What is Gas Turbine ?

The gas turbine is the engine at the heart of the power plant that produces electric current.
A gas turbine is a combustion engine that can convert natural gas or other liquid fuels to
mechanical energy. This energy then drives a generator that produces electrical energy.

HOW THE GAS GENERATOR PRODUCES ELECTRICITY/HOW

GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT WORKS?
To generate electricity, the gas turbine heats a mixture of air and fuel at very high
temperatures, causing the turbine blades to spin. The spinning turbine drives a
generator that converts the energy into electricity.
The gas turbine can be used in combination with a steam turbinein a combined-cycle
power plantto create power extremely efficiently.
Air-fuel mixture ignites.
The gas turbine compresses air and mixes it with fuel that is then burned at
extremely high temperatures, creating a hot gas.
Hot gas spins turbine blades.
The hot air-and-fuel mixture moves through blades in the turbine, causing them to
spin quickly.

Spinning blades turn the drive shaft.

The fast-spinning turbine blades rotate the turbine drive shaft.
Turbine rotation powers the generator.
The spinning turbine is connected to the rod in a generator that turns a large magnet
surrounded by coils of copper wire.
Generator magnet causes electrons to move and creates electricity.
The fast-revolving generator magnet creates a powerful magnetic field that lines up
the electrons around the copper coils and causes them to move.

Gas Turbine Combined Cycle(Schematic

Diagram)

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

Disadvantages

It is simple to design & construct

Problem of starting. Compressor needs to be
compared to a Steam Power
operating thus external source of power is
station, since no boilers are
necessary.
required.
Much smaller compared to Steam Net output is low since greater power is used to
Power station of same capacity
drive compressor.

Lower operating costs

Overall efficiency of plant is low 20% because of

exhaust gases still containing heat. only efficient
in a Combined cycle configuration

Less water used since there is no Temperature of combustion chamber is too high
need for a condenser
thus resulting in a lower life.
Maintenance charges are low

Can be started quickly

No stand-by losses

Environmental Effects
Almost all gas turbine installations use fossil fuels

Equipments
1. Compressor.
The compressor sucks in air form the atmosphere and compresses it to pressures in
the range of 15 to 20 bar. The compressor consists of a number of rows of blades
mounted on a shaft. This is something like a series of fans placed one after the
other. The pressurized air from the first row is further pressurised in the second row
and so on. Stationary vanes between each of the blade rows guide the air flow from
one section to the next section. The shaft is connected and rotates along with the
main gas turbine.

2. Combustor.
This is an annular chamber where the fuel burns and is similar to the furnace in a
boiler. The air from the compressor is the Combustion air. Burners arranged
circumferentially on the annular chamber control the fuel entry to the chamber. The
hot gases in the range of 1400 to 1500 C leave the chamber with high energy
levels. The chamber and the subsequent sections are made of special alloys and
designs that can withstand this high temperature.
3. Turbine
The turbine does the main work of energy conversion. The turbine portion also
consists of rows of blades fixed to the shaft. Stationary guide vanes direct the gases
to the next set of blades. The kinetic energy of the hot gases impacting on the

blades rotates the blades and the shaft. The blades and vanes are made of special
alloys and designs that can withstand the very high temperature gas. The exhaust
gases then exit to exhaust system through the diffuser. The gas temperature
leaving the Turbine is in the range of 500 to 550 C.

Safety Precaution
According To GTBA(Gas Turbine Builders Association)
Gas turbine engines and model aircraft powered by them share many of the safety issues of
conventional model power-plants and aircraft. Those embarking upon the construction of a
gas turbine or model aircraft powered by such an engine should first make themselves
familiar with these safety issues, as detailed in (for example) the BMFA handbook. Specific
safety issues relating to gas turbine aircraft/gas turbine power plant in particular are as
follows:

-Design
1. All engines, however designed, must be subject to rigorous testing before operation in public to
establish a service history and to ensure that all components will sustain the stresses arising from the
engine's operation.
2. All materials must be suitable for the use to which they will be put.
3. Where a design has been published or an engine is being manufactured commercially, no inferior
materials should be substituted for those specified, nor modifications made to any component which is
subject to significant stress, before seeking the designer's or manufacturer's approval.

-Engine Protection and Control

1.Engines under development must be rigorously tested and during such testing must be protected
against exceeding design parameters, especially those of speed and temperature.
2.Engines must be prevented from exceeding safe operating speeds and temperatures by limiting the
maximum fuel flow by fail-safe methods.
3.Under-speed protection should be incorporated in the engine control system.
4.Fuel control systems should be designed to prevent engines operating beyond permissible
temperatures during normal operation.
5. Engine protection systems should, wherever possible, return engines to safe operating conditions
and only shut engines down completely when no other option remains.

-Fuel

Systems

1.Where possible fuel tank(s) should be located in a separate compartment from the engine. The
tank(s) must be protected from the heat of the engine
2. All tanks and fuel lines should be regularly checked for deterioration and renewed where
necessary, paying particular attention to the possibility of hardening of flexible pipes and seals in
the vicinity of joints which are subjected to high pressures
3. Fuel lines and associated equipment must be made from materials suitable for the intended
service and which can adequately cope with the environmental conditions of the installation

4. Fuel lines, connectors and associated equipment must be tested to show the ability to
withstand the pressure imposed without leakage or failure when the engine is operating at
maximum safe speed. A drainage hole should be made in every part of the model where fuel
could collect as a result of a leak.
5. Only clean, filtered fuel should be used and measures taken to prevent contamination of fuel
systems.

-Lubrication Systems
1. The oil reservoir should be positioned so that the oil level can be quickly and easily determined
2.The lubrication system must be designed or measures taken by the operator so that, when not in
use, oil cannot migrate, due to siphoning or thermal expansion, into the engine.
3.The reservoir should be positioned in close proximity to the engine or the oil line to the engine
should be primed to minimise delay in establishing the oil supply during starting.
4. A suitable filter should be fitted upstream of any restrictor or flow regulator.
5. An appropriate oil suitable for use in gas turbines should be used.

-Installation
1 .Engines must be securely mounted and attached in a manner to ensure that they remain so for all
operating regimes.
2. Pipes, lines, wires, control cables etc., should be routed away from the hot parts of the engine or be
suitable for the temperatures arising.

-Operating Safety
1.An effective, operational, Carbon Dioxide or other suitable fire extinguisher and a trained and
competent operator must be present during all engine runs.
2 .Gas turbines must not be run if the surrounding environment presents a fire risk unless adequate
precautions are taken to negate the risk.
3 .Smoking or other sources of ignition are prohibited within a radius of 50 meters of decanting,
venting or fuelling of flammable gases. Signs designating the fuelling areas should be displayed if a
gas-fuelled engine is being operated in public.
4 .Any venting of liquefied gas must be conducted in a safe manner, in particular venting must not be
undertaken within a radius of 50 metres, and never upwind, of any other gas turbine which is running.
5. All fuels must be contained in appropriate vessels clearly marked with a description of the contents

-Maintenance
1.Cleaning all fuel and oil filters.
2. Checking the fuel and oil systems for blockages.
3. Checking of the engine and systems installation for deterioration, damage and insecurity.
4. Dates on which the engine was run.
5. Length of time engine was run.
6. Total running time accumulated to date.

7. Date and details of any service, maintenance or repair work carried out, including details of parts
replaced.
8. Any other details which would be of value in creating a service history and establishing service
intervals.