GAS TURBINE

UNIT II - GAS TURBINE

The fundamental gas turbine unit is one operating on the open cycle in rotary compressor
and a turbine are mounted on a common shaft. Air is drawn into the compressor and after
compression passes to a combustion chamber. Energy is supplied in the combustion chamber by
spraying fuel into the air stream, and the resulting hot gases expand the turbine to the
atmosphere. in order to achieve net work output from the unit, the turbine must develop more
gross work output than is required to drive the compressor and to overcome mechanical losses in
the drive. The products of combustion coming out from the turbine are exhausted to the
atmosphere as they cannot be used any more. The working fluids (air and fuel) must be replaced
continuously as they are exhausted into the atmosphere.

Following assumptions are made to analysis an ideal gas turbine cycle.

(a) The working fluid is a perfect gas with constant specific heat.
(b) Compression and expansion process are reversible and adiabatic, i.e isentropic.
(c) There are no pressure losses in the inlet duct, combustion chamber, heat exchanger,
intercooler, exhaust duct and the ducts connecting the components.
(d) The mass flow is constant throughout the cycle.
(e) The change of kinetic energy of the working fluid between the inlet and outlet of each
component is negligible.
(f) The heat-exchanger, if such a component is used, is perfect

Actual Gas Turbine Cycle

• Efficiency of the compression and expansion processes will come into consideration.
• Pressure losses in the ducting, combustion and heat exchanger.
• Complete heat exchange in the regenerator is not possible.
• Mechanical losses due to bearings auxiliary etc are present.
• Specific heat of the working fluid varies with temperature.
• Mass flow throughout the cycle is not constant.

Fig. Open cycle gas turbine.

GAS TURBINE

If pressure loss in the combustion chamber is neglected, this cycle may be drawn on a T-s
diagram as shown in Fig.
1 - 2’ represents irreversible adiabatic compression.
2’- 3 represents constant pressure heat supply in the combustion chamber.
3 - 4’ represents irreversible adiabatic expansion.
1 - 2 represents ideal isentropic compression.
3 - 4 represents ideal isentropic expansion.

Methods for Improvement of Thermal Efficiency of Open Cycle Gas Turbine Plant
The following methods are employed to increase the thermal efficiency of the plant:

1. Intercooling 2, Reheating 3. Regeneration.

1. Intercooling. A compressor in a gas turbine cycle utilises the major percentage of power
developed by the gas turbine. The work required by the compressor can be reduced by
compressing air in two stages and incorporating an intercooler between the two as shown
in Fig.1 The corresponding T-s diagram for the unit is shown in 2, The actual processes
take place as follows:

Fig 1
GAS TURBINE

The ideal cycle for this arrangement is 1-2-3-4-5-6 the compression process without intercooling
is shown as 1-L’ in the actual case, and 1-L in the ideal isentropic case.

Work input (with intercooling)= Cp(T2’-T1) + Cp(T4’- T3) .............. Eqn 1

Work input (without intercooling)

= Cp(TL’- T1) = Cp(T2’- T1) + Cp(TL’-T2) ................ Eqn 2

By comparing equation 1 with equation 2 it can be observed that the work input with
intercooling is less than the work input with no intercooling, when Cp(T4’-T3) is less than Cp(TL’-
T2’). This is so if it is assumed that isentropic efficiencies of the two compressors, operating
separately, are each equal to the isentropic efficiency of the single compressor which would be
required if no intercooling were used. Then (T4’-T3) < (TL’-T2’) since the pressure lines diverge
on the T-s diagram from left to the right.

Fig 2 T-s diagram for gas turbine with intercooling the unit.
2 Reheating. The output of a gas turbine can be simply improved by expanding the gases in two
stages with a reheater between the two as shown in Fig. 3. The H.P. turbine drives compressor
and the LP. Turbine provides the useful power output. The corresponding T-s diagram is shown
in Fig. 4. The line 4’-L’ represents the expansion in the L.P. turbine if reheating is not employed.

Fig 3 Gas turbine with reheater.

GAS TURBINE

Fig 4 T-s diagram for the unit.

Since the pressure lines diverge to the right on T-s diagram it can be seen that the temperature
difference (T5-T6’) is always greater than (T4’-Tl’) so that reheating increases the net work output.

