System and method for inhibiting particulate and foreign object ingress in combustion systems

1. A method for inhibiting particulate ingress in a combustion system, comprising the steps of:

acquiring particulate ingress data in an air flow pathway of the combustion system, the particulate ingress data representative of particles in the air flow pathway charged by an electrostatic component including a matrix of ionizers and particles in the air flow pathway uncharged by the electrostatic component;

determining a probable particulate ingress location on an air inlet of the combustion system in dependence upon the charged particles and the uncharged particles in the particulate ingress data; and

deploying a filter screen at the determined probable particulate ingress location to inhibit particulate ingress at the determined probable particulate ingress location.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the particulate ingress data includes at least one of particulate size, particulate concentration, particulate type, and/or location of particulate in a first cross section of the air flow pathway.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein;

the location of particulate in the first cross section of the air flow pathway is a circumferential or radial location of particulate at an inlet of a compressor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

acquiring ambient condition data;

wherein the step of determining the probable particulate ingress location on the air inlet of the combustion system is carried out in dependence upon the ambient condition data in addition to the particulate ingress data.

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein:

the ambient condition data includes at least one of wind speed, wind direction, weather, ambient air particulate concentration, and/or ambient air particulate size.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the probable particulate ingress location is a plurality of probable particulate ingress locations; and

wherein the step of deploying the filter screen at the determined probable particulate ingress location includes deploying a plurality of filter screens at the determined probable particulate ingress locations.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein:

the step of deploying the plurality of filter screens at the determined probable particulate ingress locations includes fully deploying at least one of the filter screens and only partially deploying at least another of the filter screens.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

after deploying the filter screen at the determined probable particulate ingress location, acquiring updated particulate ingress data, and redetermining the probable particulate ingress location on the air inlet of the combustion system in dependence upon the updated particulate ingress data.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the steps of:

at least one of retracting the filter screen and/or deploying an additional filter screen at the redetermined, probable particulate ingress location.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the filter screen is a mesh filter screen having an anti-rebounding coating.

11. A turbine system, comprising:

a turbine having a compressor for compressing intake air;

an inlet filter housing in fluid communication with the compressor and having an array of air passages for ingress of the intake air, the inlet filter housing being configured to remove particulates from the intake air prior to passage of the intake air to the compressor;

an electrostatic component including a matrix of ionizers in the inlet filter housing to charge particles in the intake air flowing through the inlet filter housing; and

a control system configured to determine a probable location of particulate ingress at the inlet filter housing as a function of particulate ingress data obtained from the inlet filter housing, the particulate ingress data representative of particles in the intake air in the inlet filter housing charged by the electrostatic component and particles in the intake air uncharged by the electrostatic component;

wherein the inlet filter housing includes the array of air passages for receiving the intake air therethrough, and an array of filter screens generally corresponding to the array of air passages;

wherein the array of filter screens are individually movable between a retracted position where the intake air is permitted to bypass a respective filter screen, and a deployed position where the intake air passes through the filter screen;

wherein when in the deployed position the filter screens are configured to remove the particulates from the intake air; and

wherein the control system is configured to deploy a filter screen at the determined probable particulate ingress location to inhibit particulate ingress at the determined probable particulate ingress location.

12. The turbine system of claim 11 , wherein;

the array of filter screens are individually positionable at a plurality of incremental positions intermediate the retracted position and the deployed position.

13. The turbine system of claim 11 , wherein:

the control system is further configured to determine the probable location of particulate ingress at the inlet filter housing in dependence upon ambient condition data of the ambient air outside the inlet filter housing.

14. The turbine system of claim 13 , wherein:

the particulate ingress data includes at least one of particulate size, particulate concentration, particulate type, and/or location of particulate along an air flow pathway; and

wherein the ambient condition data includes at least one of wind speed, wind direction, weather, ambient air particulate concentration, and/or ambient air particulate size.

15. The turbine system of claim 13 , wherein

the control system is further configured to acquire updated particulate ingress data, and redetermine the probable particulate ingress location on the air inlet of the combustion system in dependence upon the updated particulate ingress data.

16. The turbine system of claim 15 , wherein;

the control system is further configured to adjust a position of at least one filter screen of the array of filter screens in dependence upon the redetermined probable particulate ingress location.

17. The turbine system of claim 11 , wherein:

the filter screens are mesh filter screens having an anti-rebounding coating.

18. A method for inhibiting particulate ingress in a combustion system, comprising the steps of:

providing an inlet duct in fluid communication with a turbine having a compressor, the inlet duct having an intake area for a flow of intake air;

determining at least one location of particulate or foreign object ingress along the intake area; and

moving a first subset of filter screens of an array of filter screens so as to extend across the flow of intake air at the location of particulate or foreign object ingress.

19. The method according to claim 18 , wherein:

the step of determining the at least one location of particulate or foreign object ingress includes sensing or measuring at least a concentration and/or distribution of particulates or foreign objects at a cross section of an inlet of the compressor.

20. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising the step of:

adjusting a position of a plurality of filter screens in the array of filter screens in dependence upon a pressure within the inlet duct and/or turbine performance.