Improved Gas Turbine Efficiency Through Alternative Regenerator Configuration

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul A. Dellenback
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Optimum Pressure ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Combustion Gases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Temperature Combustion

An alternative configuration for a regenerative gas turbine engine cycle is presented that yields higher cycle efficiencies than either simple or conventional regenerative cycles operating under the same conditions. The essence of the scheme is to preheat compressor discharge air with high temperature combustion gases before the latter are fully expanded across the turbine. The efficiency is improved because air enters the combustor at a higher temperature, and hence heat addition in the combustor occurs at a higher average temperature. The heat exchanger operating conditions are more demanding than for a conventional regeneration configuration, but well within the capability of modern heat exchangers. Models of cycle performance exhibit several percentage points of improvement relative to either simple cycles or conventional regeneration schemes. The peak efficiencies of the alternative regeneration configuration occur at optimum pressure ratios that are significantly lower than those required for the simple cycle. For example, at a turbine inlet temperature of 1300°C (2370°F), the alternative regeneration scheme results in cycle efficiencies of 50% for overall pressure ratios of 22, whereas simple cycles operating at the same temperature would yield efficiencies of only 43.8% at optimum pressure ratios of 50, which are not feasible with current compressor designs. Model calculations for a wide range of parameters are presented, as are comparisons with simple and conventional regeneration cycles.

Improved Gas Turbine Efficiency Through Alternative Regenerator Configuration

2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 441-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. A. Dellenback
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Optimum Pressure ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Combustion Gases ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Temperature Combustion

An alternative configuration for a regenerative gas turbine engine cycle is presented that yields higher cycle efficiencies than either simple or conventional regenerative cycles operating under the same conditions. The essence of the scheme is to preheat compressor discharge air with high-temperature combustion gases before the latter are fully expanded across the turbine. The efficiency is improved because air enters the combustor at a higher temperature, and hence heat addition in the combustor occurs at a higher average temperature. The heat exchanger operating conditions are more demanding than for a conventional regeneration configuration, but well within the capability of modern heat exchangers. Models of cycle performance exhibit several percentage points of improvement relative to either simple cycles or conventional regeneration schemes. The peak efficiencies of the alternative regeneration configuration occur at optimum pressure ratios that are significantly lower than those required for the simple cycle. For example, at a turbine inlet temperature of 1300°C (2370°F), the alternative regeneration scheme results in cycle efficiencies of 50 percent for overall pressure ratios of 22, whereas simple cycles operating at the same temperature would yield efficiencies of only 43.8 percent at optimum pressure ratios of 50, which are not feasible with current compressor designs. Model calculations for a wide range of parameters are presented, as are comparisons with simple and conventional regeneration cycles.

scholarly journals Fate of Ash Forming Elements in Gas Turbine Combustion of Pulverized Wood: Chemical Equilibrium Model Calculations

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Kallner ◽  
Anders Nordin ◽  
Rainer Backman
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Chemical Equilibrium ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Model Calculations ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Direct Combustion ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Model Equations ◽  
Equilibrium Relationships

A new concept for direct combustion of wood in a gas turbine is presently developed and tested in Sweden. The process is based on a fuel rich cyclone gasifier/separator and a direct coupled modified standard gas turbine combustor. A main concern is the behaviour of ash forming elements in the turbine. A picture of this can be obtained with chemical equilibrium calculations. The objective of the present work was to determine the equilibrium speciation of the ash forming elements from wood passing through the turbine of a gas turbine engine for varying feed characteristics and operating conditions. In addition, the differences between using only stoichiometric and using non-ideal solution models as thermodynamic input data were illustrated. The equilibrium relationships at the turbine stage were evaluated in a parametric study, utilizing statistical experimental designs to systematically perform the model calculations. A wide range of operating conditions, wood compositions and cyclone elemental retention efficiencies were thereby covered. The results show considerable variation in the alkali speciation as well as in devolitalization and condensation temperatures, depending on the elemental composition. Plots of the effects of the most influential variables are presented and results not directly displayed in this work are illustrated with model equations provided.

