Chapter 8

Gas Turbine Power Plants

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 There is a very well established energy infrastructure based
on fossil fuels in US and across the globe.

The world’s proven fossil fuel reserves and lifetimes

Lifetime (y) Lifetime (y)

Fuel Reserves (Q) No Growth w/ Growth
Coal 24,000 258 140
Oil 9280 60 50
Gas 6966 90 50

The advantage of alternative fuels is that the existing infrastructure can

be used.

Gas turbines industry is going to stay in business for a long time

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 How does this story relate with Gas Turbines Combustion systems?

“Strictly speaking, energy is not “consumed”, but rather is converted into different
forms.”
Various types of engines are used to achieve this objective.

Types of engines
- Power generation: Gas Turbines, Steam Turbines, Nuclear, Hydro
-Transportation : diesel, gasoline, aircraft engines (based on gas turbine
cycles)

Steam turbines are similar to gas turbines but they have different principles of
operation. Nuclear power plants use nuclear energy to make steam which rotates
the steam turbines.

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Gas Turbines find their applications in

- electricpower generation, mechanical drive systems, supply

of process heat and compressed air, pump drives for gas or
liquid pipelines

- jet propulsion, land and sea transport (infancy state)

Industrial turbines or prime movers

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Layout gas turbine power plant
Power Generation

Single Shaft
Output
Turbine Engine Shaft Power

3)Expansion
(Turbine)

2) Combustion

1) Compression

Two Shaft
Output Turbine Engine
Shaft Power
Mechanical Drive
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 How they work
• Energy is added to the gas stream

• Combustion increases the temperature, velocity,

and volume of the gas flow
• Turbine rotates, powering the compressor

• Energy is then extracted in the form of shaft

power, compressed air and thrust
 Brayton Cycle

• Gas turbines are described thermodynamically by the

Brayton cycle
• In this cycle:
1. air is compressed isentropically
2. combustion occurs at constant pressure
3. heated air expands through the turbine
4. heat is rejected into the atmosphere
 Simplistic Gas Turbines working principles

1-2 Isentropic compression (in a compressor)

2-3 Constant pressure heat addition (in a combustor)
3-4 Isentropic expansion (in a turbine)
4-1 Constant pressure heat rejection

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 Power generation for gas fields in Siberia

Petrobras, offshore Brazil, Power

generation and crude oil production

Natural gas transmission,

Desert environment

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List of companies and their products

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Difference between Heavy Duty and Aeroderivative Turbines

Industrial Aero-derivatives
Overhaul Life 48,000 hours 30,000 hours
Hot section inspection 8000 hours 6000 hours
Overhaul Life On-site Gas generator removal
Engine weight Heavy Duty Light
Fast start capability No Yes
Tolerance to poor fuel Fair Poor
Ease of automation Good Good
Suitable for off-shore Fair Good
Power Up to 325 MW Up to 55 MW
Thermal Efficiency 25-39% 25-42%

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Evolution of products : Uprates

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Performance of Gas Turbines is limited by
1. Component efficiencies
2. Turbine working temperature

Current state of the art

Pr = 35/1
components = 85-90%
TIT = 1650 K

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What makes Gas Turbines attractive for Industrial prime movers?
Advantages
• Very high power-to-weight ratio, compared to reciprocating engines
• Smaller than most reciprocating engines of the same power rating
• Fewer moving parts than reciprocating engines
• Low operating pressures
• High operation speeds
• Low lubricating oil cost and consumption
• High reliability
• Goes for 30-50K hours before first overhaul. Usually runs for 100K-300K hours (10+
years) life cycle

Disadvantages
• Cost is much greater than for a similar-sized reciprocating engine since the material
must be stronger and more heat resistant. Machining operations are more complex
• Usually less efficient than reciprocating engines, especially at idle
• Delayed response to changes in power settings
These make GT less suitable for road transport and helicopters

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Some Basics

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Gas Turbine components
Inlet system Collects and directs air into the gas turbine. Often, an air
cleaner and silencer are part of the inlet system. It is designated for a
minimum pressure drop while maximizing clean airflow into the gas turbine.

Compressor Provides compression, and, thus, increases the air density for
the combustion process. The higher the compression ratio, the higher the
total gas turbine efficiency . Low compressor efficiencies result in high
compressor discharge temperatures, therefore, lower gas turbine output
power.

Combustor Adds heat energy to the airflow. The output power of the gas
turbine is directly proportional to the combustor firing temperature; i.e., the
combustor is designed to increase the air temperature up to the material
limits of the gas turbine while maintaining a reasonable pressure drop.

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Gas Producer Turbine Expands the air and absorbs just enough energy from
the flow to drive the compressor. The higher the gas producer discharge
temperature and pressure, the more energy is available to drive the power
turbine, therefore, creating shaft work.

Power Turbine Converts the remaining flow energy from the gas producer
into useful shaft output work. The higher the temperature difference across
the power turbine, the more shaft output power is available.

Exhaust System Directs exhaust flow away from the gas turbine inlet. Often a
silencer is part of the exhaust system. Similar to the inlet system, the exhaust
system is designed for minimum pressure losses.

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What drives Research and Development work in Gas Turbines?

• In 1950’s component efficiencies

• In 1990’s emissions
• In 21st century it is emissions and alternative fuels
• Nature of application and location are always the factors

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 Simplistic Gas Turbines working principles

1-2 Isentropic compression (in a compressor); h2-h1 = mCp(T2-T1)

2-3 Constant pressure heat addition (in a combustor); h3-h2 = mCp(T3-T2)
3-4 Isentropic expansion (in a turbine); h3-h4 = mCp(T3-T4)
4-1 Constant pressure heat rejection
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 mFqRcomb

minCpTin Gas Turbine (min+mF)CpTout

Shaft power 

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 Consider Centaur and Mercury

Known
P ratio = 10
TIT = 1350 K
Compressor Eff. = 0.86
Turbine Eff. = 0.89
Heat exchanger effectiveness = 0.8
Ambient temperature and pressure, 300 K, 1 bar
Specific heat Cp = 1.005 kJ/Kg-K
Specific heat ratio  = 1.4

Calculate (a) Compressor outlet temperature (b) Turbine out temperature (c)
Compressor work (d) Turbine work (e) back work ratio (f) Efficiency for ideal, actual,
and recuperator engine

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 1 2
First Law: Q  h2  h1  
2

V2  V12  W

V2
Stagnation enthalpy h0  h 
2
Compressor work h2  h1  c p (T2  T1 )

h3  h4  c p (T3  T4 )
Turbine work

Heat input h3  h2  c p (T3  T2 )

  1 
    1 
T2  P2  T3
 
  
 r 
  
For isentropic process    
T1  P1  T4

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 net work output cp (T3  T4 )  cp(T2  T1 )
Thermal Efficiency  
energy input cp (T3  T2 )

  1 
 
1   
 1  
r

Net work out Wnet  c p T3  T4   c p (T2  T1 )

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Equipment efficiencies
3

T02'  T01 T
C  4
T02  T01 2’
2 4’

   1 
   1
T01   P02    

T02  T01      1 S
 C   P01  
  Process 1-2’ and 3-4’ ideal
Process 1-2 and 3-4 actual
T03  T04
T 
T03  T04'
 
  1 

  1     
T03  T04   T T03 1    
P /
  03 04  P 
 

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Recuperator
3

T
Heat exchanger effectiveness 5
4
2 4’
2’

T05  T02 6


T04  T02 1

net work output cp (T3  T4 )  cp (T2  T1 )

 
energy input cp (T3  T5 )

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Variation of Cp with temperature

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