Turbine Operations and Efficiency

Flashcards covering key terms and concepts related to turbine operations and efficiency, including definitions and explanations of thermodynamic processes.

Gas Turbine

A turbine that converts natural gas or other gaseous fuels into mechanical energy.

Brayton Cycle

A thermodynamic cycle that describes the workings of gas turbine engines, consisting of adiabatic compression, isobaric heat addition, adiabatic expansion, and isobaric heat rejection.

Adiabatic Process

A process in which no heat is transferred to or from the working fluid.

Isentropic Efficiency

A measure of the efficiency of a process that is both adiabatic and reversible, calculated as the ratio of the actual work output to the maximum possible work output in an isentropic process.

Heat Exchanger

A device that transfers heat between two or more fluids without mixing them.

Net Work Output

The useful work produced by a thermodynamic system, such as a turbine, after considering the work input required for compressing the fluid.

Pressure Ratio

The ratio of the pressure at the turbine exit to the pressure at the turbine inlet, which affects the performance and efficiency of the turbine.

Isothermal Process

A process that occurs at a constant temperature, particularly in context of the output power from the turbine.

Pump Work

The amount of energy needed to operate a pump, calculated using the pressure differential and the specific volume of the fluid.

Enthalpy

A thermodynamic property that represents the total heat content of a system, often used in calculations involving heat exchangers and turbines.