Microturbines future power generation

1. INTRODUCTION:
1.1 MEMS: Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is an integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate through the utilization of microfabrication technology. MEMS is truly an enabling technology allowing the development of smart products by augmenting the computational ability of microelectronics with the perception and control capabilities of microsensors and microactuators. MEMS technology ma es possible the integration of microelectronics with active perception and control functions, thereby, greatly e!panding the design and application space. "lthough MEMS devices are e!tremely small (e.g. MEMS has enabled electrically-driven motors smaller than the diameter of a human hair to be realized), MEMS technology is not about size. #urthermore, MEMS is not about ma ing things out of silicon, even though silicon possesses e!cellent materials properties ma ing it a attractive choice for many high-performance mechanical applications. $nstead, MEMS is a manufacturing technology% a new way of ma ing comple! electromechanical systems (li e power generation) using batch fabrication techni&ues. "lready, MEMS is used for everything ranging from in-dwelling blood pressure monitoring to active suspension systems for automobiles. 'ecent e!amples of the advantages of MEMS technology consider the MEMS accelerometers, which are &uic ly replacing conventional accelerometers for crash airbag deployment systems in automobiles. Microturbine is one of the best e!amples of the recently used MEMS. (he technology is to generate power for at a small level for a few houses or as a stand-by power source. $t is given hype now days and further research wor is also in progress. )ow let us now what e!actly the microturbine is.

Microturbines future power generation 1.2 Gas Turbine: +as turbines are ,rayton cycle engines, which e!tract energy from hydrocarbon fuels through compression, combustion, and hot gas e!pansion. "ir is drawn in to a compressor, which increases the air pressure. (he compressed air is mi!ed with fuel and ignited in a combustor. (hen, the hot gas is e!panded through a turbine, which drives the compressor and gives useful wor through rotation of the compressor- turbine shaft. (he shaft power can be used to drive a electrical generator, thereby providing electricity. 1.3 Microturbine: Microturbines are small gas turbines used to generate electricity. -ccupying a space no larger than a telephone bo!, they typically have power outputs in the range of ./ to 011 2. $n comparison, large powerstations are entire buildings and have much higher power outputs of around 311M2 to *111M2. (he small size of microturbines is a ma4or advantage that allows them to be situated right at the source of electricity demand. (his eliminates energy losses that usually occur when transmitting electricity from power stations. Such transmission losses are &uite significant and can easily amount to 56 of the power generated. Microturbines are a new class of small gas turbines used for distributed generation of electricity. Microturbines are small version of gas turbines emerged from four different technologies viz. small gas turbines, au!iliary power units, automotive development gas turbine and turbochargers. Microturbines are new class of gas turbines used for distributed generation of electricity. Microturbine development is based on turbines used for aircraft au!iliary power units, which have been used in commercial airlines for decades. -ne way in which microturbines can be distinguished from larger turbines is that microturbines use a single shaft to drive the compressor, turbine and generator. 2here as in large power plants, the turbines and generator are on separate shafts and are connected by gears that slow down the high-speed rotation of the gas turbines, simultaneously increasing the tor&ue sufficient to turn much large electric generators. Some microturbines even include the ability to generate electricity from heat of e!haust gases. .

Microturbines future power generation

2.0 HISTOR :
$n *711 when a . M2 steam turbine was installed at 8artford, its size was 9 times bigger than any of the e!isting steam turbines. #rom then on economy of scale meant bigger and bigger. ,y the end of the *751s and largely driven by nuclear power plants, steam turbines e!ceeded *111 M2. (he electric efficiency of steam turbine power plants eventually reached 096. (hat trend was bro en in the *7:1s. More efficient gas turbines combined with steam turbines could produce electric power with efficiencies up to //6. (his new technology, combined cycle power plants, was the technology of choice for independent power producers. $t was now possible to build competitive power plants down to the range of *11-.11 M2. Microturbines have been e!perimented with since *79/, when 'over tried to develop one for a vehicle application. Since that time, automobile, aerospace, aircraft and military contractors have tried to develop an economical and functional microturbine for different industrial and commercial applications.

