Model Analysis of Syngas Combustion and Emission for a Micro Gas Turbine

Author(s):  
Chi-Rong Liu ◽  
Hsin-Yi Shih

The purpose of this study is to investigate the combustion and emission characteristics of syngas fuels applied in a micro gas turbine, which is originally designed for a natural gas fired engine. The computation results were conducted by the commercial CFD software STAR-CD, where the three-dimension compressible k-ε model for turbulent flow and PPDF (Presumed Probability Density Function) model for combustion process were constructed. As the syngas are substituted for methane, the total heat input from the blended fuels and the fuel flow rates are varied with syngas compositions and syngas substitution percentages. The computed results presented the syngas substitution effects on the combustion and emission characteristics at different syngas percentages (up to 80%) for two typical syngas compositions and the conditions where syngas applied at fixed heat input were examined. Results showed the flame structures varied with different syngas substitution percentages. The high temperature regions were dense and concentrated on the core of the primary zone for H2-rich syngas, and then shifted to the sides of the combustor when syngas percentages were high. The NOx emissions decreased with increasing syngas percentages, but NOx emissions are higher at higher hydrogen content for the same syngas percentage. The CO2 emissions also decreased at 10% syngas substitution, but then increased as syngas percentage increased. Only using H2-rich syngas could produce less carbon dioxide. The detailed flame structures, temperature distributions, and gas emissions of the combustor were presented and compared. The exit temperature distributions and pattern factor were also discussed. Before syngas fuels are utilized as an alternative fuel for the micro gas turbine, further experimental testing are needed as the CFD modeling results provide a guidance for the improved designs of the combustor.

Author(s):  
Chi-Rong Liu ◽  
Hsin-Yi Shih

The purpose of this study is to investigate the combustion and emission characteristics of syngas fuels applied in a micro gas turbine, which is originally designed for a natural gas fired engine. The computation results were conducted by a numerical model, which consists of the three-dimension compressible k–ε model for turbulent flow and PPDF (presumed probability density function) model for combustion process. As the syngas is substituted for methane, the fuel flow rate and the total heat input to the combustor from the methane/syngas blended fuels are varied with syngas compositions and syngas substitution percentages. The computed results presented the syngas substitution effects on the combustion and emission characteristics at different syngas percentages (up to 90%) for three typical syngas compositions and the conditions where syngas applied at fixed fuel flow rate and at fixed heat input were examined. Results showed the flame structures varied with different syngas substitution percentages. The high temperature regions were dense and concentrated on the core of the primary zone for H2-rich syngas, and then shifted to the sides of the combustor when syngas percentages were high. The NOx emissions decreased with increasing syngas percentages, but NOx emissions are higher at higher hydrogen content at the same syngas percentage. The CO2 emissions decreased for 10% syngas substitution, but then increased as syngas percentage increased. Only using H2-rich syngas could produce less carbon dioxide. The detailed flame structures, temperature distributions, and gas emissions of the combustor were presented and compared. The exit temperature distributions and pattern factor (PF) were also discussed. Before syngas fuels are utilized as an alternative fuel for the micro gas turbine, further experimental testing is needed as the modeling results provide a guidance for the improved designs of the combustor.


Author(s):  
Chi-Rong Liu ◽  
Hsin-Yi Shih

The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of syngas substitution on combustion characteristics for a micro gas turbine. For syngas combustion, the ratio of hydrogen and carbon monoxide is varied depending on the process techniques and it could be critical for gas turbine combustion applications. The combustion characteristics of syngas are quite different from natural gas, for example, the flame speed of hydrogen is higher than that of natural gas, but the flame speed of carbon monoxide is lower. In order to understand the performance differences between syngas fuel and natural gas, the combustion and emission characteristics of a can type combustor were investigated with model simulations using the commercial code STAR-CD, where a three-dimensional compressible k-ε model for turbulent flows and presumed probability density function for chemical process between methane/syngas/air mixtures were constructed. For the fuel injection velocity of 60 m/s and using hydrogen-rich (H2/CO = 80/20) syngas, the high temperature regions are separated and close to the sides of the combustor with some syngas fuel substituted for methane, but the high temperature zones move back to the core region of the combustor by substituting more syngas fuel. The CO2 and NOx emissions are decreased with 10% methane substituted by syngas, but increased with decreasing methane percentages. The detailed flame structures, distributions of flame temperature and flow velocity, and gas emissions of the combustor were presented and compared by using syngas composition and methane percentage of blended fuel mixture as the parameters. The exit temperature profiles and pattern factor were also discussed. Before syngas fuels are used as an alternative fuel for the micro gas turbine, further experimental testing are needed as the CFD modeling results provide a guidance for the improved designs of the combustor.


