Requirements for and Operation of a Jet Engine Driven Electrical Generating Plant (70 MW) Sequenced and Controlled for System Peaking and Frequency Change in Venezuela

Arrangement and control features and operating results of a plant designed for unattended automatic operation through load and mode changes including dual frequency, dual fuel, synchronous compensation and isolated start.

Advanced Control System Considerations for Small Shaft-Type Aircraft Gas Turbines

The next generation of free-turbine engines in the 2 to 5-lb/sec airflow class will undergo vast improvements in performance and efficiency. The improvements will be achieved concurrent with overall reductions in size and weight. Effort is required at optimization and miniaturization of the engine control system to keep pace with these improvements. This paper describes a conceptual design of an advanced engine control system for this class of engine. It provides gas generator and power turbine control with torque, temperature, load sharing and overspeed limiting functions. The control system was concepted to accommodate, with minimum hardware changes, such variants as regenerative cycle and/or variable power turbine geometry. In addition, considerations for closed and open loop modes of control and fluidic, electronic and hydromechanical technologies were studied to best meet a defined specification and a weighted set of evaluation criteria.

The Use of Fire Tunnel Test Techniques in the Design of Concorde Powerplant

In the very early design phases of Concorde Powerplant it was realized that the high airflows passing through the engine bay would pose significant problems in terms of the precautions necessary to withstand and extinguish fires within the powerplant. A better understanding of the conditions existing in the bay during fires would produce a rational approach to the problem for both the designer and the certifying authority. In order to obtain extensive coverage of all flight conditions it was necessary to depart from current practice and to construct a simulation of the engine and its environment thereby allowing a large number of tests to be carried out. Using this rig it has been possible, not only to prove the means of detection and extinguishing throughout the flight plan, but to obtain a considerable amount of generalized data for use in component design specifications.

Gas Turbine Applications in the U.S. Electric Utility Industry

This paper presents the general planning economics and types of applications for the gas (combustion) turbine generating plants in the U.S. electric utility industry. A typical generation planning study indicates 10 to 20 percent of new generation additions can economically be peaking type units. General observations of gas turbine operating requirements and practices are presented for existing gas turbine applications.

World’s Largest Single-Shaft Gas Turbine Installation

A unique 63,000-kw gas and steam turbine generator has been successfully integrated into a power plant to provide base load electric power and heat feedwater for existing boilers. The unit combined the world’s largest single-shaft gas turbine prototype with innovations of supercharging and a 20,000-kw steam turbine helper on the same shaft. The system, now a part of a Dow Chemical Power Plant in Freeport, Texas, had some minor problems mainly with the prototype turbine and has been in successful base load service since January, 1969.

Power Recovery From Gas Turbines: A Review of the Limitations, and an Evaluation of the Use of “Organic” Working Fluids

Gas-turbine waste heat appears to be a valuable source of energy, yet the number of installations in which this energy is utilized is minimal. The reasons for this are reviewed and a typical nonafterburning cycle is examined for both steam and an “organic” working fluid. The power level range over which each is attractive is obtained, and the costs of each are compared on a relative basis.

Fire Detection Technology for Turbine-Powered Transportation

The problems of providing a fire and overheat detection system for turbine-powered vehicles must be solved during the design phase of the vehicle. In order to accomplish this goal the vehicle design engineer must be aware of the basic constraints involved in the application of fire detection technology. This paper presents a condensed method for understanding, designing and evaluating fire and overheat detection systems. Advanced concepts and technologies such as optical redundancy and high temperature ultraviolet sensors are discussed. Performance of fire and overheat detection systems designed using this approach will provide maximum safety for those using the vehicles, as well as those in its operational envelope.

Reduction of Low Power Smoke Emission From an Industrial Gas Turbine Engine

In certain applications, gas turbine engines used for stationary or marine power must on occasion operate in a power range far below normal engine idle speed. At this low power range, conditions are least favorable for good combustor performance. As a result, operation at these conditions with heavy distillate fuels may result in the emission of white acrid smoke from the engine exhaust stacks. Concern over this situation by the authors’ company prompted the initiation of a burner rig program to determine the effect of fuel atomization and stratification on combustion stability, combustion efficiency, and quantity of “white” smoke emission. The program test results indicated that the white smoke at low idle conditions can be eliminated or at least substantially reduced, with no deterioration in performance or smoke at high power, by increasing the local fuel air ratio within the burner front end and by improving fuel atomization.

Measurements on a Blast-Furnace-Gas and Oil-Fired Combustion Chamber of a 17.25-MWe Closed-Cycle Gas Turbine Plant

The paper discusses the present stage of development of combustion chambers for fossil-fired closed-cycle gas turbines, describing West Germany’s “Gelsenkirchen” plant which can be operated with blast-furnace gas and fuel oil with any desired ratio of gas to oil. The output data and the efficiency of this plant are illustrated by test results. In the development and construction of fossil-fired closed-cycle gas turbine plants, the gas heater presents the greatest difficulties and is the most expensive part of the plant. Therefore, very detailed measurements were taken to determine the total heat absorption in the combustion chamber and its local distribution over the length of the chamber. The results obtained are compared with previous measurements at a smaller plant, the mine-gas and pulverized-coal fired “Haus Aden” plant.

Experimental Performance in Annular Cascade of Variable Trailing-Edge Flap, Axial-Flow Compressor Inlet Guide Vanes

Aerodynamic performance of a variable-geometry axial-flow compressor inlet guide vane configuration for a gas turbine unit was determined in a series of annular cascade tests. The variable-geometry vanes used uncambered, symmetrical airfoil sections as the basic blade profile with the rear 70 percent of the vane profile movable as a trailing-edge flap. Vane flap mechanical setting angles of 0 to 50 deg measured from the axial direction were possible, and performance parameters were determined over this range of angles. Turning angles followed a general trend obtained with Carter’s rule for accelerating cascades with the presently measured values tending to be lower than those obtained with Carter’s rule at higher setting angles. For large camber angles (greater than 35 deg) zero-incidence blade element total-pressure loss coefficients for the 50 percent passage location of the flapped vanes tested were higher than those that might have been obtained with a continously cambered vane row of the same solidity and camber.