Gas turbines are used to drive a variety of different machines. Most notably, perhaps, they are installed in jet engines, but are also used in industrial plants for power generation, and have even been incorporated in cars.
In many cases where gas turbines have been put to work, it would be equally possible to use an ordinary diesel powered engine. Experts suggest, however, that while replacing gas turbines with reciprocating engines might be cost effective, it would throw weight calculations out of kilter. Gas turbine efficiency is legendary, especially when it comes to space saving. This kind of energy source has a remarkable power-to-weight ratio, affording a high output while taking up a relatively small amount of space.
However, as noted, the gas turbine comes with a considerably steeper price tag than the ordinary reciprocating engine. Because it spins so fast and operates at such extraordinarily high temperatures, gas turbines are tricky to manufacture and maintain.
More research and development means, as always, more money for the finished product, and hence the Gas turbine, while in many ways more efficient than the conventional diesel engine, is not suitable for use in all spheres of industry. In addition, the gas turbine requires a monster amount of fuel, even when it is simply idling, and this needs to be administered in a constant rather than a variable flow.
