Regenerated Marine Gas Turbines: Part I — Cycle Selection and Performance Estimation

Abstract

Analytical studies are currently being conducted by the David Taylor Naval Ship R&D Center to assess the suitability of regenerative-cycle and intercooled, regenerative-cycle gas turbines for naval applications. This paper, which is presented in two parts, discusses results of initial investigations to identify attractive engine concepts based on existing turbomachinery and to consider the regenerator technology required to develop these engine concepts. Part I of the paper deals with the attractive engine concepts. A survey of simple-cycle engines rated from 2500 to 50,000 hp (2 to 37 MW) was conducted to determine the cycle conditions, performance characteristics, and mechanical configurations of current marine gas turbines. Comparative cycle studies were performed to establish the performance trends of the simple, regenerative, intercooled-simple, and intercooled-regenerative cycles. Hypothetical engine concepts are described which illustrate the improved performance obtained by adding heat exchangers for regeneration and intercooling to today’s simple-cycle marine engines.