Analysis of Indirectly Fired Gas Turbine Power Systems

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. E. Donald Gauthier
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Power Systems ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Engine Design ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
System Configurations

This paper describes the results of modelling the performance of several indirectly fired gas turbine (IFGT) power generation system configurations based on four gas turbine class sizes, namely 5 kW, 50 kW, 5 MW and 100 MW. These class sizes were selected to cover a wide range of installations in residential, commercial, industrial and large utility power generation installations. Because the IFGT configurations modelled consist of a gas turbine engine, one or two recuperators and a furnace; for comparison purpose this study also included simulations of simple cycle and recuperated gas turbine engines. Part-load, synchronous-speed simulations were carried out with generic compressor and turbine maps scaled for each engine design point conditions. The turbine inlet temperature (TIT) was varied from the design specification to a practical value for a metallic high-temperature heat exchanger in an IFGT system. As expected, the results showed that the reduced TIT can have dramatic impact on the power output and thermal efficiency when compared to that in conventional gas turbines. However, the simulations also indicated that several configurations can lead to higher performance, even with the reduced TIT. Although the focus of the study is on evaluation of thermodynamic performance, the implications of varying configurations on cost and durability are also discussed.

Exploration of Compact Combustors for Reheat Cycle Aero Engine Applications

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Zelina ◽  
D. T. Shouse ◽  
J. S. Stutrud ◽  
G. J. Sturgess ◽  
W. M. Roquemore
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Temperature Rise ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Gas Turbine Engine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Lean Blowout ◽  
Power Extraction ◽  
Wide Range

An aero gas turbine engine has been proposed that uses a near-constant-temperature (NCT) cycle and an Inter-Turbine Burner (ITB) to provide large amounts of power extraction from the low-pressure turbine. This level of energy is achieved with a modest temperature rise across the ITB. The additional energy can be used to power a large geared fan for an ultra-high bypass ratio transport aircraft, or to drive an alternator for large amounts of electrical power extraction. Conventional gas turbines engines cannot drive ultra-large diameter fans without causing excessively high turbine temperatures, and cannot meet high power extraction demands without a loss of engine thrust. Reducing the size of the combustion system is key to make use of a NCT gas turbine cycle. Ultra-compact combustor (UCC) concepts are being explored experimentally. These systems use high swirl in a circumferential cavity about the engine centerline to enhance reaction rates via high cavity g-loading on the order of 3000 g’s. Any increase in reaction rate can be exploited to reduce combustor volume. The UCC design integrates compressor and turbine features which will enable a shorter and potentially less complex gas turbine engine. This paper will present experimental data of the Ultra-Compact Combustor (UCC) performance in vitiated flow. Vitiation levels were varied from 12–20% oxygen levels to simulate exhaust from the high pressure turbine (HPT). Experimental results from the ITB at atmospheric pressure indicate that the combustion system operates at 97–99% combustion efficiency over a wide range of operating conditions burning JP-8 +100 fuel. Flame lengths were extremely short, at about 50% of those seen in conventional systems. A wide range of operation is possible with lean blowout fuel-air ratio limits at 25–50% below the value of current systems. These results are significant because the ITB only requires a small (300°F) temperature rise for optimal power extraction, leading to operation of the ITB at near-lean-blowout limits of conventional combustor designs. This data lays the foundation for the design space required for future engine designs.

Operability Limits of Tubular Injectors With Vortex Generators for a Hydrogen-Fueled Recuperated 100 kW Class Gas Turbine

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bauer ◽  
Balbina Hampel ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Bulk Flow ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Vortex generators are known to be effective in augmenting the mixing of fuel jets with air. The configuration investigated in this study is a tubular air passage with fuel injection from one single orifice placed in the side wall. In the range of typical gas turbine combustor inlet temperatures, the performance vortex generator premixers (VGPs) have already been investigated for natural gas as well as for blends of natural gas and hydrogen. However, for highly reactive fuels, the application of VGPs in recuperated gas turbines is particularly challenging because the high combustor inlet temperature leads to potential risk with regard to premature self-ignition and flame flashback. As the current knowledge does not cover the temperature range far above the self-ignition temperature, an experimental investigation of the operational limits of VGPs is currently being conducted at the Thermodynamics Institute of the Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany, which is particularly focused on reactive fuels and the thermodynamic conditions present in recuperated gas turbines with pressure ratios of 4–5. For the study presented in this paper, an atmospheric combustion VGP test rig has been designed, which facilitates investigations in a wide range of operating conditions in order to comply with the situation in recuperated microgas turbines (MGT), namely, global equivalence ratios between 0.2 and 0.7, air preheating temperatures between 288 K and 1100 K, and air bulk flow rates between 6 and 16 g/s. Both the entire mixing zone in the VGP and the primary combustion zone of the test rig are optically accessible. High-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging is used for the detection of the flashback and blow-off limits of the investigated VGPs. Flashback and blow-off limits of hydrogen in a wide temperature range covering the autoignition regime are presented, addressing the influences of equivalence ratio, air preheating temperature, and momentum ratio between air and hydrogen on the operational limits in terms of bulk flow velocity. It is shown that flashback and blow-off limits are increasingly influenced by autoignition in the ultrahigh temperature regime.

