ABSTRACT
The thermodynamics of electric-power generating systems has long been a classical study area for engineers. This chapter applies the availability method to electric-power generating systems. These systems will include steam turbine, gas turbine, and combined-cycle systems. In addition to the calculation of the system second law efficiency, the chapter focuses on the availability losses and destruction among the components. It identifies the component in which the most availability loss and destruction occurs. As consulting engineers design a combined-cycle electric-power generating system, they would not have any chance to design the processes that comprise the combined system. Instead, they examine and select from the market the available components such as a gas turbine, waste heat recovery boiler, and steam turbine. The gas turbine usually consists of compression, combustion, and expansion processes. In the block approach, the performance data provided by equipment manufacturers are utilized to calculate the availability input and output of the gas turbine.
