92-GT-39

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS

345 E. 47 St., New York, N.Y. 10017
the Society shall not be responsible or statements or opinions advanced in papers or in discussion at meetings or the Society or of Its Divisions or Sections, or printed in its publications.
Discussion is printed only lithe Paper Is published In an ASME Journal. Papers are available
from ASME for fifteen months after the meeting.
Printed in USA.

Copyright 1992 by ASME

I I 11111111111,1111 111 111

Optimized Ultra High Efficiency Filter for High-Efficiency
Industrial Combustion Turbines
HENRY H. S. YU and CECIL H. GOULDING
Engineered Systems & International Sales
Farr Company
El Segundo, California

ABSTRACT
For modern high efficiency aeroderivative combustion turbines there is an
urgent need for ultra high efficiency inlet
air filters with a low initial pressure drop.
Often high efficiency filters are associated
with high pressure drop (e.g. NEPA). In this
paper, through a mathematical analysis and
design optimization, a new type of ultra high
efficiency 1>97% for 0.3 pm diameter
particle), high capacity, and low pressure
drop (0.5" w.g. at face velocity of 500 fpm)
combustion turbine filter, particularly
suitable for applications in the urban
environment is presented.
In mathematical analysis, a closed form
analytical solution from Navier-Stoke's
equation for air flow between filter pleat
spacing with uniform mass addition and
extraction is applied to each finite element
along the pleat channel. The optimum pleat
aspect ratio is obtained by combining the
expressions for the axial pressure gradient
for upstream channel with mass extraction,
the axial pressure gradient for downstream
channel with mass addition, and the filter
media flow characteristics for finite
elements along the filter pleat channel with
varying wall flow rates.
INTRODUCTION
The introduction of the high efficiency
aero-derivative combustion turbines brought a
new challenge to air filter manufacturers.
The performance and service life of the
combustion turbines are very sensitive to the
ability of an air inlet system to reduce or
eliminate contaminants entering the system
and prevent erosion, high/low temperature
corrosion and fouling.

Some combustion turbine manufacturers

specify that the combustion turbine air
inlet system design must be able to limit
sodium and potassium chlorides to 0.003
to 0.01 ppm, and provide an overall
efficiency of 99.7% on 2 pm t ,And 95% on
0.5 pm diameter particles." 10
High efficiency air filtration has
been shown to be a basic requirement for
the most cost effective operation of high
efficiency combustion turbines and very
important even in very low dust
concentrations where there is salt and/or
unburned hycirogarbons in the
atmosphere. 1,1
There are many types of high
efficiency filters on the market both for
conventional filter house design and also
for pulse clean systems. Probably not well
known or accepted is the fact that in
order to achieve the high efficiency
associated with single stage self-cleaning
pulse systems a dust cake must accumulate
on the media. This is true even if the
pulse filter element is used in a nonpulsing mode. In urban environments with
low perosol concentration of 100 to 200
Pg/m j , the time required to reach the
desired high efficiency may be excessively
long and will depend not only on the
combustion turbine application, i.e. baseload or peaking, but also on the aerosol
particle size distribution and its
concentration. Further, the type of
contaminants in a specific site microenvironment may result in the pulse filter
element not being able to clean properly,
resulting in short element life and a high
operating pressure drop.

Presented at the International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exposition
Cologne, Germany June 1-4, 1992

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Long-term protection of modern

combustion turbines from harmful
contaminants, such as fine salt aerosol or
urban smog, can best be achieved by using a
new optimized high.performance ultra high
efficiency filter employing water repellent
(over 10" w.g.), high efficiency HEPA type
media. The phenomenon of salt leaching
through the filter, as it does with other
types of filter medias during wet/dry weather
environments, can be avoided. Low pressure
drop and high capacity is achieved by
mathematical analysis and optimization of
pleat aspect ratio (i.e. pleat height/pleat
spacing), the filter design configuration,
and packaging of maximum filter media in a
standard filter size of 24" x 24" x 12".

u4atti*mss

detalmtM

FILTER DESIGN OPTIMIZATION

Analytical Solution
The mathematical analysis of airflow
through a pleated filter pack as shown in
Figure 1-a is a complex problem. A
satisfactory and useful analytical solution
to Navier-Stoke's equation has never been
obtained. Although CFD (computational fluid
dynamics) analysis could have been used in
this paper, a simple semianalytical/numerical approach was used for
the analysis and design optimization of the
filter using a desktop PC.

