Aspects of Gas Turbine Thermal Efficiency

Abstract

In the family of heat engines, the gas turbine is unique in that it is used to produce two different kinds of useful power. By converting combusted fuel heat into work, a gas turbine engine can produce external shaft power (e.g., to drive a connected electric generator) or jet power (e.g., as a jet engine, to produce thrust forces to propel an aircraft). This means that the gas turbine’s thermodynamic figure of merit, thermal efficiency, is multifaceted, and calls for a nuanced examination.