Producing the World’s Finest Heat Engine

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernard L. Koff
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Efficiency ◽  
Heat Engine ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Technology Evolution ◽  
Design And Manufacturing ◽  
High Specific Power ◽  
Marine Applications ◽  
Aircraft Propulsion

The gas turbine is the World’s most complex and versatile heat engine used worldwide for aircraft propulsion, marine applications and power generation. The technology evolution developed since Whittle’s first successful demonstration in 1937 is an exciting story of design innovation using many engineering disciplines. This paper, from a designer’s perspective, covers key design and manufacturing innovations that were developed to produce today’s engines with high specific power, efficiency and durability.

Optimization of 200 to 3000 W Gas Turbine MEMS Arrangement

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. V. Sudarev ◽  
A. A. Suryaninov ◽  
B. A. Bazarov ◽  
V. S. Ten ◽  
L. Lelait ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Efficiency ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Gas Turbine Engine ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Environmental Friendliness ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Electric Generator

The persistent increase in demand for compact efficient power generation plants for the decentralized power supply systems applications, pipelines, micro air vehicles, electronics, etc stipulates developments of independent micro sources. Application of the micro gas turbine engine (μGTE) as an electric generator drive allows a sharp increase in the specific energy and operation independence, elimination of ambient temperature effects on the specific power, environmental friendliness improvement. However, GTE miniaturization causes its efficiency decreasing. Hence, there is a need in improvement of the micro engine of 200–3,000W power efficiency. The approach proposed is the ceramic tunnel turbomachine concept for the regenerative μGTE (MEMS-based) application [1, 2, 3] with conventional annular systems of vanes replaced with three-dimensional conic channels. The μGTE turbocompressor unit design is dependent on the conceptual arrangement approach i.e. a manner the gas turbine engine micro turbocompressor (μTC) is joined with the driven micro electric generator (μEG) assumes a great importance. Two conceptually opposite μTC concepts over the turbocompressor unit are considered: - the μTC rotor connected with the μEG rotor by an electromagnet coupling; - appropriate elements of μEG built into the rotor and stator sections of μTC. Examination of the essentially different concepts of the μEG - micro turbocompressor (μTC) arrangement demonstrated that an independent power generation, high temperature, and high speed μGTE reliable operating can be ensured by different arrangements, e.g. with the rotor and stator sections of the electric generator placed between the appropriate turbine and compressor stage devices. In this case it is easier, compared to some other approaches, to evade an unpropitious effect on the μTC rotor strength characteristics (total stress level, critical velocities within the speed operation range, radial and axial deformations, etc) imposed by sizes and mass of the contact-free electromagnet couplings elements. This inference ensues, also, from the studies conducted [4, 5].

scholarly journals Modeling of advanced fossil fuel power plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farshid Zabihian
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Utilization Factor ◽  
Fuel Switching ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

The first part of this thesis deals with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power stations. The GHG emission estimation from fossil fuel power generation industry signifies that emissions from this industry can be significantly reduced by fuel switching and adaption of advanced power generation technologies. In the second part of the thesis, steady-state models of some of the advanced fossil fuel power generation technologies are presented. The impacts of various parameters on the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) overpotentials and outputs are investigated. The detail analyses of operation of the hybrid SOFC-gas turbine (GT) cycle when fuelled with methane and syngas demonstrate that the efficiencies of the cycles with and without anode exhaust recirculation are close, but the specific power of the former is much higher. The parametric analysis of the performance of the hybrid SOFC-GT cycle indicates that increasing the system operating pressure and SOFC operating temperature and fuel utilization factor improves cycle efficiency, but the effects of the increasing SOFC current density and turbine inlet temperature are not favourable. The analysis of the operation of the system when fuelled with a wide range of fuel types demonstrates that the hybrid SOFC-GT cycle efficiency can be between 59% and 75%, depending on the inlet fuel type. Then, the system performance is investigated when methane as a reference fuel is replaced with various species that can be found in the fuel, i.e., H₂, CO₂, CO, and N₂. The results point out that influence of various species can be significant and different for each case. The experimental and numerical analyses of a biodiesel fuelled micro gas turbine indicate that fuel switching from petrodiesel to biodiesel can influence operational parameters of the system. The modeling results of gas turbine-based power plants signify that relatively simple models can predict plant performance with acceptable accuracy. The unique feature of these models is that they are developed based on similar assumptions and run at similar conditions; therefore, their results can be compared. This work demonstrates that, although utilization of fossil fuels for power generation is inevitable, at least in the short- and mid-term future, it is possible and practical to carry out such utilization more efficiently and in an environmentally friendlier manner.