Figure 2 Schematics of rniri-pleat

the wall along the pleat depth. By first
focusing only on this small finite element
with constant flow through the porous
filter media (or walls) as shown in Figure
3, the analysis of the problem becomes
more manageable. Although an exact
numerical solution to Navier-Stoke's
equation for laminar flow in a parallel
plate channel with prescribed suction or
injection at bounding walls is avpilable,
(E.M. Sparrow and H.H.S. Yu, 1970 2 ), this
paper uses an approximate closed-form
analytical solution of the problem (J.C.P.
Huang and H.H.S. Yu, 1973 ) in solving the
complex problem of flow through a pleated
pack of filter media, as briefly described
in the following sections. The problem as
shown in Figure 3 can be considered as
coupling of two separate problems, one
with uniform mass extraction, one with
uniform mass injection and sharing the
common wall with specific filter media
characteristics.

(a) Mii-pleat panel

.0

free

Sorrel

imo

No

mii-ries1 web

12(Y ) i
En> /awflow

0,

deat 'pacing

(b) Mutti-V filer with ran-pleat panels

juYJ i

Pli

Figure I Schematics of Mai-pleat Filter

atria Ititkreas

P 21

U261 1

(O. ot51

Although the flow through the filter

media is not uniform along the depth of
the pleat (see Figure 2, one can subdivide
the pleat height into infinitesimal finite
element of Ax , and assume the flow through
the walls of the element is uniform (i.e.
vcconstant). For the next element Ax ml ,
the flow through the walls is not the same
due to the change in the pressure across

Vei

4.

Figure 3 Schematic of Finite Element (ox) With

Constant Flow 0,1,A) Through Wall
2

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The governing steady-state conservation

equations appropriate to this problem are as
follows:

where the boundary condition u = 0 at

channel walls has been incorporated in
Eq.(8): C is the circumference of the
channel. S is an element on the
circumference, and au/an is the outer
normal derivative at the wall.

u au+eau.- 1 A+e -b-1

a (equation of motion)
P dx ar2
(1)

The
entrance
location
(7) with

and

au au
ax ay

(equation of continuity)

(2)

Po-P (x) .1( If

with boundary conditions:

%FOG:in-iv, (negative for injection, downstream)

ii(x)=11:2(x,y)dAelt70 (1--1:)
Ms
Ax

(4)

(5)

p dx

Ap

+v a2 u
03,2

X )
Ax

(11)

t:;-fRe2(1-171141 12a1
(12)
fAx

f-

(6)

Re

P0
pe
X

De

(13)

32A f au IdS
Rep c an

inlet Reynolds number = upe /u

static pressure
static pressure at the inlet
perimeter of a channel
dimensionless longitudinal
coordinate = (x/D e )/Re
equivalent diameter = 4A/p e

It is of particular interest to note that the

terms in the last parenthesis of Eq.(12) are
dependent on the configuration of the channel
cross section and are independent of the axis
x. If the term 4aD e/(fAx) approaches unity,
then the pressure change (AP) and the
pressure gradient dp/dx will approach zero.

Here, the following divergence

theorems have been used in arriving at
Eq.(7):

Physically, the term 4aD e/(fAx)

represents the ratio between the momentum
change resulting from inertia force and that
from viscous drag. Only when these two
forces are equal, will no net change in
pressure force occur. In upstream pleat
spacing of filter, it is possible to have
greater momentum change than the effect of
viscous drag and there can be a net pressure
gain along the flow direction under certain
conditions.

(8)

and
fctds

(1

a-1114
dA
AJ

channel circumference
element on circumference

a(UV)diti 0
JA ay

f (er)

where

where

jj dA

4at )

By substitution of Eq. (11) in Eq.(10) the

following simple algebraic equation is
obtained:

Integrating the above equation over

the cross-sectional area A resulted in
2.1 a co das _
au ds
(7)
pt A &GI
Dean
-

(Jo

Multiplying continuity Eq.(2) by u

and adding the resulting equation to
Eq.(1), gives .
-

2* T41
AL if a dal) Au.,
v
u)

(10)

outer normal
static pressure
density of fluid
kinematic viscosity of fluid
- velocity profile in channel
average velocity along the channel
at x
average inlet velocity for i th
finite element Ax
wall velocity for i th finite
element Ax
channel cross-sectional area
half the channel height (or half
pleat spacing)
x-axis coordinate
y-axis coordinate

+ acuo
a>'

k uo ))

Eq.(10) shows that the pressure

change is only a function of velocity u.
When function u is known in channels, the
pressure distribution along a pleat
spacing can readily be found from Eq.
(10). To demonstrate the application of
Eq.(10), a fully developed velocity
profile u(y) will be assumed for the
finite element Ax. then

and

ax

spri:

(3)

u(x,th)no

a(u 2 )

pressure change between the

section x=o and any other axial
x may be found by integrating Eq.
respect to x.

