Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Nigeria
Egware, H., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Nigeria; Obanor, A., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Nigeria; Itoje, H., Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Benin, P.M.B 1154, Benin City, Nigeria
Energy and exergy analyses were carried out on an active 42MW open cycle gas turbine power plant. Data from the power plant record book were employed in the investigation. The First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics were applied to each component of the gas power plant at ambient air temperature range of 21 - 33°C. Results obtained from the analyses show that the energy and exergy efficiencies decrease with increase in ambient air temperature entering the compressor. It was also shown that 66.98% of fuel input and 54.53% of chemical exergy are both lost to the environment as heat from the combustion chamber in the energy and exergy analysis respectively. The energy analysis quantified the efficiency of the plant arising from energy losses , while exergy analysis revealed the magnitude of losses in various components of the plant. Therefore a complete thermodynamic evaluation of gas turbine power plants requires the use of both analytical methods. © (2014) Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland.
Atmospheric temperature; Combustion chambers; Energy dissipation; Fossil fuel power plants; Gas turbine power plants; Power plants; Thermodynamic stability; Thermodynamics; Turbines; Ambient air temperature; Energy; Energy and exergy analysis; Energy and exergy efficiency; Open cycle gas turbines; Performance; Second laws of thermodynamics; Thermodynamic evaluation; Exergy