A combined cycle designed to achieve greater than 60 percent efficiency

In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy's Morgantown Energy Technology Center, Westinghouse is working on Phase 2 of an 8-year Advanced Turbine Systems Program to develop the technologies required to provide a significant increase in natural gas-fired combined cycle power generation plant efficiency. In this paper, the technologies required to yield an energy conversion efficiency greater than the Advanced Turbine Systems Program target value of 60 percent are discussed. The goal of 60 percent efficiency is achievable through an improvement in operating process parameters for both the combustion turbine and steam turbine, raising the rotor inlet temperature to 2600 degrees F (1427 degrees C), incorporation of advanced cooling techniques in the combustion turbine expander and utilization of other cycle enhancements obtainable through greater integration between the combustion turbine and steam turbine.