Optimal Design of Gas Turbine Power Station

P M V Subbarao
Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department

More Ideas for better fuel

1872, Dr Franz Stikzes Paradox

Condition for Compact Gas Turbine Power Plant

dwnet
0
d 0

0 1 T03


d c pT01
0
dwnet
0 T01

0
d 0
d 0

d c pT01

1
1
0

d 0

T03

0
T01

0

 T0 max 1

c pT0 min d

T0 min 0
d 0

2

0

T0 max

1 0
T0 min

T0 max

0 1
T0 min

0 max

T0 max

T0 min

T0 max
T0 max
wnet ,max c pT0 min
2
1
T0 min
T0 min

wnet ,max c p T0 max 2 T0 maxT0 min 1

At maximum power:

wnet ,max c p T0 max 2 T0 maxT0 min 1

compact

wnet ,max

compact

qin

wnet ,max
qin

T0 exhaust

0 max

2 T0 maxT0 min 1

T0 max T0 maxT0 min

T0 maxT0 min 1

T0 max T0 maxT0 min

T0 max

T0 maxT0 min
0,max

Important Comments:
What if I am not interested in Compactness.
Should I prefer high Pressure Ratio for Efficient Plant?
Why the plant is compact at this condition?
What else can be inferred form this condition?

The state-of-the-art

The newer large industrial gas turbines size have increased and
capable of generating as much as 200 MW at 50 Hz.
The turbine entry temperature has increased to 12600C, and the
pressure ratio is 16:1.
Typical simple cycle efficiencies on natural gas are 35%.
The ABB GT 13 E2 is rated at 164 MW gross output on natural
gas, with an efficiency of 35.7%.
The pressure ratio is 15:1.
The combustion system is designed for low Nox production.
The dry Nox is less than 25 ppm on natural gas.
The turbine entry temperature is 11000C and the exhaust
temperature is 5250C.
The turbine has five stages, and the first two rotor stages and
the first three stator stages are cooled;
the roots of the last two stages are also cooled.

 Siemens power corporation described their model

V84.3.
This is rated at 152 MW at an efficiency of 36.1%.
The pressure ratio is 16:1.
Six burners designed for low Nox emissions are
installed in each chamber.
The turbine entry temperature is 12900C and the
exhaust temperature is 550 C.
The turbine has four stages and the first three
rotating stages are air cooled.
The effectiveness of the cooling is improved by intercooling the cooling air after it is with drawn from the
compressor.

General Electric and European Gas Turbines have jointly

developed the MS9001F 50Hz engine.
This unit generates 215 MW at an efficiency of 35%.
The engine uses an 18 stage compressor with an overall
compression ratio of order of 20:1.
The gas turbine has three stages, with the first two stages
cooled.
Turbine entry temperature is 1288 C.
These large high efficiency units can be used for peak lopping
purposes.
The research for more efficient gas turbine-based power
generation cycles has been underway for some time. The aims
are:
- Higher turbine entry gas temperature,
- Higher compressor efficiency and capability

The different manufactures participated and initiated the

collaborative advanced gas turbine.
The outcome of their effort include a variety of advanced cycle
options, including intercooling, humid air turbine, steam
injection, reheat combustor and chemical recuperation.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has initiated a
development program called the advanced turbine system
(ATS).
The aim of ATS is to achieve over 60% efficiency, with low Nox
and suitable operating costs at the end of a 10-year program.
They pictured the program with increasing in firing temperature
up to over 1427 C and changes in cycle, as intercooling, reheat
combustors, massive moisture injection and chemical
recuperation.

GT24 (ISO 2314 : 1989)

Fuel

Natural gas

Frequency

60 Hz

Gross Electrical output

187.7 MW*

Gross Electrical efficiency

36.9 %

Gross Heat rate

9251 Btu/kWh

Turbine speed

3600 rpm

Compressor pressure ratio

32:1

Exhaust gas flow

445 kg/s

Exhaust gas temperature

612 C

NOx emissions (corr. to 15% O2,dry)

< 25 vppm

Fuel

Natural gas

Frequency

60 Hz

Gross Electrical output

187.7 MW*

Gross Electrical efficiency

36.9 %

Gross Heat rate

9251
9756 Btu/kWh
kJ/kWh

Turbine speed

3600 rpm

Compressor pressure ratio

32:1

Exhaust gas flow

445 kg/s

Exhaust gas temperature

612 C

NOx emissions (corr. to 15% O2,dry)

< 25 vppm

The Ideal Machine

1824: Sadi Carnot, who founded the science of
thermodynamics, identified several fundamental ideas that
would be incorporated in later internal combustion engines:
He noted that air compressed by a ratio of 15 to 1 would
be hot enough (200C) to ignite dry wood.
He recommended compressing the air before combustion.
Fuel could then be added by "an easily invented injector".
Carnot realized that the cylinder walls would require
cooling to permit continuous operation.
Later, Diesel thought he could avoid this, but found out
the hard way.
He noted that usable heat would be available in the
exhaust, and recommended passing it under a water boiler.

