Gas Turbines for Electric Power Generation

Description

In this essential reference, both students and practitioners in the field will find an accessible discussion of electric power generation with gas turbine power plants, using quantitative and qualitative tools. Beginning with a basic discussion of thermodynamics of gas turbine cycles from a second law perspective, the material goes on to cover with depth an analysis of the translation of the cycle to a final product, facilitating quick estimates. In order to provide readers with the knowledge they need to design turbines effectively, there are explanations of simple and combined cycle design considerations, and state-of-the-art, performance prediction and optimization techniques, as well as rules of thumb for design and off-design performance and operational flexibility, and simplified calculations for myriad design and off-design performance. The text also features an introduction to proper material selection, manufacturing techniques, and construction, maintenance, and operation of gas turbine power plants.

S. Can Gulen (Ph.D) PE, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Fellow, has a combined twenty-five years of mechanical engineering experience covering a wide spectrum of technology, system, and software design, development, assessment, and analysis, in the field of steam and gas turbine combined cycle process and power plant turbomachinery and thermodynamics at Thermoflow, Inc., General Electric and Bechtel. He has written numerous technical white papers and journal articles on design practices and technical assessment reports. He holds more than twenty US patents on gas turbine performance, cost, optimization, data reconciliation, analysis and modelling.

'Gulen is the only person I know that can fill the gap between technology and philosophy; and he really did in this book. I recommend this text for students and professional engineers, as well as for non-experienced people who are interested in getting a frank and sometimes humorous assessment of gas turbine technology.' Alberto Traverso, Universita di Genova "This book is clearly written by an expert with a lot of industry experience in OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and operation, resulting in a book that shows a very practical approach to design and analysis of turbomachinery that matters in the real world without lacking the theoretical depths that are necessary to understand the topic thoroughly. This very well-written book covers the theoretical basics of thermodynamics as well as components such as the compressor, the combustor, the turbine, the whole engine, and additional topics needed to understand the analysis and design of electrical power generation equipment. It provides a comprehensive overview for everyone interested in this fascinating topic, be it a practitioner with OEMs and utilities, or academics, such as a researcher or a new student of the field. This long-awaited book closes a gap in the literature between the practitioner's view and a purely theoretical approach.' Hans-Juergen Kiesow, formerly ABB, Siemens 'It is rare that one comes across a book that can be considered seminal in the area of gas turbine engineering and that provides an excellent blend of theory and practice of the state of the art of heavy- duty advanced gas turbines. The book provides a detailed, lucid, and insightful treatment of a wide range of gas turbine topics, including history, cycles, components and their interactions, and technology trends. It provides a quantitative and qualitative treatment of the subject matter with usable equations, insights, and rules of thumb that enable quick design checks and calculations. It will be of immense value to designers and users of gas turbines. Gulen's technical leadership over the past two and a half decades has contributed immeasurably to the current understanding of large advanced gas turbines. Much of this expertise has been successfully encapsulated in this book. This book is of archival quality and will endure and enrich gas turbine engineers for decades to come.' Cyrus B. Meher-Homji, Bechtel Corporation