scholarly journals A Study of the Feasibility of Steam-Augmented Gas Turbines for Surface Ships

1993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Herman B. Urbach ◽  
Donald T. Knauss ◽  
David B. Patchett ◽  
John G. Purnell ◽  
Rolf K. Muench ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Water Consumption ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Efficiency ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
High Specific Power ◽  
Burner Operation ◽  
Engine Systems

The steam-augmented gas turbine (SAGT) has attracted attention because of its increased fuel efficiency. It yields significant, cost-effective increments of output power, particularly when steam/water injection is increased to levels approaching 50% of air flow. Such high levels of steam/water consumption permit burner operation near stoichiometric combustion ratios with specific powers exceeding 580 hp-sec/lb anticipated. This paper examines steam-augmented gas turbines for their applicability in Navy DDG-class ship environments. SAGT engine concepts exhibit efficiencies approaching the Navy’s intercooled regenerative (ICR) engine, and an impressive compactness that arises from the high specific power of steam. Polished water consumption may be 425,000 gal/day for a 100,000-hp SAGT-engine ship plant. Nevertheless, SAGT engine systems impose little if any negative ship impact even after accounting for water purification systems. Moreover, because of their high specific power, SAGT systems are as affordable, on a first-acquisition-cost basis, as the current gas turbine systems in the fleet, and in the present supply pipeline.

scholarly journals Thermodynamics and Performance Projections for Intercooled/Reheat/Recuperated Gas Turbine Systems

1987 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maher A. El-Masri
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Performance ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Pure Water ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Component Technology ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Combined Cycles ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Marine Applications

Intercooled/Recuperated gas turbine systems provide high-efficiency and power density for naval propulsion. Current aero-derivative systems are capable of about 43% thermal efficiency in this configuration. With continued progress in gas-turbine materials and cooling technology, the possibility of further improving system performance by incorporation of gas-turbine reheat arises. A preliminary scan of this class of cycles is presented and compared with non-reheat intercooled/recuperated cycles at two levels of component technology. For conservative component technology, the reheat is found to provide very modest performance advantages. With advanced components and ceramic thermal barrier coatings, the reheat is found to offer potential for specific power improvements of up to 33% and for modest efficiency gains, on the order of one percentage point, while enabling turbine inlet temperatures well below those for the most efficient non-reheat cycles. The high-performance reheat systems, however, require reheat-combustor inlet temperatures beyond current practice. The use of water-injection in the intercooler, together with an aftercooler and a water-injected evaporative-recuperator is found to produce very large gains in efficiency as well as specific power. This modification may be feasible for land-based systems, where it can compete favourably with combined cycles. Despite the difficulty of obtaining pure water for a shipboard propulsion system, those large gains may justify further studies of this system and of means to provide its water supply in marine applications.

scholarly journals Affects of the Cold Water Pipe Depth in Ocean Thermal Energy Converter Plants with respect to Power Generation Efficiency

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 50-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Helia Danielle Giordani ◽  
Matheus Lages ◽  
Miguel Medina ◽  
Jade Tan-Holmes
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Surface Water ◽  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Power Efficiency ◽  
Cold Water ◽  
Mechanical Energy ◽  
Heat Engine ◽  
Water Pipe ◽  
Generation Efficiency ◽  
Ocean Thermal Energy

The Ocean provides an extensive renewable energy source. It is the exploitation of the thermal gradient between the warmed surface water and the deep cold water. A heat engine was developed to use the surface water as a heat source and the deep water as a cold source in order to convert thermal energy into mechanical energy and generate electricity. This process is called Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC). This paper presents the three different types of OTEC power plants: closed-cycle, open-cycle and hybrid-cycle, showing real and conceptual examples of each. All three systems are analyzed in terms of gross power, net power, efficiency and size. Furthermore, the depth of the cold water pipe is discussed and related to the net power generation of the OTEC plant. The power generation efficiency of the plant increases as the gross power production increases. This is due to the depth of the cold water pipe and amount of power used by the cold water pipe pump.

