Gas Turbine Engines, Design and Dynamic Performance

A gas turbine engine is a system that consists of several turbomachinery components and auxiliary subsystems. Air enters the compressor component which is driven by a turbine component and is placed on the same shaft. Air exits the compressor at a higher pressure and enters the combustion chamber, where the chemical energy of the fuel is converted into thermal energy producing combustion gas at a temperature that corresponds to the turbine inlet design temperature. The combustion gas expands in the following turbine component, where its total energy is partially converted into shaft work and exit kinetic energy. For power generation gas turbines, the shaft work is the major portion of the above energy forms. It covers the total work required by the compressor component, the bearing frictions, several auxiliary subsystems, and the generator. In aircraft gas turbines, a major portion of the total energy goes toward generation of high exit kinetic energy that is essential for thrust generation.