Turbo Alternators
A conventional small gas turbine generator set consists of a high speed turbine (e.g. 50k rpm) coupled to a low speed electrical machine (e.g. 3k rpm) through a reduction gearbox. However, the power output of an electrical machine is proportional to speed. Consequently, if the electrical machine (alternator) is run at turbine speed it is so small that it can be integrated into the engine on the same shaft as the turbo machinery forming a compact high speed generator or Turbo Alternator. The gearbox is no longer required and the alternator also acts as a starter motor to further reduce the size of the generator set.
The BPG definition of a MTG is where a high speed generator is used and runs at turbine speed on a single or multi-shaft system. The primary power range for this Turbo Alternator technology is 25 kW to 500 kW. However, for certain applications it is expected to be used down to a few kW and possibly up to a few MW.
BPG first systems cover the range 25kW to 165kW, with systems up to 2MW planned for later development.
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