GAS TURBINE POWER PLANT CYCLE Air is first compressed adiabatically in process a-b, it then enters the combustion

chamber where fuel is injected and burned essentially at constant pressure in process b-c, and then the products of combustion expand in the turbine to the ambient pressure in the process c-d and are thrown out to the surroundings. The cycle is open.

BRAYTON CYCLE The Brayton Cycle is the air standard cycle for the gas turbine power plant. Here air is first compressed reversibly and adiabatically, heat is added to it reversibly at constant pressure, air expands in the turbine reversibly and adiabatically, and heat is then rejected from the air reversibly at constant pressure to bring it to the initial state.

A closed cycle gas turbine plant is used in a gas-cooled nuclear reactor plant, where the source is a high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) supplying heat from nuclear fission directly to the working fluid (a gas). Comparison between Brayton Cycle and Rankine Cycle I. Both Rankine and Brayton cycle consist of two reversible isobars and two reversible adiabatics. II. While in Rankine cycle, the working fluid undergoes phase change, in Brayton cycle the working fluid always remains in the gaseous phase. III. Both the pump and steam turbine in the case of Rankine cycle, and the compressor and the gas turbine in the case of Brayton cycle operate through the same pressure difference of p1 and p2. IV. All are steady flow machines and the work transfer is given by v dp + c. V. For Brayton cycle, the average specific volume of air handled by the compressor is less than the same of gas in the gas turbine (since the gas temperature is much higher), the work done by the gas turbine is more than the work input to the compressor, so that there is Wnet available to deliver. VI. In the case of Rankine cycle, the specific volume of water in the pump is much less than that of the steam expanding in the steam turbine, so WT >> WP. Therefore, steam power plants are more popular than the gas turbine plants for electricity generation. Effect of Regeneration on Brayton Cycle Efficiency The efficiency of the Brayton cycle can be increased by utilizing part of the energy of the exhaust gas from the turbine in heating up the air leaving the compressor in a heat exchanger called a regenerator, thereby reducing the amount of heat supplied from an external source and also the amount of heat rejected.

I. The temperature of air leaving the turbine at 5 is higher than that of air leaving the compressor at 2. In the regenerator, the temperature of air leaving the compressor is raised by heat transfer from the turbine exhaust. II. The maximum temperature to which the cold air at 2 could be heated is the temperature of the hot air leaving the turbine at 5. This is possible only in an infinite heat exchanger. In the real case, temperature at 3 is less than that at 5. III. The ratio of the actual temperature rise of air to the maximum possible rise is called the effectiveness of the regenerator. For this case, , Effectiveness = (t3 t2) / (t5 t2) IV. When the regenerator is used in the idealized cycle, the heat supplied and the heat rejected are each reduced by the same amount, Qx. The mean temperature of heat addition increases and the mean temperature of heat rejection decreases because of the use of the regenerator. The efficiency is increased as a result, but the work output of the cycle remains unchanged. V. In practice the regenerator is costly, heavy and bulky, and causes pressure losses which bring about a decrease in cycle efficiency. These factors have to be balanced against the gain in efficiency to decide whether it is worthwhile to use the regenerator. VI. Above a certain pressure ratio (p2 / p1) the addition of a regenerator causes a loss in cycle efficiency when compared to the original Brayton cycle. In this situation the compressor discharge temperature (T2) is higher than the turbine exhaust temperature (T5). The compressed air will thus be cooled in the regenerator and the exhaust gas will be heated. As a result both the heat supply and heat rejected are increased. However, the compressor and turbine works remain unchanged. So, the cycle efficiency (Wnet / Q1) decreases.

Effect of Irreversibilities in Turbine and Compressor I. The Brayton cycle is highly sensitive to the real machine efficiencies of the turbine and the compressor. Figure shows the actual and ideal expansion and compression processes.

II. Turbine efficiency, T = (h3 h4) / (h3 h4s) = (T3 T4) / (T3 T4s) Compressor efficiency, C = (h2s h1) / (h2 h1) = (T2s T1) / (T2 T1) Wnet = WT WC = (h3 h4) (h2 h1) Q1 = (h3 h2) and Q2 = (h4 h1) III. The net output is reduced by the amount [(h4 h4s) + (h2 h2s)], and the heat supplied is reduced by the amount (h2 h2s). The efficiency of the cycle will thus be less than that of the ideal cycle. IV. As T and C decrease, cycle also decreases. The cycle efficiency may approach zero even when T and C are of the order of 60 to 70%. This is the main drawback of a gas turbine power plant. The machines have to be highly efficient to obtain reasonable cycle efficiency.

Effect of Pressure Ratio on the Brayton Cycle I. The efficiency of the Brayton cycle is a function of the pressure ratio as given by the equation = 1 [1 / (rp) ( 1) / ] The more the pressure ratio, the more will be the efficiency. II. The average temperature of heat addition is Tm1 = (h3 h2) / (s3 s2) The average temperature of heat rejection is Tm2 = (h4 h1) / (s4 s1) III. At the lower limit of unity pressure ratio, both work output and efficiency will be zero. IV. As the pressure ratio is increased, the efficiency steadily increases, because Tm1 increases and Tm2 decreases. The mean pressure of heat addition Tm1 approaches Tmax and the mean temperature of heat rejection Tm2 approaches Tmin with the increase in rp. V. In the limit when the compression process ends at T max the Carnot efficiency is reached, rp has the maximum value (rp max), but the work capacity again becomes zero. VI. When rp = rp max the cycle efficiency is given by = 1 [1 / (rp max) ( 1) / ] = Carnot = 1 [T min / T max] VII. The work capacity of the cycle operating between T max and T min is zero when rp = 1, passes through a maximum and then again becomes zero when the Carnot efficiency is reached. There is an optimum value of pressure ratio (rp) opt at which work capacity becomes a maximum. VIII. To obtain a reasonable work capacity, a certain reduction in efficiency must be accepted. (rp) opt = ( rp max) (Wnet) max = Cp ( T max - T min) 2 Cycle = 1 [1 / (rp opt) ( 1) / ] = 1- (T min / T max)

BRAYTON RANKINE COMBINED CYCLE I. A gas turbine power plant operating on Brayton cycle has certain disadvantages like:- Large compressor work Large exhaust loss Sensitivity to machine inefficiencies Relatively lower cycle efficiency Costly fuel Due to these factors, the cost of power generation by a stationary gas turbine in a utility system is high. II. However, a gas turbine plant offers certain advantages also, such as:- Less installation cost Less installation time Quick starting and stopping Fast response to load changes So, a gas turbine plant is often used as a peaking unit for certain hours of the day, when the energy demand is high. III. To utilize the high temperature exhaust and to raise its plant efficiency a gas turbine may be used in conjunction with a steam turbine plant to offer the gas turbine advantages of quick starting and stopping and permit flexible operation of the combined plant over a wide range of loads. IV. The overall efficiency of the combined plant is = 1 + 2 12 Where 1 and 2 are the efficiencies of the Brayton cycle and Rankine cycle, respectively. V. The overall efficiency of the plant is:- = (WnetGT + WnetST) / Q1 Q1 = wf X C.V. Where wf is the fuel burning rate. VI. Some of the advantages of combined gas steam cycles are:- High overall efficiency Low investment cost Less water requirement Large operating flexibility Phased installation Low environmental impact