Global Journal of Researches in Engineering, A: Mechanical & Mechanics, Volume 22 Issue 1

can reach 96,000 min -1 , are mounted on a single shaft supported by low-maintenance air bearings. The MTG has been tested in stand-alone mode, as a power source that meets the current consumption demanded by the coupled load. The general goals of the load test were: • To get onsite experimental information related to the performance of the Capstone microturbine when fueled with Cusiana LPG. • To measure the electric generation performance of the MTG under a load cycle, for the given open ambient conditions, with the available instrumentation, and the time allowed to perform the test, adjusting as far as possible to the rules of operation and tests of the MTG. • To provide an appropriate stable medium for the reliable evaluation of electrical efficiency, and MTG performance. The work here presented refers to the evaluation study, and is organized as follows: first, the properties of the LPG used are related, and a brief description of the Capstone micro-turbine is given. After that, this paper describes the experimental procedure and constraints. Next, the test program is described, followed by a summary of the results. Finally, the main conclusions of the work are presented. II. M aterials and M ethods a) Particularities of the LPG from Cusiana The term LPG applies widely to any mixture of propane and butane, the two constituents occurring naturally in oil and gas reservoirs that are gaseous at normal atmospheric conditions but can be liquefied by pressure alone. Components heavier than butane are liquids at normal conditions and components lighter than propane cannot be liquefied without refrigeration. The presence of butane, pentane, and heptane at concentrations of up to 40% characterize this particular LPG from Cusiana, which analysis is presented in table 1. Table 1: Composition and physical properties of Cusiana LPG (*) Compositional Analysis of GLP to C12+ SamplingLocation ALSABANA CylinderNumber CLM009 SamplingConditions 30,0 psig @ 66.0°F Component Mole % Weight % CO2 CarbonDioxide 0,01 0,01 N2 Nitrogen 0,10 0,06 C1 Methane 0,01 0,00 C2 Ethane 3,36 2,14 C3 Propane 71,45 66,84 iC4 i-Butane 13,13 16,20 nC4 n-Butane 11,91 14,70 iC5 i-Pentane 0,03 0,05 ______ ______ Totals : 100,00 100,00 Note: 0,00 meanslessthan 0,005. Calculated Whole Gas Properties Gas Gravity 1,6272 (Air = 1 @ 14,73 psia& 60°F) WholeSample Mole Weight 47,13 g mol -1 Ideal Gas Density 1,9831 kg m -3 @ 14,65 psia, 60°F Ideal GrossCalorificValue 2665,7 BTU ⋅ ft -3 @ 14,65 psia, 60°F Ideal Net CalorificValue 2454,5 BTU ⋅ ft -3 @ 14,65 psia, 60°F PseudoCriticalPress. 598,7 psia PseudoCriticalTemp. 682,1 Rankine Gas Compressibility Factor, Z 0,979184 @ 14,65 psia& 60°F GPM (C2+) 28,49 GPM (C3+) 27,60 Additional Information Real GrossCalorificValue 2722,4 BTU ⋅ ft -3 @ 14,65psia, 60°F Real Net CalorificValue 2506,6 BTU ⋅ ft -3 @ 14,65psia, 60°F * Results of the Chromatographic test performed by Equion. Performance of a Capstone Gas Turbine based Power Plant Working on High Butane LPG © 2022 Global Journals Global Journal of Researches in Engineering (A ) Volume XxXII Issue I Version I 18 Year 2022