Combined Helium and Combustion Gas Turbine Plant Exploiting Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Physical Exergy

The aim of this work is the energy and exergy analysis of a combined plant made up of a conventional gas turbine (heavy-duty or aeroderivative) and a closed helium turbine cycle, which exploits liquid hydrogen (LH2) as a lower energy source. A helium turbine with the characteristics of the fluid allows us to operate between the usual temperatures of the top turbine waste gas and those of the liquid hydrogen available. In this way the combined system reaches efficiency values greater than every combined system proposed to date. The work contains a detailed analysis of the relative entropy productions of the helium cycle and considerations about the realization and technological aspects of helium turbines.