(9)

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The flow channel in mini-pleat filter

panel is actually a rectangular duct but
since the
ratio of pleat spacing and
hot melt spacing (-1") is relatively small,
the configuration can be simply considered as
a parallel channel. The fully developed flow
velocity profile in a parallel channel (i.e.
pleat spacing) is then

where
Xi

1-(z)

(23)

(negative for downstream)

(1 5)

Reff,
it 1 (2h)

T, 2

2
(y)-1[

(22)

Ax/ (2h)

(24)

Upon evaluating Eqs. (13)and(14), we obtain:

(16)
a=1.2
(17)

fRe = 96

(positive for downstream)

Then the pressure drop across the media
and flow velocity through i t finite
element are

Also, from the continuity equation:

Dv h vv Rev
46x Ax u o Re

li P1.1 =A P
(18)

(2)

-APL,1 +AP24

(media pressure drop)

anci
irw4 ,-1/0.118

where
Re v -wall Reynolds number=V v D e /u

(filter media flow characteristics,

Figure 4)

Substitution of a, fRe and Eq.(18) into

Eq.(12) resulted in the pressure change in Ax
in the flow direction:

95

Ap =96x (1-2Rea)(1-f?)

(26)

(19)

DOP Filter Media

1
0.9
0.8

From the above equation it can be seen that:

0.6

when Re v=0, in the case of impermeable

wall parallel channel, Ap = 96 X
(classical, solution for flow in parallel
channel)

_
0.

0.4 -

when Re, )0, fluid flow out of channel

(upstream pleat spacing), Ap can be
greater or less than zero.

'5

0.3

when Re v <0, fluid flow into channel

(downstream pleat spacing), Ap is always
greater than zero.

0.2

when Rev-5, a special case which implies

Ap-o.

0.1

Numerical Analysis
In the preceding section, a closed form
axial pressure drop solution is obtained
(Eq.(19) for i t finite element Axi . As showy
schematically in Figure 2, the coupled
equations for upstream and downstream pleats
must be solved simultaneously for all finite
elements, using flat media characteristic
curve (Figure 4), starting from the leading
edge of the pleat. The Ap expressions for
upstream and downstream pleat spacing for i th
finite element ex' are
Ap ia s5x2

, 1

0.-2sen.ix,, A

) (

Rot
5

(upstream)

20)

(21)

1 12.1), (downstream)
Ape,r -96 I,,,( 1. 42 Re"x2.,,) (1 4

10

20

30

Face velocity .fpm

Figure 4 Filter Media Flaw Characteristics

The above finite difference equations
areusedin a simple iteration scheme to
obtain pressure drops and velocity
profiles in upstream pleat spacing,
downstream pleat spacing, and through the
filter media from the apex of a pleat to
the bottom of a pleat. Significant
results obtained are as follows.

Optimum Pleat Aspect Ratio

Figure 5 shows the pressure drop of a
mini-pleat filter panel with different
pleat aspect ratios (i.e. pleat

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height/pleat spacing) at face velocity of

100 fpm. As can be seen from the figure,
for each pleat height there is an optimum
pleat count corresponding to minimum
pressure drop for the panel. At low pleat
count, the high flow velocity through the
media resulted in higher panel pressure
drop. On the other hand, at high pleat
count, the higher panel pressure drop is
due to the high pressure losses in pleat
spacings. Although not shown here, the
optimum pleat aspect ratio is independent
of face velocity; however, the optimum

pleat aspect ratio does vary with different

media characteristics as shown in Figure 6
which indicates tighter pleat spacing is
required for a higher efficiency filter media
panel.
Because of practical considerations
of manufacturing, dust cake build-up, or
cost effectiveness, one might choose a
pleat aspect ratio of slightly less than
optimum (e.g. 10 pleats/inch for 7/8"
pleat height; 8 pleats/inch for 1 3/4"
pleat height, etc.) without significantly
altering its performance. The agreement
between experimental results and the
predicted results from this analysis is
excellent as shown in Figure 7.

