Test Plan and Preliminary Test Results of a Bench Scale Closed Cycle Gas Turbine With Super-Critical CO2 as Working Fluid

Abstract

Development of a closed cycle gas turbine using supercritical carbon dioxide as a working fluid is underway to generate power from industrial waste heat sources of a low or intermediate temperature range. Its demonstration test plan using a reduced scale turbomachine is described herein. Principal specifications include the following: net power output of 10 kWe and recirculation CO2 with flow rate of 1.2 kg/s under given turbine inlet conditions of 550 K and 12 MPa. The optimized ranges of compressor inlet temperatures and pressures are investigated in this study. Given these inlet conditions, primary and auxiliary component development is done. Coupled with cycle analysis, the design rotational speed of the co-axially aligned turbomachine was determined as 100,000 rpm. Aerodynamic CFD analyses were conducted for the centrifugal compressor considering real gas properties. Preliminary test results show indirect evidence of compressor work reduction inherent to the supercritical CO2 gas turbine concept.