Type USE-2 conductors

[K8MHZ]

Mark, 90 degree angle ... yeah, the 1200 sounds reasonable; that went to the heat recovery boiler(s?). This was at a Duke Power Buck Steam Station in Spencer NC ... then 5 coal boilers, 4 turbine generators (40, 80, 125, 125 MW) and a small "combustion turbine" peaking group (then 6 gas generators, 3 generators) with wast head boiler(s?) connected to one of the old (late 1920's) (25 MW IIRC) TG units. As best I can tell from Google Maps, that configuration still exists. See 35.712738,-80.373794 for the CT control building. We had 3,000,000 gallons of #2 to burn then.

Hot gas out of Gas Generator to inline "Free Turbine" coupled to generator

GG runs like any other 707 engine ... indeed, we bought a couple of surplus airplane engines. We had one maintenance guy who was either ex-military or ex-aviation who supervised our HSIs. These ran about 4-5 hours a day in the winter for peak loads, longer in the summer.

Imagine a boiler for a coal plant only instead of powdered coal burning inside it is the exhaust from a huge natural gas powered jet turbine. Since they were so big, they ran slow, i.e. 3600 rpm.

IIRC, the 707 used a Pratt-Whitney high bypass turbo-fan engine. 9000 rpm sounds pretty reasonable. The Pratt F-100s were (probably still are) jet fighter engines with no turbo-fan and ran at around 20,000 rpm, so 9 grand does sound like it's in the right range for the 707 engine. Man, that's got to be tough on anything connected to it.

 

[GeorgeB]

Since they were so big, they ran slow, i.e. 3600 rpm.

The ones with which I'm familiar with now all run at 3600. I spend a little time in the local GE plant where their gas turbine systems are built. There are some that run in the 5000 rpm range (5400 rings a bell?) with gear drives to the generator. AFAIK, there is no present technology for 60 Hz generation at other than 3600/n speeds. The PV type technology with inverters would work in concept, but power levels are high for that to be practical.

IIRC, the 707 used a Pratt-Whitney high bypass turbo-fan engine. 9000 rpm sounds pretty reasonable. Man, that's got to be tough on anything connected to it.

Yeah ... nothing connected, that's the reason for the "free turbine" which connects to the generator. Each end of the generator has a free turbine (one left hand, one right hand) which is driven by the gasses from a Pratt-Whitney exhaust.

edit ... we are completely off the topic ... if we want to continue this discussion (and I'm enjoying it), PM me and we'll get on email.