Improved Filtration Reduces Pollution and Helps Industry Squeeze Every Drop of Energy and Products Out of a Barrel of Oil or MCF of Gas

(Cypress, TX) Today’s energy and petrochemical industries are utilizing gas turbine engines, similar to those used on aircraft to manufacture electricity, produce steam, chilled water, and industrial gases from energy that used to be wasted and became pollution. Thermal recovery systems are collecting waste heat and using it to fuel drastic improvements in air quality. Recently engineered technologies are not only reducing pollution by the reduction of waste, but their improved efficiencies are reducing the costs of fuels, chemicals and electricity. Filtration is a small but important part of the overall improvements of today’s refineries, petrochemical and thermal power plants.

Gas turbine engines require clean air, fuel and quality lubrication to operate efficiently. Air is filtered through an inlet filter housing and is drawn into the engine by the spinning of the turbine blades where it is compressed and mixed with fuel and the expansion of gases spins the turbine and the generator. Small particles must be filtered out of the air stream supplying the turbine or they will collect on the turbine blades. Turbine blades are precisely manufactured to exacting tolerances and balanced to spin easily. Accumulation of fine particles will cause the blades to become fouled and unbalanced and greatly reduce the efficiency and the output of the generator. Newly introduced air filters with high particle efficiency require less energy (pressure drop) to draw air through the system and can improve power output by as much as 0.9%.

Fuels used to power gas turbines must be kept clean and moisture free to maximize combustion and reduce emissions. This is accomplished with filtration.

Hundreds to thousands of gallons of lubricating oils are used to reduce friction and wear on the parts of the turbine. Rotating engines require continuous lubrication and the oils used become contaminated with water from condensation and particles from incomplete combustion. Water in these oils reduces their lubricating qualities and promotes the growth of bacteria witch degrades the life of the oil. Special filters are set in series to remove small particles, capture water molecules, acid contaminants (from bacterial degradation) and expel air in the system. Filtration and /or oil reclamation can greatly reduce need to change out lubricating oils thus reducing oil waste.

Similar systems are intergraded throughout the modern or upgraded energy facilities with stream turbines, gas compressors, and pumps. Filtration systems can reduce the need for lube oils, and improve the efficiencies and performance of the equipment that is squeezing money out of every barrel and BTU of hydrocarbons.


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McGuffy Industries, Inc manufactures and /or distributes Inlet Filtration Systems and replacement filters, Silencers, Enclosures, Exhaust Systems, Hilco Filtration Vessels, Replacement Cartridges, Oil Reclaimers, Coalescer Separtors, Vent Mist Eliminators, Hydraulic Filters, Transfer Valves, Bicera Explosion Relief Valves and Parts for Gas Turbine and other rotating equipment since 1953.