The History of the Siemens Gas Turbine

Siemens gas turbine history can be traced back to the early years of World War II. The Westinghouse aero jet engine (J 30) and the Junkers JUMO 004 jet engine were the basis for the industrial gas turbines designed and manufactured by Westinghouse and Siemens / Kraftwerk-Union since World War II. KWU was formed in 1969 as a joint venture of AEG and Siemens and became wholly owned by Siemens in 1977. AEG worked with Junkers on the development of the Jumo 004 jet engine during the War. Westinghouse Power Generation was purchased by Siemens in 1998. This paper examines the history of those early gas turbines and traces the evolution of the modern Siemens gas turbine from that time. Details are also given of the latest Siemens gas turbine to enter into operation, the 340MW SGT5-8000H.