1.Gas Turbine:** Natural gas is first mixed with air and compressed. This mixture is then ignited in the combustion chamber of a gas turbine. The high-pressure, hot gases produced expand and flow through the turbine blades, causing them to rotate.
2.Generator:** The rotating turbine blades are connected to a generator. As the turbine spins, it turns the generator's rotor, which is surrounded by a stationary set of conductors called the stator. This relative motion induces an electric current in the stator conductors, generating electricity.
3.Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG):** After exiting the gas turbine, the hot exhaust gases still contain significant heat energy. To capture this waste heat, the exhaust gases are directed into the heat recovery steam generator. The HRSG is a series of heat exchangers that transfer heat from the exhaust gases to water, converting the water into steam.
4.Steam Turbine:** The high-pressure steam generated in the HRSG is then directed to a steam turbine. As the steam expands and flows through the turbine blades, it causes the blades to rotate. This rotation is used to generate additional electricity in a manner similar to the gas turbine.
5.Condenser:** After passing through the steam turbine, the low-pressure steam is directed to a condenser. Inside the condenser, the steam is cooled down by a flow of cold water, causing it to condense back into liquid water.
6.Cooling System:** The water used to condense the steam is then pumped back to the HRSG to be reheated and converted back into steam. This process is repeated in a continuous cycle, requiring a constant supply of cooling water.
By combining the power generated from both the gas turbine and the steam turbine, natural gas combined cycle power plants achieve high overall efficiencies, typically ranging from 55% to 60%. This means that a significant amount of the energy content of the natural gas is converted into usable electricity.