DOP Filler Media

with 95
0.5

with 95

DOP Filler Media

0

0.0

0.4

0.7
0
0.6

a,

0.5

0.3

I0

rn1 0.2
10 pleatS/In,

7/8 Oat oslel

0.

17-11experimenta

0.

06 lk

0-0 exPerinyinta dote

--- present antSIS

10

12

14

16

LB

a 0.08

20

007
0.05

Pleat counts/in

005
10

Figure 5 Pleat Optimization at 100 (pm Fate Velocity

20 30 40 50

100

200 300 400500

1000

Face velocity .from

Figure 7 Mini-pleat Filter Panel Test Data

Optimum Filter Design Configuration

Although a better filter performance

(i.e. lower pressure drop) is obtained
with high pleat height and wide pleat
spacing (see Figure 5), there are
practical limitations in a single panel
mini-pleat type filter for high flow
applications (e.g. 500 FPM, 2000 CFM for
2'x 2' filter). Therefore, it is
necessary to consider the multi-V's filter
configuration with multiple optimized thin
mini-pleat panels in the standard size
filter design (e.g. 24" x 24" x,12"), as
shown in Figures 1-b. -The preceding
laminar flow analysis of mini-pleat panel
analysis is not directly applicable to
high capacity multi-V design filter with
turbulent flow developing in between the
V-panels, it can be modified to take into
account the entrance effects for
approximate analysis of high capacity
multi-V filter design, while replacing

Meat height , in.

Figure 6 Optimum pleat configuration

5

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flat media flow characteristics (Figure 4)

with calculated mini-pleat flat panel flow
characteristics (as shown in Figure 8). The
results are shown in Figure 9 for multi-V
filter design configurations with 7/8" and 1
3/4" thick mini-pleat panels, along with two
experimental data points. From figure 9 it
can be seen that the 7/8" short pleat height
with 5 or 6 V's is a preferred practical
filter design. The initial pressure drop of
about 0.5" w.g. for ultra high efficiency

filter at 2000 cfm is a great improvement

over what currently is available for
combustion turbine inlet filters.
PERFORMANCE OF 95% POP FILTER

Combustion turbine operators

(particularly those with aero-derivative
precision combustion turbines) will benefit
the most from this ultra high efficiency, low
pressure drop inlet air filter. Ultra high
efficiency filters effectively reduce the
fouling and erosion of the compressor section
but also reduce the erosion and sulfidation
process of the hot section by removing almost
100% of harmful aerosols from the inlet
airstream.

Figure 10 shows the initial fractional

efficiency of the clean ultra high efficiency
(95% DOP) vs. standard high efficiency
filters (90-95% ASHRAE) standard size filter
(24" x 24" x 12") at 2000 cfm airflow. The
ultra high efficiency filter having 97%
initial efficiency for 0.3 pm diameter
atmospheric aerosols and 10" w.g. water
repellency of the wet-laid glass microfiber
media practically prevent the migration of
fog, rain, and salt from entering the
turbines from the time of start-up. Whereas,
the standard high efficiency filter with 75%
efficiency for 0.3 pm diameter.. .does not.

with 95 z DOP Filter Media

0.9
0.8

6
0.5
d

0.5

5'

13

0.3

"'

0.2

To
eo

a OA
0.09
111 OM

IT 0m'
100

0.05
w.myfia

005
V

20 30 40 50

200 300 400600

100

90

1000

Face velocity ,fpm

80

Figure 8 Filter Panel Flow Characteristics

18

>"
u

10

12

14

16

60

5
's

with 95 z DOP Filter Media

Number of panel in 24"x24"x12" filter
1

70

18

20

20

10
test aeroSo6 atmospheric ma'am
al 500 lian I ace velskity12000 cfm
0
01

0.2

0.3 0.40,5

4 5

10

Particle diameter

Figure 10 Fractional Efficiency of Filter

T. 0.3

To

In multi-stage conventional gas turbine

inlet filter system typically there would be
(a) a first stage containing a weatherprotection device (such as hoods, louvers,
screens, low velocity moisture separators,
high velocity coalescers, drainage system,
high velocity inertial separators); (b) a
second stage with a medium efficiency panel
filter; and (c) a third stage containing a

