MHI has begun installation of its J-Series gas turbine. a system featuring what is claimed to be the world’s largest power generation capacity and highest thermal efficiency in the 1600 degrees C turbine inlet temperature class.
The company is making final preparations for the start of operational tests in February next year. It has started conversion work on the combined-cycle power plant for verification testing at its Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo Prefecture, which until now has conducted verification testing of the company’s G-Series gas turbines,
MHI completed development of the J-Series gas turbine, incorporating proprietary technologies, in the spring of 2009 and has subsequently worked on its commercialisation.
The new turbine is able to withstand 100 degrees higher temperatures than the 1500°C-class G-Series gas turbine. The 60 Hz J-Series GT is said to achieve a rated power output of about 320 MW (ISO basis) and an unprecedented 460 MW in gas turbine combined-cycle power generation applications. MHI aksi says the unit has achieved over 60% gross thermal efficiency – the world’s highest level in GTCC applications.
As well as effciiency increases the new GT is said to offer emissions benefit. It will be able to achieve CO2 emissions approximately 50% lower than with conventional coal-fired power generation (comparison is with MHI’s power plants) and in the J-Series, nitrogen oxide emissions, which usually increase as combustion temperature rises, are suppressed to a level equivalent to that of current models.
MHI has already started working on projects that call for delivery of the J-Series commencing in 2011. The company aims to apply the results from long-term verification operation of the J-Series at Takasago to further development of technologies that will enable even higher temperature gas turbines. It also continues toward development of high-efficiency gas turbines yet another generation ahead, as one way of contributing to the realisation of future low-carbon societies.
