Ecological performance optimisation for an open-cycle ICR gas turbine power plant Part 2 - optimisation

Abstract

Abstract The ecological performance of an open-cycle intercooled and regenerated gas turbine power plant with pressure drop irreversibilities is optimised based on the model established using finite time thermodynamics in Part 1 of this article by adjusting the mass flowrate (or the distribution of pressure losses along the flow path) and the intercooling pressure ratio. It is shown that there are an optimal air mass flowrate (or the distribution of pressure losses along the flow path) and an intercooling pressure ratio which maximise the ecological performance, and the maximum ecological function has an additional maximum with respect to the compressor total pressure ratio. The effects of the effectiveness of the intercooler and the regenerator on the cycle ecological performance and its corresponding parameters are analysed. When the optimisation is performed with the constraints of the plant size, the ecological performance can be maximised again by properly allocating the fixed flow area betwee...