SEDL / STP / STP531-EB / STP36515S

Electrical Purification of Gas Turbine Fuels

Greenlee, RW
Group leader, Physical Research, Tretolite Div., Petrolite Corp., Saint Louis, Mo.

Lucas, RN
Supervisor, Petrolite Corp., Houston, Tex.

Pages: 32    Published: Jan 1973

Download this paper for $25 PDF (528K)          View License Agreement
Abstract

Transportation of low-ash fuels can so increase the levels of sodium and other ash-forming compounds as to cause serious corrosion and deposition problems in gas turbines burning these contaminated distillates. Electrostatic separation provides an advantageous alternative to more familiar methods of on-site fuel treatment used to restore fuel quality. The theory and applications of electrically effected phase separation are described in this paper. On-site purification by electrical means can achieve sodium levels of 1.0 to 0.2 ppm in candidate low-ash fuel oils. Sufficient data are presented to facilitate cost estimates for this approach to purification of gas turbine fuels.