3 . Regeneration. The exhaust gases from a gas turbine carry a large quantity of heat with them
since their temperature is far above the ambient temperature. They can be used to heat the air
coming from the compressor thereby reducing the mass of fuel supplied in the combustion
chamber. Fig. 5 shows a gas turbine plant with a regenerator. The corresponding T-s diagram is
shown in Fig, 6. 2’-3 represents the heat flow into the compressed air during its passage through
the heat exchanger and 3-4 represents the heat taken in from the combustion of fuel. Point 6
represents the temperature of exhaust gases at discharge from the heat exchanger. The maximum
temperature to which the air could be heated in the heat exchanger is ideally that of exhaust
gases, but less than this is obtained in practice because a temperature gradient must exist for an
unassisted transfer of energy.

Fig 5
GAS TURBINE

Fig 6

Effect of Operating Variables on Thermal Efficiency

The thermal efficiency of actual open cycle depends on the following thermodynamic
Variables
(i) Pressure ratio
(ii) Turbine inlet temperature (T3)
(iii) Compressor inlet temperature (T1)
(iv) Efficiency of the turbine
(v)) Efficiency of the compressor

Effect of turbine inlet temperature and pressure ratio

If the permissible turbine inlet-temperature (with the other variables being constant) of an open
cycle gas turbine power plant is increased its thermal efficiency is amply improved. A practical
limitation to increasing the turbine inlet temperature, however, is the ability of the material
available for the turbine blading to withstand the high rotative and thermal stresses.

Refer Fig. 7 For a given turbine inlet temperature, as the pressure ratio increases, the heat
supplied as well as the heat rejected are reduced. But the ratio of change of heat supplied is not
the same as the ratio of change heat rejected. As a consequence, there exists on optimum
pressure ratio producing maximum thermal efficiency for a given turbine inlet temperature.

As the pressure ratio increases, the thermal efficiency also increases until it becomes rnaximum
and then it drops off with a further increase in pressure ratio Fig 8. Further, as the turbine inlet
temperature increases, the peaks of the curves flatten out giving a greater range of ratios of
pressure optimum efficiency.
GAS TURBINE

Fig 7

Fig. 8 Effect of pressure ratio and turbine inlet temperature.

Following particulars are worth noting

Gas temperatures Efficiency (gas turbine)
550 to 600°C 20 to 22%
900 to 1000°C 32 to 3%
Above 1300°C more than 50%

Effect of turbine and compressor efficiencies

Refer Fig. 9. The thermal efficiency of the actual gas turbine cycle is very sensitive to variations
in the efficiencies of the compressor and turbine, There is a particular pressure ratio at which
GAS TURBINE

maximum efficiencies occur. For lower efficiencies, the peak of the thermal efficiency occurs at
lower pressure ratios and vice versa.

Fig 9
Effect of compressor inlet temperature

Refer Fig. 10 with the decrease in the compressor inlet temperature there is increase in thermal
efficiency of the plant. Also the peaks of thermal efficiency occur at high pressure ratios and the
curves become flatter giving thermal efficiency over a wider pressure ratio range.

Fig 10 Closed Cycle Gas Turbine (Constant pressure or joule cycle).

GAS TURBINE

Thermal Efficiency Of A Gas Turbine Plant



=  = 


 

 



=  = 


 

 

W = C T − T 
W = C T − T 
Q = C T − T 
W 
η =
Q
W − W
η =
Q
C T − T  − C T − T 
η =
C T − T 
T − T  − T − T 
η =
T − T 

1 1
T !1 − T # − T !1 − T #
 
T T
=
T − T 
η

1 1
T !1 − $% # − T !1 − $% #
 $  $
η =
T − T 

1
T − T  !1 − $% #
 $
η =
T − T 

η = &1 − ) Hence Proved




'(

GAS TURBINE

Optimum Pressure Ratio For Maximum Specific Work Output

W* = Work Ratio
W 
W* =
W
W − W
W* =
W
C T − T  − C T − T 
W* =
C T − T 
T − T  − T − T 
W* =
T − T 

1 T
T !1 − T # − T   − 1
 T
T
W* =
1
T !1 − T #

T

1 $%
T !1 − $% # − T 2 $ − 13
 $
W* =
1
T !1 − $% #
 $

T $%
W* = 1 −  $
T 
$ $
7456 $% 7 $%
456 = 2 3 =2 3
7489 7
W* = 0
For Maximum specific output differentiate W  wrt  and equate to zero
W  = C T − T  − C T − T 

1 T
W  = C ;T <1 − = − T 2 − 13 >
T T
T
GAS TURBINE

1 $%
W  = C ?T !1 − $% # − T 2
$ − 13 @
 $

AW 
=0
A
=B
$%
$
Let

CT − T  %9  − T  9 − T  D
A T − T  %9  − T  9 − T 
=0
A
0 + nT  %9% − nT  9% + 0 = 0
nT  %9% = nT  9%
7
=  9
7
 $
7 9 7456 $%
GHI =2 3 = 2 3
7 7489
GHI = J456 Hence Proved

