Performance analysis of Microturbine System
A review of different microturbines
Dr. P. K. Katti, Professor
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University,
Lonere, Maharashtra, India
Email: pkkatti@dbatu.ac.in
Prasad S. Ingle, B.Tech Student
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University,
Lonere, Maharashtra, India
Email: ingleprasad.ip@gmail.com
Abstract— Primary needs for socio-economic development in any
nation in the world is the provision of reliable electricity supply
systems with lower carbon footprint levels. The objective of this
work is to review the possibility of micro generation using different
micro turbine systems. Depending on the site location and the
energy resources, different micro turbines are selected viz. micro
gas turbine, micro wind turbine, micro hydro turbine. The current
renewable systems are incapable of efficiently generating
electricity from minimal sources of energy. If site has minimal
sources of renewable energy the micro turbines systems provides
a feasible option to harness these sources and reduce the
dependence on one single source. The characteristics and detailed
performance analysis of these micro turbines are studied.
Keywords—Microturbines; CHP; distributed generation;
minimal energy sources
I. INTRODUCTION
The world is facing a major threat of fast depletion of the
fossil fuel reserves. Most of the present energy demand is met
by fossil fuel. A small part is met by renewable energy
technologies such as the wind, solar, biomass etc. There will
soon be a time when the world will face a severe fuel shortage.
Efforts are being taken to conserve the energy and how to utilize
it in a better way. Research has also been into the development
of reliable and robust systems to harness energy from non-
conventional energy resources. Among them, the wind and solar
power sources have experienced a remarkably rapid growth in
the past 10 years. Most of the renewable sources are pollution
free and of abundant power.
However, the renewable energy resources are site-specific
and intermittent in nature which can be harvested for
economically viable energy. These sources may be available in
most of the places but in inadequate quantities. Even these
minimal energy resources can be used to harvest energy. This
accounts for the use of micro systems. Micro turbine systems
can be used to generate electricity from minimal sources of gas
(natural gas, sour gases, landfill gas, liquid fuels, biogas etc.),
wind and water.
Nikhil P. Mhatukade, B.Tech Student
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University,
Lonere, Maharashtra, India
Email: npmhatukade@gmail.com
Nachiket S. Salunkhe, B. Tech Student
Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Technological University,
Lonere, Maharashtra, India
Email: nachiket.salunkhe9145@gmail.com
A Micro-turbine is a small device that converts fluid flow
into mechanical motion for electric generation. In recent years,
focus is towards microsystems rather than conventional systems.
Microsystems are small hence they solve the space issues in
many systems. Microunits can work independently of each
other. Their performance can’t be affected by other Microunits.
Micro gas turbines are small electricity generators that burn
gaseous and liquid fuels to create high- speed rotation that turns
an electrical generator with a capacity range of 15 to 300 kW.
Micro gas turbines can run on several fuels which includes
hydrogen, CNG\LPG, alcohol, kerosene, recycle oil, possible
vegetable oil all which reduces dependency on petrol and diesel.
Micro wind turbines are generally characterized as small- scale
turbines designed for use by individuals rather than for large
scale energy production. Although the power output of micro-
wind turbines is much less (up to 10 kW) than small and large-
scale wind turbines, micro-wind turbines are less costly, easier
to install. Hydropower is a renewable energy as a very clean
energy source. Micro hydro turbine utilizes small head and low
flow rate to generate electricity. The micro hydro turbines have
an output capacity of up to 100 kW. Advantages of microunits
are being incorporated in turbine technologies.
• Improving availability and reliability of utility system
• Voltage support and improved power quality
• Reduction of the transmission and distribution losses
• Possibility of cogeneration applications.
II. TYPES OF MICROTURBINES
Micro-turbines can be classified into three types on the basis
of resources available:
A. Micro Gas Turbine
B. Micro Wind Turbine
C. Micro Hydro Turbine
A. Micro Gas Turbine
Micro Gas Turbines are very small in size 30 to 400 kW, that
usually have an internal heat-recovery heat exchanger called a
recuperator to improve electric efficiency.
 geometrically simple, its operating regime is aerodynamically
complex and, in some cases, particularly unsteadies. [2]

Fig. No. 1: Micro Gas Turbine Illustration [5]

