THE UTILIZATION OF RECUPERATED AND REGENERATED ENGINE CYCLES FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY GAS-TURBINES IN THE 21ST-CENTURY

In the gas-turbine field 'simple-cycle' engines (compressor + burner expander) have been dominant across almost the full spectrum of power -generation and mechanical-drive applications. Paced by aerodynamic an d materials-technology advancements, efficiency values have progressed significantly over the last five decades. However, to reduce specific fuel consumption further (by say a step change of 30-40%) and to redu ce emissions significantly, more-complex thermodynamic cycles that inc lude the use of exhaust-heat-recovery exchangers are necessary. Clearl y, there are discrete applications where the use of recuperators or re generators will find acceptance on a large scale, an example being for gas turbines rated at less than about 100 kW for hybrid automobiles a nd small generator sets. The role that recuperators and regenerators c an play in future gas turbines is put into perspective in this paper. Innovative engineering concepts will be required to meet the demanding high-temperature operating environment and low-cost requirements, and these will essentially necessitate the utilization of ceramic-composi te heat-exchanger configurations that are amenable to large-volume man ufacturing methods. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd