Proe 90™ Recuperator for Microturbine Applications

Author(s):  
Richard A. Proeschel

Microturbines are becoming increasingly important in the distributed power generation market. These machines are typically low pressure ratio gas turbines that require a recuperator to achieve the high, 30% or more, efficiency needed to compete in this market. However, the additional efficiency gained by a recuperator can easily be offset by its high initial cost. In response to this challenge, Proe Power Systems has developed, and has a U.S. patent pending on, the Proe 90™ gas turbine recuperator. The principal feature of the Proe 90™ recuperator is that it allows a high performance (high temperature, high effectiveness, low pressure drop) gas turbine recuperator to be manufactured by simply welding, brazing, or otherwise joining standard commercial tubing without the need for special tooling or manufacturing processes. The objective in developing the Proe 90™ recuperator was to provide a recuperator for gas turbine and related applications that can attain a minimum of 90% effectiveness with reasonable size and minimal cost. It meets those objectives by: having linear, counterflow, annular flow paths that avoid any thermal “short circuits”; by having sufficient margin to accommodate potential exhaust gas fouling of the low pressure flow passages; by having all surfaces either curved or stayed by flow tubes so that they can be made from commercially available tube and sheet stock while maintaining high margins of strength and creep resistance; and by avoiding thermal gradient stresses by having all non-isothermal portions of the recuperator able to freely expand and contract. The simple manufacturing process, design modeling techniques and predicted performance of the Proe 90™ recuperator are presented. Effects of tube length, diameter, and numbers of tubes on effectiveness and pressure losses are quantified. Additional parametric data show the effectiveness losses caused by axial conduction, flow misdistribution, manufacturing tolerances, and insulation losses. The Proe 90™ recuperator is ideally suited for microturbine distributed power applications in the 20–50 kW range. With properly sized tubes, the flow regime is laminar and results in a very small pressure loss while still producing very high heat exchanger effectiveness in a low cost, compact package.

Author(s):  
John L. Mason ◽  
Anthony Pietsch ◽  
Theodore R. Wilson ◽  
Allen D. Harper

A novel closed-cycle gas turbine power system is now under development by the GWF Power Systems Company for cogeneration applications. Nominally the system produces 5 megawatts (MW) of electric power and 80,000 lb/hr (36,287 kg/hr) of 1000 psig (6895 kPa) steam. The heat source is an atmospheric fluidized bed combustor (AFBC) capable of using low-cost solid fuels while meeting applicable emission standards. A simple, low-pressure ratio, single spool, turbomachine is utilized. This paper describes the system and related performance, as well as the development and test efforts now being conducted. The initial commercial application of the system will be for Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) of the heavy crudes produced in California.


Author(s):  
T. L. Ragland

After industrial gas turbines have been in production for some amount of time, there is often an opportunity to improve or “uprate” the engine’s output power or cycle efficiency or both. In most cases, the manufacturer would like to provide these uprates without compromising the proven reliability and durability of the product. Further, the manufacturer would like the development of this “Uprate” to be low cost, low risk and result in an improvement in “customer value” over that of the original design. This paper describes several options available for enhancing the performance of an existing industrial gas turbine engine and discusses the implications for each option. Advantages and disadvantages of each option are given along with considerations that should be taken into account in selecting one option over another. Specific options discussed include dimensional scaling, improving component efficiencies, increasing massflow, compressor zero staging, increasing firing temperature (thermal uprate), adding a recuperator, increasing cycle pressure ratio, and converting to a single shaft design. The implications on output power, cycle efficiency, off-design performance engine life or time between overhaul (TBO), engine cost, development time and cost, auxiliary requirements and product support issues are discussed. Several examples are provided where these options have been successfully implemented in industrial gas turbine engines.


