Chapter 2:

Shaft Power Cycles

Comparative performance of practical
cycles
Simple Cycle Performance Analysis (Fig.
2.21)
If component losses are taken into account, the efficiency of the
simple cycle becomes dependent on the max cycle temp (T03) and
the pressure ratio.
For each temp, the efficiency has a peak value at a particular
pressure ratio. The fall in efficiency at higher pressure ratios is
due to the fact that the reduction in fuel supply to give the fixed
turbine inlet temp resulting from higher compressor delivery
temp, is outweighed by the increased work to drive the
compressor.
Although the optimum pressure ratio for max cycle efficiency
differs from that for max specific work output, the curves are
fairly flat near the peak and a pressure ratio between the two
optima can be used without much loss in efficiency.
Simple Cycle Performance Analysis (Fig.
2.21)
The efficiency increases with T03 because the component
losses become relatively less important as the ratio of positive
turbine work to negative compressor work increases,
although the gain in efficiency is only marginal when T 03 is
increased beyond 1200 K (particularly if a higher temp
requires a complex turbine blade cooling system which
incurs additional losses)
With a T03 of 1500 K, and a pressure ratio near the optimum
value, an increase of 5% in polytropic efficiency of either the
compressor or the turbine would increase the cycle efficiency
by about 4% and the specific work output by about 65 kJ/kg.
Simple Cycle Performance Analysis (Fig.
2.21)
A reduction in the combustion chamber pressure loss
from 5% of the compressor delivery pressure to zero
would increase the cycle efficiency by about 1.5% and the
specific work output by about 12 kJ/kg.
The performance of gas turbines is sensitive to ambient
temp. It affects both the compressor work (proportional
to Ta ) and the fuel consumption (function of T 03-T02). An
increase in Ta reduces both specific output and cycle
efficiency although the latter is less affected than the
former because for a given T03 the combustion temp rise
is reduced.
Performance Analysis of heat exchange
(regenerative) cycle
The addition of a heat exchanger causes a slight
reduction in the specific work output due to additional
pressure losses. The specific output curves essentially
retain the same form as in Fig. 2.21, however the cycle
efficiency curves are somewhat different as shown in
Fig. 2.22.
Heat exchange increases the efficiency substantially
while reducing the optimum pressure ratio for max
efficiency.
Performance Analysis of heat exchange
(regenerative) cycle
Performance analysis of reheat and
regenerative cycle
Performance analysis of reheat and
regenerative cycle (cont…)
Performance analysis of reheat and
regenerative cycle (cont…)
The curves of Fig. 2.24 are based on the assumption that the gas
is reheated to the max cycle temp at the point in the expansion
giving equal pressure ratios for the two turbines.
The gain in efficiency due to reheat obtained with the ideal cycle
is not realized in practice, partly because of the additional
pressure loss in the reheat chamber and the inefficiency of the
expansion process, but primarily because the effectiveness of the
heat exchanger is less than unity and the additional energy in the
exhaust gas is not wholly recovered.
It is important to use a pressure ratio not less than the optimum
value for max efficiency, because at lower pressure ratios the
addition of reheat can actually reduce the efficiency as indicated
by the curves.
Performance analysis of reheat and
regenerative cycle (cont…)
Reheat has not been widely used in practice because the
additional combustion chamber and the associated control
problems, can offset the advantage gained from the decrease in
size of the main components consequent from the increase in
the specific output.
Reheat would be considered only if (a) the expansion had to be
split between two turbines for other reasons, and (b) the
additional flexibility of control provided by the reheat fuel
supply was thought to be desirable.
Intercooling has a similar effect on the performance of the ideal
heat exchange cycle as reheat and does not suffer from the same
defects. It provides a marked increase in specific output and a
worthwhile improvement in efficiency.
Performance analysis of reheat and
regenerative cycle (cont…)
Intercoolers tend to be bulky, and if they require cooling
water the self-contained nature of the gas turbine is lost.
The cycle is however attractive for marine applications
because cooling water is readily available from the sea.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Uses a monoatomic gas as a working fluid instead of air.
Unlikely to be widely used but it will be instructive to
quantify some of its advantages.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines (cont…)
For the plant shown in the figure, the following conditions
have been assumed.
 LP compressor inlet temp & pressure: 300 K & 20 bar
 HP compressor inlet temp: 300 K
 Turbine inlet temp: 1100 K
 η∞c=0.89; η∞T=0.88; HX effectiveness = 0.7
 Pressure loss in pre-cooler and intercooler=1% of
component inlet pressure
 Pressure loss in hot and cold sides of HX = 2.5%
 Pressure loss in gas heater = 3%
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines (cont…)
The performance is evaluated over a range of compressor
pressure ratio p04/p01
It is assumed that the compression is split between LP and HP
compressors such that p02/p01=(p04/p01)0.5 ; [This leads to an
approximately equal division of work input].
γair=1.4 ; Cp,air=1.005 kJ/kg.K ; γHe=1.67 ; Cp,He=5.193 kJ/kg.K
At T=300 K & p=20 bar; ρair=23.23 kg/m3 & ρHe=3.207 kg/m3
[molar mass of He=4 kg/kmol]
When comparing specific work output of cycles using fluids of
different density, it is more useful to express it in terms of output
per unit volume flow than per unit mass flow, because the size of
the plant is determined by the former.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Cycle calculation results
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Cycle calculation results analysis
The efficiency curves suggest that the He cycle has a
slightly lower efficiency. More accurate calculations
allowing the variation of Cp & γ for air with temp lead to
almost identical max efficiencies. For He Cp & γ are almost
constant in the range of interest.
However, the heat transfer characteristics of He are better
than those of air. So if a heat exchanger of higher
effectiveness is used, it can improve the efficiency of the
He cycle as shown by the dotted curve in Fig. 2-27 when
the effectiveness is increased from 0.7 to 0.8, the efficiency
increased to 39.5% as compared to 38% for the air cycle.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Heat transfer characteristics
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Heat transfer characteristics (cont.)
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Heat transfer characteristics (cont.)
The heat transfer coefficient for He is almost twice that of
air. This implies that the heat exchanger need to have only
half the surface area of tubing for the same temp
difference, or that a higher effectiveness can be used
economically.
Closed Cycle Gas Turbines
Specific work output
A comparison of the specific work output curves would
reveal information about the relative sizes of the plants.
The comparison is made at the pressure ratios that give max
efficiency, which is 4 for He and 7 for air. Evidently about
45% greater volume flow is required for He than for air for a
given power output. The reason being that under conditions
of max efficiency, in each case the compressor temp rises
and turbine temp drops are similar for He and air, so that the
specific outputs on a mass flow basis are in the ratio
Cph/Cpa=5. The density of He is only 0.138 times that of air,
however, on a volume flow basis the specific output with He
is about 0.7 of that with air.