Prediction of Compressor Fouling Using an Analytic Method

해석적 방법을 통한 압축기의 파울링 해석

The performance of gas turbines decreases as their operating hours increase. Compressor fouling is the main reason for this time-dependent performance degradation. Airborne particles adhere to the blade surface and results in the change in the blade shape. It is difficult to exactly analyze the mechanism of the compressor fouling because the growing process of the fouling is very slow and the dimension of the fouled depth is very small compared with blade dimensions. In this study, an analytic method to predict the motion of particles and their deposition inside axial flow compressors is proposed. The analytic model takes into account the blade shape and the flow within the blade passage. Comparison of simulation result with field data shows the feasibility of the model. Influence of the particle distribution on the compressor fouling is also examined.