Visvesvaraya Technological University

Belgaum, Karnataka

A SEMINAR REPORT ON

MICRO GAS TURBINES

Submitted
In partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of the Degree of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING
IN

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
By Suchir Patil USN: 1BH10ME015 Under the guidance of Asst. Prof. Ravi Kumar

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Bangalore Technological Institute, Bangalore-35

Visvesvaraya Technological University

Belgaum, Karnataka

Bangalore Technological Institute Bangalore 35 Department of Mechanical Engineering

CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the Seminar work entitled Micro Gas Turbine is submitted by Suchir Patil bearing USN 1BH10ME015 in partial fulfilments for the 8th semester Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical of the Visvesvaraya Technological University, Belgaum during the year 2013-2014. The Seminar has been approved as it satisfies the academic requirements in respect of Technical Seminar prescribed for the Bachelor of Engineering Degree.

Signature of Guide Mr. Ravi Kumar Asst. Professor (Dept. Mech Engg.)

Signature of HOD Prof. Anandan K HOD (Dept. Mech Engg.)

Abstract
Micro gas turbines or microturbines are small combustion gas turbines with outputs of 1kW to 500kW. Microturbine are a relatively new distributed generation technology being used for stationary energy generation applications. They are a type of combustion turbine that produces both heat and electricity and offer several potential advantages compared to other technologies for smallscale power generation, including a small number of moving parts, compact size, lightweight, greater efficiency, lower emissions, lower electricity costs, and opportunities to utilize waste fuels. Micro gas turbine engine are one of the most promising technologies for powering hybrid electric vehicles and small micro systems.

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Acknowledgement

I take this opportunity to express my profound gratitude and deep regards to my guide Asst Prof. Ravi Kumar for his exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this report. The blessing, help and guidance given by him time to time shall carry me a long way in the journey of life on which I am about to embark. I also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to our Head of Department Prof. Anandan and staff members for their cordial support, valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing this task through various stages. I am obliged to Bangalore Technological Institute, for providing facilities in all the respective fields. I am grateful for it during the period of my assignment. Lastly, I thank almighty, my parents, brother, sisters and friends for their constant encouragement without which this assignment would not be possible.

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CONTENTS
Abstract...i Acknowledgement.ii
Contents...iii List of Figures and Tables Introduction1 Chapter 1: GAS TURBINE 1.1 Gas Turbine ...................................................................................................... 2 1.2 Types of Turbine...2 1.3 Gas Turbine Cycle. ... 2 Chapter 2: MICRO GAS TURBINE 2.1 Micro Turbine. .. 4 2.2 Types of Micro Turbine.5 2.3 Characteristics of Micro Turbine.. 6 2.4 Thermodynamic Heat Cycle..6 2.5 Components of Micro Gas Turbine ..7 Chapter 3: WORKING OF MGT .................................................................................. 9 Chapter 4: Advantages and Disadvantages..11 Chapter 5: Economic Aspects and Overview. ... 12 Chapter 6: Applications..13 Chapter 7: Conclusion 14 References.15

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List of Figures

Figure 1.1-------------------------------------------------Gas Turbine

Figure 1.2-------------------------------------------------Idealized Brayton Cycle

Figure 2.1-------------------------------------------------Micro Gar Turbine

Figure 2.2-------------------------------------------------Recuperated Microturbine

Figure 2.3 ------------------------------------------------Components of Micro Gas Turbine

Figure 3.1------------------------------------------------ Working of Micro Gas Turbine

Figure 3.3------------------------------------------------ Schematic Working of MGT

