Thermodynamic Performance Analysis of a Gas Turbine in an Equatorial Rain Forest Environment

Barinaadaa Thaddeus Lebele-Alawa, Vining Jo-Appah

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

DOI: 10.4236/jpee.2015.31002                

Abstract

This paper discusses the thermodynamic analysis of a gas turbine power plant located in the equatorial rainforest of southern Nigeria. Steady state monitoring and direct collection of data from the Mk IV Speedtronics system and log books in the control room was performed. The variation of operating conditions (ambient temperature, compressor discharge temperature, turbine inlet temperature, exhaust temperature and fuel mass flow rate) on the performance of gas turbine (thermal efficiency, net power output, heat rate, specific fuel consumption and compressor work) were investigated using various thermodynamic relations and equations. The results show that a degree rise in ambient temperature could be responsible for the following: 1.37% reduction in the net power output, 1.48% increase in power drop, 1.49% reduction in thermal efficiency, 2.16% increase in heat rate, 2.17% increase in specific fuel consumption and 0.3% increase in compressor work. Furthermore the thermal efficiency decreases by 0.006% for 1 kcal/kWh increase in heat rate and the heat transfer in the hot gas part was found to increase by 0.16% for a degree rise in ambient temperature. Also the work reveals that the gas turbine had a huge drop in power due to influence of site parameters in contrast to designed data.

Keywords

Gas-Turbine, Thermal Efficiency, Power, Compressor Work, Specific Fuel Consumption, Heat Rate, Combustion

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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