A typical micro gas turbine consists of the following Fig. No. 2: The horizontal-axis wind turbine [2]
processes: b. Vertical axial Darrieus:
• Inlet air is compressed in a radial (centrifugal) The Darrieus-type VAWTs are basically lift force driven
compressor, then wind turbines. The turbine consists of two or more aerofoil-
• Preheated in the recuperator using heat from the turbine shaped blades which are attached to a rotating vertical shaft. The
exhaust. wind blowing over the aerofoil contours of the blade creates
• Heated air from the recuperator is mixed with fuel in aerodynamic lift and actually pulls the blades along. [2]
the combustor and burned.
The hot combustion gas is expanded in one or more turbine
sections, which produces rotating mechanical power to drive the
compressor and the electric generator. The electrical energy
generated depends upon the recuperator efficiency. The gas flow
path in micro gas turbine is as follows: compressed air from the
compressor is burned with fuel. Gaseous products expand
through the turbine section. Exhaust gases can provide waste
heat recovery or cogeneration potential, as those gases may
produce steam to drive a steam turbine, may be led into a
greenhouse system, or may optimize thermal efficiency by some
other means. Most micro gas turbines, to be financially viable,
have a recuperator, to recover waste heat. Frequently, micro gas
turbines are used to extract heat as a product. This then would
be called combined heat and power (CHP) applications. Fig. No. 3: Vertical axis twisted Darrieus wind turbine[2]
In single-shaft micro gas turbines, a single expansion c. Savonius turbines:
turbine turns both the compressor and the generator. Single-shaft It consists of two half cylinders staggered along their
models are designed to operate at high speeds (some in excess common diameter. The interest of the Savonius rotor is that, it
of 100,000 RPM) and generate electric power as high-frequency functions in wind speeds as low as 1 m/s and it possesses a very
AC. The generator output is rectified to DC and then inverted to high starting torque. In addition, it is rustic and little technology
50 Hz AC for commercial use in India, or 60 Hz for use in required in constructing it compared to the HAWT. [2]
countries with a 60 Hz supply. Two-shaft micro gas turbines
have a turbine-driven compressor on one shaft and a separated
“free” power turbine on a second shaft to power the generator.
With the expansion pressure ratio split between two turbines, the
power turbine on a two-shaft machine can be designed to run at
lower speed with high efficiency. The power turbine is
connected to a conventional 50-Hz AC generator through a low-
cost, single-stage gearbox. [1]
B. Micro Wind Turbine
Micro wind turbines used in residential applications
typically range in size from 400 watts to 20 kilowatts. It requires
a minimum speed of 3m/s to generate electricity. A small wind
turbine can be installed on a roof. There are three basic types of
wind turbine in common use today
a. Horizontal axial propeller: Fig. No. 4: Savonius turbine [2]
The horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) is the most
frequently used type found in operation. Whilst being
C. Micro Hydro Turbine
Micro hydro is a type of hydroelectric power that produces from
5 kW to 100 kW of electricity using the flow of water. The
selection of turbine is based on the head of water, the volume of
flow, and availability of local maintenance and transport of
equipment to the site Micro hydro turbines are of following
types:
a. Impulse Turbine:
In the impulse turbine, the total head of the incoming fluid is
converted into a large velocity head at the exit of the supply
nozzle. It is most efficient when operated with a large head and
lowers flow rate.
There are three basic types of impulse turbines which can be
distinguished and which have different physical principles and
characteristics. These are the Pelton turbine, the Turgo-turbine
and the Crossflow –turbine. [7]
Pelton turbine: Pelton turbines are impulse turbines where one
or more jets impinge on a wheel carrying on its periphery a large
number of buckets. Each jet issues through a nozzle with a
needle (or spear) valve to control the flow. They are only used Fig. No. 5 Kaplan turbine
for relatively high heads. Micro-hydro Pelton turbines can be screw to rotate. This rotational energy can then be extracted by
used effectively at heads down to about 20 m. an electrical generator connected to the main shaft of the screw.
Turgo turbines: The Turgo turbine can operate under a head in It can produce as little as 5 kW, and the largest 500 kW.
