Microturbine

A microturbine is a small gas turbine used to generate electricity, typically in the tens to a few hundred kilowatts of electrical output. It is a form of distributed generation and is often employed in combined heat and power (CHP) installations, remote power systems, and backup power applications. Microturbines are designed to be packaged as compact, relatively simple power units that can operate on natural gas or liquid fuels, and they may accommodate alternative fuels such as biogas or propane.

Most microturbines feature a simple on-site package that includes the turbine, a recuperator to recover waste heat, a fuel system, and an electrical generator with integrated controls. They use lean-burn or catalytic combustion to reduce NOx emissions and are designed for fast response and low maintenance relative to larger gas turbines or reciprocating engines. The overall efficiency of the electrical output is modest, typically in the high 20 percent range, but the total system efficiency can be substantially higher when exhaust heat is recovered for space heating or process steam.

Applications for microturbines include on-site power for commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, data centers, and industrial processes, as well as remote or grid-tied power generation. Advantages include modularity, quick start-up, compact size, and relatively low emissions; limitations include higher cost per kilowatt than larger turbines, sensitivity to operating load, and the need for a reliable heat or energy demand to maximize CHP benefits.