3.0 NEED O! MICROTUR"INE:

$n today;s energy economy, most electricity is produced using fossil fuel-burning generators. (hese machines consist of a motor and a dense coil of copper wires that surround a shaft containing powerful magnets. (o get that power to a home or factory typically re&uires a local utility to run a heavy copper cable to the residence or business site. ,ut what if the site re&uiring energy is in a remote mountain location, or it;s an offshore oil rig where electricity is scarce and hoo ups don;t e!ist< 8ere the microturbines come into the picture. $t is one of the best options to set up a local powergeneration plant, perhaps using a microturbine -- a small, sometimes portable, fossil fuelburning system that can provide enough electricity to power anywhere from *1 to /,111 homes. "lso it has an important application as a turbocharger in vehicles when more energy is re&uired from the engine in less amount of fuel.

Microturbines future power generation

#. CONSTRUCTION O! MICROTUR"INE:
Microturbines are typically single shaft machines with the compressor and turbine mounted on the same shaft as the electrical generator. $t therefore consists of only one rotating part, eliminating the need for a gearbo! and associated numerous moving parts. Microturbines are miniature versions of the huge machines used to generate power from natural gas, and evolved from aircraft engines and automotive turbochargers. " cutaway view of a microturbine is shown in #igure*. (he single stage (urbine and =ompressor wheels are inertia welded to the shaft, which supports the generator alternator rotor and provides for a cold end drive. " bloc diagram showing a complete cycle of the microturbine is shown in #igure.. (he inner bearing is a hydrodynamic bearing and the outer bearing utilizes a ceramic ball race. " device called recuperator plays an important role in completing the cycle of microturbine.

Microturbines future power generation #ig *> Sectiona$ %ie& o' a t()ica$ *icroturbine ?*@.

+. ,RINCI,-E .ND /OR0ING O! MICROTUR"INES:

(he high velocity e!haust gases coming from the combustor rotate the turbine used in the microturbine. (he basic principle of wor ing of the microturbine is that the compressor as well as the electric generator is mounted on the same power shaft as that of the turbine. ,ecause of this the compressor and the generator also rotate with the turbine. (he generator rotates with the same speed as that of the turbine and generates the electricity. (he electricity is first given to the power conditioning devices and then it is supplied to the re&uired areas. (he combustor is supplied with the fuel in the gaseous form by the gas compressor. "lso fresh and compressed air is supplied to the combustor by the compressor through the recuprator.

#ig .> /or1in2 c(c$e o' a *icroturbine ?.@. 8ere the recuprator plays an important role of heat e!changer. $t absorbs the heat from the hot gases coming from the turbine. (hen it gives this heat to the compressed air coming from the compressor. (hus the air supplied to the combustor is hot and compressed. (his helps to increase the overall efficiency of the cycle.

Microturbines future power generation

3. ,ER!ORM.NCE:
(he performance of the microturbines is given in the tabular form as below, (able )o.* MICROTUR"INE E!!ICIENC 'or 2+ to +000/ ?*@ CON!IGUR.TION Anrecuperated 'ecuperated 2ith 8eat 'ecovery E!!ICIENC */6 .1-016 Ap to :/6

=ommercial microturbines used for power generation range in size from about ./B2 to /11B2. (hey produce both heat and electricity on a relatively small scale. (he energy to electricity conversion efficiencies are in the range of .1 to 016. (hese efficiencies are attained when using a recuperator. =ogeneration is an option in many cases as a microturbine is located at the point of power utilization. (he combined thermal electrical efficiency is :/6. Anrecuperated microturbines have lower efficiencies at around */6.

Microturbines future power generation

4.0 !E.TURES:
Microturbines offer many potential advantages for distributed power generation. Selected strengths and wea nesses of microturbine of the microturbine technology are listed below> .5%anta2es :6 Small number of moving parts. =ompact size. Cight weight. +ood efficiency in cogeneration. Cow emission. =an utilize waste fuel. Cong maintenance intervals -i*itations:6 Cow feul to electricity efficiency. Coss of power output and efficiency with hieghr ambient temperature and elevation

7. !UTURE SCO,E:
E!tensive field test data collected from units currently in use at commercial and industrial facilities will provide the manufacturers with the ability to improve the microturbine design, lowering the cost and increasing performance, in order to produce a competitive distributed generation product. Atilities, government agencies, and other -rganizations are involved in collaborative research and field-testing.

