Design and Off-Design Analysis of a CRGT Cycle Based on the LM2500-STIG Gas Turbine

Abstract

Significant research effort is currently centered on developing advanced gas turbine systems for electric power generation applications. A number of innovative gas turbine cycles have been proposed lately, including the Humid Air Turbine (HAT), and the Chemically Recuperated Gas Turbine (CRGT). The potential of the CRGT cycle lies in the ability to generate power with a high efficiency while achieving ultra-low NO emissions without the need for selective catalytic reduction of the exhaust gases. Much of the research work published on the CRGT cycle is restricted to an analysis of the thermodynamic potential of the cycle. However, a detailed performance analysis of such cycles requires the development of a suitable cycle simulation code, capable of simulating cycle operation at the design point and in part load conditions. In this paper, the authors present a modular code for complex gas turbine cycle simulations. The code includes a module for design and off-design simulation of the methane-steam reformer chemical heat recovery device of a CRGT cycle. The code is then used to perform a detailed design and off-design performance analysis of a CRGT cycle based on the LM2500-STIG cycle adapted for chemical recuperation.