| dc.description.abstract | Nowadays, the combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) is the most used technology for electric
power generation among the plants that produce electricity from fossil fuels. There are several
advantages that made the widespread of this technology. The most important benefits in
comparison with conventional thermoelectric plants are a higher efficiency, its flexibility, and
acceptable NOx and CO2 emissions.
However, in recent years, a power cycle has been suggested as a new choice outperforming the
widely used CCGT plants. The most recent proposal is an air breathing semi-closed recuperated
cycle (SCRC) which, although it has been proposed since the 1980s, has not been yet practically
developed. Such plants have an efficiency potential similar to CCGTs. Flexibility operation,
power density, its simplicity, and an increased power density could be advantages over the
CCGT plants as well as being well suited for CO2 capture. Furthermore, a SCRC does not
require any inexistent technology that has not been proved before in large CCGTs or gas turbine
plants (GT).
Hence, a comparison between a CCGT plant and the innovative SCRC technology has been
developed in this project. For achieving this objective, a SCRC was designed on the basis of
recent studies, and a CCGT was based on theory and operating plants. The simulations of these
models were carried out using EBSILON®Professional. After comparing both thermodynamic
cycles and seeing the advantages and inconveniences of the semi-closed cycle studied, a
sensitivity analysis of the SCRC was developed in order to know how determined changes in
the design point influenced on the plant. To conclude this project, the most relevant aspects
regarding potential, future work, and challenges with the SCRC technology were listed. | |