the range of 30-300 m. Its buckets are shaped differently from
the Pelton turbine and the jet of water strikes the plane of its III. CHARACTERISTICS OF VARIOUS MICRO-TURBINES
runner at an angle of about 20º. Water enters the runner through
one side of the runner disk and emerges from the other. A. Micro Gas Turbine:
Cross-flow turbines: This impulse turbine is used for a wide Microturbines and larger gas turbines operate on the same
range of heads overlapping those of other turbine types. It can thermodynamic heat cycle, the Brayton cycle (see Fig. No. 6
operate with discharge flows between 1 m3/s and 10 m3/s and and 7). In this cycle, atmospheric air is compressed, heated at
heads between 1 and 200 m. Its versatility is the major advantage constant pressure, and then expanded, with the excess power
of this type of turbine. produced by the expander (also called the turbine) consumed by
b. Reaction turbines: the compressor used to generate electricity. The power
Reaction turbine are best suited -for higher flow rate and produced by an expansion turbine and consumed by a
lower head situations. In this type of turbines, the rotation of
compressor is proportional to the absolute temperature of the
runner or rotor (rotating part of the turbine) is partly due to
gas passing through those devices. Higher expander inlet
impulse action and partly due to change in pressure over the
runner blades; therefore, it is called as reaction turbine. Reaction temperature and pressure ratios result in higher efficiency and
turbines are medium to low-head, and high-flow rate devices. specific power. Higher pressure ratios increase efficiency and
The reaction turbines in use are Francis and Kaplan. specific power until an optimum pressure ratio is achieved,
Francis Turbines: Francis turbines are radial flow reaction beyond which efficiency and specific power decrease. The
turbines, with fixed runner blades and adjustable guide vanes, optimum pressure ratio is considerably lower when a
used for medium heads. In the high-speed Francis turbines the recuperator is used. Microturbine inlet temperatures are
admission of the water flow is always radial but the outlet is generally limited to 1750°F or below to enable the use of
axial. The guide vanes have the task is to control the flow relatively inexpensive materials for the turbine wheel and
volume into the runner; in case of emergency they can also recuperator. [1]
completely close, to stop the turbine. [7]
Kaplan and Propeller Turbines:
Kaplan and propeller turbines are axial-flow reaction
turbines, generally used for low heads. The Kaplan turbine has
adjustable runner blades and may or may not have adjustable
guide vanes If both blades and guide-vanes are adjustable it is
described as double-regulated. If the guide vanes are fixed it is
single-regulated. Unregulated propeller turbines are used when
both flow and head remain practically constant.
Archimedean Screw Hydro Turbine:
The Archimedean Screw hydro turbine works on reverse
Archimedean principle. The water enters the screw at the top
and the weight of the water pushes on the helical flights,
allowing the water to fall to the lower level and causing the Fig. No. 6 Ideal Brayton Cycle T-s diagram[6]
 Fig. No. 8 Typical power curves for four sizes of micro-wind
Fig. No. 7 Ideal Brayton Cycle p-v diagram[6] turbines
Performance evaluation of Gas Micro turbines for Natural Gas 2. Modelling of Micro-Wind Turbine: [4]
FEATURES The power extracted from the wind is given by equation (1)
Table No. 1 gives the technical information of micro gas turbine 𝑃𝑤 = 0.5 ∗ 𝜌 ∗ 𝐴 ∗ (𝑉𝑤)3 ………(1)
and the features of the natural gas used in the tests. The natural Where Vw is the wind speed (m/s), A is the swept area
gas microturbine was tested on the stand-alone mode supplying (m²) ρ is the air density (kg/m3). The wind turbine cannot fully
a resistive load. capture the energy from the wind stream. The relationship
between Pw and the power captured by the wind turbine Pt is
Table No. 1 Advantages and Design Characteristics of expressed as follows:
𝑃𝑡 = 𝐶𝑝 (𝛽, 𝜆) ……(2)
Microturbines [1]
Where is the power coefficient Cp (β, λ), it depends on the
blade pitch angle β and the tip speed ratio λ that is expressed as
Thermal Output 400F-to-650F range,
follows:
𝜔
𝜆 = 𝑚𝑅 ……. (3)
𝑉𝑚
Fuel Flexibility Different fuels: natural gas, Where Wm is the rotor angular speed (rad/s), Vm is wind
sour gases (high sulfur, low speed and R is the blade radius (m).
BTU content), landfill gas, The expression of the power coefficient is given as follows:
digester gas, and liquid fuels 𝐶2
−𝐶5

