Never fails to amaze

[DeepFriar]

Old hat to many (hello Shannow) I'm sure but the GE 9HA gas turbine got my interest today as I was coasting around the interwebs. The thing is behemoth. About a half a gigawatt per each, that's some electrons brother. Apologies for plowing old ground here but these things amaze me. 64% net efficiency, Wow (combined cycle but still, Wow). Any guesses as to how much a single installation costs?

https://www.ge.com/power/gas/gas-turbines/h-class


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3xWPfkZ1ZjQ


Probably (!) pretty durable, GE offers 21 year service agreements.

As an aside, I recall my grandfather telling how his plant shipped the best steam turbines in the world to the USSR during WWII as part of the aid package. The Russians have bought a 9HA too but I can't guess how many pieces of it have been (non)destructively "tested" since then. Putin threatening us with nuclear war in the last few days (he likes to frighten the Europeans ahead of things like the G7) reminded me that Lenin was right. We never learn, we will sell our very best to those who would harm us. It's our version of fighting with one hand tied behind our back. But caution to those who would take advantage - we still tend to win even in that configuration.

Definition of geek - finds curve of turbine blade oddly appealing.

Cheers, sorry for the tangent.

 

[Kage860]

I’m familiar with the 7fa units which seem to be all over. A new plant probably is in a neighborhood of $1m per Mw.

 

[DeepFriar]

So $500M? Whoa.

 

[OVERKILL]

You should look up the AP1000 (1,117MWe) or the ACR-1000 (1,200MWe).

 

[ZeeOSix]

Doc needed a ACR-1000.

https://youtu.be/I5cYgRnfFDA

 

[DeepFriar]

No fair going all nuclear on me.

The engineering involved in that sort of undertaking is just staggering. As a more "creative" than "numerical" human I have a lot of respect for the talent and efforts of those involved in achievements like this. More like awe.

 

[Shannow]

Gas turbines started with Whittle. (I don't know enough about the German jets that obviously flew)
He got royally shafted by the British Govt, Rover and Rolls Royce.
Everything he invented got given to them to develop.
Everything that they learned they owned.

Then, the best of what was there got shipped to the Soviets after the war (to equal things up for whatever reason)...the early Migs in Canberra War Memorial are centrifugal compressed, very Whittle.

I messed with the LM 2500 aero derivatives in the early '90s...messed, as in doing performance tests.

Aero derivs, even the trent are making it into stationary applications, as that's the fastest way to 60,000hp natural gas compressors.

Stationary power has divereged from the above, and is standalone...these things are amazingly efficient.

 

[Cujet]

Solar panels can do better. Especially at night.....