A major utility company maintains 24 Pratt & Whitney FT4-A9 and 16 FT4-A11 combustion turbines to generate electricity on demand during peak summer days – High Energy Demand Days (HEDD). The brownish NOx emissions was visible miles away when these units are in operation. As part of the utility company’s compliance strategy to support the NJ DEP’s strategic focus on reducing NOx, they decided to use a High Pressure Injection Skid to add treated water to the turbine fuel lines.
CPS designed, automated and fabricated 5 turnkey process skids that independently delivered 1050 psi water to the 40 turbines fuel lines as well as the make-up water system skid/control. The 3-D skid design verified serviceability and the ability to fit into an existing/limited space. The design, fabrication and inspection complied with the ASME Process Piping code. The automation control system was based on the OPTO 22 control platform with their PAC PC based software that CPS interfaced with their existing Combustion Control System vendor to exchange equipment operating data. The control strategy required the development of an algorithm that adjusted the water flow to the fuel lines based on weather and turbine operating conditions to assure the NOx reduction levels.