Fracking has changed many things in this business, along with combined cycle technology which allows natgas to convert 50% of its energy to electric power. That is high. Efficient coal is in the 30s, nukes are in the 30s as well.
Nuke plants require hoards of highly paid people to keep them licensed and safe. A combined cycle plant probably has 5-10 persons per shift.
Low natgas prices sealed the deal.
Biggest risk: no fuel stored at the plant site.
What’s the topping cycle - Brayton?Frank Whittle initially used a centrifugal compressor and a centrifugal turbine to extract power from the gas. This design has problems for aircraft propulsion from which the axial-flow design does not suffer, but the centrifugal turbine has the advantage that the portion of the rotor which is subjected to the highest temperature is not subjected to the highest stress. In consequence, there still exists a flyable Whittle-powered jet which was built during WWII - whereas the Me-262 engines reportedly were used up after 30 hours of flight time.
Is the centrifugal gas turbine design still viable for stationary applications, notwithstanding the decisive advantage axial-flow designs enjoy in the huge aircraft propulsion market?
Adding in district heating and absorption cooling, and still most of the heat produced is unused.
Without the temperature differential, the turbines just won’t spin.
They have to send the surplus heat somewhere.
NYC is the last of the big district heating systems in the US.
Cicero, also called "Co-Gen" units if I am not mistaken. Back in the day when I was studying this stuff their was a plant in the State of MA that claimed 59% Thermal Efficiency, a bit off the mark, or is that obtainable? I was under the assumption 60% Thermal Efficiency was obtainable....