Leaching

Leaching occurs with no warning, and once it starts it is too late to fix.​

Leaching is the process of impurities finding their way through filters during water washing. It occurs when RH is high for several days and is most often occurring during fog or mist conditions.

Leaching is a significant challenge for gas turbine efficiency as it can cause:

• Increased pressure difference over filters;
• Increased fouling of compressors as water is pushing contaminants through the filters; and
• Decreased compressor efficiency due to increased fouling.

Water proof coatings have been used in the past to guard against leaching, but such protections have proven to have only a limited service life. Only high tensile filter material such as that used by Eagle Filters can ensure a reduction in leaching.

Salt Induced Fouling and Corrosion

Coastal environments pose significant challenges

We all appreciate the corrosive powers of salt. Gas turbines are no different when it comes to risks and potential damage that salt crystals can cause to compressors. Typically 3,5 µm in size, adequate protection from corrosive salt requires EPA level filtration to eliminate the risk completely.

Salt crystal growth in humid conditions dramatically increases dP of filters and increases the likelihood of leaching and may also cause filter rupture. Salt deposits in compressors and HGP can also cause severe fouling and corrosion damage.

Leaching damage to filters cannot be repaired.

Sand Blocking Pre-Filters

When the desert winds blow your pre-filters better be up to the challenge

Sand is a particularly challenging impurity that can cause many problems for pre-filters. Sand can quickly block a pre-filter’s surface due to the large particle size of sand. Fine soil particles together with water can also form a sticky clay-like material that can very easily block filters and may cause a rapid increase of dP if the pre-filter surface area is not sufficient. 

Eagle Filters’ pre-filters and fine filters will protect your performance in sandy environments.

Soot blocking Fine and EPA filters

Heavy traffic and urban areas are high-soot environments

Soot can range from 0,1-0,4 µm in particle size and is often not caught by Pre-filters. Even fine filters have challenges in protecting gas turbine performance from soot. EPA filters are the only sure protection against soot and needed to protect compressors and gas turbines

Sticky soot particles cause wash-resistant and heavy fouling if they are able penetrate filters and find their way into compressors.

Optimizing dust loads protects performance

Incorrect dimensioning of filtering stages wastes money

There are a few important benefits of dividing dust load for filter stages. Dividing dust loads for filter stages:

• Optimizes the life-time cost of filters; and
• Optimizes the pressure drop across filters to protect performance.

Pre- and fine filters are cheaper to change more often than EPA filters