Combined Power Cycles

COMBINED POWER CYCLES

In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators. The principle is that the exhaust of one heat engine is used as the heat source for another, thus extracting more useful energy from the heat, increasing the system's overall efficiency. This works because heat engines are only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%).

The objective of this approach is to use all of the heat energy in a power system at the different temperature levels at which it becomes available to produce work, or steam, or the heating of air or water, thereby rejecting a minimum of energy waste. The best approach is the use of combined cycles. There may be various combinations of the combined cycles depending upon the place or country requirements. Even nuclear power plant may be used in the combined cycles.

GT-ST Combined Power plants

It has been found that a considerable amount of heat energy goes as a waste with the exhaust of the gas turbine. This energy must be utilized. The complete use of the energy available to a system is called the total energy approach. The remaining heat (e.g., hot exhaust fumes) from combustion is generally wasted. Combining two or more thermodynamic cycle’s results in improved overall efficiency, reducing fuel costs. In stationary power plants, a successful, common combination is the Brayton cycle (in the form of a turbine burning natural gas or synthesis gas from coal) and the Rankine cycle (in the form of a steam power plant). Multiple stage turbine or steam cylinders are also common.

ST-MHD Combined Power plants