single-stage process is likewise adequate here. The low flash point does mean that an explosion-proof design should be used for the centrifuges.

 

However, a 2-stage treatment with the self-cleaning separators is recommended for conditioning heavy fuel oils which are being used more and more in turbine power stations because of their low price. This is not least because heavy fuel oils are generally contaminated to a higher degree with harmful trace elements such as sodium and potassium. Continuous 2-stage separation achieves a degree of purity which meets the specifications of the turbine manufacturers as closely as possible.