Author(s):  
F. L. Robson ◽  
D. J. Seery

The Department of Energy’s Federal Energy Technology Center (FETC) is sponsoring the Combustion 2000 Program aimed at introducing clean and more efficient advanced technology coal-based power systems in the early 21st century. As part of this program, the United Technologies Research Center has assembled a seven member team to identify and develop the technology for a High Performance Power Systems (HIPPS) that will provide in the near term, 47% efficiency (HHV), and meet emission goals only one-tenth of current New Source Performance Standards for coal-fired power plants. In addition, the team is identifying advanced technologies that could result in HIPPS with efficiencies approaching 55% (HHV). The HIPPS is a combined cycle that uses a coal-fired High Temperature Advanced Furnace (HITAF) to preheat compressor discharge air in both convective and radiant heaters. The heated air is then sent to the gas turbine where additional fuel, either natural gas or distillate, is burned to raise the temperature to the levels of modern gas turbines. Steam is raised in the HITAF and in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator for the steam bottoming cycle. With state-of-the-art frame type gas turbines, the efficiency goal of 47% is met in a system with more than two-thirds of the heat input furnished by coal. By using advanced aeroderivative engine technology, HIPPS in combined-cycle and Humid Air Turbine (HAT) cycle configurations could result in efficiencies of over 50% and could approach 55%. The following paper contains descriptions of the HIPPS concept including the HITAF and heat exchangers, and of the various gas turbine configurations. Projections of HIPPS performance, emissions including significant reduction in greenhouse gases are given. Application of HIPPS to repowering is discussed.


1983 ◽  
Vol 105 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-850 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. G. Rice

High-cycle pressure-ratio (38–42) gas turbines being developed for future aircraft and, in turn, industrial applications impose more critical disk and casing cooling and thermal-expansion problems. Additional attention, therefore, is being focused on cooling and the proper selection of materials. Associated blade-tip clearance control of the high-pressure compressor and high-temperature turbine is critical for high performance. This paper relates to the use of extracted steam from a steam turbine as a coolant in a combined cycle to enhance material selection and to control expansion in such a manner that the cooling process increases combined-cycle efficiency, gas turbine output, and steam turbine output.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (4) ◽  
pp. 727-734 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. L. Ragland

After industrial gas turbines have been in production for some amount of time, there is often an opportunity to improve or uprate the engine’s output power, cycle efficiency, or both. Typically, the manufacturer would like to provide these uprates without compromising the proven reliability and durability of the product. Further, the manufacturer would like the development of this uprate to be low cost, low risk, and result in an improvement in customer value over that of the original design. This Paper describes several options available for enhancing the performance of an existing industrial gas turbine engine, and discusses the implications for each option. Advantages and disadvantages of each option are given along with considerations that should be taken into account in selecting one option over another. Specific options discussed include dimensional scaling, improving component efficiencies, increasing massflow compressor zero staging, increasing firing temperature (thermal uprate), adding a recuperator, increasing cycle pressure ratio, and converting to a single shaft design. The implications on output power, cycle efficiency, off-design performance engine life or time between overhaul (TBO), engine cost, development time and cost, auxiliary requirements, and product support issues are discussed. Several examples are provided where these options have been successfully implemented in industrial gas turbine engines.


Author(s):  
A.A. Filimonova ◽  
◽  
N.D. Chichirova ◽  
A.A. Chichirov ◽  
A.A. Batalova ◽  
...  

The article provides an overview of modern high-performance combined-cycle plants and gas turbine plants with waste heat boilers. The forecast for the introduction of gas turbine equipment at TPPs in the world and in Russia is presented. The classification of gas turbines according to the degree of energy efficiency and operational characteristics is given. Waste heat boilers are characterized in terms of design and associated performance and efficiency. To achieve high operating parameters of gas turbine and boiler equipment, it is necessary to use, among other things, modern water treatment equipment. The article discusses modern effective technologies, the leading place among which is occupied by membrane, and especially baromembrane methods of preparing feed water-waste heat boilers. At the same time, the ion exchange technology remains one of the most demanded at TPPs in the Russian Federation.