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Introduction
As energy demands increase, the associated costs also increase with demand, newer energy alternatives are becoming more important to society. Also consumers want an uninterrupted and economical electric power. Recently, distributed generation (DG) has become an attractive method of providing electricity to consumers and retailers. Thus microturbine is the prospective for the current era. Micro gas turbine is the miniature of the gas turbine used to power micro systems. A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a type of internal combustion engine. Micro gas turbine engine designs usually consist of a single stage radial compressor, a single stage radial turbine, combustion chamber in between and a recuperator. The microturbine provides input mechanical energy for the generator system which is converted by a generator to electrical energy. The electrical energy is later converted to normal supply frequency. They are also known as: Turbo alternators, Turbogenerator. Microturbines are touted to become widespread in distributed power and combined heat and power applications. They are one of the most promising technologies for powering hybrid electric vehicles. They range from hand held units producing less than a kilowatt, to commercial sized systems that produce tens or hundreds of kilowatts. Basic principles of microturbine are based on micro combustion. The microturbine generators come under Distributed Energy Resources. These devices enable renewable energies utilization and more efficient utilization of waste heat in combined heat and power (CHP) applications thus lowering emissions and increasing the overall efficiency. As microturbines dont have reciprocating parts, there is no need of lubricating and all. Some of them even utilize air bearings and air cooling, thereby completely eliminating the need to change and dispose of hazardous liquid lubricants and coolants. In any case, microturbines are similar to major power plants, able to run for extended periods at full power output, and require little scheduled maintenance compared with traditional reciprocating engine generators of similar size. This makes them ideal for stationary prime power applications. The combustion process in a microturbine is c

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Chapter 1 Gas Turbine

1.1 Gas Turbine

A gas turbine is a rotating engine that extracts energy from a flow of combustion gases that result from the ignition of compressed air and a fuel (either a gas or liquid, most commonly natural gas). It has an upstream compressor module coupled to a downstream turbine module, and a combustion chamber(s) module (with igniter[s]) in between (Figure: 1.1). Energy is added to the gas stream in the combustor, where air is mixed with fuel and ignited. Combustion increases the temperature, velocity, and volume of the gas flow. This is directed through a nozzle over the turbines blades, spinning the turbine and powering the compressor. Energy is extracted in the form of shaft power, compressed air, and thrust, in any combination, and used to power aircraft, trains, ships, generators, and even tanks.

1.2 Types of Gas Turbine

There are different types of gas turbines. Some of them are named below: 1. Aero derivatives and jet engines 2. Amateur gas turbines 3. Industrial gas turbines for electrical generation 4. Radial gas turbines 5. Scale jet engines 6. Micro turbines The main focus of this paper is the study of micro gas turbine.

1.3 Gas Turbine Cycle

The simplest gas turbine follows the Brayton cycle (Figure 1.2). In a closed cycle (i.e., the working fluid is not released to the atmosphere), air is compressed isentropically, combustion occurs at DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BTI 2

MICRO GAS TURBINE constant pressure, and expansion over the turbine occurs isentropically back to the starting pressure. As with all heat engine cycles, higher combustion temperature (the common industry reference is turbine inlet temperature) means greater efficiency. The limiting factor is the ability of the steel, ceramic, or other materials that make up the engine to withstand heat and pressure. Considerable design/manufacturing engineering goes into keeping the turbine parts cool. Most turbines also try to recover exhaust heat, which otherwise is wasted energy. Recuperator are heat exchangers that pass exhaust heat to the compressed air, prior to combustion. Combined-cycle designs pass waste heat to steam turbine systems, and combined heat and power (i.e., cogeneration) uses waste heat for hot water production. Mechanically, gas turbines can be considerably less complex than internal combustion piston engines. Simple turbines might have one moving part: the shaft/compressor/ turbine/alternator-rotor assembly, not counting the fuel system. More sophisticated turbines may have multiple shafts (spools), hundreds of turbine blades, movable stator blades, and a vast system of complex piping, combustors, and heat exchangers.

Figure 1.1 Gas Turbine

Figure 1.2- Idealized Brayton Cycle DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BTI 3

