Micro Gas Turbines (MGTs)

In the future distributed energy systems based on small local power plants are likely to spread; since they lie close to the final users, they reduce electrical transport losses, and make thermal energy recovery profitable both in energy-related and in economic terms (Papermans et al., 2005; IEA, 2002). These benefits explain the increasing interest in smallsize generation systems. Recently, gas turbines < 1 MWe, defined as micro gas turbines (MGTs), have appeared on the market. MGTs are different from large GTs and cannot therefore be considered merely as their smaller versions. Their advantages as distributed energy systems lie in their low environmental impact in terms of pollutants and in their competitive operation and maintenance (O&M) costs. MGTs appear to be particularly well suited for service sector, household and small industrial applications (Macchi et al., 2005; Zogg et al., 2007). The book chapter reports of the technology of Micro Gas Turbines, in particular the performance at different operation modes, and the research work being conducted by the Systems for Energy and the Environment team of Dipartimento di Energetica, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy, to enhance MGT performance. We employed the same MGT model that was used to obtain the experimental performance and emissions data, focusing on: 1. Inlet Air Cooling (IAC); 2. Bottoming organic Rankine cycles; 3. Micro STIG; 4. Trigeneration. Open Access book available on: http://www.intechopen.com