Microturbines future power generation

Development is ongoing in a variety of areas> *. 8eat recoveryEcoregeneration .. #uel fle!ibility 0. Fehicles 9. 8ybrid systems (e.g. fuel cellEmicroturbine, flywheelEmicroturbine)

8. .,,-IC.TIONS:
2hile the simplest application for a microturbine prime mover is of power generation other application e!ists. Microturbine prime movers can be used for cooling, refrigeration% air compression and pump drive application whereby the inherent high speed of the power shaft can be used to drive high efficiency and low cost centrifugal compressors. Microturbines can be used for stand by power, power &uality and reliability, pea shaving, and cogeneration applications. $n addition, because microturbines are being developed to utilize a variety of fuels, they are being used for resource recovery and landfill gas applications. Microturbines produce between ./ w to /11 w of power and are well suited for small commercial building establishments such as restaurants, hotelsEmotels, small offices, retail stores and many others. (he development of the microturbine technology for the transportation application is also in progress. -ne of the ma4or applications used is the turbocharger in the small vehicles. "utomotive companies are interested in microturbines to provide a light weight and efficient fossil fuel- based energy source for hybrid electric vehicles, especially buses.

Microturbines future power generation

8.1 C.SE STUD ON DISTRI"UTED GENER.TION:

8.1.1 Intro5uction: Distribution generation is a concept of installing and operating small electric generators, typically less than .1M2, at or near electrical load. (he premise of distributed generation is to provide electricity to a customer at a reduced cost and more efficiently with reduced losses than the traditional utility central generating plant with transmission and distribution wires. 8.1.2 Microturbine in 5istribute5 2eneration: Microturbine is small scale combustion turbines ranging inside from .: 2 to /11 2, which include a compressor, combuster, turbine, alternator, recuperator and generator. Microturbines are smaller, lighter and operate with no vibration and less noise. "ll of these features help to ma e on - site installation possible without compromising the environmental aspects. (hey have potential to be located on site having space limitations to produce power. 8.1.3 /or1in2 )rinci)$e: (he technology used for distributed generation is that of microturbine. (he three basic e&uipments, viz. the turbine, the generator and compressor are mounted on a single shaft. (he core of the microturbine is a high-speed compressor -turbine section, which rotates very fast - 73111rpm in =apston model 001. -n the same shaft is a high-speed generator using permanent magnets. " ey element for designs of microturbine is air

Microturbines future power generation bearings (or more correctly gas bearings). "ir bearings enable the high speed only air cooling a long life almost maintenance free.

(he high speed generator delivers a high fre&uency power. (o Ggear it downG to useful /1E31 8z power, electronics is brought into application. (he following table shows the speed of microturbine for different power generation capacities. (able )o.0 S)ee5 o' Turbine !or Di''erent ,o&er Ratin2s ?0@. ,O/ER 9/ B2 :1 B2 .11 B2 S,EED 71,111 (- *,*3,111 ('HM) 51,111 ('HM) /1,111 ('HM)

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Microturbines future power generation #ig 0> Cuta&a( o' t9e Ca)ston 330 turbine ?0@.

8.1.# .5%anta2es: (he general advantages of microturbine are that there are small number of moving parts are compact in size, light weight and have opportunities for greater efficiencies, lower emissions, lower electricity costs and use renewable fuels such as land fill or sewage treatment gases. Microturbine in general offer to be advantages * lower emission and . low maintenance. "s illustrated below ((able no.0), the =apston microturbine has one of the best emission performances of any fossil fuel combustion. (able no.0 COM,.RISION O! EMISSIONS ?0@ Ite* 'eciprocating Engines (/11 2) +as (urbines (9./M2) =oal #ired Steam (/11M2) Microturbine NO :))*; CO :))*; THC :))*; *11 091 */1 ./ /1 *1 .11 )E" )E" 7 ./ 7 Source: Ca*bri52e Ener2( Researc9 .ssociates.

