1. MAE 204 Final Project
Boorady, Stovall, Vooppala, Warshel
Project Overview
Contained within these pages is our alternative design and analysis of the GE 7FA gas turbine.
The goal of this project is to modify the selected turbine in order to produce approximately the
same amount of power within a certain efficiency range based on ambient conditions.
The design parameters allow us to modify:
 The temperature of the gas exiting the combustion chamber to any value less than 1600K
 The isentropic efficiency of the turbine within 85 to 92%, and
 The isentropic efficiency of the compressor within 85 to 92%.
The results of these adjustments must meet the following requirements:
 The back work ratio should be no more than 50% of the power produced by the turbine,
 The thermal efficiency should be within ±10% of the specified value (36.5%), and
 The actual power output should be within ±5% of the specified value (183MW).
The gas turbine analysis is the same as the Brayton cycle analysis, because of this, the
compressor will be analyzed first in order to determine the minimum and maximum power input
values that are required based on ambient conditions and the range of efficiencies allowed for the
compressor. Second, the outlet temperature produced by the combustion chamber will be varied
between 1400 and 1600K, directly influencing the heat rate input required and the power
produced by the turbine. By adjusting the compressor efficiency and the combustion chamber
outlet temperature, we can solve for the constant values at the turbine and compressor levels in
order to determine what other adjustments will have to be made.
Our team will work together to make all necessary calculations for our initial attempt, and from
there we shall work individually to make various adjustments and to see how they impact the end
results. Afterward, we will come together to evaluate each member’s results; based on these, we
can better calculate a second design attempt, and further improve our design as needed. After
these analyses are made and a successful design is made, the final values will be within the
parameters as outlined in the project guidelines.