Maximum Specific Work Output

 $
7 9 7456 $%
GHI =2 3 = 2 3
7 7489
W  = C T − T  − C T − T 

1 T
W  = C ;T <1 − = − T 2 − 13 >
T T
T

1 $%
W  = C ?T !1 − $% # − T 2
$ − 13 @
 $

Put GHI Value in above eqn

P Y
1 7
WKLM = C OT R1 − U − T !V − 1# X
O 7 7 X
S
N Q 7 T W
GAS TURBINE

WKLM = C ZT − JT 7 − JT 7 + 7 [

WKLM = C ZJT − J7 [ Hence Proved



Optimum Pressure Ratio For Maximum Specific Work Output with Machine Efficiency

η\ =
 % 
 ′ %

η =
 %  ′
 % 

W  = C ]T − T ′^ − C ]T ′ − T ^
C T − T 
W  = C η T − T  −
η\

1 T T
W  = C ;T η <1 − = − 2 − 13 >
T η\ T
T

1 T $%
W  = C ?T η !1 − $% # − 2 $ − 13 @
 $
η\

For Maximum specific output differentiate W  wrt  and equate to zero

AW 
=0
A
=B
$%
$
Let

T  T
_]η T − η T R ` % ^ − & R − )a
η\ ` η\
T T
d]η T − η T R ` % ^ − 2η R `  −  3
\ \
=0
dR `
η

T %
0 + nη T R ` %% − n R +0 =0
η\ `
T %
nT η R ` %% = n R
η\ `
T
= R ` 
T
η η\
GAS TURBINE

 $
7 9 7456 $%
GHI = 2η η\ 3 = 2η η\ 3
7 7489

Maximum Net Work Output the Required Condition

 $
7 9 7 $%
GHI =2 3 = 2 3
7 7
7 7 $%
= =  $
7 7
Put Value of GHI

= =S
  
  

7 7 7
c =
7 7 7
7 7 7
c =
7 7 7
de = df
de = Jdg dh

Maximum Specific Work Output with Machine efficiency

T − T
η\ =
T ′ − T

η =
 %  ′
 % 

W  = C ]T − T ′^ − C ]T ′ − T ^
C T − T 
W  = C η T − T  −
η\

1 T T
W  = C ;T η <1 − = − 2 − 13 >
T η\ T
T

W  = C _T η &1 − ) − η  2 − 13 a…………….(1)


 


'(
i
GAS TURBINE

For Maximum specific output differentiate W  wrt  and equate to zero

AW 
=0
A
=B
$%
$
Let

T 9 T
_]η T − η T  %9 ^ − &  − )a
η\  η\
T T
A]η T − η T  %9 ^ − 2η  9 −  3
\
=0
η\
A
T 9%
0 + nη T  %9% − B  +0=0
η\ 
T 9%
nT η  %9% = B 
η\ 
7
=  9
7
η η\


GHI = η η\  = η η\ klm

 j  


 knj
…………………(2)

1 T $%
W  = C ?T η !1 − $% # − 2 $ − 13 @
 $
η\

P Y
1 T 7
W O R
= C T η 1 − U − !Vη η\ − 1# X

O 7 7 X
Sη η\
η\
N Q 7 T W

T 7
W = C ;!Vη η\ − 1# >

η\ 7

opq. stuvwxwv yz{| z}~t}~ 1 

= ]J‚€ €I − 1^
H 7 €

‚ = 



Hence Proved
GAS TURBINE

Optimum Pressure Ratio for Maximum Cycle Thermal Efficiency

η\ =
 % 
 ′ %

T − T ′
η =
T − T
W  = C ]T − T ′^ − C ]T ′ − T ^
C T − T 
W  = C η T − T  −
η\
Q = C T − T  With approximate error
W 
η =
Q
W − W
η =
Q
C T − T 
C η T − T  −
η =
η\
C T − T 

1 T T
η T !1 − T # −    − 1
 η\ T
T
=
T T
η
T  T − 
 T

1 T $%
η T !1 − $% # − η\ 2
$ − 13

 $
η =
T $%
T 2T −  $ 3


Aη
For Maximum thermal efficiency

=0
A
$

P 7 Y
$%

O 7 X
t =
O 7 1 X
1 + S7 − 1  − 1
N  € €
I I W
Hence Proved