Materials ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4214
Author(s):  
Kranthi Kumar Maniam ◽  
Shiladitya Paul

The increased demand for high performance gas turbine engines has resulted in a continuous search for new base materials and coatings. With the significant developments in nickel-based superalloys, the quest for developments related to thermal barrier coating (TBC) systems is increasing rapidly and is considered a key area of research. Of key importance are the processing routes that can provide the required coating properties when applied on engine components with complex shapes, such as turbine vanes, blades, etc. Despite significant research and development in the coating systems, the scope of electrodeposition as a potential alternative to the conventional methods of producing bond coats has only been realised to a limited extent. Additionally, their effectiveness in prolonging the alloys’ lifetime is not well understood. This review summarises the work on electrodeposition as a coating development method for application in high temperature alloys for gas turbine engines and discusses the progress in the coatings that combine electrodeposition and other processes to achieve desired bond coats. The overall aim of this review is to emphasise the role of electrodeposition as a potential cost-effective alternative to produce bond coats. Besides, the developments in the electrodeposition of aluminium from ionic liquids for potential applications in gas turbines and the nuclear sector, as well as cost considerations and future challenges, are reviewed with the crucial raw materials’ current and future savings scenarios in mind.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 28
Author(s):  
Emmanuel O. Osigwe ◽  
Arnold Gad-Briggs ◽  
Theoklis Nikolaidis

When selecting a design for an unmanned aerial vehicle, the choice of the propulsion system is vital in terms of mission requirements, sustainability, usability, noise, controllability, reliability and technology readiness level (TRL). This study analyses the various propulsion systems used in unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), paying particular focus on the closed-cycle propulsion systems. The study also investigates the feasibility of using helium closed-cycle gas turbines for UAV propulsion, highlighting the merits and demerits of helium closed-cycle gas turbines. Some of the advantages mentioned include high payload, low noise and high altitude mission ability; while the major drawbacks include a heat sink, nuclear hazard radiation and the shield weight. A preliminary assessment of the cycle showed that a pressure ratio of 4, turbine entry temperature (TET) of 800 °C and mass flow of 50 kg/s could be used to achieve a lightweight helium closed-cycle gas turbine design for UAV mission considering component design constraints.


Author(s):  
P. A. Phillips ◽  
Peter Spear

After briefly summarizing worldwide automotive gas turbine activity, the paper analyses the power plant requirements of a wide range of vehicle applications in order to formulate the design criteria for acceptable vehicle gas turbines. Ample data are available on the thermodynamic merits of various gas turbine cycles; however, the low cost of its piston engine competitor tends to eliminate all but the simplest cycles from vehicle gas turbine considerations. In order to improve the part load fuel economy, some complexity is inevitable, but this is limited to the addition of a glass ceramic regenerator in the 150 b.h.p. engine which is described in some detail. The alternative further complications necessary to achieve satisfactory vehicle response at various power/weight ratios are examined. Further improvement in engine performance will come by increasing the maximum cycle temperature. This can be achieved at lower cost by the extension of the use of ceramics. The paper is intended to stimulate the design application of the gas turbine engine.


2014 ◽  
Vol 971-973 ◽  
pp. 143-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ping Dai ◽  
Shuang Xiu Li

The development of a new generation of high performance gas turbine engines requires gas turbines to be operated at very high inlet temperatures, which are much higher than the allowable metal temperatures. Consequently, this necessitates the need for advanced cooling techniques. Among the numerous cooling technologies, the film cooling technology has superior advantages and relatively favorable application prospect. The recent research progress of film cooling techniques for gas turbine blade is reviewed and basic principle of film cooling is also illustrated. Progress on rotor blade and stationary blade of film cooling are introduced. Film cooling development of leading-edge was also generalized. Effect of various factor on cooling effectiveness and effect of the shape of the injection holes on plate film cooling are discussed. In addition, with respect to progress of discharge coefficient is presented. In the last, the future development trend and future investigation direction of film cooling are prospected.


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