scholarly journals Modeling of advanced fossil fuel power plants

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Farshid Zabihian
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Operating Pressure ◽  
Utilization Factor ◽  
Fuel Switching ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cycle Efficiency

The first part of this thesis deals with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel-fired power stations. The GHG emission estimation from fossil fuel power generation industry signifies that emissions from this industry can be significantly reduced by fuel switching and adaption of advanced power generation technologies. In the second part of the thesis, steady-state models of some of the advanced fossil fuel power generation technologies are presented. The impacts of various parameters on the solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) overpotentials and outputs are investigated. The detail analyses of operation of the hybrid SOFC-gas turbine (GT) cycle when fuelled with methane and syngas demonstrate that the efficiencies of the cycles with and without anode exhaust recirculation are close, but the specific power of the former is much higher. The parametric analysis of the performance of the hybrid SOFC-GT cycle indicates that increasing the system operating pressure and SOFC operating temperature and fuel utilization factor improves cycle efficiency, but the effects of the increasing SOFC current density and turbine inlet temperature are not favourable. The analysis of the operation of the system when fuelled with a wide range of fuel types demonstrates that the hybrid SOFC-GT cycle efficiency can be between 59% and 75%, depending on the inlet fuel type. Then, the system performance is investigated when methane as a reference fuel is replaced with various species that can be found in the fuel, i.e., H₂, CO₂, CO, and N₂. The results point out that influence of various species can be significant and different for each case. The experimental and numerical analyses of a biodiesel fuelled micro gas turbine indicate that fuel switching from petrodiesel to biodiesel can influence operational parameters of the system. The modeling results of gas turbine-based power plants signify that relatively simple models can predict plant performance with acceptable accuracy. The unique feature of these models is that they are developed based on similar assumptions and run at similar conditions; therefore, their results can be compared. This work demonstrates that, although utilization of fossil fuels for power generation is inevitable, at least in the short- and mid-term future, it is possible and practical to carry out such utilization more efficiently and in an environmentally friendlier manner.

Marinized Industrial Gas Turbine for HSLC Marine Propulsion

1994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris M. Waldhelm
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Weight Ratio ◽  
Propulsion System ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Marine Propulsion ◽  
High Specific Power ◽  
Reliable Performance ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine

Advancements in high speed, light craft (HSLC) sea transportation require a main propulsion system that provides relatively high specific power with a minimum of weight/space. For commercial operations, the economics of the propulsion system are considered a key criterion in power plant selection. Marinizing a durable second generation industrial gas turbine, like the Solar Taurus® marine gas turbine, is ideally suited to satisfy the combination of the high vessel speed objective and the operating cost economic justification of commercial HSLC. Since the Taurus gas turbine has evolved from an earlier marine propulsion gas turbine and is in offshore platform service using materials and coatings resistant to marine environments, certification for marine prime propulsion concentrated primarily on operating inclination dynamic loading and the interfaces with the auxiliary support systems. With its high power to weight ratio, reliable performance, competitive first cost, and low operating costs, the Taurus marine industrial gas turbine can be further enhanced by recuperation and variable nozzle designs improving specific fuel consumption and part load efficiencies beyond other alternatives.

Performance Analysis of Regenerative Steam Injection Gas Turbine (RSTIG) Systems

2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kousuke Nishida ◽  
Toshimi Takagi ◽  
Shinichi Kinoshita
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Thermal Efficiency ◽  
Pressure Ratio ◽  
Water Injection ◽  
Steam Injection ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Total Efficiency ◽  
Optimum Pressure

There is a demand for developments of a distributed energy system using a small scale gas turbine. The steam injection configurations can improve the performances of the simple and regenerative gas turbine cycles. In this study, the thermal efficiency and exergy loss of two types of regenerative steam injection gas turbine (RSTIG) system are analyzed, and the performances of them are compared with those of the regenerative, water injection and STIG systems. It is noted that the optimum pressure ratio of the RSTIG systems becomes relatively low. The thermal efficiency of the RSTIG systems is higher than that of the water injection and STIG systems. The specific power of them is larger than that of the regenerative cycle. The steam injection configurations can be applied to the flexible heat and power generation system. The total efficiency of the heat and power generation of the RSTIG systems reaches more than 70% (HHV).

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