ENGINEERING

LESSON GUIDE 11

Gas Turbine Theory

BRAYTON CYCLE
 Brayton Cycle
FUEL

COMBUSTION
CHAMBER

WORK

COMPRESSOR TURBINE

EXHAUST
AIR
Gas Turbine Engine
 FOUR MAJOR
COMPONENTS OF A GAS
TURBINE ENGINE
 Compressor
 Combustor
 Turbine
 Accessory Drive Assembly
 COMPRESSOR
 Function: Provides required air mass at
the appropriate pressure to burn the
required amount of fuel and to control
combustion temperature
 Two types
– Axial Flow
– Centrifugal or Radial Flow
Radial Flow (Centrifugal)
Compressor
Axial Flow Compressor
Axial flow v. Radial flow
 Centrifugal compressors are simple,
inexpensive, lightweight, and have a high
pressure rise per stage
 Centrifugal compressors experience large
inter-stage losses and require a large frontal
area; they are typically less efficient than
multistage axial compressor
 Multistage axial compressors can achieve
larger compression ratios and are better
suited for high-power marine applications
 Compressor Stall
 Occurs if for some reason air velocity
decreases without a commensurate decrease
in RPM or if RPM increases without the
necessary air velocity increase
 May occur for multistage axial compressors if
some stages are operating inefficiently while
others are overloaded at the same speed
 Similar to wing stall for aircraft
 Can result in blade failure
Uses of Compressed Air
 PRIMARY AIR
– Typically 30% of all compressed air
– Passed directly to combustor, mixed with fuel, and burned
 SECONDARY AIR
– Approximately 70%
– Passes through holes in inner shell and mixes with combustion
gases
– Two purposes
• Places an air film between the inner shell and combustion gases to
prevent overheating of the inner shell
• Cools combustion gases to an acceptable inlet temperature for the
turbine
 FILM AIR
– A small percentage of compressed air may be used to cool turbine
blades
COMBUSTION CHAMBER
 Function: mixes fuel and air and burns this
mixture to produce hot combustion gases
 Consists of a casing, perforated inner shell,
and fuel nozzles
 Arrangement
– Annular
– Can or Tubular
– Can-annular
 TURBINE

 Develops shaft rotational energy from the

kinetic energy of the hot combustion gases
entering through the vanes
 Usually of axial flow design
 Drives the compressor and various engine
accessories
 The remaining useful energy can be used as
jet thrust or shaft mechanical work
 Turbine Construction
 STATOR
– Stationary guide nozzles (vanes) discharge
gas at high velocity onto the moving blades
– Attached to turbine casing
 ROTOR
– Consists of a shaft and bladed wheel (disc)
– Attached to the main power-transmitting
shaft
Stator

Rotor
 Film Cooling
 High rotational speeds and high
temperature combustion gases may
cause a decrease in rotor and blade
strength
 In addition to secondary air, some
turbines employ film cooling
 Film cooling air can use approximately
5% of the compressed air
 Interior and Exterior
Cooling-air Circulation
 Film Cooling and
Impingement Convection
Cooling
 ACCESSORY DRIVE
ASSEMBLY
 Provides the space for mounting and
the motive force for driving the
accessories required for the operation
and control of the gas turbine engine
 May be used to drive the fuel pump,
lube oil pump, etc.
 Advantages
 Weight reduction of 70% when compared to a steam
plant of comparable horsepower
 Simplicity
 Reduced manning requirements with more highly
automated equipment
 Quicker response time
 Faster acceleration/deceleration
 Modular replacement
 More economical
 Disadvantages

 Many parts under high stress

 High pitched noise
 Needs large quantities of air
 Large heat source
 Uses of Gas Turbine
Engines
 Aircraft Engines
 Main Propulsion
– Arleigh Burke, Oliver
Hazard Perry,
Ticonderoga, Spruance,
LCAC
 Auxiliary Applications
– Electric generators
Questions?