0.2

10

Number of V in 24"x24"x12" titter

Figure 9 Filter Optimization at 500 fpm Face Velocity

6

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high efficiency filter. Often the second

stage and third stage filter share a common
holding frame. Considering the number of
possible components in a multistage
conventional inlet air filter system, it
might be desirable to discuss all of them.
However, this paper will be limited to the
discussion of the combination of 4" deep
pleated panel prefilter and 95% (DO?) ultra
high efficiency filter with 5-V configuration
comprised of 10 mini-pleat panels. Figure 11
shows our laboratory test results with this
combination of filters using SAE Standardized
Fine Test Dust which simulates outdoor
aerosol. The DHC of 2450 grams to 1.5" w.g.
(Figure 11) for 95% DOP final filter is
several times higher than that of the 90-95%
ASHRAE grade filter (which is
less than
75% efficiency for 0.3 pm diameter particle)
under the same test conditions. The service
life (DHC) of 95% DOP filter can be easily
extended to 4200 grams if the final filter
is replaced at 2.5" w.g., instead of 1.5"
w.g. generally recommended for ASHRAE
grade filters. In addition, because of
its low initial pressure 95% DOP filter
can also be designed to operate at 2500
cfm (as shown by dotted line in Figure
11), substantially reducing the size and
the cost of the inlet air filter housing.
Moreover, the initial pressure of 95% DOP
filter at 2500 cfm is still comparable to
the much lower efficiency 90-95% ASHRAE
grade filter at 2000 ann.

30/30 CIT(24*X24")( 41')

DOFREX241C121
own. S.A.E. STANDARDIZED FINE

PREFILTER

PRIMARY ULTRA NIGH EFFICIENCY FILTEFLOY.

TEST

CONCLUSIONS
1.

The new ultra high performance 95%

DOP filter for high efficiency aeroderivative combustion turbine inlet
air filter is described in this
paper. The filter is developed based
on mathematical analysis and
optimization of filter design using
water repellent 95% DOP filter media.

2.

The filter achieves >97% initial

efficiency for 0.3 gm diameter
particles (using outdoor aerosol) and
0.5" w.g. initial pressure drop at
standard face velocity of 500 fpm
(2000 cfm). The DHC of this filter
is 2-3 times larger than the highest
efficiency 90-95% ASHRAE grade filter
whose initial efficiency is less than
75% for 0.3 pm particles.

3.

This final filter, plus the correct

match of the air filter system to the
environment and duty, will greatly
improve the combustion turbine
protection.

REFERENCES
1.

Labadie, P. and W. Boutzale, "Gas

Turbine Air Filtration - A Means of
Sulfidation Control", ASME paper
number 76-GT-59, Gas Turgine and
Fluids Engineering Conference, New
Orleans, LA., March 21-25, 1976, PP
3

2.

Tatge, R. Bruce, "Gas Turbine Inlet

Air Treatment", General Electric Gas
Turbine Reference Library, Ger-3419,
PP 3 .

3.

Goulding, C.H., M.G. Rasmussen, and

F.M. Fritz, Jr., "Technical and Other
Considerations for the Selection of
Inlet Air Filtration Systems for
High-Efficiency Industrial Combustion
Turbines", ASME paper number 90-GT176, Gas Turbine and Aeroengine
Congress and Exposition, June 11-14,
Brussels, Belgium.

4.

"Causes and Cure for Sulfidation,

Corrosion, Erosion and Fouling",. Gas
Turbine World, March 1975.

i
T

lb

1
1 . PO F. OOP FRE 02500 OA
:
i
,I
Ur
I
l
30/3040% DOP in So nos

TA

0 000 ism
I \

1.

*%00FM.102000

OA

1
41

1
i

5.

Sparrow, E.M. and H.H.S. Yu, "Heat

and Mass Transfer in a Channel with
Surface Mass Addition: Application to
Phase Change Processes" AIChE
Journal, July 1970, pp 588-594.

6.

Huang, J.C.P. and H.H.S. Yu. "Heat

and Mass Transfer in a Channel with
Surface Mass Addition: Application to
Phase Change Processes". AIChE
Journal July 1970, pp 588-594.

WO 10:4 IRO Ma MN 10:9 301 ROI el OM

DUST FED, 0 MF

Figure 11 Multistage Filter System Test

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