Southwest Research Institute Develops Low Cost Centrifugal Gas Turbine
At present, there are about 50,000 industrial gas turbines used around the world. Compared to reciprocating engines and steam turbines, gas turbines are steadily gaining market share. Gas turbines require less maintenance than reciprocating engines and steam turbines, have higher work efficiency, and have lower exhaust emissions.
Industrial gas turbines are often used where high power-to-weight ratios, low emissions, and high operating efficiency are required. In the oil and gas industry, small industrial gas turbines are generally used for supercharging of gas pipelines, pumping of oil pipelines, water injection and gas lift in oil production, and power generation in offshore platforms. In all of these applications, light weight, robustness, and high reliability are paramount, and efficiency is a secondary issue.
Most modern industrial gas turbines are complex devices consisting of rotating parts, bearings, seals, lube oil systems, and sophisticated electronic control equipment. Due to the technical complexity, most users have to rely on the original equipment manufacturers to complete maintenance, overhaul, and advanced maintenance.
Therefore, both the oil and gas industry and the military require gas turbines that are both simple and low-cost, are used in harsh environmental conditions, and are easy to repair or replace, are easy to move, and personnel can operate without training. However, few gas turbine manufacturers currently provide products that meet market requirements. In response to this growing market demand, engineers at the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) have now developed a new type of centrifugal gas turbine prototype.
At present, most gas turbines use axial compressors and axial-flow turbines. This design structure is a direct evolution of the jet engine, but it does not have the characteristics of light weight, reliable operation, small size and easy maintenance. The SWRI-designed centrifugal gas turbine is based on a simple open-cycle principle. A gas turbine consists of three basic components: a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine mounted on a single rotating shaft. The compressor sucks in ambient air and compresses it, and the combustion chamber heats the air by burning the fuel. The turbine, on the other hand, expands the hot air to drive the shaft to rotate, producing a mechanical output.
The SWRI-designed centrifugal gas turbine differs from conventional gas turbines in that both the compressor and the turbine are mounted on the same side of the rotating wheel, while the combustion chamber and the nozzle are mounted in a fixed shroud. In this way, the overall achievement of the entire gas turbine consists only of two components that are relatively easy to manufacture: a rotating centrifugal compressor and a rotating wheel that propels the turbine, the rotating wheel directly connected to the engine's starter motor. The flow is completely radial and there is no backflow. Since SWRI's design uses only one rotating part, it is easy to manufacture and assemble, and maintenance and replacement costs are lower.
In summary, the new gas turbine developed by the Southwest Research Institute of the United States is characterized by its robustness, compactness, light weight, and ease of movement, making this gas turbine an ideal candidate for use in a variety of applications. These use cases include pipeline cathodic protection systems, torch gas discharge in oil production, battlefields in the army, and auxiliary power generation devices on ships. At present, SWRI has filed a patent application for the design of centrifugal gas turbines and has obtained patent protection rights. SWRI is discussing the commercialization of prototypes of such gas turbines with many turbine manufacturers.
Industrial gas turbines are often used where high power-to-weight ratios, low emissions, and high operating efficiency are required. In the oil and gas industry, small industrial gas turbines are generally used for supercharging of gas pipelines, pumping of oil pipelines, water injection and gas lift in oil production, and power generation in offshore platforms. In all of these applications, light weight, robustness, and high reliability are paramount, and efficiency is a secondary issue.
Most modern industrial gas turbines are complex devices consisting of rotating parts, bearings, seals, lube oil systems, and sophisticated electronic control equipment. Due to the technical complexity, most users have to rely on the original equipment manufacturers to complete maintenance, overhaul, and advanced maintenance.
Therefore, both the oil and gas industry and the military require gas turbines that are both simple and low-cost, are used in harsh environmental conditions, and are easy to repair or replace, are easy to move, and personnel can operate without training. However, few gas turbine manufacturers currently provide products that meet market requirements. In response to this growing market demand, engineers at the Southwest Research Institute (SWRI) have now developed a new type of centrifugal gas turbine prototype.
At present, most gas turbines use axial compressors and axial-flow turbines. This design structure is a direct evolution of the jet engine, but it does not have the characteristics of light weight, reliable operation, small size and easy maintenance. The SWRI-designed centrifugal gas turbine is based on a simple open-cycle principle. A gas turbine consists of three basic components: a compressor, a combustion chamber, and a turbine mounted on a single rotating shaft. The compressor sucks in ambient air and compresses it, and the combustion chamber heats the air by burning the fuel. The turbine, on the other hand, expands the hot air to drive the shaft to rotate, producing a mechanical output.
The SWRI-designed centrifugal gas turbine differs from conventional gas turbines in that both the compressor and the turbine are mounted on the same side of the rotating wheel, while the combustion chamber and the nozzle are mounted in a fixed shroud. In this way, the overall achievement of the entire gas turbine consists only of two components that are relatively easy to manufacture: a rotating centrifugal compressor and a rotating wheel that propels the turbine, the rotating wheel directly connected to the engine's starter motor. The flow is completely radial and there is no backflow. Since SWRI's design uses only one rotating part, it is easy to manufacture and assemble, and maintenance and replacement costs are lower.
In summary, the new gas turbine developed by the Southwest Research Institute of the United States is characterized by its robustness, compactness, light weight, and ease of movement, making this gas turbine an ideal candidate for use in a variety of applications. These use cases include pipeline cathodic protection systems, torch gas discharge in oil production, battlefields in the army, and auxiliary power generation devices on ships. At present, SWRI has filed a patent application for the design of centrifugal gas turbines and has obtained patent protection rights. SWRI is discussing the commercialization of prototypes of such gas turbines with many turbine manufacturers.