Comparison of six gas turbine power cycle, a key to improve power plants

Abstract

It is required to sake methods to improve the power plant performance. Most of the proposed methods can be commenced only in the design stapes. However, the main question of this study is “What can we do to improve the performance of a running power plant?” The first answer to this question is that monitoring the site and periodic overhaul can keep a power plant in its acceptable condition. However, this answer is very qualitatively and needs more precise information like which parameters shall be monitored or which equipment needs more care in the overhaul. In this study, important parameters and the method of their calculations are introduced that must be monitored and compared. Six similar gas turbine power cycles were selected to be compared deeply during a day in this study. In this way, many data were collected every five minutes. Unlike most of the previous studies, this one concerns with maintenance policy and repair strategy. Results of this comparison lead to answer to these questions that which equipment needs special care? Finally, it was shown that in each unit, which equipment needs more attention and which one can be considered as a standard for the others.

Keywords

• gas turbine
• power cycle
• thermodynamic optimization
• overhaul policy