Design of a Family of Packages for a 7500-kW Industrial Gas Turbine

When a new large gas turbine engine is developed for use in economically sensitive environments, it is necessary to make careful trade-off decisions on such potentially conflicting requirements as: ruggedness versus weight, high aerodynamic efficiency versus low first cost, efficient high firing temperatures versus air quality standards and long life, etc. Similarly, the equipment to be driven by the gas turbine must also be carefully selected and developed for optimum application. In addition to the above, it is the task of the package to integrate the primary machinery and all of its supporting systems into a single cohesive, product. Therefore, similar sound technical, functional, and economic evaluations must be made for fuel, lubricating, gas sealing, control systems, and the physical arrangement of the package itself. Sound application of the fundamental concepts of reliability, redundancy, and safety are essential to the successful operation of these systems, which must meet life criteria of 30,000 hr or more of continuous operation without major maintenance. All turbine systems are automatic and are frequently called upon to operate remotely in marine, desert, and arctic environments. The ability of such systems to respond to a variety of electronic load and speed signals predictably and accurately is essential to the acceptance of the gas turbine in industrial application. Efficient, effective, and reliable monitoring systems, which will sense essential operating parameters and act to protect the major equipment from catastrophic failure, must themselves be selected for reliability, accuracy, and endurance. The combination of all of the above forms the essence of design criteria for gas turbine packages.