Effective air filtration systems are critical for the successful long-term operation of the most advanced gas turbines. Leading air filtration experts, Parker Hannifin’s decades of experience and extensive R&D programme allowed the company to create clearcurrent Assure TriDustPlus filters, designed specifically for the latest machines. As part of the development process and to ensure this vital technology performed to the highest standards, in parallel Parker also developed a uniquely comprehensive testing regime.
While common industry standards such as those established by the ISO or Saudi Aramco specifications cover the basics, Parker went much further in their testing programme, investing double-digit millions in the industry's most wide-ranging and detailed testing regime. Among these additional tests are the important hydrophobic and oleophobic characteristics of a filter which help prevent contaminants like salt water and oils from entering. Other investigations include an ice rejection test, for which there is no standard currently, which is a specific Parker comparative test that assesses the build-up, breathability and ice rejection performance of filters over a seven hour period.
Furthermore, mobile test rigs were installed at or near sites where real contaminants are present - such as hydrocarbons, salt spray, fog, and heavy dust - and across a range of environments. Testing under high and low ambient temperatures can derive performance data in snow and ice, rain or baking sunshine, for example. Recording parameters such as airflow, pressure loss, temperature, and relative humidity as well as the functional set-up, these rigs generate millions of data points every month. This ensures optimal performance wherever the machine is in service including under conditions such as those typically found in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.
Alongside performance testing, the physical characteristics of the filter system are also thoroughly investigated with a series of measures to prove its robustness during long-term deployment. Tests include thermal, vibration and shock testing. Another test unique to Parker is the long-term test rig (LTTR). Among the most effective and informative of all the real-time testing, filters are exposed to all sorts of weather conditions for 12 to 24 months, while regularly lab tested to understand their through life performance.
The full suite of tests is focused on a single goal - ensuring that the filters still perform and achieve their primary function of dust removal and rejection under all conditions while minimising disruptions to GT operation. Designed purposely within Parker for their products, these investigative techniques form part of a complete platform of comprehensive tests that put their filters on a quantifiable performance footing. The outcomes of the test programme were fed back into the development of the clearcurrent Assure TriDustPlus filter and guarantee its unmatched performance in the most challenging of conditions.
Parker’s comprehensive testing system builds on their focus on research and development to continually improve their filtration products. Proving invaluable in the development of the most advanced - gas turbine filtration system and the clearcurrent Assure but also informing engineers developing the next generation of filtration systems too.