Author(s):  
Hsin-Yi Shih ◽  
Maaz Ajvad

Abstract This study is an extension of the previous study, which presents the rotation effects of casing on syngas combustion. When syngas was applied to achieve the power output of proposed micro gas turbine, high temperature flame moves towards the exit of the combustor. Consequently, the temperature and temperature fluctuation at combustor exit increases. In this study, geometry of the can combustor is modified for the syngas application. In modified design, diameter of the fuel injector, length of the primary zone, configuration of primary and dilution holes is modified. To perform the numerical calculation, computational model which consists of three-dimension compressible k-ε realizable turbulent flow model and presumed probability density function for combustion process invoking a laminar flamelet assumption generated by detailed chemical kinetics from GRI 3.0 is used. Two typical composition of syngas are used namely: H2-rich (H2:CO = 80:20) and equal molar (H2:CO = 50:50). The combustion characteristics and NOx emissions were investigated to understand the rotating effects of syngas combustion in the modified design of the can combustor. In the modified design, the high-temperature flame gets stabilized along the wall of the combustor for both composition of syngas. Unlike in the previous design, the high-temperature flame moves towards the exit of the combustor. The exit temperature and pattern factor dropped and reached the design requirements after the modification. The rotation of casing enhances the swirling strength, which benefits proper mixing of fuel and air and leads to reduction in pattern factor and NOx emissions.


Author(s):  
Masato Hiramatsu ◽  
Yoshifumi Nakashima ◽  
Sadamasa Adachi ◽  
Yudai Yamasaki ◽  
Shigehiko Kaneko

One approach to achieving 99% combustion efficiency (C.E.) and 10 ppmV or lower NOx (at 15%O2) in a micro gas turbine (MGT) combustor fueled by biomass gas at a variety of operating conditions is with the use of flameless combustion (FLC). This paper compares experimentally obtained results and CHEMKIN analysis conducted for the developed combustor. As a result, increase the number of stage of FLC combustion enlarges the MGT operation range with low-NOx emissions and high-C.E. The composition of fuel has a small effect on the characteristics of ignition in FLC. In addition, NOx in the engine exhaust is reduced by higher levels of CO2 in the fuel.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Schwärzle ◽  
Thomas O. Monz ◽  
Andreas Huber ◽  
Manfred Aigner

Jet-stabilized combustion is a promising technology for fuel flexible, reliable, highly efficient combustion systems. The aim of this work is a reduction of NOx emissions of a previously published two-stage micro gas turbine (MGT) combustor (Zanger et al., 2015, “Experimental Investigation of the Combustion Characteristics of a Double-Staged FLOX-Based Combustor on an Atmospheric and a Micro Gas Turbine Test Rig,” ASME Paper No. GT2015-42313 and Schwärzle et al., 2016, “Detailed Examination of Two-Stage Micro Gas Turbine Combustor,” ASME Paper No. GT2016-57730), where the pilot stage (PS) of the combustor was identified as the main contributor to NOx emissions. The geometry optimization was carried out regarding the shape of the pilot dome and the interface between PS and main stage (MS) in order to prevent the formation of high-temperature recirculation zones. Both stages have been run separately to allow a detailed understanding of the flame stabilization within the combustor, its range of stable combustion, the interaction between both stages, and the influence of the modified geometry. All experiments were conducted at atmospheric pressure and an air preheat temperature of 650  °C. The flame was analyzed in terms of shape, length, and lift-off height, using OH* chemiluminescence (OH-CL) images. Emission measurements for NOx, CO, and unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) emissions were carried out. At a global air number of λ = 2, a fuel split variation was carried out from 0 (only PS) to 1 (only MS). The modification of the geometry leads to a decrease in NOx and CO emissions throughout the fuel split variation in comparison with the previous design. Regarding CO emissions, the PS operations are beneficial for a fuel split above 0.8. The local maximum in NOx emissions observed for the previous combustor design at a fuel split of 0.78 was not apparent for the modified design. NOx emissions were increasing, when the local air number of the PS was below the global air number. In order to evaluate the influence of the modified design on the flow field and identify the origin of the emission reduction compared to the previous design, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations were carried out for both geometries at fuel splits of 0.93 and 0.78, respectively, using the DLR (German Aerospace Center) in-house code turbulent heat release extension of the tau code (theta) with the k–ω shear stress transport turbulence model and the DRM22 (Kazakov and Frenklach, 1995, “DRM22,” University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, accessed Sept. 21, 2017, http://www.me.berkeley.edu/drm/) detailed reaction mechanism. The numerical results showed a strong influence of the recirculation zones on the PS reaction zone.


Author(s):  
Chi-Rong Liu ◽  
Ming-Tsung Sun ◽  
Hsin-Yi Shih

Abstract The design and model simulation of a can combustor has been made for future syngas combustion application in a micro gas turbine. An improved design of the combustor is studied in this work, where a new fuel injection strategy and film cooling are employed. The simulation of the combustor is conducted by a computational model, which consists of three-dimensional, compressible k-ε model for turbulent flows and PPDF (Presumed Probability Density Function) model for combustion process invoking a laminar flamelet assumption generated by detailed chemical kinetics from GRI 3.0. Thermal and prompt NOx mechanisms are adopted to predict the NO formation. The modeling results indicated that the high temperature flames are stabilized in the center of the primary zone by radially injecting the fuel inward. The exit temperatures of the modified can combustor drop and exhibit a more uniform distribution by coupling film cooling, resulting in a low pattern factor. The combustion characteristics were then investigated and the optimization procedures of the fuel compositions and fuel flow rates were developed for future application of methane/syngas fuels in the micro gas turbine.


