How it works

    The gas turbine works by drawing air into the engine and compressing it which gives it more kinetic energy and increases the temperature of air. When the hot and fast air travels into the combustion chamber, it's mixed with a fuel and burned at very high temperatures creating a hot gas. The hot gas moves through the blades which causes them to spin quickly and power the turbine drive shaft. At this point, the turbine can be hooked up to a generator and it will create electric energy by turning a large magnet surrounded by coils of copper. Instead of the generator, you could also connect the shaft to a gearbox which can power a propeller or anything else. The main idea behind a turbine is that a gas moves through it at high speeds due to compression and combustion and turns the turbine blades which produces mechanical work on the shaft. If you decide you want to power a city or power a large aircraft, you can do it with a turbine engine.

http://www.free-online-private-pilot-ground-school.com/turbine-engines.html

For a quick and informational video on gas turbines and how they are used in the power industry, click here.