Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (KHI) recently announced the completion of its new 30MW gas turbine Kawasaki L30A, said to be the flagship model of its fleet. Claimed to have one of the highest efficiency ratings in the world in its class, it is expected to be launched in June 2012.
KHI’s first industrial gas turbine was introduced in 1974 for stand-by use, and the first base-load model was launched in 1984. Since then, KHI has been developing and supplying both stand-by and base-load models to customers in the 150kW to 18MW range, and delivered almost 8,000 gas turbine generator units around the world.
During this time, design improvements have contributed to higher efficiency with lower emissions to meet the global environmental protection requirements. Kawasaki is trying to make further inroads into the 30MW class market with L30A gas turbines.
Technical features of L30A gas turbine
Combining Kawasaki’s expertise in developing small- and medium-size industrial gas turbines and its component technology in the area of aircraft engines, the L30A offers the following features:
1) An engine thermal efficiency of more than 40.1 percent, achieved through such improvements as a higher compressor pressure ratio, newly-developed heat resisting materials, and enhanced turbine cooling technologies.
2) A proprietary Dry Low Emission (DLE) combustion system for reducing NOx emissions to below 15 ppm (O2=15%), said to be the lowest emission level in the world, in this class.
3) A modular structural design offering maintainability based on the latest technologies and know-how cultivated through the development of KHI’s current and previous models. By adopting the optimal maintenance cycle proposed by KHI, life cycle costs are likely to be significantly reduced.
With open cycle 2-shaft, it offers
- Electric Output* (kWe) 30,120
- Thermal Efficiency* (%) 40.1
- Air Flow Rate (kg/s) 86.5
- Pressure Ratio 24.5
- EGT* (deg-C) 470
* ISO Conditions; Natural Gas Fuel
A flexible solution
In the worldwide market, energy security has become a prominent issue and there is an increasing need for on-site power generation. This ever-increasing power demand requires more high-efficiency machines, while reducing emissions to match increasingly stringent environmental protection regulations. The L30A is expected to provide a flexible solution for such demands, and when combined with a heat recovery steam generator, it is probably the ideal gas turbine for use in combined heat and power and/or combined cycle applications.
KHI has installed the first L30A package in the domestic market in Japan, and expects to receive the orders from its international sales and marketing network in Europe, Americas, Asia, Middle East and Far East.
