Question on Microturbines
Question on Microturbines
(OP)
I am looking for some info on microturbines:
1. I am trying to make hot water or steam from the hot exhaust. I think the term is a recuperator. Turbine size is 400kw. I know Capstone makes their own for the 60 kw system, but I need to come up with an mfg independent of the Turbine manufacturer. Any idears?
2. I see on turbine performance curves that the power output drops as the inlet air temp increases. But on the Capstone information, they use the term recuperator to refer to a heat exchanger that heats the incoming air using hot exhaust. They claim that this increases efficency.
These seem to be opposites; what is best cooling the intake air or heating it?
Thanks,
Clyde
1. I am trying to make hot water or steam from the hot exhaust. I think the term is a recuperator. Turbine size is 400kw. I know Capstone makes their own for the 60 kw system, but I need to come up with an mfg independent of the Turbine manufacturer. Any idears?
2. I see on turbine performance curves that the power output drops as the inlet air temp increases. But on the Capstone information, they use the term recuperator to refer to a heat exchanger that heats the incoming air using hot exhaust. They claim that this increases efficency.
These seem to be opposites; what is best cooling the intake air or heating it?
Thanks,
Clyde





RE: Question on Microturbines
Hot air is less dense, so you get less oxygen, so you can burn less fuel, but you loose less heat to heating air.
Cool air is denser, you get more oxygen, you can burn more fuel and get more total power out of the same unit, but you efficency drops because you use a lot of heat warming up all of that cool air.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Corrosion never sleeps, but it can be managed.
http://www.trenttube.com/Trent/tech_form.htm
RE: Question on Microturbines
The use of the recuperator is to heat the compressor outlet air temp, prior to it entering the combustor. This reduces the amount of fuel needed to heat the air to TiT ( turbine inlet temp)and improves unit efficiency.
There are many vendors of heat rcovery boilers to match with the Capstone. Look at the Univ of Maryland engineering page- they have a gov't grant to develope cogen options for the capstone.
RE: Question on Microturbines
ER