For Immediate Release

July 7, 2003

Contact:	Phil Levine
	Phone (508) 563-7181 Fax (508) 564-4851

Cape Cod, Massachusetts – Fern Engineering Inc., a worldwide engineering company that provides expert consulting services and products to the turbomachinery industry, has been chosen by EPRI (Electric Power Research Institute) to investigate several technologies that have the ability to improve the operational flexibility of gas turbine power plants. Among the technologies that will be investigated are inlet air conditioning, inter-stage cooling, advanced steam injection, supercharging, humid air injection, improved parts by aftermarket suppliers, and performance maintenance.

Fern's Phil Levine, who is the principal investigator for the project, feels the study will address some of the biggest concerns gas turbine owners have today. Levine noted, "The issues are increased efficiency to deal with the volatility of fuel costs, the potential for greenhouse gas caps, and improvements in O&M to improve performance and reduce costs. All of these issues are being addressed by looking at these technologies."

"Supercharging", using a variable pitch fan driven by an electric motor (recently patented by Enhanced Turbine Output LLC) is one of the technologies to be evaluated by Fern. The parasitic load of the motor is much less than the increase in power output of a combined cycle. The study objective will be to overcome some of the disadvantages of a combined cycle, such as de-rating at high ambient temperatures and low site barometric pressure. The potential of hybrid combinations with chilling at humid sites and foggers at dry sites will be assessed to derive an approach to a flat-rated capability with high efficiency. The use of the fan for inlet heating at low ambient temperatures is included. The installed costs are anticipated to be comparable with inlet chilling systems.

The "operational flexibility" study will be completed by December 2003.