BETTER part-load fuel economy, quicker acceleration, lower idling fuel consumption, and a broader operating range are among advantages claimed for the differential gas turbine.
Differentially connecting the turbine to the compressor and output shafts, the author explains, gives up to 50% more turbine power at low output speeds than a two-turbine power-plant operating at the same compressor speed and fuel flow, and fuel savings up to 65% over a two-turbine unit operating at the same compressor speed and output power.
The two-turbine differential combination in particular, he says, offers a valuable opportunity to vary relationships between the components to achieve, in one powerplant, the optimum combination of performance features required for a particular application.