MICRO GAS TURBINE

Chapter 2 Micro Gas Turbine

2.1 Micro turbine

Micro turbines are small combustion turbines with outputs of 25 kW to 500 kW. They evolved from automotive and truck turbochargers, auxiliary power units (APUs) for airplanes, and small jet engines. Micro turbines are a relatively new distributed generation technology being used for stationary energy generation applications. They are a type of combustion turbine that produces both heat and electricity on a relatively small scale. A micro gas turbine engine consists of a radial inflow turbine, a centrifugal compressor, combustor and a recuperator. The micro turbine is one of the critical components in a micro gas turbine engine, since it is used for outputting power as well as for rotating the compressor. Micro turbines are becoming widespread for distributed power and combined heat and power applications. They are one of the most promising technologies for powering hybrid electric vehicles. They range from hand held units producing less than a kilowatt, to commercial sized systems that produce tens or hundreds of kilowatts. Part of their success is due to advances in electronics, which allows unattended operation and interfacing with the commercial power grid. Electronic power switching technology eliminates the need for the generator to be synchronized with the power grid. This allows the generator to be integrated with the turbine shaft, and to double as the starter motor. They accept most commercial fuels, such as gasoline, natural gas, propane, diesel, and kerosene as well as renewable fuels such as E85, biodiesel and biogas.

Figure 2.1 Micro Gas Turbine DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BTI 4

MICRO GAS TURBINE

2.2 Types of Micro turbine

Micro turbines are classified by the physical arrangement of the component parts: Single shaft or two-shaft, Simple cycle, or recuperated, Inter-cooled, and reheat.

The machines generally rotate over 40,000 revolutions per minute. The bearing selectionoil or airis dependent on usage. A single shaft micro turbine with high rotating speeds of 90,000 to 120,000 revolutions per minute is the more common design, as it is simpler and less expensive to build. Conversely, the split shaft is necessary for machine drive applications, which does not require an inverter to change the frequency of the AC power. Generally the Micro gas turbine is classified into: Unrecuperated (or simple cycle) microturbines: In a simple cycle, or

unrecuperated, turbine, compressed air is mixed with fuel and burned under constant pressure conditions. The resulting hot gas is allowed to expand through a turbine to perform work. Simple cycle microturbines have lower efficiencies at around 15%, but also lower capital costs, higher reliability, and more heat available for cogeneration applications than recuperated units. Recuperated microturbines: (figure 2.2) Recuperated units use a sheet-metal heat exchanger that recovers some of the heat from an exhaust stream and transfers it to the incoming air stream, boosting the temperature of the air stream supplied to the combustor. Further exhaust heat recovery can be used in a cogeneration configuration. The figures below illustrate a recuperated microturbine system. The fuel-energy-to-electrical-conversion efficiencies are in the range of 20 to 30%. In addition, recuperated units can produce 30 to 40% fuel savings from preheating.

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Figure 2.2: Recuperated microturbines

2.3 Characteristics of Micro turbine

Some of the primary characteristics for micro turbines include: Distributed generationstand-alone, on-site applications remote from power grids Quality power and reliabilityreduced frequency variations, voltage transients, surges, dips, or other disruptions Stand-by powerused in the event of an outage, as a back-up to the electric grid Peak shavingthe use of micro turbines during times when electric use and demand charges are high Boost powerboost localized generation capacity and on more remote grids Low-cost energythe use of micro turbines as base load or primary power that is less expensive to produce locally than it is to purchase from the electric utility Combined heat and power (cogeneration)increases the efficiency of on-site power generation by using the waste heat for existing thermal process.

2.4 Thermodynamic Heat Cycle

In principle, micro turbines and larger gas turbines operate on the same thermodynamic heat cycle, the Brayton cycle. In this cycle, atmospheric air is compressed, heated at constant pressure, and then expanded, with the excess power produced by the expander (also called the turbine) consumed by the compressor used to generate electricity. The power produced by an expansion turbine and consumed by a compressor is proportional to the absolute temperature of the gas passing through DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BTI 6

MICRO GAS TURBINE those devices. Higher expander inlet temperature and pressure ratios result in higher efficiency and specific power. Higher pressure ratios increase efficiency and specific power until an optimum pressure ratio is achieved, beyond which efficiency and specific power decrease. The optimum pressure ratio is considerably lower when a recuperator is used. Consequently, for good power and efficiency, it is advantageous to operate the expansion turbine at the highest practical inlet temperature consistent with economic turbine blade materials and to operate the compressor with inlet air at the lowest temperature possible. The general trend in gas turbine advancement has been toward a combination of higher temperatures and pressures. However, micro turbine inlet temperatures are generally limited to 1750F or below to enable the use of relatively inexpensive materials for the turbine wheel and recuperator. For recuperated turbines, the optimum pressure ratio for best efficiency is usually less than 4:1.

