Gas turbine Facts for Kids

Simplified diagram of a gas turbine

A gas turbine, also known as a combustion turbine, is a powerful engine. It works by burning fuel inside, just like the engine in a car. The simplest gas turbine has three main parts that work together:

A spinning compressor that squeezes air.
A combustion chamber where fuel is mixed with the squeezed air and burned.
A turbine that spins very fast from the hot gas. This turbine is connected to the compressor.

The picture shows a "single-shaft" gas turbine. This means one turbine spins both the compressor and something else, like a machine that makes electricity. There are also "two-shaft" gas turbines. These have separate turbines for the compressor and for the other machine. Two-shaft turbines are great for vehicles like trucks and trains. They can give more twisting power, called torque, when moving slowly.

How Gas Turbines Work
Where Gas Turbines Are Used
- Making Electricity
- Powering Vehicles
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How Gas Turbines Work

Gas turbines follow a special process called the Brayton cycle. It's like a continuous explosion that creates power.

Air In, Air Out

First, the compressor pulls in air from the outside. It then squeezes this air, making it very hot and high-pressure. Think of it like pumping up a bicycle tire, but much faster and more powerful!

Burning Fuel

Next, this hot, high-pressure air moves into the combustion chamber. Here, fuel (like natural gas or jet fuel) is sprayed in and mixed with the air. This mixture is then ignited, causing a continuous flame. The burning creates super-hot gases that expand rapidly.

Spinning the Turbine

These super-hot, fast-moving gases then rush into the turbine section. The turbine has many blades, similar to a windmill. The hot gases push against these blades, making the turbine spin at incredibly high speeds. This spinning motion is what creates power. Part of this power is used to turn the compressor, keeping the whole process going. The rest of the power can be used to do work, like generating electricity or moving a vehicle.

Where Gas Turbines Are Used

Gas turbines are very versatile engines. You can find them in many different places, doing important jobs.

Making Electricity

One of the most common uses for gas turbines is in power plants. They are used to spin electric generators and create electricity for homes and businesses. Some power plants use a "combined-cycle" system. This means they use the hot exhaust gases from the gas turbine to heat water and make steam. This steam then spins another turbine (a steam turbine) to make even more electricity. This makes them very efficient!

Powering Vehicles

Gas turbines are also used to power different types of vehicles:

Airplanes: Jet engines in airplanes are a type of gas turbine. They push the plane forward by shooting out hot gas.
Ships: Many large ships, especially naval vessels, use gas turbines because they are powerful and relatively compact.
Trains: Some high-speed trains use gas turbines.
Cars: While not common today, some experimental cars in the past, like the 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car, used gas turbine engines. Race cars have also used them.
Tanks: The M1 Abrams tank, for example, uses a gas turbine engine.

Turbojet

Images for kids

A typical jet engine, the General Electric J85, cut open to show its parts. Air flows from left to right.
An LM6000 gas turbine at an electrical power plant.
Gateway Generating Station in California uses two large gas turbines to burn natural gas and make electricity.
A GE H series gas turbine for power generation. It can be very efficient when used in a combined cycle.
A detailed drawing of an early jet engine.
A large military vehicle, the MAZ-7907, which uses a special turbine-electric system to move.
The 1950 Rover JET1, one of the first cars to use a gas turbine engine.
The GM Firebird I, an experimental car from the 1950s with a gas turbine.
The engine area of a 1963 Chrysler Turbine car.
The 1967 STP Oil Treatment Special race car, which had a gas turbine engine.
A 1968 Howmet TX, the only turbine-powered race car to win a race.
Marines loading a Honeywell AGT1500 turbine engine back into an M1 Abrams tank.
A gas turbine from a military patrol boat.
A Project 61 large anti-submarine ship, a type of destroyer.
An LM2500 gas turbine on the USS Ford naval ship.
The Boeing Jetfoil Urzela, a fast boat that uses jet engines.