2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vedant Dwivedi ◽  
Srikanth Hari ◽  
S. M. Kumaran ◽  
B. V. S. S. S. Prasad ◽  
Vasudevan Raghavan

Abstract Experimental and numerical study of flame and emission characteristics in a tubular micro gas turbine combustor is reported. Micro gas turbines are used for distributed power (DP) generation using alternative fuels in rural areas. The combustion and emission characteristics from the combustor have to be studied for proper design using different fuel types. In this study methane, representing fossil natural gas, and biogas, a renewable fuel that is a mixture of methane and carbon-dioxide, are used. Primary air flow (with swirl component) and secondary aeration have been varied. Experiments have been conducted to measure the exit temperatures. Turbulent reactive flow model is used to simulate the methane and biogas flames. Numerical results are validated against the experimental data. Parametric studies to reveal the effects of primary flow, secondary flow and swirl have been conducted and results are systematically presented. An analysis of nitric-oxides emission for different fuels and operating conditions has been presented subsequently.


Author(s):  
Zhu (Julie) Meng ◽  
Robert J. Hoffa ◽  
Charles A. DeMilo ◽  
Todd T. Thamer

The combustion process in gas-turbine engines produces emissions, especially nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), which change dramatically with combustor operating conditions. As part of this study, the application of active feedback control technologies to reduce thermal NOx emissions is modeled numerically and demonstrated experimentally. A new optical flame sensor, designed by Ametek Power & Industrial Products, has been successfully implemented as the feedback element in a proof-of-concept control system used to minimize NOx emissions. The sensor consists of a robust mechanical package, as well as electronics suitable for severe gas-turbine environments. Results from system rig tests correlate closely to theoretical predictions, as described in literature and produced by a control system simulation model. The control system simulation model predicts the efficacy of controlling engine operating characteristics based on chemical luminescence of the OH radical. The model consists of a fuel pump and metering device, a fuel-air mixing scheme, a combustion model, the new ultraviolet (UV) feedback flame sensor, and a simple gain block. The input reference to the proportional emissions control is the fuel-to-air equivalence ratio, which is empirically correlated to the desired low level of NOx emissions while satisfying other operating conditions, such as CO emissions and power. Results from the closed-loop emissions control simulation and rig tests were analyzed to determine the capability of the UV flame sensor to measure and control the combustion process in a gas-turbine engine. The response characteristics, overshoot percentage, rise time, settling time, accuracy, resolution, and repeatability are addressed.


Author(s):  
Fabio Chiariello ◽  
Fabrizio Reale ◽  
Raffaela Calabria ◽  
Patrizio Massoli

Abstract The use of biogas in micro gas turbines (MGTs) generally requires invasive structural modifications to fuel compression units, control valves and combustor. Costs associated with the modifications significantly reduce the benefits of a rational and sustainable exploitation of energy resources of lower value as the biogas. In order to overcome this aspect, in a recent paper the authors proposed a dual fuel approach, identifying a structurally non-invasive and cost-effective technical solution to increase the CO2 concentration in the fuel and to extend the operation domain of the MGT when low calorific value fuels are used. In that study, it has been evaluated, implemented and tested an innovative management strategy of fuel feeding and combustion. Experimental preliminary tests validated the idea of a new supply strategy for exceeding the current limits of biogas exploitation as MGT fuel. With this approach the MGT operating domain has been extended, increasing more than twice the CO2 concentration limit than experimentally validated limit available in literature. In this study the authors present a more extensive investigation concerning the energetic performance and the environmental impact of a 100 kWe MGT Turbec T100 when fuelled with a mixture of natural gas and carbon dioxide (synthesis biogas) in the dual fuel approach, by varying CO2 concentration in the fuel at part load condition. The data acquired by an extensive experimental campaign, in terms of thermodynamic parameters and gaseous exhaust emissions, are presented and compared with the results of numerical simulations. A 3D CFD analysis of the combustion process is also presented. Initial and boundary conditions of the numerical approach were obtained from a previous validated 0D thermodynamic matching model. The synergistic activity between numerical modeling and experimental work allows to analyze and explain the overall behavior of the micro gas turbine in the dual fuel mode with biogas fuel. The study shows that the micro gas turbine can stably operate in a dual fuel mode until the CO2 content rises above 25%.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ababacar Thiam ◽  
Elhadji Ibrahima Cissé ◽  
Baye Alioune Ndiogou ◽  
Kory Faye ◽  
Mactar Faye

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