2.5 Components of Micro Gas Turbine

The basic components of a micro turbine are the compressor, turbine, generator, and recuperator (Figure 2-1). The heart of the micro turbine is the compressor-turbine package, which is most commonly mounted on a single shaft along with the electric generator. The single shaft is supported by two (or more) high-speed bearings. Because single-shaft turbines have only one moving shaft, they have the potential for lower maintenance and higher reliability than turbines with two or more shafts. There are also two-shaft versions of the micro turbine, in which the turbine on the first shaft only drives the compressor while a second power turbine on a second shaft drives a gearbox and conventional electric generator producing 60 or 50 Hz of power. Moderate- to large-sized gas turbines use multistage axial flow compressors and turbines, in which the gas flows parallel to the axis of the shaft and then is compressed and expanded in multiple stages. Most current micro turbines are based on single-stage radial flow compressors and either single- or double-stage turbines. 2.51 Generator and Gearbox The standard power package incorporates a single-stage helical gear set to transfer power from the turbine to the 3600 RPM generator. The gear and bearing life exceed one million hours. A commercial 2-pole 3600 RPM induction generator is used. The life of 160,000 hours can be obtained. The generator has been conservatively selected and operates in a cool, clean, low-vibration environment. For cold weather and extended Microturbines peaking-power operation, a higher power rated generator can be provided. An optional synchronous generator can also be substituted for grid-isolated operation.

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MICRO GAS TURBINE 2.52 Recuperator Recuperator is a heat exchanger which transfers heat from the exhaust gas to the discharge air before it enters the combustor to reduce the amount of fuel required to raise the discharge air temperature to that required by the turbine. 2.53 Turbine There are two kinds of turbines, high speed single shaft turbine and split shaft turbines. All are small gas turbine. Turbine systems are of De Laval type.

Figure 2.3: Components of Micro Gas Turbine

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Chapter 3 Working of MGT

General working of a Micro Gas Turbine In typical micro turbines, the cycle is similar to that of a conventional gas turbine. It consists of the following processes: Inlet air is compressed in a radial (centrifugal) compressor, then Preheated in the recuperator using heat from the turbine exhaust. Heated air from the recuperator is mixed with fuel in the combustor and burned.

Figure 3.1: Working of Micro Gas Turbine The hot combustion gas is then expanded in one or more turbine sections, which produces rotating mechanical power to drive the compressor and the electric generator. The recuperator efficiency is the key to whether a particular micro turbine is economically viable. By comparison, in a conventional gas turbine, the gas flow path is as follows: compressed air from the compressor (more air mass can be introduced by inter-cooling) is burned with fuel. Gaseous products expand through the turbine section (where more power can be extracted by reheating the gaseous products). Exhaust gases can provide waste heat recovery or cogeneration potential, as those gases may produce steam to drive a steam turbine, may be led into a greenhouse system, or may optimize DEPT. OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING, BTI 9

MICRO GAS TURBINE thermal efficiency by some other means. Without waste heat recovery or cogeneration of some sort, a gas turbine is said to operate in simple cycle mode. With the addition of a boiler (to get steam from waste heat recovery) and a steam turbine, the gas turbine package is said to operate as a combined cycle. However, most micro turbines, to be financially viable, have a recuperator (to recover waste heat). This is not quite a simple cycle, but the micro turbine can be said to operate solo in power-only applications. Frequently, micro turbines are used to extract heat as a product. This then would be called combined heat and power (CHP) applications. In single-shaft micro turbines, a single expansion turbine turns both the compressor and the generator. Two-shaft models use one turbine to drive the compressor and a second turbine to drive the generator, with exhaust from the compressor turbine powering the generator turbine. The power turbines exhaust is then used in the recuperator to preheat the air from the compressor.

Figure 3.2: Schematic Working of MGT

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Chapter 4 Advantages and Disadvantages

4.1 Advantages
MGT has less number of moving parts, therefore maintenance is comparably less. It has compact size. Most of the parts are light weight. Good efficiency. Low emission & less noise and vibration than reciprocating systems. Can utilize waste fuels. Cheap and easy installation. Wide range of benefits in terms of operational and fuel flexibility, service performance and maintainability.

4.2 Disadvantages
Low power output & efficiency Time-variable electrical and thermal demand distorts MGTs energy balance sometimes leading to larger fuel requirement.

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Chapter 5 Economic Aspects and Overview

5.1 Economic Aspects
Microturbine capital costs range from $700-$1,100/kW. These costs include all hardware, associated manuals, software, and initial training. Adding heat recovery increases the cost by $75$350/kW. Installation costs vary significantly by location but generally add 30-50% to the total installed cost. Microturbine manufacturers are targeting a future cost below $650/kW. This appears to be feasible if the market expands and sales volumes increase. With fewer moving parts, microturbine vendors hope the units can provide higher reliability than conventional reciprocating generating technologies. Manufacturers expect that initial units will require more unexpected visits, but as the products mature, a once-a-year maintenance schedule should suffice. Most manufacturers are targeting maintenance intervals of 5,000-8,000 hours. Maintenance costs for microturbine units are still based on forecasts with minimal real-life situations. Estimates range from $0.005-$0.016 per kWh, which would be comparable to that for small reciprocating engine systems

Economics of Microturbine generators: Type of cost Capital cost Operational & maintenance cost Cost( in Rupees ) $700-$1,100/kW $0.005-0.016/kW

5.2 Overview
Microturbine Overview Commercially Available Size Range Fuel Efficiency Environmental Other Features Commercial Status Yes (Limited) 25-500 kW Natural gas, hydrogen, propane, diesel 20-30% (Recuperated) Low (<9-50 ppm) NOx Cogeneration (50-80C water) Small volume production, commercial prototypes now.

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Chapter 6 Applications
Microturbines can be used for stand-by power, peak shaving, and cogeneration applications. In addition, because microturbines are being developed to utilize a variety of fuels, they are being used for resource recovery and landfill gas applications. Microturbines are well suited for small commercial building establishments such as: restaurants, hotels/motels, small offices, retail stores, and many others. 1. MGTs are excellent power generators for use in combined heat and power (CHP) systems. Their low maintenance and clean exhaust make them a reliable choice for base load CHP applications. Integrating hot water heat recovery into the microturbine package has proven cost effective, and a growing number of commercial installations are saving money using this technology. 2. MGTs can be used to generate electricity cutting as much as 1, 00,000 Rs. yearly. 3. MGTs are being used as stack that uses waste heat to cool and heat buildings.

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Chapter 7 Conclusion
This new scheme of power generation is having ample importance in the present era where we are paying a great attention and care for environment friendly power generations. The power generation using a microturbine is becoming popular in North America, Europe because of its ecofriendly nature along with descent power delivery on considering both efficiency and economics. MTGs continue to find economic application in a growing market. Integration of hot water heat recovery, absorption chilling, and backup power functions makes for simple solutions that save money and increase power reliability, with the added social benefits of clean emissions, reduced greenhouse gas production, and more efficient use of our limited natural resources. The development of microturbine technology for transportation applications is also in progress. Automotive companies are interested in microturbines as a lightweight and efficient fossil-fuelbased energy source for hybrid electric vehicles, especially buses. Undoubtedly this technology will conquer the energy sector in the near future, on considering the present environmental scenario.

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References
1. D.K.Nicholas & Kevin.P.Loving, ASSESSMENT OF MICROTURBINE GENERATORS, IEEE 2003. 2. Amer Al-Hinai & Ali Feliachi, Dynamic Model of Microturbine Used As a Distributed Generator, West Virginia University, 2006 3. Stephanle.L.Hamilton, MICROTURBINE GENERATOR PROGRAMME, Hawaii Intnl. Conference on System Sciences, 2000. 4. 5. Microturbine Power Conversion Technology, R.H.Staunton & B.Ozpineci. Capstonemicroturbine.com

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