510 Chapter 9
Gas Power Systems
pressure. The air then enters a combustion chamber, or combustor, where it is mixed
with fuel and combustion occurs, resulting in combustion products at an elevated
temperature. The combustion products expand through the turbine and are subse-
quently discharged to the surroundings. Part of the turbine work developed is used
to drive the compressor; the remainder is available to generate electricity, to propel
a vehicle, or for other purposes.
In the closed mode pictured in Fig. 9.8b, the working fluid receives an energy input
by heat transfer from an external source, for example a gas-cooled nuclear reactor.
The gas exiting the turbine is passed through a heat exchanger, where it is cooled
prior to reentering the compressor.
An idealization often used in the study of open gas turbine power plants is that
of an air-standard analysis. In an air-standard analysis two assumptions are always
made:
c The working fluid is air, which behaves as an ideal gas.
c The temperature rise that would be brought about by combustion is accomplished
by a heat transfer from an external source.
With an air-standard analysis, we avoid dealing with the complexities of the com-
bustion process and the change of composition during combustion. Accordingly, an
air-standard analysis simplifies study of gas turbine power plants considerably, but
numerical values calculated on this basis may provide only qualitative indications of
power plant performance. Still, we can learn important aspects of gas turbine opera-
tion using an air-standard analysis; see Sec. 9.6 for further discussion supported by
solved examples.
air-standard analysis:
gas turbines
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT Natural gas is widely used for power
generation by gas turbines, industrial and home heating, and chemical processing.
The versatility of natural gas is matched by its relative abundance in North
America, including natural gas extracted from deep-water ocean sites and shale deposits.
Pipeline delivery of natural gas across the nation and from Canada has occurred for decades.
Importation by ship from countries such as Trinidad, Algeria, and Norway is a more recent
development.
Turning natural gas into liquid is the only practical way to import supplies from overseas.
The liquefied natural gas (LNG) is stored in tanks onboard ships at about 21638C (22608F). To
reduce heat transfer to the cargo LNG from outside sources, the tanks are insulated and the
ships have double hulls with ample space between them. Still, a fraction of the cargo evaporates
during long voyages. Such boil-off gas is commonly used to fuel the ship’s propulsion system
and meet other onboard energy needs. When tankers arrive at their destinations, LNG is con-
verted to gas by heating it. The gas is then sent via pipeline to storage tanks onshore for dis-
tribution to customers.
Shipboard delivery of LNG has some minuses. Owing to cumulative effects during the LNG
delivery chain, considerable exergy is destroyed and lost in liquefying gas at the beginning of the
chain, transporting LNG by ship, and regasifying it when port is reached. If comparatively warm
seawater is used to regasify LNG, environmentalists worry about the effect on aquatic life nearby.
Many observers are also concerned about safety, especially when huge quantities of gas are
stored at ports in major urban areas. Some say it would be better to use domestic supplies more
efficiently than run such risks.
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