Short Description

With the supply of renewable electric energy being highly volatile, an increased demand for instantaneously available balancing energy has emerged in the recent past, stimulating the operation of agile gas turbine power plants. To allow for a quick connection of the gas turbine unit to the power grid, it must be kept at aerodynamic part load, which results in a decreased process temperature, process pressure, and geometric adjustments (e.g. variable inlet guide vanes). The altered conditions with regard to the aerodynamic design pint (ADP) result in the occurance of so-called “real geometry effects” in the annulus (gaps, steps, edges, blade misalignement). Qualitative and quantitative assessments of these phenomena and their aerodynamic impact on the unit’s performance are subject of current research.