WASTE HEAT RECOVERY ANALYSIS OF A GAS TURBINE HEAT EXCHANGER

The U.S. Department of Defense has employed an initiative to become more conservative and efficient regarding uses of energy across all military services. The Naval Postgraduate School supported development toward this initiative by studying the possibility of electrical power generation using waste heat recovery within shipboard engine exhaust. This research included the development of a heat exchanger to use compressed carbon dioxide gas as the working fluid to run within a Brayton cycle. This thesis is built upon previous research using a Rolls Royce M250 helicopter engine and previously modified heat exchangers that were installed on the engine's dual exhaust. The effects that the modified heat exchangers had on the engine were measured and analyzed to determine new baseline efficiency and effectiveness parameters for the engine and heat exchanger, respectively. Nitrogen and carbon dioxide were used to develop baseline results. Additionally, an independent study was performed on the performance of an Organic Rankine Cycle waste heat recovery system at Cal Maritime Academy onboard its training ship, and results were presented and discussed.