Optimization of an air-cooled hybrid gas turbine cycle (Brayton/Ericsson)

Abstract

The performance of a Brayson cycle, a hybrid gas turbine cycle, has been examined to establish the effect of air cooling and heat exchanger effectiveness on the cycle efficiency and specific power. The air-cooled heat exchanger was optimized to produce the maximum net efficiency for the specified minimum cycle temperature. The cycle performance was shown to be adversely influenced by the air cooling as it reduced both the specific power and efficiency. The heat exchanger effectiveness was shown to have a secondary impact on the performance parameters. An additional optimization of the heat exchanger at minimum volume is also presented to act as a benchmark against which the performance of the heat exchanger in the optimized cycle can be compared.

Keywords

Brayson cycle optimization heat exchanger

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