2ith very low emissions and maintenance, microturbines hold promise to enable small-scale cogeneration. (o e!haust heat can be use water heating, absorption cooling, dehumidification, etc. $t is possible to reach efficiencies of 51-:16. ,ecause of the three e!hausts with no ris of any oil fuel (due to the air bearing) it should be possible to use the e!haust gas directly in some industrial processes. 8.1.+ "ene'its o' Distribute5 2eneration:

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Microturbines future power generation (hus the benefits that distributed generation could potentially provide, depending on the technology, include reduced emissions, utilization of waste heat, improved power &uality and reliability and deferral of transmission or distribution upgrades.

8.2 H DRO,O/ER GENER.TION: " typical use of microturbine is the hydropower generation. Microturbine technology e&uipments harness the best possible energy source that is the discharge flow of even minor streams, in that sense% they constitute cleaner, superior environmental alternatives to the less acceptable fossil fuel powered generators. (he technology is very simple as shown in figure ." turbine with a generator on its shaft is fitted in the way of water flowing in a river or a stream. $n most cases, microturbine views only a small portion of a stream;s flow that is channeled through a penstoc . "s it is clear from the figure, we can say that reliable and renewable hydro-energy generation (with the help of microturbines of course) does not re&uire a reservoir or the flooding of low-lying areas. Microturbine technology turbines may be installed low discharge flow streams and rivers. (hey are efficient even in cases of low drop river fall, as microturbine technology turbines generate electricity from as little as one meter of hydraulic head. 8.3 TUR"OCH.RGER: (urbocharger is one of the applications of microturbine. $t uses the principle of mounting the compressor on same shaft as that of turbine. 8ere also the e!haust gases drive the turbine. (oday with precise control offered by the computers, turbochargers are ma ing small engines more efficient and capable of producing more power. Microturbines are evolved from automotive and truc turbochargers, au!iliary power units for airplanes, and small 4et engines and are comprised of a compressor, combustor, turbine, alternator, recuperator, and generator.

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Microturbines future power generation

8.3.1 Turboc9ar2in2 )rinci)$e: " turbocharger is a device that uses e!haust gases, rather than the engine power to run an air pump or compressor. (he air pump then forces an increased amount of air into the cylinders. ,oth the diesel and gasoline engines in the mar et use turbochargers. #igure 0 shows a typical schematic of air and e!hausting a turbocharged engine. 8igh velocity e!haust gases pass out of the e!haust ports. #rom there they pass through a turbine driven pump. 8ere the e!haust gases cause the e!haust turbine to turn very rapidly. (he e!haust turbine causes the inta e compressor to run very rapidly. "s the compressor turbine runs it draws in a large amount of fresh air. (he inta e air is pressurized and forced into the inta e port. (he increase in the pressure in the inta e manifold is called as boost. ,oost may produce pressure in the inta e manifold of about 3 to *1 psi or more depending on the manufacturer. #igure shows a chart that compares a turbocharged and a normally aspirated engine. )ote that both the tor&ue and the horse power are increased at all rpm. #or e!ample at /111 rpm the normally aspirated engine produces about :1hp. at this rpm, the turbocharged engine can produce about *91hp.

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Microturbines future power generation

10. CONC-USION:
"s a brea through technology, allowing unparalleled synergy between hitherto unrelated fields of endeavor such as biology and microelectronics, many new MEMS applications will emerge, e!panding beyond that which is currently identified or nown. $n the industrial sector, MEMS devices are emerging as product performance differentiators in numerous mar ets with a pro4ected mar et growth of over /16 per year. Microturbines (MEMS) also promises a lot of further development. (he introduction of competition into the electric mar etplace has driven the development of new electrical generation technologies. Most technologies being developed for distributed generation application are currently too costly, and can only be utilized in some applications. #or this the microturbine is one of the best applications. Microturbines are capable of generating power even with the availability of low grade fuel or low head of water. $t is rightly said that the microturbine will start eating the mar et share that diesel engine has so far en4oyed.

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Microturbines future power generation

RE!RENCES
*. www.microturbine.com .. www.distributed generation.com 0. www.memsnet.org 9. E.Schwaller, (urbocharger, "utomotive (echnology, Delmar publications. /. Electrical 'eview, Microturbine, Fol..0/, ..nd Ianuary .11..

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