Validation and Parametric Study Using Energy and Exergy Analysis for a Simple Gas Turbine Power Plant

Abstract

This paper presents the model validation and a comprehensive parametric study for the energy and exergy analysis of the Siemens SGT5-2000E gas turbine power plant operating at Al-Ruwais Gas Power Station in Al-Hawamid, Western Mountain region, Libya. Aspen Plus simulation software was employed alongside energy and exergy analyses based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The validation results demonstrated excellent agreement between the simulation outputs and the manufacturer's ISO design data, with a maximum power deviation of 0.21%, a thermal efficiency match of 34.7%, and near-perfect agreement in exhaust gas temperature and mass flow rate. The parametric study revealed that increasing the compressor inlet air temperature from 10°C to 50°C causes a significant reduction in net power output and thermal efficiency, accompanied by a corresponding increase in specific fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions. Exergy analysis identified the combustion chamber as the component with the highest exergy destruction rate, rendering it the most critical element affecting energy conversion quality. These findings confirm the operational limitations of the simple gas turbine cycle under hot climatic conditions and support the need for integrated optimization technologies.