scholarly journals Simple Design Methods for the Prediction of Radial Static Pressure Distributions in a Rotor-Stator Cavity With Radial Inflow

1995 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth J. Hart ◽  
Alan B. Turner
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Design Process ◽  
Static Pressure ◽  
Tangential Velocity ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Simple Design ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Static Pressure Distribution ◽  
Variable Quantity ◽  
Wide Range

Research has been conducted into the effects of component geometry and air bleed flow on the radial variation of static pressure and core tangential velocity in a rotor-stator cavity of the type often found behind the impeller of a gas turbine engine centrifugal compressor. A CFD code, validated by rig test data for a wide range of rotor-stator axial gaps and throughflows, has been used to generate pressure and velocity data for typical gas turbine operating conditions. This data has been arranged as a series of simple design curves which relate the rotational speed of the core of fluid between rotor and stator boundary layers, and hence the static pressure distribution, to primary cavity geometry, rotational Reynolds number and bleed throughflow with particular attention to radial inflowing bleeds. Details are provided on the use and limitations of these curves. Predictions using this method have been compared successfully with measured data from engine test and a compressor test rig, modified to facilitate variable quantity and direction of impeller rear face bleed flow, at typical gas turbine operational power conditions. Data generated by these curves can be used directly in the design process and to validate integral momentum methods which can provide relatively simple computation of rotor-stator cavity pressure and velocity distributions independently or within air system network programs. This approach is considered to be a cost and time effective addition to the analytical design process especially if validated CFD code, which can accommodate rotational flows consistently and accurately, is not available.

Ultra-High Temperature Compliant Foil Bearings: The Journey to 870°C and Application in Gas Turbine Engines — Experiment

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hooshang Heshmat ◽  
James F. Walton ◽  
Brian D. Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Gas Turbine Engines ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Foil Bearings ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The U.S ◽  
Ultra High Temperature

In this paper, the authors present the results of recent developments demonstrating that ultra-high temperature compliant foil bearings are suitable for application in a wide range of high temperature turbomachinery including gas turbine engines, supercritical CO2 power turbines and automotive turbochargers as supported by test data showing operation of foil bearings at temperatures to 870°C (1600°F). This work represents the culmination of efforts begun in 1987, when the U.S. Air Force established and led the government and industry collaborative Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program. The stated goal of IHPTET was to deliver twice the propulsion capability of turbine engines in existence at that time. Following IHPTET, the Versatile Affordable Advanced Turbine Engines (VAATE) program further expanded on the original goals by including both versatility and affordability as key elements in advancing turbine engine technology. Achieving the stated performance goals would require significantly more extreme operating conditions including higher temperatures, pressures and speeds, which in turn would require bearings capable of sustaining temperatures in excess of 815°C (1500°F). Similarly, demands for more efficient automotive engines and power plants are subjecting the bearings in turbochargers and turbogenerators to more severe environments. Through the IHPTET and VAATE programs, the U.S. has made considerable research investments to advancing bearing technology, including active magnetic bearings, solid and vapor phase lubricated rolling element bearings, ceramic/hybrid ceramic bearings, powder lubricated bearings and compliant foil gas bearings. Thirty years after the IHPTET component goal of developing a bearing capable of sustained operation at temperatures above 540°C and potentially as high as 815°C (1500°F) recent testing has demonstrated achievement of this goal with an advanced, ultra-high temperature compliant foilgas bearing. Achieving this goal required a combination of high temperature foil material, a unique elastic-tribo-thermal barrier coating (KOROLON 2250) and a self-adapting compliant configuration. The authors describe the experimental hardware designs and design considerations of the two differently sized test rigs used to demonstrate foil bearings operating above 815°C (1500°F). Finally, the authors present and discuss the results of testing at temperatures to 870°C (1600°F).

