Performance Analysis of an Open Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plant in Grid Electricity Generation

In this study, there was a performance analysis of a working 30MW open cycle gas turbine power plant to get a general overview of role and performance of gas turbines in supply of grid electricity. The historical evaluation of the gas turbine power plant technology is presented with features and application of gas turbines in electricity generation. It was found that a significant amount of energy is lost with the exhaust gases, which are released to the atmosphere. The amount was up to 74.6%, which is wasteful, polluting and unsustainable. Analysis on possible conversion from the open cycle to combined cycle plant demonstrated that subject to practical limitations, specific fuel consumption reduces by 22% and power output increases by 11.69 MW, which is 38% increase from the Rankine cycle turbine. This will improve on specific fuel consumption, generate more revenue and contribute towards greenhouse emission mitigation through avoided use of fossil fuels for extra power generated.