Set Up of an Experimental Facility for the Investigation of Wet Compression on a Multistage Compressor

At present, inlet fogging and wet compression are two of the most widely used approaches to enhance gas turbine performance, especially during hot seasons. However, potentially negative effects of these practices on long-term operational integrity of gas turbines should be evaluated carefully; in particular, wet compression may lead to the erosion of first compressor stages, due to the impact of water droplets within the flow at compressor intake. This issue is still controversial in technical literature, since only limited historical field operating data and information are available. Therefore, a test facility was specifically set up in the laboratories of the University of Ferrara, to evaluate the effects of wet compression on a small-size compressor. This paper presents the experimental facility developed for wet compression investigation and some preliminary results.