Developments in Gas Turbine Cycles

1.
2.
3.
4.

The wet compression (WC) cycle

The steam injected gas turbine (STIG) cycle
The integrated WC & STIG (SWC) cycle
Themo-chemical Recuperation cycles

Wet compression
One of the most effective ways to increase the gas turbine
power output is to reduce the amount of work required for
its compressor.
A gas turbine compressor consumes about 30 to 50% of
work produced by the turbine.

The wet compression (WC) cycle

Fuel
Combustor

Compressor Water Injection Turbine

Inlet Duct

Intake Air

Representing wet compression process on P-V diagram

W isothermal = f-1-2T-g-f (isothermal)
Wwet compression = f-1-2K-g-f (wet compression)
W isentropic = f-1-2S-g-f (isentropic)
W polytropic = f-1-2n-g-f (polytropic)

P
P

2T

2k

P
0

2s

2n

The wet compression (WC) cycle

1.
2.
3.

The wet compression cycle has the following benefits

over the simple cycle.
Lower compressor work
Higher turbine work
Higher cycle efficiency

ISENTROPIC INDEX OF WET COMPRESSION

PROCESS
Isentropic index of wet compression can be obtained from
the equation

Where

L dw
k

1 R dT
k 1
k=Isentropic index of wet compression,
dw/dT = Evaporative rate kg/k,
L= Latent heat kJ/kg,
R=Gas constant of humid air kJ/kg k.

ACTUAL WET COMPRESSION

INDEX
Actual wet compression index can be obtained from the equation

m
L dw
1 n

m 1 1 R dT 1 n 1
Where
m=polytropic index of actual wet compression process,
n=polytropic index of actual dry air compression

Compressor work with wet compression

1.
2.
3.

Compressor work with wet compression is a function of

Pressure ratio ,
Evaporative rate dw/dT and
Geometry of the compressor.
Wet compression work is much lower than that of dry air
compression work.
The higher is the pressure ratio, more the saving in
compressor work.

Variation of wet compression work with pressure ratio

(Evaporative rate dw/dT=7.5e-4 kg/k)

VARIATION OF WET COMPRESSION WORK WITH THE

EVAPORATIVE RATE FOR A GIVEN PRESSURE
RATIO

Pressure ratio = 7

REAL WET COMPRESSION WORK

CONSIDERING OFF DESIGN BEHAVIOUR

For calculation purposes, if the design (dry) value of the

polytropic efficiency is assumed to be maintained throughout the
compression process, it is tantamount to the operation of the
compressor at increased operating pressure ratio.

Comparison of Work Input For Wet and Dry

Compression Considering Off-Design Behaviour
Sl
no

Evaporati Operatin Real wet

ve rate,
g
work
kg/k
Pr. ratio kJ/kg

Dry work
KJ/kg

10.2

343.269

343.269

0.00015

11.5597 316.649

370.415

0.00035

11.5737 284.812

370.683

0.00075

11.6017 255.000

371.218

ACTUAL WET COMPRESSION WORK

CONSIDERING OFF DESIGN BEHAVIOUR

Fuel

Natural gas

Frequency

60 Hz

Gross Electrical output

187.7 MW*

Gross Electrical efficiency

36.9 %

Gross Heat rate

9251
9756 Btu/kWh
kJ/kWh

Turbine speed

3600 rpm

Compressor pressure ratio

32:1

Exhaust gas flow

445 kg/s

Exhaust gas temperature

612 C

NOx emissions (corr. to 15% O2,dry)

< 25 vppm

Super Heated Steam

Water

The steam injected gas turbine (STIG) cycle

Exhaust

Injection Steam

water
pump

HRSG

Fuel
Combustor

Compressor

Intake Air

Turbine

The steam injected gas turbine (STIG) cycle

Steam injection into the combustion chamber of a gas
turbine is one of the ways to achieve power augmentation
and efficiency gain.
In a steam injected gas turbine (STIG), the heat of exhaust
gasses of the gas turbine is used to produce steam in a heat
recovery steam generator.
The steam is injected into the combustion chamber or
before entering the combustion chamber (i.e. in the
compressor discharge).
STIG cycle has higher cycle efficiency than the WC cycle.
STIG cycle gives higher net work out put than the WC
cycle up to a pressure ratio of 7.

The integrated WC & STIG (SWC) cycle

Exhaust

Injection Steam

water
pump

HRSG

Fuel
Combustor

Water injection
Compressor
Inlet Duct

Turbine
Intake Air

The integrated WC & STIG (SWC) cycle

It has the combined benefit of the advantage of higher

efficiency of STIG cycle and higher net work output of
WC cycle.
But its cycle efficiency is less than that of the STIG cycle
owing to the need for higher heat input.

