Performance of a Gas Turbine Power Plant

Population of the world is increasing and so the demand of energy for domestic and industrial use. Worldwide efforts are being meet to produce energy from renewable resources but it is impossible to replace the fossil fuel resource of energy. Gas turbine remains the main energy converter of fossil fuel both for its liquid and gaseous states. This paper analyzes the performance of a unit of an actual power plant situated at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The power plant has G.E. gas turbine units which operate as simple gas turbine units at peak demand periods and as a part of combined power plant unit at other periods of operation. The performance of the unit has been evaluated from the actual data from the unit obtained around the year. The study reveals that for gas turbine cycle an increase in compressor inlet temperature increases efficiency of compressor whereas turbine efficiency decreases. Exit temperature of the unit increases with the increase in inlet temperature of compressor that results in enhanced pollution. The exergy and energy efficiencies of the whole unit show dependence on compressor inlet temperature. Plant efficiency and mass of steam produced increase with the increase in the turbine inlet temperature.