Background. When regulating gas turbine units, it is necessary to be confident in the stable combustion process in the combustion chambers, considering the dynamics of the processes and changes of external climatic factors. Many scientific studies are devoted to the problems of experimental research and mathematical modeling of processes in combustion chambers. The possibilities of flame failure, expansion of the lower limit of combustion, determination of the stable position of the flame front and other issues have been assessed. Even though the problem of design of mathematical models and their use remains relevant. The purpose of this research is to model and study the influence of operation and climatic factors on the stability of combustion in the combustion chamber of the SGT5-4000F gas turbine unit.
Materials and methods. The subject of the research is the SGT5-4000F gas turbine unit with a low-emission combustion chamber. The simulation model of the gas turbine unit has been developed in the environment of dynamic modeling of technical systems SimInTech. The research is carried out using theoretical methods of calculating fuel combustion, thermodynamic foundations of the theory of gas turbine engines, methods of mathematical and simulation modeling, as well as data from the archive of automated process control systems.
Results. A simulation model of SGT5-4000F gas turbine unit has been developed. It is distinguished by the ability to assess the proximity of the compressor operating mode to the stability limit and determine the boundaries of stable combustion procedure in the combustion chamber, considering environmental climatic factors. The authors have studied the stability of the compressor and combustion chamber. The results of the experimental studies of a gas turbine unit in the operating load range from 113 to 282 MW and in the range of outside air temperature from –12 to 30 °C have shown that the combustion process in the combustion chamber is unvarying over the entire operational stress spectrum. The results obtained are verified by comparing model values with technological parameters of a gas turbine unit taken from the archive of the power plant control system. The authors have assessed the influence of electrical load on the performance indicators of a gas turbine unit at outdoor temperatures of +30, +15 and –12 °C.
Conclusions. According to the results of simulation modeling, the model of SGT5-4000F gas turbine unit is found to be adequate. The developed model can be used as a tool at the stage of functional and technological design of automated control systems for the development of effective automatic control systems.