Current gas turbines’ contribution to the U.S. Power Generation Industry remains strong, but will require improvements and enhancements
According to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, gas turbines in use by a variety of industries are due for a transformative period of R&D to ensure their relevance over the next decade. The study takes into account the needs of the industry, as well as taking input from OEMs, to define the requirements and innovative landscape of gas turbine contribution.
Furthermore, the proposed view of the decade ahead calls for increased efficiency, boosts in technological advances, new materials that can positively influence performance, and operate at a temperature that is much higher than in current industrial environments. And on top of this, the directive to achieve near zero-emissions adds to the complexity of achieving the super-performance levels in gas turbines.
Fuel flexibility is another important element to be considered when future-proofing gas turbines. This will help gas turbine operators to adapt their equipment with different fuel mixtures. To achieve these and other directives, the Power Generation industry must invest in Research and Development with the intention of achieving these objectives.
The reality is that the United States currently lags R&D investment in gas turbines and related power technologies. Many power plants choose not to invest because they continue to retrofit and “patch up” gas turbine equipment without the foresight to plan for an end-of-life replacement. And so, the importance of R&D in gas turbines must be fostered from within the industry’s leaders–particularly OEMs.
Gas turbines should be adopting technology such as autonomous systems that incorporate Artificial Intelligence with large-scale computational performance, while preparing for the ever-growing threat of cybersecurity. The future brings as opportunity as it creates challenges and the current decline in R&D investment may lead to other problems in the future, unless there is a concerted effort by all players—regardless of their size or contribution.
Temp-Pro is an active R&D supporter and our own company has committed to a continuous improvement process. Our temperature measurement devices have been a staple of gas turbine operations, providing the accuracy, resistance and versatility needed to future-proof your gas turbine equipment.
If you are a gas turbine operator seeking to improve your equipment, then you owe it to contact Temp-Pro today.
Neal Messier is a dedicated sales manager at Temp-Pro. With 17+ years of experience working with instrumentation in diverse industrial and process industries particularly power generation, he is passionate about the temperature sensor industry and uses his strong technical background and comprehensive industry knowledge to fulfill client’s temperature sensor needs.
Nicole Chotain is a passionate marketing and sales specialist in the temperature sensor industry who finds it incredibly fulfilling to be involved in marketing and selling crucial components used in power generation and renewable energy. She takes great joy in creating remarkable campaigns, forging meaningful connections between Temp-Pro and its customers, and driving the growth of the brand.
