The initial
patent for a closed-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) was issued in 1935 and they were first used commercially in 1939.[3] Seven CCGT units were built in
Switzerland and
Germany by 1978.[2] Historically, CCGTs found most use as
external combustion engines "with fuels such as
bituminous coal,
brown coal and
blast furnace gas" but were superseded by open cycle
gas turbines using cleaner-burning fuels (e.g. "
gas or
light oil"), especially in highly efficient
combined cycle systems.[3] Air-based CCGT systems have demonstrated very
high availability and reliability.[6] The most notable helium-based system thus far was Oberhausen 2, a 50
megawattcogeneration plant that operated from 1975 to 1987 in Germany.[7] Compared to Europe where the technology was originally developed, CCGT is not well known in the US.[8]
Closed-cycle gas turbines hold promise for use with future high temperature
solar power[3] and
fusion power[2] generation.
They have also been proposed as a technology for use in long-term
space exploration.[12]
Supercritical carbon dioxide closed-cycle gas turbines are under development; "The main advantage of the supercritical CO2 cycle is comparable efficiency with the helium Brayton cycle at significantly lower temperature" (550 °C vs. 850 °C), but with the disadvantage of higher pressure (20 MPa vs. 8 MPa).[13]Sandia National Laboratories has a goal of developing a 10 MWe supercritical CO2 demonstration CCGT by 2019.[14]
^Keller, C. (1978). "Forty years of experience on closed-cycle gas turbines". Annals of Nuclear Energy. 5 (8–10): 405–422.
doi:
10.1016/0306-4549(78)90021-X.
^
abMcDonald, C. F. (2012). "Helium turbomachinery operating experience from gas turbine power plants and test facilities". Applied Thermal Engineering. 44: 108–181.
doi:
10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.02.041.
^V. Dostal, M.J. Driscoll, P. Hejzlar,
"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from
the original(PDF) on 27 December 2010. Retrieved 7 December 2011.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link)MIT-ANP-Series, MIT-ANP-TR-100 (2004)