Introduction to Gas turbine power plant – parts, Functions, and Advantages

Today, we will talk about how gas turbines have made many people’s lives light up. Quite literally. They are lesser-known heroes who do not get enough credit. Thus, today we shall discuss everything about gas turbines. That will include the basic definition, the gas turbine components, and its advantages. If you are unaware of the proceedings, keep reading and find out how it has influenced your life with its mechanism and advantages.

What are gas turbines?

Turbines are a way through which generating electricity has become very easy. Not only that, with its efficiency and output, it has the potential to provide electricity to a lot of local areas. Whenever you see thick smoke coming out of the chimneys, know that a gas turbine works. It is also known as a combustion turbine. This is because it functions on the same cycle over and over again. Moreover, it has the potential to recycle the materials and the input of the turbine.

The chain started with a steam turbine that Charles Parsons invented in 1884. Over time people realized that steam turbines do not provide much output because most of the input is lost due to heat and other factors. Thus came the existence of gas turbines, which made the process much more proficient.

 Mechanism of gas turbines

The mechanism of generating electricity through gas turbines is fairly easy. The turbine consists of various components which are dedicated to turning the gas and the chemical energy into electrical energy. This is achieved by the comprehensive coordination of the combustion turbine components.

There is a presence of hot combustion gas inside the combustion chamber. This gas is treated with chemicals to increase the energy at a hot temperature with a plausible pressure amount. This hot air is passed through the rotating blades and is constantly expanding.  Thus, the conversion occurs from thermal energy to chemical energy to mechanical energy. This energy converts to electrical energy through a generator.

Parts and components

Turbines have their respective components that function at their best potential to make the output as astounding as it is. These parts are responsible for working simultaneously and changing the energy to produce the required amount of output. These components are as follows:

Compressor – the work of a compressor is to compress the air that passes through it. It treats the hot air with massive pressure for it to expand even more.

Combustor – after the compressor, the fuel passes to the combustor, burning the high-pressure fuel. This increases the pressure even more because of the rise in temperature.

Power turbine – this part contains the rotating blades. This is where the hot pressurized air passes through the rotating blades. Hence the conversion of chemical to mechanical energy is right here.

Generator- finally, the heat or thermal energy which was treated with chemical energy, changes into mechanical energy. Finally, this energy is transferred into electrical energy through a generator.

Advantages of gas turbines

While steam turbines have done a fair job over the years, gas turbines quickly have taken responsibility and made it better. However, a lot of power plants still use steam turbine engines and waste their resources. That is because they are blindly unaware of the advantages of a gas turbine. Some of them are mentioned below:

Efficiency – one of the biggest aspects of gas turbines is that their efficiency can be increased in a jiffy. Unlike steam turbines, these do not tend to waste resources. In fact, you can recycle the unused product or the by-product, and it will process it the same way. Hence the output is maximum, and there is very little wastage.

Durability – unlike steam turbines, gas turbines with proper maintenance and inspection can survive for a long time. They have low operational costs as well. There are many manufacturers who have managed to make substantial gas turbines that make cost and endurance easier.

Environment-friendly– people would generally argue otherwise, but gas turbines are very environmentally friendly. This is because they leave zero carbon footprints, and the by-products and the waste get recycled.

Conclusion

Therefore, to conclude, it is very difficult to be a power plant manager. But if you have the right components and the right products to help you out, then it’s a cakewalk. Gas turbines can be used to make the best out of fossil fuels and produce an incredible amount of electricity. But regardless, it is important to know that if you do not maintain your machine, the entire process is pointless and will revert back to make things worse.