The gas turbine
The gas turbine is a type of internal combustion engine. It has an upstream rotating compressor coupled to a downstream turbine, and a combustion chamber in between. It is used today to power many types of vehicles from aircraft to tanks.
A simple gas turbine is comprised of three main sections: a compressor, a combustor, and a power turbine. The gas turbine operates on the principle of the Brayton cycle, where compressed air is mixed with fuel, and burned under constant pressure conditions. The resulting hot gas is allowed to expand through a turbine to perform work. In a 33% efficient gas turbine, approximately two thirds of this work is spent compressing the air. The rest is available for other work, for example, mechanical drive, electrical generation, etc.
This invention was made possible during the Industrial Revolution because of technological advances, and the availability of raw materials.
A simple gas turbine is comprised of three main sections: a compressor, a combustor, and a power turbine. The gas turbine operates on the principle of the Brayton cycle, where compressed air is mixed with fuel, and burned under constant pressure conditions. The resulting hot gas is allowed to expand through a turbine to perform work. In a 33% efficient gas turbine, approximately two thirds of this work is spent compressing the air. The rest is available for other work, for example, mechanical drive, electrical generation, etc.
This invention was made possible during the Industrial Revolution because of technological advances, and the availability of raw materials.