526 Chapter 9 Gas Power Systems
9.8.1
Gas Turbines with Reheat
For metallurgical reasons, the temperature of the gaseous combustion products enter-
ing the turbine must be limited. This temperature can be controlled by providing air
in excess of the amount required to burn the fuel in the combustor (see Chap. 13).
As a consequence, the gases exiting the combustor contain sufficient air to support
the combustion of additional fuel. Some gas turbine power plants take advantage of
the excess air by means of a multistage turbine with a reheat combustor between the
stages. With this arrangement the net work per unit of mass flow can be increased.
Let us consider reheat from the vantage point of an air-standard analysis.
The basic features of a two-stage gas turbine with reheat are brought out by con-
sidering an ideal air-standard Brayton cycle modified as shown in Fig. 9.16. After
expansion from state 3 to state a in the first turbine, the gas is reheated at constant
pressure from state a to state b. The expansion is then completed in the second tur-
bine from state b to state 4. The ideal Brayton cycle without reheat, 1–2–3–49–1, is
shown on the same T–s diagram for comparison. Because lines of constant pressure
on a T–s diagram diverge slightly with increasing entropy, the total work of the two-
stage turbine is greater than that of a single expansion from state 3 to state 49. Thus,
the net work for the reheat cycle is greater than that of the cycle without reheat.
Despite the increase in net work with reheat, the cycle thermal efficiency would not
necessarily increase because a greater total heat addition would be required. How-
ever, the temperature at the exit of the turbine is higher with reheat than without
reheat, so the potential for regeneration is enhanced.
When reheat and regeneration are used together, the thermal efficiency can
increase significantly. The following example provides an illustration.
reheat
c c c c EXAMPLE 9.8 c
Determining Thermal Efficiency of a Brayton Cycle
with Reheat and Regeneration
Consider a modification of the cycle of Example 9.4 involving reheat and regeneration. Air enters the compres-
sor at 100 kPa, 300 K and is compressed to 1000 kPa. The temperature at the inlet to the first turbine stage is
1400 K. The expansion takes place isentropically in two stages, with reheat to 1400 K between the stages at a
constant pressure of 300 kPa. A regenerator having an effectiveness of 100% is also incorporated in the cycle.
Determine the thermal efficiency.
SOLUTION
Known:
An ideal air-standard gas turbine cycle operates with reheat and regeneration. Temperatures and pres-
sures at principal states are specified.
Fig. 9.16
Ideal gas turbine with reheat.
Reheat
combustor
Turbine
stage 2
Q
·
in
W
·
cycle
Q
·
in
Combustor
Turbine
stage 1
Compressor
T
s
3
b
a
4
4′
1
2
a b
41
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