(e.g. gasoline, kerosene, and 𝐶𝑝 (𝛽, 𝜆) = 𝐶1 ( − 𝐶3 𝛽 − 𝐶4 ) 𝑒 𝜆𝑖

+ 𝐶6 𝜆 ……. (4)
𝜆𝑖
diesel fuel/heating oil) Where λi is expressed as follows
1 1 0.035
= 𝜆+0.08𝛽 − 𝛽3 +1 ……(5)
𝜆𝑖
Reliability and life 40000- to 80000-hour range.
Size Range Sized from 30 to 400kW Where the coefficients C1 to C6 depends on the wind turbine
rotor type. Fig. No. 9 shows the Cp-λ characteristic for different
values of the pitch angle. A fixed pitch wind turbine is used with
B. Micro-Wind Turbine: β = 70 .
1. Performance:
The performance of wind turbine over a large range of wind
speed is given by its corresponding power curves. Power curves
depict the relationship between wind speed and power and the
range of operation of the turbine.
𝑃
𝐶𝑝 =
0.5𝜌𝑉 3 𝐴
where P is the power (W), ρ the density of air, A the rotor
area, V is the wind speed and CP is the coefficient of power. CP
is a dimensionless term that has a theoretical maximum value of
0.59. In reality the value of CP also includes mechanical and
electrical losses so the maximum value is always less than the
theoretical limit. The dimensionless CP curves were then applied
to four different sizes of rotor for a micro wind turbine device.
Fig. No. 8 shows the resultant power curves which were Fig. No. 9 Cp-λ characteristic for different values of the pitch
considered representative of micro-scale devices. [4] angle β [4]
C. Micro Hydro turbines:
The micro hydro turbines are useful for low head and low flow
rate. With some modification micro hydro turbines can also be
used for sources with moderate head and moderate flow rate.
The Fig No.10 shows the operating range of various turbines.
Francis, Kaplan and cross flow turbines are mainly used as micro
hydro turbines, as they operate over a wide range of head and
flow rates.
Moreover, the use of hybrid micro turbine systems would help
to sustain the conventional energy sources for longer periods.
V. REFERECES
[1] Claire Soares, “Microturbines; Applications for Distributed
Energy Systems”Butterworth-Heinemann publications, ISBN
13: 978-0-7506-8469-9
[2] Dursun Ayhana, Safak Saglamb, “A technical review of
building-mounted wind power systems and a sample simulation
model”, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
[3] Marco Antônio Rosa do Nascimento, Lucilene de Oliveira
Rodrigues, Eraldo Cruz dosSantos, Eli Eber Batista Gomes,
Fagner Luis Goulart Dias, Elkin Iván Gutiérrez
Velásques and Rubén Alexis Miranda Carrillo- “Micro Gas
Turbine Engine: A Review”- 2014 do Nascimento et al.;
licensee InTech.
[4] El hassane Margoum, Nissrine Krami, “Design and Control
strategy of Micro-WindTurbine Based PMSM in AC
MicroGrid”, 17th international conference on Sciences
and Techniques of Automatic control & computer engineering
- STA'2016, Sousse, Tunisia, December 19-21, 2016

Internet:
Fig. No. 10 Turbine application chart [5] https://www.capstoneturbine.com/
The Fig. No.11 shows the efficiency curves of the various [6] https://www.grc.nasa.gov/www/k-12/airplane/brayton.html
hydro turbines. [7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydro_turbine

Fig. No. 11 Efficiency of different turbines

IV. CONCLUSION
This paper has reviewed different types of micro turbines
with their characteristics. The micro turbines economically
harness the minimal sources of energy.
The micro gas turbine with CHP application can be
extensively used with impressive electrical and thermal
efficiencies for distributed generation. The micro wind turbines
are a suitable option to generate energy at places where there are
low wind speeds. This can also be obtained by roof top
installation of micro wind turbines, thus eliminating the large
space requirements of conventional wind turbines. Similarly, the
micro hydro turbines can generate energy from small head or
low flow rate of water. This can be achieved by incorporating
the in pipe micro hydro turbines and also in water streams with
low flow rate.
Thus, it is concluded that micro turbines are going to be of
significant use for the application of micro and small generation
for fulfillment of electricity generation in the years to come.