Efficiency of the gas turbine

The total energy balance in a gas turbine can be summarized as

Total energy input = Compressor load + Generator power output + Flue gas energy
loss + rotational losses
with the exception of the rotational losses all others can be calculated in a easy
manner , what you need is the following information.
1. Calorific value of the fuel (kcal/kg)
2. Mass flow rate of the fuel (kg/s or t/hr) (if only the volume flow is available then
you need to know the density of the fuel)
3. air flow into the turbine ( this is tricky most of the sites do not have a air flow
meter , you have to get it from the characteristic graphs which GE provides , you
can also get the value form the site acceptance test or the performance guarantee
test done at commissioning)
if you have a HRSG , which you probably will have then you can calculate the
efficiency of the HRSG and also the combined efficient of the total co generation
power plant, for this you need the additional data
Note - i do not know the layout of your plant or its operating nature , i am assuming
that the steam used for deaeration is got from the plant itself and CPH if present is
inside the HRSG itself. you need to work out the details yourself , i am giving the
calculations for a self sustaining plant. ie it takes only water at room temp and fuel
and gives out power and steam. The plant axillary consumption which will be
around 2-4% of the plant full load is neglected in the calculation. mainly because i
do not have sufficient data.
The basic equations for the calculation are
For GT
Efficiency = 860*MW output (MwHr) / (fuel flow(kg) * calorific value of
fuel(in kcal/kg))
this is the base formula where fuel flow is normally available in M3 which you have
to convert to mass with the known density.
for HRSG
efficiency (overall) = steam flow rate * enthalpy of steam / (HRSG inlet
temp * 0.25 * air flow rate)
efficiency (heat exchanger) = steam flow rate * enthalpy of steam /
( (HRSG inlet temp - HRSG outlet temp) * 0.25 * air flow rate)

the combined efficiency of the co generation is given by

efficiency = ( (860*MW output (MwHr)) + steam flow rate * enthalpy of
steam) / (fuel flow(kg) * calorific value of fuel(in kcal/kg))
sample calculation
I am now in a frame 5 site , so i am taking the daily production readings from here.
the values at your site will be different
Naptha consumption = 192m3
Power generation = 379 Mwhr
Average power generation / hr = 15.8 MW
Calorific value of naptha = 11250 kcal/kg
Naptha density = 0.7
the HRSG is a twin drum and produces two different steam varities one a VHP steam
at 48Kg/cm2 and 435 deg and other MP steam at 18kg/cm2 at 245 deg
Enthalpy of VHP steam = 785 kcal/kg
Enthalpy of IP steam = 692 kcal/kg
VHP steam production = 805 tonnes
average steam production / hr = 33.5 t/hr
MP steam production = 99 tonnes
average MP steam production /hr = 4.12 t/hr
HRSG inlet temperature = average GT exhaust temp
= 490 deg
HRSG outlet temperature = average stack temperature
= 140 deg
ambient temperature = 32 deg
air flow rate - the air flow for a frame 5 machine at site condition (32 deg ambient)
is 408 tonnes at 85 deg IGV opening , as the machine was put in cogen cycle and
the average IGV opening is 56 deg , from the chara graph the air flow is estimated
as 364 tonnes.
so
GT efficiency = (860 * 379 *100) / ( 192 * 0.7 * 11250)
= 21.57 %
HRSG efficiency (overall) = ( ( 33.5 * (785-30) ) + (4.12 * (692-30) ) ) / ( 490 * 0.25
* 364) ( here stack losses are taken into account)
= 62.83 %

HRSG efficiency (heat exchanger) = ( ( 33.5 * (785-30) ) + (4.12 * (692-30) ) ) /

( (490-140) * 0.25 * 364) ( here stack lossses not taken into account)
= 88 %
overall co-generation efficiency
= (860 * 379) + ( ( 805 * (785-30) ) + (99 * (692-30) ) ) / ( 192 * 0.7
* 11250)
= 67 %

I kinda forgot to add this small bit in the calculation above

Energy balance in Gasturbine
inlet ambient air = 25 deg
cdp = 6.8kg/cm2
ctd = 302 deg
exhaust = 507 deg
fuel input = 1.7 kg/s
calorific value of naptha = 11250 kcal/kg
density of naptha = 0.71
power = 16 MW
air flow into the turbine = 360 t/hr
specific heat capacity of air = 0.25 kcal/kg deg
input energy into the turbine = fuel input + air input
fuel input = 1.7 * 3.6 * 11250 *(1000) kcal
= 68850 Mcal
air input = 360 * 0.25 * 302
= 27180 Mcal
total energy input to the turbine = 96030 Mcal
power output from the generator = 16*860
= 13760 Mcal
flue gas losses = (360+1.6*3.6)*0.25*507
= 46390 Mcal
compressor load and rotational losses = 96030 - (46390 + 13760)
= 96030 - 60150
= 35880 Mcal
this equated in terms of power = 35880/860
= 41 MW

the compressor load does not change much with the loading of the machine , you
will see that for a 20 MW gasturbine , the compressor load is about 40MW.
And CSA , are you sure about 30-35% efficiencies ?? to the best of my knowledge
GT simple cycle efficiencies does not exceed 25 +/- 2 %.

Power energy equivalents

1 kilowatt (KW) = 1 kilo joule/ sec
1 kilowatt sec ( Kw s) = 1 kilo joule
converting sec to hours , as Kw Hr is the standard for electrical energy
measurement
1 kilowatt hour (Kw Hr) = 3600 Kilo joule
now we know
1 calorie = 4.187 joules , this is the joules constant so
1 Kilo calorie = 4.187 Kilo joules
1 kilo joules = 0.23883 Kilo calories
so
1 Kilowatt hour (Kw Hr) = 3600 * 0.23883 Kilo calories
= 859.80416 Kilo calories
= 860 kilo calories ( this is a reasonable approximation)
this is the electrical energy and heat energy equivalence . This is how the 860 in the
formula came from.
Efficiency of the gas turbine
efficiency of the turbine = energy equivalent of generator Generator power output /
energy input into the turbine
energy equivalent of generator Generator power output = 860 * Kw-Hr
energy input into the turbine = Calorific value of the fuel (Kcal /kg) * fuel flow
( Kg/hr)
= 860 * Kw-hr / Calorific value of the fuel (Kcal /kg) * fuel flow
( Kg/hr)

now multiplying both the numerator and denominator by thousand

= 860 * Kw-hr * 1000 / Calorific value of the fuel (Kcal /kg) * fuel
flow ( Kg/hr) * 1000
this converts the Kw-Hr to Mw-Hr and kg/hr to t/hr
= 860 * Mw-hr / calorific value of the fuel (Kcal/kg) * fuel flow
( t/hr)
so this is how the energy efficiency of the gas turbine is derived.
i am also deriving a formula for heat rate of the turbine to the efficiency
heat rate of the turbine is defined as the The ratio of fuel energy input as heat per
unit of net work output. It is expressed mostly in Btu/Kwhr or in kj
/Kwhr . I am not a fan of Btu , but i am a ardent fan of SI units :) so i will derive the
equation here in Si units.
Heat rate = Kj/ Kwhr
Efficiency = KwHr * 3600 / Kj
Efficiency = 3600 / (kj/kwhr)
efficiency = 3600 / Heat rate
as far as the rotational and compressor loads are concerned i have given the
calculation in the next post. Please go through it.