Author(s)

Barinyima Nkoi, Barinaadaa Thaddeus Lebele-Alawa

Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

This paper considers comparative assessment of combined-heat-and-power (CHP) performance of three small-scale aero-derivative industrial gas turbine cycles in the petrochemical industry. The bulk of supposedly waste exhaust heat associated with gas turbine operation has necessitated the need for CHP application for greater fuel efficiency. This would render gas turbine cycles environ-mentally-friendly, and more economical. However, choosing a particular engine cycle option for small-scale CHP requires information about performances of CHP engine cycle options. The investigation encompasses comparative assessment of simple cycle (SC), recuperated (RC), and intercooled-recuperated (ICR) small-scale aero-derivative industrial gas turbines combined-heat-and-power (SS-ADIGT-CHP). Small-scale ADIGT engines of 1.567 MW derived from helicopter gas turbines are herein analysed in combined-heat-and-power (CHP) application. It was found that in this category of ADIGT engines, better CHP efficiency is exhibited by RC and ICR cycles than SC engine. The CHP efficiencies of RC, ICR, and SC small-scale ADIGT-CHP cycles were found to be 71%, 60%, and 56% respectively. Also, RC engine produces the highest heat recovery steam generator (HRSG) duty. The HRSG duties were found to be 3171.3 kW for RC, 2621.6 kW for ICR, and 3063.1 kW for SC. These outcomes would actually meet the objective of aiding informed preliminary choice of small-scale ADIGT engine cycle options for CHP application.

Aero-Derivative Gas Turbines, Combined-Heat-and-Power, Heat Recovery Steam Generator, CHP Efficiency

Nkoi, B. and Lebele-Alawa, B. (2015) Comparative Assessment of Combined-Heat-and-Power Performance of Small-Scale Aero-Derivative Gas Turbine Cycles. Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, 3, 20-32. doi: 10.4236/jpee.2015.39002.