Although not initially for the generation of electricity, the gas turbine was developed in the late 1930's. Essentially a natural progression from the internal combustion engine, it is commonly known as the jet engine and was first used to generate electricity in Switzerland in 1939.
The advantage of the gas turbine over the standard internal combustion engine is that the latter drives pistons up and down in a reciprocating action. This then has to be converted into a rotary action (a process which itself wastes energy) before it can be of any use. With the gas turbine, air is taken in and compressed by a front end compressor, before being mixed with the gas in the combustion chamber. The mixture is then ignited, producing a hot combustion gas which is directed through a series of nozzles onto the blades of the turbine. The force of the spent exhaust gasses drives the turbine, generating electricity in the conventional way. The gasses are also often used to power the front end compressor, before being released into the atmosphere. This process is known as the open cycle arrangement.
