Advanced Turbine Systems Program conceptual design and product development. Quarterly report, [August 3, 1993--October 31, 1993

Abstract

This Quarterly Technical Progress Report covers the period August 3 through October 31, 1993, for Phase II of the Advanced Turbine Systems (ATS) Program by Solar Turbines Incorporated under DOE Contract No. DE-AC21-93MC30246. The objective of this program is to provide the conceptual design and product development plan for an industrial gas turbine system to operate at a thermal efficiency of 50 percent and developable to 60 percent. Solar`s ATS Engine Design Team reviewed the intercooled and recuperated (ICR) gas turbine concept defined in the Program proposal, validated certain assumptions associated therewith, and began the process of actualizing this concept in terms of achievable turbomachinery components. Given the probable use of a free power turbine arrangement, both 1-spool and 2-spool compressor arrangements were examined with both fixed and variable turbine geometry. Off-design performance, both part-load and full-load over a range of inlet air temperatures, was examined. During this period certain simplifying assumptions were made regarding the amount of cycle air extracted for use in turbine cooling and the distribution of its return to the cycle. The exact influence of turbine cooling air extraction on cycle performance (thermal efficiency) will be highly dependent upon turbine airfoil material selection, its life/temperature capabilities,more » etc. Thus, cycle performance will be subject to some degree of change as the design progresses. Even now, improvements made to the cycle performance model will result in variation in presented results. As a general rule, later results will always supersede earlier results when there is an apparent conflict.« less