TS-40
Dynamic analysis of Gas Turbine Systems for Marine Propulsion by Computer Simulation
Marx JEFFERSON* and Pei Lin ZHOU*
ABSTRACT
The progressive advancements in marine transportation are mainly based upon the increased demand in high speed and light craft which emphasises on lightweight construction and uses narrower hull design forms. Primary considerations for the propulsion system are given to the performance and reliability in order to attain ships' high speed and power requirements in commercial passenger service. Gas turbines have, therefore, been considered as a potential option for these types of applications, although diesel engines have dominated the fields of marine propulsion for many years.
This paper presents the development of computer simulation for a gas turbine propulsion system. The simulation is performed to analyse the dynamic performance of a gas turbine in relation to various operation modes. The simulation codes are written in SIMULINK. This is considered as the first attempt of applying SIMULINK for marine propulsion system simulation. Results on the dynamic performance of a gas turbine propulsion system are presented and discussed in the paper.
Keywords: gas turbine, propulsion, simulation
NOMENCLATURE
1. INTRODUCTION
The application of gas turbines as the prime movers of ships has shown an increased tendency in recent years, in order to meet the demand of ships with a high speed and a restricted space of the engine rooms. These requirements have promoted the development of gas turbines as a prime mover of ships. Compared with diesel engines, gas turbines have an advantage of greater power-weight ratio, lower vibration and pollutant emission. Thus, gas turbines are able to meet the requirements of marine propulsion systems, in challenging high speed and intensive power demand, lower vibration and emissions. These are the main drives in modern ships' development, particularly for passenger vessels.
Various studies have been undertaken on analysing gas turbine performance in both steady-state and dynamic conditions[1][2][3]. The studies show that the dynamic performance of a gas turbine depends mainly on its thermodynamic and mechanical behaviours.
* Dept. of Marine Technology,
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 7RU, UK
