Introduction to Gas Turbines

Gas turbines have been used for electricity generation.

Gas turbines are ideal for this application as they can be started and stopped quickly . There are two basic types of gas turbines Aero derivative and, Industrial. Over the last ten years there have been major improvements to the sizes and efficiencies of these gas turbines.

Gas turbine power plant

Gas turbine:
Working principle :
Air is compressed to high pressure by a

fan-like device called the compressor. Then fuel and compressed air are mixed in a combustion chamber and ignited. Hot gases are given off, which spin the turbine wheels. Most of the turbines power runs the compressor. Part of it drives the generator/machinery.

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Gas turbine power plant

Gas turbine:
Description:

Gas turbines burn fuels such as oil,

nature gas and pulverised(powdered) coal. Instead of using the heat to produce steam, as in steam turbines, gas turbines use the hot gases directly to turn the turbine blades. Gas turbines have three main parts: i) Air compressor ii) Combustion chamber iii) Turbine
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 The cross section of a typical large gas turbine

Layout gas turbine power plant

Advantages over diesel plants

The work developed /kg of air is larger Less vibration due to perfect balancing Less space required Less capital cost High mechanical efficiency Running seeds of turbine is high low instillation and maintenance cost The torque characteristics of turbine is far better The ignition and lubrication system are simpler The specific fuel consumption does not increase with time Poor quality fuels can be used.

Disadvantages over diesel power plant

Poor art load efficiency Special materials and alloys are required for different components

Special cooling methods are required for

cooling the turbine blades Short life

Advantages over steam power plants

No ash handling problem Low capital cost Can be installed at selected load center as space required is less Fewer auxiliaries required/used Can be built quicker, required less space and water supply Can brought to load quickly so can be used as peak load plant Components and circuits arranger are most economical Ratio of exhaust to inlet can be less Higher efficiencies above 550 0c Storage and handling of fuel is easy and economical

Site selection The plant should be located near the load center to avoid transmission cost and losses The site should be away from residential due to noisy operation Cheap and good quality fuel should be easily available Availability of labour. Availability of means of transportation land should be available at cheaper price The bearing capacity of the land should be high

Classification of gas turbine power plant By application In aircraft 1. Jet propulsion 2. Prop-jet Stationary 1. Industrial unit 2. Standby unit 3. End of transmission line unit 4. Base load unit

Classification of gas turbine power plant Locomotive Marine Transport By cycle Open cycle Closed cycle Semi closed cycle

Classification of gas turbine power plant According to arrangement Simple Single shaft Multi shaft Re heat Intercooler Regenerative combination According to combustion Continuous combustion Intermittent combustion

Classification of gas turbine power plant By fuel Solid fuel Liquid fuel Gaseous fuel

Merits of gas turbine over IC engine The mechanical efficiency of gas turbine (95%) is quite higher because of less sliding parts Flywheel not required as the torque on the shaft is continuous and uniform Can be drive at high RPM(40000) Work developed /kg of air is more due to expansion of gases up to atmospheric pressure Components are lighter since pressure used is very low(5 bar) Exhaust from gas turbine is less since excess air is used for combustion

Demerits of gas turbine over IC engine Less thermal efficiency Fuel control is difficult Difficult to start Blades need separate cooling system

Gas turbine power plant

Gas turbine:
Air compressor: The air compressor and turbine are mounted at either end on a common horizontal axle(shaft), with the combustion chamber between them. Gas turbines are not self starting. A starting motor initially drives the compressor till the first combustion of fuel takes place, later, part of the turbines power runs the compressor. The air compressor sucks in air and compresses it, thereby increasing its pressure.

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Gas turbine power plant

Gas turbine:
Combustion chamber: In the combustion chamber, the compressed air combines with fuel and the resulting mixture is burnt. The greater the pressure of air, the better the fuel air mixture burns. Modern gas turbines usually use liquid fuel, but they may also use gaseous fuel, natural gas or gas produced artificially by gasification of a solid fuel. Note : The combination of air compressor and combustion chamber is called as gas generator.
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Burners The compressed air and fuel is mixed and metered in special equipment called burners. The burners are attached to chambers called combustors. The fuel & air mixture is ignited close to the exit tip of the burners, then allowed to fully burn in the combustors. The temperature of the gas in the combustors and entering the turbine can reach up to 1350C. Special heat resistant materials (such as ceramics) are used to line the inside walls of the combustors. The area between the combustors and the turbine are also lined.

