Abstract
Combined cycle power plant is a system where a gas turbine or steam turbine is used to produce shaft power to drive a generator for producing electrical power and the steam from the HRSG is expanded in a steam turbine for additional shaft power. Combined cycle plant is a one from of cogeneration. The temperature of the exhaust gases from a gas turbine ranges from $400^\circC$ to $600^\circC$, and can be used effectively in a heat recovery steam generator to produce steam. Combined cycle can be classed as a "topping(gas turbine)" and a "bottoming(steam turbine)" cycle. The first cycle, to which most of the heat is supplied, is called the topping cycle. The wasted heat it produces is then utilized in a second process which operates at a lower temperature level and is therefore referred to as a "bottoming cycle". The combination of gas/steam turbine power plant managed to be accepted widely because, first, each individual system has already proven themselves in power plants with a single cycle, therefore, the development costs are low. Secondly, the air as a working medium is relatively non-problematic and inexpensive and can be used in gas turbines at an elevated temperature level over $1000^\circC$. The steam process uses water, which is likewise inexpensive and widely available, but better suited for the medium and low temperature ranges. It, therefore, is quite reasonable to use the steam process for the bottoming cycle. Only recently gas turbines attained inlet temperature that make it possible to design a highly efficient combined cycle. In the present study, performance analysis of a dual pressure combined-cycle power plant is carried out to investigate the influence of topping cycle to combined cycle performance.
