GAS TURBINES

A gas turbine is a device used to develop power from a

source of high pressure gas, using aerodynamic means
as opposed to positive displacement.
Two methods may be used:(i) Accelerate the gas in a nozzle and deflect it against a
set of rotating vanes (impulse):

(ii) Accelerate the gas within a passage and use the

reaction force to rotate the passages:(reaction)

In practice a mixture of both types is used in what is

known as impulse-reaction blading.
Obviously, in order to run continuously, a continuous
source of high pressure gas is required. This requires a
compressor and the power to drive it.
The turbine can be used to drive the compressor but
unless extra energy is provided there would not be
enough power available from the turbine to drive the
compressor let alone have any left over.
Energy is therefore supplied in the form of heat to
'expand' the compressed gas and obtain a net positive
energy output.
1

THE IDEAL JOULE CYCLE

Gas is compressed isentropically, heated at constant
pressure then expanded isentropically

COMPRES

TURBINE

HEATING
(COMBUSTION)

p2
3

p1
2
4
1
s
.

Power output: Wnet

W
. net = |Wturb| - |Wcomp|
.

= mcp(T3-T4) - mcp(T2-T1))
Specific work output: wnet = cp(T3-T4) - cp(T2-T1)
w = ( T3 - T4 ) - ( T2 - 1 )
T1 T1
cpT1
T1
But

2
( T2 ) = ( p
p1 )
T1

g-1
g

and

p2
( T3 ) = ( p1 )
T4

substituting for T2/T1 and T4:

1-g

g-1
g

g-1
g

= rp

g-1

w = T3 (1- rp g ) - (rp g -1)

T1
cpT1
2

1.8
1.6

ND Specific Work

1.4

T3
T1

1.2
1

0.8
0.6
0.4

0.2
2

0
0

10

20
Pressure ratio

30

It can be seen that for every value of T3/T1 there is an

optimum pressure ratio for maximum specific work
output.
It can be shown that maximum specific work output is
obtained when:
rp = ( T3
T1

g
2(g-1)

Specific work is related to the physical size of the GT.

If the GT is designed with a low specific work for a
given actual power output it has to be made larger in
order to 'swallow' more air.

Thermal Efficiency (hth)

.
.
.
m
c
p (T3-T4) - m cp (T2-T1)
W
hth = .
=
.
Q
m cp (T3 - T2)
( T3 - T4 ) - ( T2 - 1)
T1 T1
T1
=
T3 - T2
T1
T1
( T3 - T2 ) - ( T4 - 1)
T1 T1
T1
T3 - T2
T1
T1
T4
-1
T
1
1T3 - T2
T1
T1

g-1

T2 = rp g
T1

Again

T3 = rp
T4

and

g-1
g

substituting for T2/T1 and T4:

hth =

1 - 1g-1
rp g

Thermal efficiency

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

10

20

30

40

Pressure ratio
4

IRREVERSIBILITY EFFECTS
In practice isentropic compression and expansion is not
possible. We therefore introduce the isentropic
efficiencies of compression and expansion.
For a compressor the isentropic efficiency is defined as :
isentropic power input
actual power input
.
m cp (T2' - T1)
= .
m cp (T2 - T1)

hc =

hc =

(T2' - T1)
(T2 - T1)

(i)

T2' is the (theoretical) ideal temperature reached by

isentropic compression.
For an isentropic process we know that :
g

pv = constant

or

p1v1 = p2v2'

and for a perfect gas we know that :

pv = constant
T

or

p 1v 1
T1

p2v2'
T2'

Eliminating v1 & v2 gives:

T2' =
T1

g-1
p2 g
p1

g-1
g
rp

(ii)

From (i) & (ii) above:g-1

T2 = 1 + 1 (rp g -1)
T1
hc
5

For a turbine the isentropic efficiency is defined as:

actual power output
isentropic power poutput
.
m cp (T3 - T4)
= .
m cp (T3 - T4')

ht =

i.e.

again:

(T3 - T4)
(T3 - T4')

ht =

T3 =
T4'

g-1
p2 g
p1

(iii)
g-1
g
rp

(iv)

From (ii) & (iv):1-g

g

T4
T3 = 1 - ht (1 - rp

T4
T4 T3
NB: T1 = T3 T1

The expressions for specific work and thermal

efficiency remain unchanged, so we can substitute in:
w = ( T3 - T4 ) - ( T2 - 1 )
T1 T1
cpT1
T1

giving:

w =
cpT1

T3 ht (1 - rp
T1

1-g
g

1 g-1
) - (rp g -1)
hc

hth = 1 -

and in:

T4
T1 - 1
T3 - T2
T1
T1
1-g

giving:

g
T3
{
1
h
t (1 - rp
)} -1
T1
hth = 1 1 g-1
T3
g
{
1
+
(r
p
-1)}
T1
hc

We can plot the variation of specific work and thermal

efficiency as a function of pressure ratio and
temperature ratio.
In particular we can fix the temperature ratio and plot
performance against pressure ratio for various values of
hc and ht. [A good way of doing this is to use a spread sheet]
If T3 = 1000C and T1 = 15C, T3/T1 = 4.42
and with hc = 0.85 and ht = 0.90 we obtain:
0.9
0.8
0.7

w
cpT1

0.6
0.5
0.4

hth

0.3
0.2
0.1
0
0

10

15

20

25

rp

30

It can be shown that for maximum specific work:

rp = (hc ht

T3
)
T1

g
2(g-1)

An expression giving the pressure ratio for maximum

thermal efficiency can also be derived, but it is more
complex than the above.
The T-s diagram changes to reflect the compressor
and turbine isentropic efficiencies:
HEATING
(COMBUSTION)
COMPRESSOR

TURBINE

4
p2

p1
2'

4' 4

1
s
The primed station numbers show the
theoretically ideal (isentropic) process end-points.
8

GAS TURBINE CONFIGURATIONS

Open cycle:
.

Qin

Closed cycle:
.

Qout

Free turbine:
Gas generator

HX

Regenerative:

Turbo-prop:

Turbo-jet:

By-pass:
9