Aeroderivative & Stationary Gas Turbines: What's the Difference?

Gas Turbines
The use of small and lightweight gas turbines with high efficiencies is vital to the oil and gas industry, as well as to the growing field of distributed power generation. There are two varieties of gas turbines which you can choose from for your chosen field: stationary industrial gas turbines and aero-derivative gas turbines.

Aero derivative turbines are much more compact in their design and a lot lighter in comparison to the stationary turbines, as the stationary version can way up to three times more. Aero derivative turbines are easy to transport, extremely robust and capable of reaching full speed in next to no time.

This type of gas turbine is used in the field of aviation and is based on turbine engines for aircraft. They can be found operating on the high seas, in the middle of desserts or even in freezing cold regions. These types of engines were originally designed for use under extreme conditions for flights that take place at altitudes of over ten kilometres, hence the quality and robust design.

In order for the turbines to be of such high quality, the inspection and testing of hose assemblies and industrial hoses is crucial to ensure safety at all times.

Aero derivative turbines aim for higher efficiency, short starting time and rapid load changes without any significant impact on lifetime, which makes their design different from stationary industrial turbines. Additionally, they are characterised by optimised weight, modest space requirements and very brief inspection and service times.

Although the quality features and overall design is far more impressive and preferable than that of the stationary variation, the cost of all these features can be dear. The price increases by approximately 20-25% more than stationary turbines of similar output. In exchange for the high price, they can be started more frequently at around four to five times more often, from switched-off to maximum speed. Therefore this provides many benefits.

The secret that lies behind these advantages is the way the aero derivative turbine is built, materials used and the cooling technology. Many parts are made of aluminium, titanium or nickel alloys which go on to create a lightweight machine. The thinner walls results to the turbine warming up quicker.


There are up to three shafts in an aero derivative gas turbine and since these are not mechanically linked, they can be operated at different speeds. When you combine all these factors together, it is very noticeable that aero derivative turbines are much more efficient and worthy of their value as opposed to stationary turbines, hence the reason they are becoming more popular within the industry. 

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