The Prospects of Liquid Cooling for Turbines

A critical assessment of the future of liquid cooling is presented. Following a careful comparison of advantages and disadvantages, the principal historical milestones in turbine liquid cooling research are reported. It is recognized that enhanced performance, improved design simplicity and reduced product cost must all be achieved if liquid cooling is to supplant competitive approaches. A design example for a 180 shp SGT, using a radial inflow turbine, is presented. The prospects for employing liquid cooling in future turbine designs are good, but competition from alternative approaches is strong.