Closed-cycle gas turbine

For turbines powered by the internal combustion of fuel, see gas turbine.

A closed-cycle gas turbine is a turbine that uses a gas (e.g. air, helium, etc.) for the working medium as part of a closed system (thermodynamics). Heat is supplied from an external source.[1] Such recirculating turbines follow the Brayton cycle.[2][3]

The initial patent for a closed-cycle gas turbine was issued in 1935 and they were first used commercially in 1939. Historically, they found most use as external combustion engines "with fuels such as bituminous coal, brown coal and blast furnace gas" but were superseded by open cycle gas turbines using clean-burning fuels (e.g. "gas or light oil"), especially in highly-efficient combined cycle systems.[1]

Closed-cycle gas turbines hold promise for use with future high temperature solar and nuclear power generation.[1] They have also been proposed as a technology for use in long-term space exploration.[4] Supercritical carbon dioxide closed-cycle gas turbines are under development; "The main advantage of the supercritical CO2 cycle is comparable efficiency with the helium Brayton cycle at significantly lower temperature (550°C vs. 850°C), but higher pressure (20 MPa vs. 8 MPa)."[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Frutschi, Hans Ulrich (2005). Closed-Cycle Gas Turbines. ASME Press. ISBN 0791802264. http://asmedl.aip.org/ebooks/asme/asme_press/802264. Retrieved 07 December 2011.  Note: front matter (including preface and introduction; PDF link) is open access.
  2. ^ Thermodynamics and Propulsion: Brayton Cycle
  3. ^ A REVIEW OF HELIUM GAS TURBINE TECHNOLOGY FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS-COOLED REACTORS
  4. ^ Introduction to Gas Turbines for Non-Engineers (see page 5)
  5. ^ V. Dostal, M.J. Driscoll, P. Hejzlar, "A Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Cycle for Next Generation Nuclear Reactors", MIT-ANP-Series, MIT-ANP-TR-100 (2004)