Gas turbine power plant

Gas turbine:
Turbine: o The burning gases expand rapidly and rush into the turbine, where they cause the turbine wheels to rotate. o Hot gases move through a multistage gas turbine. o Like in steam turbine, the gas turbine also has fixed(stationary) and moving(rotor) blades. o The stationary blades guide the moving gases to the rotor blades and adjust its velocity. o The shaft of the turbine is coupled to a generator or machinery to drive it.
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Gas turbine power plant

Applications of gas turbine:
Gas turbines are used to drive pumps, compressors and high speed cars. Used in aircraft and ships for their propulsion. They are not suitable for

automobiles because of their very high speeds. Power generation(used for peak load and as stand-by unit). Note : Gas turbines run at even higher temperatures than steam turbines, the temperature may be as high as 1100 12600C. The thermal efficiency of gas turbine made of metal components do not exceed 36%. Research is underway to use ceramic components at turbine inlet temperature of 13500C or more, and reach thermal efficiencies over 40% in a 300 kW unit.
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Fuel
Gas turbines can operate on a variety of gaseous or liquid fuels, including: Liquid or gaseous fossil fuel such as crude oil, heavy fuel oil, natural gas, methane, distillate and "jet fuel" (a type of kerosene used in aircraft jet engines); Gas produced by gasification processes using, for example, coal, municipal waste and biomass; and Gas produced as a by-product of an industrial process such as oil refining. When natural gas is used, power output and thermal efficiency of the gas turbines are higher than when using most liquid fuels.

Inlet Air

The air coming into the compressor of a gas turbine must be cleaned of impurities (such as dust and smoke) which could erode or stick to the blades of the compressor or turbine, reducing the power and efficiency of the gas turbine. Dry filters or water baths are usually used to carry out this cleaning.

Noise

The inlet air (blue) enters the compressor at the left. The

exhaust gas (red) leaves the turbine at the right. The burners and combustors are located between the compressor and turbine Gas turbines are very compact and occupy small ground area.. Silencers are usually fitted in the inlet air and exhaust gas ducts.

Gas Turbine with half case

The photo shows what such a gas turbine looks like when its

top half casing has been removed for inspection or maintenance. The air compressor is on the left and the turbine is on the right. The section that would hold the burners and combustors is between the compressor and the turbine. Note the large bolts that are used to hold the two halves of the casing together.

Gas turbine power plant Open Cycle

Closed Cycle

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Ways to Improve Performance & Power Output of Gas Turbine

Intercooling. Regeneration. Reheat.

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Ways to Improve Performance & Power Output of Gas Turbine

Intercooling
Multistage compression with

intercooling reduces compressor work. Increases both work ratio & specific work output. Decrease thermal efficiency & hence used along with heat exchanger.

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Inter cooler

Ways to Improve Performance & Power Output of Gas Turbine

Regeneration
Heat Energy from Exhaust is transferred to the compressed air before it enters the combustion chamber. Saving of fuel . Reduction of waste heat. Increase thermal efficiency.

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Ways to Improve Performance & Power Output of Gas Turbine

Reheat
Increases the work output of the

GT plant. No Effect on thermal efficiency because the extra work is obtained at the expense of additional fuel.

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 High pressure turbine (HPT): In the beginning the starting motor

runs the compressor shaft. The hot gases(products of combustion) expands through the high pressure turbine. It is important to note that when the HPT shaft rotates it infact drives the compressor shaft which is coupled to it. Now the HPT runs the compressor and the starting motor is stopped. Note : About 66% of the power developed by the gas turbine power plant is used to run the compressor.

Only 34% of the power developed by the plant is used to generate electric power.

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Layout of a gas turbine power plant

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Merits of closed cycle

Higher thermal efficiency Reduced size No contamination Improved heat transmission Improved part load efficiency Lesser fluid friction No loss of working medium Greater output Inexpensive fuel

Demerits of closed cycle

Complexity Large amount of cooling water is required. this limits its use to stationary installation or marine use where water is available in abundance Dependent system The weight of the system per KW developed is high comparatively, therefore not economical for moving vehicles Requires the use of very large air heaters

Combined Cycle Power Plant

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Gas turbine power plant

Advantages of gas turbine power plant :
Storage of fuel requires less area and handling is easy. The cost of maintenance is less. It is simple in construction. There is no need for boiler, condenser and other accessories as in the case of steam power plants. Cheaper fuel such as kerosene , paraffin, benzene and powdered coal can be used which are cheaper than petrol and diesel.

Gas turbine plants can be used in water scarcity areas.

Less pollution and less water is required.

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Gas turbine power plant

Disadvantages of gas turbine power plant : 66% of the power developed is used to drive the compressor. Therefore the gas turbine unit has a low thermal efficiency. The running speed of gas turbine is in the range of (40,000 to 100,000 rpm) and the operating temperature is as high as 1100 1260C. For this reason special metals and alloys have to be used for the various parts of the turbine. High frequency noise from the compressor is objectionable.

Combined cycle