4 An Overview of Gas Turbines Available to Purchase

The gas turbine is a power plant that produces a great amount of energy for its size and weight. The gas turbine has found increasing service in the past 15 years in the power and petrochemical industry throughout the world. Its compactness, low weight and multiple fuel application make it a natural power plant in all applications, from power plants to offshore platforms. Today, there are gas turbines which run on natural gas, diesel fuel, naphtha, methane, crude, low-Btu gases, vaporized fuel oils, and even waste.

The last 20 years has seen a large growth in gas turbine technology. The growth is spearheaded by the growth of materials technology, new coatings, and new cooling schemes. This, with the conjunction of increase in compressor pressure ratio, has increased the gas turbine thermal efficiency from about 15% to over 45%.

The advanced gas turbines are operating at very high pressure ratios and very high firing temperatures, ensuring high performance of power and efficiency. These turbines are pushing the envelope of technology in the areas of material science and aerodynamics to their limit. The new gas turbines are the basis of the growth of combined cycle power plant and will be the power for most of the first half of the new millennium. Exceeding efficiencies of over 45%, these turbines in a combined cycle mode reach plant efficiencies of nearly 60%. Since fuel costs are nearly 75% of the life cycle cost of a plant, these new advanced gas turbines are here to stay and will be in large demand.