Operating Experience and Design Features of Closed-Cycle Gas-Turbine Power Plants

Abstract

Abstract This paper is the author’s third progress report in the United States on the AK closed-cycle gas turbine. The first comprehensive presentation in 1945 (1) dealt with the basic ideas and, theory, the first 2000-kw experimental plant in Zurich, and future prospects, including the use of other gases than air, such as helium, nitrogen, or carbon dioxide. The second paper in 1945 (2) gave more details and design features of different components, with special reference to machines and air heater of the first industrial 12,000-kw oil-fired plant for St. Denis and Dundee which were in the final phase of erection at that time. Projects for coal-fired plants also were discussed. This third presentation summarizes the achievements during the past five years. They are based on operation and new design experience and show the marked improvements obtained by simplifying the closed-cycle system components while keeping its basic properties. This development led the way to economical solutions in the different fields of application. Work was concentrated mainly on power-station sets up to 15 mw and for different fuels as well as on ship-propulsion plants (3). The recent accelerated development of atomic power brings a new incentive to the closed-cycle gas turbine using gases other than air as the working medium and reactor coolant.