The differences between gas turbines and gas engines (1)

When discussing distributed power generation systems, gas turbines and gas engines are two widely used power sources. They play an indispensable role in global combined heat and power (CHP) equipment, with a wide range of applications such as power supply, medical facilities, educational institutions, district heating, seawater desalination processes, food processing, textile manufacturing, petrochemical refining, chemical processing, pharmaceutical production, pulp and paper manufacturing, and general manufacturing. With the continuous advancement of technology, these two power sources have achieved significant improvements in efficiency, reliability, emission control, and operating costs. Now, let's analyze in detail the main differences between gas turbines and gas engines.

Firstly, gas turbines and gas engines have different working principles. A gas turbine generates high-temperature and high-pressure gas through the combustion of gas, which drives the turbine to rotate and generate electricity. Gas engines, on the other hand, use the combustion of gas to generate reciprocating motion, which is converted into rotational motion through mechanisms such as pistons and connecting rods, thereby driving a generator to generate electricity.

In terms of efficiency, gas engines typically have higher electrical efficiency, ranging from approximately 48.5% to 49%. The power efficiency of gas turbines is relatively low, generally between 29% and 33%. However, this does not mean that gas turbines are inferior to gas engines genset in overall energy efficiency, as gas turbines have a more balanced distribution of energy in cogeneration, with electricity, steam, and losses accounting for 33%, 50%, and 20%, respectively.

In addition, in terms of the required heat types, gas engines mainly rely on steam to provide the required heat, while gas turbines may meet their heat needs through hot water and some steam. In terms of overall efficiency of cogeneration, gas turbines typically operate within the high efficiency range of 80% to 83%, while the overall efficiency of gas engines is relatively low, ranging from approximately 63.5% to 77%.

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