New gas-turbine designs push the envelope
In this article a trio of new gas turbines point the way to more efficient and cleaner power generation for utilities, mechanical drives for industry, and compressors for pipelines and platforms. The Cyclone from European Gas Turbines (EGT), ABB`s GTX100, and AlliedSignal`s ASE 120 all draw on previously proven designs that have been refined to make them more fuel-efficient, less polluting, easier to operate and maintain, and longer-lived. Three major factors are driving the development of new machines like these three which were unveiled at the 42nd annual Turbo Expo. First, the installation costs of new gas turbines are low. Second, the time needed to install gas turbines is also low, averaging under a year for simple-cycle operation (fuel burned to turn an electrical turbine) and under two years for combined-cycle operation (where exhaust heat is captured to produce additional power). Lastly, the sharp competition between turbine manufacturers has driven the dollar-per-kilowatt costs down to about $300 per kilowatt-hour, about the same as it was in the late 1970s
Article, 1997