How the Heat Rate of a Gas Turbine Affects its Efficiency

by Kyora Veira

Submitted : Fall 2015

The main factor used when determining the efficiency of a unit within a power plant is the heat rate. The heat rate is the the amount of energy that must be expended in order to obtain a unit of useful work. (Nowling, 2015) With this information, engineers are focused on finding more efficient methods of producing energy.

This paper is focused on the calculations used to determine the heat rate and how these factors are compared to determine the most effective method of producing energy. The calculations used to determine the heat rate, and charts that compare the differences in heat rates amongst different plants will be used to help explain this concept.

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