ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by discussing the basic operating principles and characteristics of turbine generators. It discusses gas turbine generators, which use a turbine spun by the gases of combustion to rotate an electric generator. Traditional utility type gas turbine generators are too large for distributed and dispersed applications. The chapter examines each of the three major turbine generator categories, utility, mini, and micro. It also discusses turbine generator application for distributed and remote generation. Gas turbine generators are available in a wide variety of sizes, corresponding to three types of turbine generator that each have distinctly different design and operating characteristics. Together, these three categories cover a wide range of capacity sizes, from very small units suitable for powering individual residences to large utility-system generators. The largest are the traditional utility gas turbine generators. Only the bottom of this “traditional” category falls within the sizes considered for distributed generator units.
