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2- Various types of gas turbines (radial, axial flow, …), Micro-gas turbines and their use.
6- Design issues, vibration problems, fouling, blade tip leakage and blade shrouding, blade
cooling, etc.
7- Operating problems
1-Introduction and Various Types of Turbines.
A turbine is a rotary mechanical device that extracts energy from a fluid flow and converts it
into useful work.
A turbine is a turbo-machine with at least one moving part called a rotor assembly, which is a
shaft or drum with blades attached [1]. Moving fluid acts on the blades so that they move and
impart rotational energy to the rotor.
The overall pressure ratio of these units varied from 5:1 for the earlier units to 35:1 for the
units in present-day service.
These are power generation units, which originated in the aerospace industry as the prime
mover of aircraft.
These units have been adapted to the electrical generation industry by removing the bypass
fans, and adding a power turbine at their exhaust.
These units range in power from 2.5 MW to about 50 MW. The efficiencies of these units
can range from 35–45%.
Aero-derivative gas turbines consist of two basic
components:
1- an aircraft derivative gas generator, and
These vary in range from about 2.5 MW–15 MW. This type of turbine is used extensively in
many petrochemical plants for compressor drive trains.
The efficiencies of these units are in the low 30%. Industrial Type Gas Turbines are medium-
range gas turbines and usually rated between 5–15 MW.
These units are similar in design to the large heavy-duty gas turbines; their casing is thicker
than the aero-derivative casing but thinner than the industrial gas turbines [2]. They usually are
split-shaft designs that are efficient in part load operations.
Efficiency is achieved by letting the gasifier section (the section which produces the hot gas)
operate at maximum efficiency while the power turbine operates over a great range of speeds.
The compressor is usually a 10–16 stage subsonic axial compressor, which produces a
pressure ratio from about 5:1–15:1.
These gas turbines are in the range from about 0.5 MW–2.5 MW. They often have centrifugal
compressors and radial inflow turbines. Efficiencies in the simple cycle applications vary from
15–25%.
Many small gas turbines which produce below 5 MW are designed similarly to the larger
turbines already discussed; however, there are many designs that incorporate centrifugal
compressors or combinations of centrifugal and axial compressors as well as radial-inflow
turbines [2].
A small turbine will often consist of a
single-stage centrifugal compressor
producing a pressure ratio as high as
6:1, a single side combustor where
temperatures of about 1800 ◦F (982
◦C) are reached, and radial-inflow
turbines.
These turbines are in the range from 20 kW–350 kW. The growth of these turbines has been
dramatic from the late1990s, as there is an upsurge in the distributed generation market. Micro-
turbines usually refers to units of less than 350 kW.
The micro-turbines can be either axial-flow or centrifugal radial inflow units. The initial cost,
efficiency, and emissions will be the three most important criteria in the design of these units.
The micro-turbines on the market today range from about 20–350 kW.
The two types of compressors used in gas turbines are axial and centrifugal. Nearly all gas
turbines producing over 5 MW have axial-flow compressors [5]. Some small gas turbines
employ a combination of an axial compressor followed by a centrifugal unit.
Can-annular
Impulse turbines take their entire enthalpy drop through the nozzles, while the reaction turbine
takes a partial drop through both the nozzles and the impeller blades.
The radial-inflow turbine, or inward-flow radial turbine, has been in use for many years, the
inward-flow radial turbine is used for smaller loads and over a smaller operational range
than the axial turbine. The inward-flow radial turbine has many components similar to a
centrifugal compressor.
The axial-flow turbine has flow, which enters and leaves in the axial direction.
There are two types of axial turbines:
impulse type and
reaction type.
The impulse turbine has its entire enthalpy drop in the nozzle; therefore it has a very high
velocity entering the rotor. The reaction turbine divides the enthalpy drop in the nozzle and
the rotor.
The resulting high-temperature gases then enter the An open-cycle gas-turbine engine.
turbine, where they expand to the atmospheric
pressure while producing power .
Processes 1-2 and 3-4 are isentropic, and P2 =P3 and P4 = P1. Thus,
(𝐾−1)/𝐾 (𝐾−1)/𝐾
𝑇2 𝑃2 𝑃3 𝑇3
= = = (5)
𝑇1 𝑃1 𝑃4 𝑇4
(a) The air temperatures at the compressor and turbine exits are determined from
isentropic relations:
Process 3-4 (isentropic expansion of an ideal gas): T-s diagram for the Brayton cycle
𝑇3 = 1300 𝐾 → ℎ3 = 1395.97 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
𝑃𝑟3 = 330.9
𝑃4
𝑃𝑟4 = 𝑃𝑟3 = (1/8)(330.9) = 41.36 → 𝑇4 = 770 𝐾 ( 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑡 )
𝑃3
ℎ4 = 789.37 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
(b) To find the back work ratio, we need to find the work input to the compressor
and the work output of the turbine:
𝑤𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 ,𝑖𝑛 = ℎ2 − ℎ1 = 544.35 − 300.19 = 244.16 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
𝑤𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏 ,𝑜𝑢𝑡 = ℎ3 − ℎ4 = 1395.97 − 789.37 = 606.60 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
Thus,
𝑤𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝 ,𝑖𝑛 244.16
𝑟𝑏𝑤 = = = 0.403
𝑤𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑏 ,𝑜𝑢𝑡 606.60
That is, 40.3 percent of the turbine work output is used just to drive the compressor.
(a) The thermal efficiency of the cycle is the ratio of the net power output to the
total heat input:
𝑞𝑖𝑛 = ℎ3 − ℎ2 = 1395.97 − 544.35 = 851.62 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 = 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑡 − 𝑤𝑖𝑛 = 606.60 − 244.16 = 362.4 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔
Thus,
𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑡 362.4
𝜂𝑡ℎ = = = 0.426 𝑜𝑟 42.6%
𝑞𝑖𝑛 851.62
The thermal efficiency could also be determined from
𝑞𝑜𝑢𝑡
𝜂𝑡ℎ = 1 −
𝑞𝑖𝑛
Where
𝑞𝑜𝑢𝑡 = ℎ4 − ℎ1 = 789.37 − 300.19 = 489.2 𝑘𝐽/𝑘𝑔