Wave-Rotor Pressure-Gain Combustion Analysis for Power Generation and Gas Turbine Applications

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manikanda Rajagopal ◽  
Abdullah Karimi ◽  
Razi Nalim
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Turbulent Flame ◽  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Gas Turbine Engine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Wave Rotor ◽  
Turbine Engine

A wave-rotor pressure-gain combustor (WRPGC) ideally provides constant-volume combustion and enables a gas turbine engine to operate on the Humphrey-Atkinson cycle. It exploits pressure (both compression and expansion) waves and confined propagating combustion to achieve pressure rise inside the combustor. This study first presents thermodynamic cycle analysis to illustrate the improvements of a gas turbine engine possible with a wave rotor combustor. Thereafter, non-steady reacting simulations are used to examine features and characteristics of a combustor rig that reproduces key features of a WRPGC. In the thermodynamic analysis, performance parameters such as thermal efficiency and specific power are estimated for different operating conditions (compressor pressure ratio and turbine inlet temperature). The performance of the WRPGC is compared with the conventional unrecuperated and recuperated engines that operates on the Brayton cycle. Fuel consumption may be reduced substantially with WRPGC introduction, while concomitantly boosting power. Simulations have been performed of the ignition of propane by a hot gas jet and subsequent turbulent flame propagation and shock-flame interaction.

Cycle Selection and Compressor Design of 600kW Simple Cycle Gas Turbine Engine

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco A. R. Nascimento ◽  
Osvaldo J. Venturini ◽  
Electo S. Lora ◽  
Guido A. Sierra ◽  
Lucilene O. Rodrigues ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Distributed Generation ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Gas Turbine Engine ◽  
Simple Cycle ◽  
Cycle Performance ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Design Point ◽  
Compressor Design

Distributed generation emerged as a new philosophy for electricity generation in our time, since then, it has been possible to see new concepts of technology following the idea of energy production away from the main producers or in remote areas, mainly in the countryside. Distributed generation technologies include small gas turbine engines, internal combustion reciprocating engines, photovoltaic panels, fuel cells, solar thermal conversion and Stirling engines using fossil and biofuels. Among them, the small gas turbine engine that generates electricity and heat working with fossil or renewable fuels is a promising technology for the near future. The aim of this work is the cycle analysis and preliminary compressor design of a 600kW simple cycle gas turbine engine that has been developed in Brazil. The 600kW engine will be the first prototype of its class in Brazil. A cycle performance calculation for different pressure ratios and turbine inlet temperature was carried out for fixed component efficiencies and losses. A selection of the design point was discussed and compared with the existing commercial engines of the same class. A compressor design point calculation was carried out with a mean line calculation CODE developed in FORTAN language. A CFD simulation was used for flow field analyses and design refinement.

Engine Testing of a Natural Gas-Fired, Low-NOx, Variable Geometry Gas Turbine Combustor for a Small Gas Turbine

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigeru Hayashi ◽  
Hideshi Yamada ◽  
Kazuo Shimodaira
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Variable Geometry ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Lean Premixed ◽  
Full Power ◽  
Engine Testing

The development of a variable geometry lean-premixed combustor is in progress at NAL. Engine testing has been cooducted by using a natural gas-fueled 210-kW gas turbine to demonstrate the capability of ultra-low NOx emissions over a wide range of eogine operation. This paper describes the effort of engine testing of the combustor to achieve NOx emissions of the 10-ppm level. Fuel was staged to the non-premixed pilot and premixed main burners. A butterfly valve air splitting system was employed to maintain both low NOx emissions and high efficieocy over a wide operating range of the engine. The engioe was operated in the lean-premixed, low NOx emissions mode from idle to full power. Over the whole operating conditions from idle to full power, NOx emissions were reduced to levels less than 25 ppm (15% O2 dry). The NOx emissions level for a nearly constant combustion efficiency decreased with increasing power or turbine inlet temperature. At operating conditions of 90% to full power, NOx emissions levels of 12 to 8 ppm (15% O2 dry) were measured with combustion efficiencies of 99.7 to 99.1%.

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