THE COMBINED CYCLE GAS TURBINE

CREATING ELECTRICITY FROM NATURAL GAS

Nicholas Pratt

March 3, 2014

English 202C

AUDIENCE & SCOPE

Introductory classes in Energy, Chemical, and Mechanical Engineering learn about various processes in power plants. Combined cycle gas turbines are inherently complicated in nature; therefore a simplified process description would benefit students in these classes. Fossil fuel power plants have similar components so a basic understanding of a combined cycle gas turbine would help students understand the general power plant design. Once students can conceptually understand a combined cycle gas turbine, they will be able explore more in depth and complicated processes within any type of power plant.

INTRODUCTION

The combined cycle gas turbine is the process of converting the chemical energy in fuel into electrical power. This involves the creation of mechanical work, which is transformed into electrical power by a generator. Simple gas turbine plants average overall efficiencies of 30% because most heat is lost in the exhaust gas from combustion processes. In order to make a natural gas fired power plant more efficient, a combined cycle is added. All new natural gas fired power plants in the United States include combined cycles because it increases the overall plant efficiency to 60%. The goal of a combined cycle is to capture the waste heat from the gas turbines exhaust and use it to create more electrical power through a steam turbine.

With new ground drilling technological developments like hydraulic fracturing, new supplies of natural gas that couldnt previously be extracted are being extracted. This is increasing the use of natural gas for power generation in the United States. In 2013, natural gas fired power plants accounted for nearly 25% of the electricity produced in the United States. The continued large supply of natural gas and the retirement of coal fired power plants caused by new environmental regulations will increase this amount. Therefore, combined cycle gas turbines will become even more important and relevant to in the energy industry. Also, combined cycles increase plant efficiencies benefit both economics and the environment while providing reliable electricity. These are all reasons why it is important for students to understand combined cycle gas turbines.

OVERVIEW

Steps 1 through 3 are characteristic of all gas turbine power plants which is the first cycle. Steps 4 through 6 are the second cycle portion of the power plant. Step one describes how air and natural gas enter the gas turbine to be combusted. The combustion gases do work on the turbine which cranks a shaft to power a generator to create electricity. The second cycle describes the closed loop of water that is heated by the exhaust gases from the gas turbine. This water converts to steam and powers a steam turbine to create more electricity. Step 6 is important to cool water and provide it to the system. Overall, Steps 1 through 3 are the first cycle and steps 4 through 6 are the second cycle. The first cycle is the Brayton Cycle or gas turbine cycle and the second cycle is the Rankine Cycle or steam turbine cycle. Figure 1 shows the process flow diagram for a combined cycle gas turbine.

Figure 1: Process Flow Diagram for Combined Cycle Gas Turbine

Summary of Steps: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Compressed air and natural gas are sent to gas turbine Gas/air mixture combust which releases energy to turn the turbine The turbine spins a shaft which powers a generator creating electricity The exhaust gas from the turbine heats water converting it to steam The steam rotates a steam turbine which powers a generator to create electricity The river, cooling tower, and condenser cool the water to be pumped

Figure 2 shows the same process flow diagram for the power plant but in a three dimensional way to help visualize the power plant.

Figure 2: Layout of Power Plant

Step 1: Fuel and air Intake

Natural gas is pumped through a pipe and into the gas turbine. Air is compressed to a high pressure and mixed with the natural gas. The chemical formula for natural gas is CH4 which is essentially chemical energy that is ready to be used by the power plant.

Step 2: Gas Turbine

Figure 3: Gas Turbine and its Components The gas turbine burns the fuel and air mixture to create carbon dioxide, steam, and heat, as shown in the formula below. These gases are expanded through the turbine blades to make them spin. Combustion formula: CH4 + 2 O2 CO2 + 2 H2O + heat

This thermodynamic cycle in the gas turbine is called the Brayton Cycle

Brayton Cycle: 1. Gas Compressor 2. Combustion Chamber 3. Gas Turbine

Figure 4: Brayton Cycle

In terms of energy, the chemical energy in the natural gas converts to thermal energy. The thermal energy converts to mechanical energy which spins the turbine blades. The mechanical energy then converts to electrical energy in step 3.

Step 3: Generator

The spinning blades are attached to a drive shaft. The spinning drive shaft attached to the gas turbine blades creates a magnetic field within the generator. This magnetic field creates an electrical current within copper wires attached to the drive shaft. This current is electrical energy which travels to power lines that are external to the plant.

Figure 5: Electrical Generator and its Components

Step 4: Heat Recovery Steam Generator

The heat recovery steam generator or boiler is used to heat water in an external closed loop of pipes to create steam. The heat recovery steam generator is an energy recovery

heat exchanger that takes heat from the exhaust gas stream from the gas turbine.

Figure 6: Heat Recovery Steam Generator (or Boiler) In Figure 6, the high temperature exhaust gases from the gas turbine enter the heat recovery steam generator on the left and exits the stack on the right. Water enters the system and flows through a series of pipes until it is converted completely to steam. The steam exits the heat recovery steam generator and into the steam turbine.

Step 5: Steam Turbine and Compressor

The steam coming from the heat recovery steam generator enters the steam turbine. The steam is at a high pressure and high temperature. The high temperature and pressure energy is converted to mechanical energy by spinning the turbine blades. The steam turbine is modeled by the Rankine Cycle.

Figure 7: Rankine Cycle with Steam Turbine

Rankine Cycle 1. The water is pumped from low pressure to high pressure. 2. The high pressure liquid enters a heat recovery steam generator where it is heated to steam. 3. The steam expands through the steam turbine, generating electricity. The steam temperature and pressure drops. 4. The steam enters a condenser to return to a liquid state where the cycle begins again. The steam turbine spins a drive shaft that powers a generator in the same way as the gas turbine to create electricity. The condenser is necessary to turn the steam into water. Water is much easier to pump to the heat recovery steam generator. That is why the condenser is necessary.

Step 6: Cooling Tower

The water/steam in the Rankine Cycle is in a closed loop of pipes so very little escapes and it is re-used over and over again. The condenser that cools the water in this closed loop is a heat exchanger. It uses cool water from a river or lake to chill the steam from the steam turbine to a liquid state. Once the water from the external source has cooled the steam in the condenser, the external water cannot just be put back into the river or lake. This would cause thermal pollution. Adding warm water to a lake or stream would significantly affect the biology and habitat, and therefore a cooling tower is necessary. The cooling tower takes the hot water and runs it over cool plates with air flowing through it to cool the water until it reaches outside air temperature.

Interesting Fact: The vapors rising from the cooling tower are often mistaken for pollutants entering the atmosphere. The smoke you see in Figure 8 is actually just water vapor. The only emissions in the power plant come from the exhaust of the gas turbine, but these emissions are invisible to the human eye.

Figure 8: Cooling Tower

CONCLUSIONS

Natural gas will continue to play an important role in the energy landscape of the United States. Combined cycle gas turbines are more efficient and economic than their simplified counterparts as they employ both the Brayton Cycle (gas turbine) and the Rankine Cycle (steam turbine). Also, coal burns with 21 times more harmful emissions than natural gas. This technical description should guide students that are interested in how a typical power plant operates to better understand a complicated subject.