COMPARISION BETWEEN SIMPLE, WC, STIG

AND INTEGRATED WC & STIG CYCLES

Cycle efficiency versus pressure ratio

Net work output versus pressure ratio

Comparison of typical parameters of simple, WC,STIG and

SWC cycles.

cycle

Pressure Evaporat Net

ratio
ive rate, work
kg/k
output,
PR
MW

Cycle
efficienc
y
%

Fuel
mass
flow
rate,
kg/sec

Steam
mass
flow
rate,
kg/sec

simple

11

151.13

31.28

11.04

WC

11

7.5e-4

232.75

35.35

15.04

STIG

11

215.65

39.63

12.43

54.49

SWC

11

7.5e-4

303.11

38.16

18.15

54.49

Future work
There are many areas and challenges which can be explored further to
this work. They are:
Economic feasibility of these cycles need to be studied.
Compressor life reduction due to water injection. (because of the off
design running conditions that prevail in reality).
The difficulties involved in designing a turbine to handle large mass
flow rates of combustion gasses and steam.
The effect of steam injection in reducing NOX emissions.

A tree converts disorder to order with a little help

from the Sun

Clues from Nature to get Better Fuel

One of such clue is Thermo Chemical Recuperation
The major reactions involved in Steam-TCR are well
known, and the overall reaction for a general hydrocarbon
fuel, CnHm, is:

The formation of carbon must be minimized in the

operation of the reformer to minimize fouling of heat
transfer surfaces, blinding of catalyst particles, plugging of
flow paths and carbon losses.

The theoretical merits of the Steam-TCR concept are based on

the overall endothermic nature of the reforming chemical
reactions, and
the formation of a low-thermal-value fuel gas replacing the
high-thermal-value turbine fuel, with both factors contributing
to improved efficiency

Steam-TCR Power Plant Cycle Diagram

Flue Gas-TCR Power Plant Cycle Diagram

Model TCR Cycle

The chemical Reactions in Flue Gas TCR Cycle

Combustion of Methane with 100% theoretical air.

CH 4 2O2 7.52 N 2 CO2 2 H 2O 7.52 N 2

Thermochemical recuperator: Reforming of Flue Gas Only

CO2 2 H 2O 7.52 N 2 3H 2 CO H 2O 7.52 N 2

Combustion of reformed flue gas :

3H 2 CO H 2O 7.52 N 2 2O2 7.52 N 2 CO2 4 H 2O 15.04 N 2

The chemical Reactions in Flue Gas & Methane

TCR Cycle
Thermochemical recuperator: Reforming of Flue gas with
methane

CH 4 2CO2 4 H 2O 15.04 N 2 3H 2 CO 2CO2 3H 2O 7.52 N 2

Combustion of reformed flue gas and methane mixture:
3H 2 CO 2CO2 3H 2O 15.04 N 2 2O2 7.52 N 2 3CO2 6 H 2O 22.56 N 2

First Law Analysis of Thermochemical Recuperator

Cooled exhust

Turbine Exhaust

Reformed fuel

Fuel & Flue gas

Q CV m in h V 2 gz

in

V
gz
out

out

W CV

No work transfer, no heat transfer, change in kinetic and potential energies are
negligible

in

hin m out hout

Energy lost by turbine exhaust = Increase in energy of reformed ga

m g hg ,in hg ,out m rfuel hrfuel m fuel h fuel m fluegas h fluegas

Generalized Recuperation Reaction

xCH 4 y CO2 2 H 2O 7.52 N 2

x 3H 2 xCO y CO2 7.52 N 2 x 2 y 1 3 3H 2O

m g hg ,in hg ,out m rfuel hrfuel m fuel h fuel m fluegas h fluegas

Analysis of Reformation Process

Study of Optimal TCR Cycle

Parameter
Flue Gas Recirculation

Simple Brayton

TCR Brayton

0%

70%

462 kg/s

135 kg/s

155.2MW

44.5MW

8.4kg/s

7.35kg/s

--

114MW

134.7MW

141.8MW

Efficiency

32.1%

38.6%

Steam generation

252kg/s

41kg/s

Mass flow rate of air

Power input to compressor
Fuel
Flue gas compressor
Net Power output

Reduction of CO2 Emissions

Increasing CO2 content in atmosphere is one of the factor for Global
Warming.
Power Generated CO2 is responsible.
Kayas Equation:
CO2 emission to atomosphere POP

GDP
E
CO2

S
POP GDP
E

Where
POP : Population that demands and consume energy
GDP/POP: Per capita gross domestic product, reflecting standard of living.
E/GDP: Energy generated per gross domestic product, the energy
intensity.
CO2/E : Emission per unit energy generation, the carbon intensity
S: Natural and induced removal emission product from atmosphere into a
sink.

Carbon dioxide Sinks

Biosphere sinks : Natural Resources

Geosphere Sinks: Natural Resources with anthropogenic intervention.
Material Sinks: Anthropogenic Resoruces

Carbon Sequesterizaton

Partial Oxidation Cycles

Partial Oxidation Cycle