Advanced gas turbines
- Westinghouse Power Generation Business Unit, Orlando, FL (United States)
Advanced gas turbine generators are one of today`s desirable power generation solutions. Efficient, cost effective and reliable, they offer ease of site selection, permitting and licensing-plus numerous environmental advantages. Gas turbines originated in the late 1940`s when the first industrial turbines were introduced. Since that time, the technology has continually advanced with milestone achievements in materials to increase operating temperatures, efficiency, cooling technology and dry low NO{sub x} combustion. Today`s state-of-the-art is characterized by the Westinghouse 501G engine. With rotor inlet temperatures at 2600{degrees}F, the unit has a simple cycle net efficiency of 38.5% (LHV) and net combined cycle plant efficiency of 58% (LVH). Moreover, working with the Department of Energy, the industry is already moving to the next generation of engines with net plant efficiencies of over 60% (LVH). Aeroderivative engines have also entered the land based power generation market. The Westinghouse/Rolls-Royce 50MW Trent EconoPac also embodies the state-of-the-are, with a 42% (LHV) simple cycle net efficiency. Intermediate duty, application flexible, advanced cycle concepts, employing intercooling between compression stages, recuperative heat recovery and reheat systems are also being offered commercially today. Looking to the first decades of the 21st century, even better performance appears possible, with cycle efficiencies in excess of 70%. Materials development efforts are underway, perhaps moving to turbine inlet temperatures of 3600{degrees}F with proportional increases in efficiency. More advanced cycle concepts, moving beyond the combined Brayton and Rankine cycle, to those applying thermo- or electro-chemical processes are also on the drawing boards. An early indication of their capability and performance will be integrated solid oxide fuel cell/gas turbine plants in distributed power commercial operation before 2000.
- OSTI ID:
- 150477
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9506137-; TRN: 95:007745-0016
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: IGT National conference: meeting the challenges of the new energy industry - the driving forces facing electric power generators and the natural gas industry, Chicago, IL (United States), 19-21 Jun 1995; Other Information: PBD: 1995; Related Information: Is Part Of Meeting the challenges of the new energy industry: The driving forces facing electric power generators and the natural gas industry; PB: 370 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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