Advanced industrial gas turbines for power generation

The chapter explores new trends in combined cycle power plants. The effects of major parameters such as temperature and pressure ratio on plant efficiency, power and operational ability are fully investigated. The characteristics, relationships and effects, both practical and theoretical, of each of the plant’s major components are discussed. The major equations governing most turbomachines, including equation of state, momentum equation, energy equation and conservation of mass are explained. Compressor issues and diffusion and dry low NOx type combustors are fully investigated. Impulse and reaction type turbines are discussed, together with blade cooling, coatings for adequate blade life and the Larson–Miller parameter, which computes the blade life for various materials and temperatures.