International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Research.

ISSN No. 2249-0019, Volume 3, Number 4 (2013), pp. 415-420

Research India Publications
http://www.ripublication.com/ ijmer.htm

First Law and Second Law Analysis of Gas Turbine Plant

V. Tara Chand1, B. Ravi Sankar2 and M. Ramanjaneya Reddy3
1,2,3

Department of Mechanical Engineering,

R.V.R. & J. C. College of Engineering,
Guntur-522019, India.

Abstract
The present work is focused on evaluating the performance of a Gas
turbine power plant by conducting energy and exergy analysis of each
component of the system. The influence of various parameters namely
compression ratio (rp), inlet air temperature (AT) and turbine inlet
temperature (TIT) on first law efficiency and second law efficiency is
studied. The individual and interaction effects of the input parameters
over the responses are presented and discussed. From the results it is
observed that pressure ratio is the key influencing factor which affects
the performance of the Gas Turbine plant.
Keywords: Gas turbine power plan; first law efficiency; second law
efficiency; compression ratio; inlet air temperature; turbine inlet
temperature.

1. Introduction
Gas turbines have been successfully used for cogeneration. Gas turbine cogeneration
system (GTCS) requires improvement in thermodynamic performance with reduced
expenditure. Bejan et al. [1] developed analysis methodology for GTCS. Kotas [2]
developed a method to determine chemical and physical exergies for various
components. Srinivas et al. [3] studied the efficiency of GTCS with single, dual and
triple pressure heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). Ganapathy et al. [4] studied
with an exergy analysis performed on an operating 50 MW unit of lignite fired steam
power plant at Thermal Power Station-I, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Limited,
Neyveli, Tamil Nadu, India. The distribution of the exergy losses in several plant
components during the real time plant running conditions has been assessed to locate
the process irreversibility. The objective of this research therefore, is to perform an

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exergy analysis on a 112.400 MW single shaft open cycle active gas turbine plant and
determine the effect of operating thermodynamic variables on the performance of the
gas turbine plant. The operating parameters to be investigated include: ambient
temperature (AT), compressor pressure ratio (rp) and turbine inlet temperature (TIT).

2. Thermodynamic Analysis
2.1 Description of plant
The gas turbine power plant is an open cycle single shaft system located at Genting
Lanco, Vijayawada. The power plant uses natural gas of low heat value (LHV). The
simplified schematic diagram of the plant is shown in Figure 1. The system consists of
an air-compressor (C), combustion chamber (CC) and a gas turbine (T).
2.2 Analysis Procedure
The analysis of the plant was divided into different control volumes and exergy
balances were determined for each component. Energy and exergetic performance
criteria based on the daily operating data were performed on entire plant. The operating
data considered were: ambient temperature (AT), turbine inlet temperature (TIT) and
compressor pressure ratio (rp). Data outside the technical design parameters for
operating conditions were simulated and their effect on the first law and second law
efficiency of the plant was critically studied. The gas turbine power plant models are
developed on the following assumptions: (i) the exergy value of air entering the
compressor is assumed zero, (ii) all components have adiabatic boundaries, (iii) plant
performance at ISO conditions, (iv) Ideal gas mixture principles apply for air and
combustion products, (v) Fuel (natural gas ) is taken as methane and modelled as an
ideal gas (vi) Combustion in combustion chamber is complete and N2 is treated as
inert, (vii) Heat transfer from combustion chamber is 2% of lower heating value
(LHV) of fuel, (viii) All other components operate without heat loss, (ix) Kinetic and
potential components of exergy are neglected and (vi) the ambient conditions of
temperature and pressure are 25OC and 1.013 bar. A computer program was developed
to simulate gas turbine power plant, in which control volume analysis of each
component was performed using mass, energy and exergy balances for determining
thermodynamic properties at every key position (Figure 1).

First Law and Second Law Analysis of Gas Turbine Plant

417

Figure 1: Gas Turbine Power Plant.

2.3 Energy and Exergy Analysis

Equation (1) present the steady state exergy balance equation for a control volume
according to (Kotas, 1995)
.
.
.
.
T .
Ex 1 0 Q j W CV mi ei meee
(1)
Tj
j
i
e
The subscripts i, e, j and o refer to conditions at inlet and exits of control volume
boundaries and reference state. The components exergy balance are carried out derived
from equation (1).
First law efficiency of gas turbine plant as in equation (2)
Wnet
1st
(2)
m f .LHV
.

Wnet is the net power output rate of the entire gas turbine plant and E xf is the fuel
exergy rate.
Second law efficiency of gas turbine plant as in equation (3)
Wnet
2 nd
(3)
.
m f . E xf

3. Result and Discussion

In this paper more attention is paid to discussing the use of gas turbine design variable
such as compressor inlet temperature (ambient temperature), Pressure Ratio and
Turbine Inlet Temperature, especially when gas turbine operated under full load. The
results of the effect of turbine operating variables on a 112.400 MW active gas-turbine
plant are presented. From figure 2 it reveals that first law efficiency increases with
increasing Pressure Ratio and decreases with increasing ambient temperature.

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However, Turbine Inlet Temperature has no significant effect on the first law
efficiency.
From figure 3 it reveals that second law efficiency increases with increasing
Pressure Ratio and decreases with increasing ambient temperature. However, Turbine
Inlet Temperature has no significant effect on the second law efficiency.
The Figure 2 & 3 shows that the first law and second law efficiency of the plant
increases to maximum value as compressor pressure ratio (rp) increases, but the Figure
2 & 3 shows that increasing the compressor pressure ratio has less improvement to first
law and second law efficiency when it is over 12.5 and the effect of main factor and
interactions are shown in Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5.

Figure 2: Main effects plot for first law efficiency.

Figure 3: Main effects plot for second law efficiency.

First Law and Second Law Analysis of Gas Turbine Plant

419

Figure 4: Interaction plots for first law efficiency.

Figure 5: Interaction plots for second law efficiency.

4. Conclusions
The effect of operating parameters on first law and second law efficiency of gas
turbine plant performance was investigated.
The first law and second law efficiency was found to decrease for any increase
in ambient temperature (AT)
The increasing the compressor pressure ratio has less improvement to first law
and second law efficiency when it is over 12.5. It is worthless to raise the
compressor pressure ratio in order to increase the first law and second law
efficiency when the compressor pressure ratio is over 12.5.
The conclusion remains that the performance of the gas turbine plant is affected by
these parameters and the need for plant optimization will be necessary for optimum
values of operating parameters that offer the best plant performance. Also to maintain a
better performance of the plant at the optimum ISO design conditions the statutory
maintenance procedures should be adhered to.

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References
[1]
[2]
[3]

[4]

A Bejan, G. Tsatsaronis and M.J. Moran (1996), Optimization and thermal

design, Willey.
T. J. Kotas (1995), The exergy method of thermal plant analysis, Malabar, FL:
Krieger Publishing Company.
T Srinivas, A.V.S.S.K.S. Gupta (2008) Thermodynamics modeling and
optimization of multi pressure heat recovery steam generator in combined
power plant, Journal of Scientific & Industrial Resrarch, Vol. 67, 2008, pp.
827-834.
T. Ganapathy, N. Alagumurthi, R. P. Gakkhar and K. Murugesan (2009),
Exergy Analysis of Operating Lignite Fired Thermal Power, Journal of
Engineering Science and Technology Review 2 (1), 2009, pp. 123-130.