Views on the Future of Gas Turbine System as Energy Conversion Technology

Energy is the basis of industrial civilization. Without it, modern life would cease to exist. The important point is that limited fossil fuels are converted into energy in a more efficient way. One of the most effective conversion systems is a gas turbine, which is a major power source used in the generation of electricity. A gas turbine is comprised of three main sections a compressor, a combustor, and a power turbine. Compressed air and fuel are burned in a combustor, and the resulting hot gas is allowed to expand through a turbine to perform work. Thermal efficiency of the gas turbine increases with the rise of Turbine Inlet Temperature (TIT). TIT is, however, limited with the heat-resisting temperature of the first stage nozzle and turbine blades. This physical limit is always climbing with the advances in materials technology. System design including gas turbine has also been developed vigorously. Cogeneration is the system that supplies not only electric power but also steam or hot water. The application of this system has been popularized for both society and industry. As a present trend, a new concept system that was named “Chemical gas turbine system” and the latest actual machine “501G” are introduced.