POWER AND EFFICIENCY IN A REGENERATIVE GAS-TURBINE

The effect of a regenerative heat exchanger in a gas turbine is analys ed using a regenerative Brayton cycle model, where all fluid friction losses in the compressor and turbine are quantified by an isentropic e fficiency term and all global irreversibilities in the heat exchanger are taken into account by means of an effective efficiency. This analy sis, which generalizes that reported by Gordon and Huleihil for a simp le, non regenerative Brayton cycle, provides a theoretical tool for th e selection of optimal operating conditions in a regenerative gas turb ine. For a fixed ratio of the compressor inlet temperature to the turb ine inlet temperature and in terms of the isentropic and regenerator e fficiencies we present explicit results for the behaviour of the maxim um efficiency, efficiency at maximum power, maximum power and power at maximum efficiency as well as for the behaviour of the pressure ratio s required for maximum efficiency and maximum power.