Premixed Pilot Flames for Improved Emissions and Flexibility in a Heavy Duty Gas Turbine Combustion System

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. York ◽  
Bryan W. Romig ◽  
Michael J. Hughes ◽  
Derrick W. Simons ◽  
Joseph V. Citeno
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustion ◽  
Base Load

Operators of heavy duty gas turbines desire more flexibility of operation in compliance with increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Delivering low NOx at base load operation, while at the same time meeting aggressive startup, shutdown, and part load requirements for NOx, CO, and unburned hydrocarbons is a challenge that requires novel solutions in the framework of lean premixed combustion systems. The DLN2.6+ combustion system, first offered by the General Electric Company (GE) in 2005 on the 9F series gas turbines for the 50 Hz market, has a proven track record of low emissions, flexibility, and reliability. In 2010, GE launched a program to incorporate the DLN2.6+ into the 7F gas turbine model. The primary driver for the introduction of this combustion system into the 60 Hz market was to enable customers to capitalize on opportunities to use shale gas, which may have a greater Wobbe range and higher reactivity than traditional natural gas. The 7F version of the DLN2.6+ features premixed pilot flames on the five outer swirl-stabilized premixing fuel nozzles (“swozzles”). The premixed pilots have their roots in the multitube mixer technology developed by GE in the US Department of Energy Hydrogen Gas Turbine Program. A fraction of air is extracted prior to entering the combustor and sent to small tubes around the tip of the fuel nozzle centerbody. A dedicated pilot fuel circuit delivers the gas fuel to the pilot tubes, where it is injected into the air stream and given sufficient length to mix. Since the pilot flames are premixed, they contribute lower NOx emissions than a diffusion pilot, but can still provide enhanced main circuit flame stability at low-load conditions. The pilot equivalence ratio can be optimized for the specific operating conditions of the gas turbine. This paper presents the development and validation testing of the premixed pilots, which were tested on E-class and F-class gas turbine combustion system rigs at GE Power & Water’s Gas Turbine Technology Lab. A 25% reduction in NOx emissions at nominal firing temperature was demonstrated over a diffusion flame pilot, translating into more than 80% reduction in CO emissions if increased flame temperature is employed to hold constant NOx. On the new 7F DLN2.6+, the premixed pilots have enabled modifications to the system to reduce base load NOx emissions while maintaining similar gas turbine low-load performance and bringing a significant reduction in the combustor exit temperature at which LBO occurs, highlighting the stability the pilot system brings to the combustor without the NOx penalty of a diffusion pilot. The new combustion system is scheduled to enter commercial operation on GE 7F series gas turbines in 2015.

Stratified and hydrogen combustion techniques for higher turndown and lower emissions in gas turbines

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-42
Author(s):  
Medhat A. Nemitallah ◽  
Md Azazul Haque ◽  
Muzafar Hussain ◽  
Ahmed Abdelhafez ◽  
Mohamed A. Habib
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Flame Stability ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Complete Combustion ◽  
Complete Control ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Combustion Technique

Abstract This review overviews combustion technologies for reduced emissions and better fuel economy in industrial gas turbine. Lean premixed combustion (LPM) technology is introduced as a low-temperature combustion technique to control NOx emissions. The Dry Low NOx (DLN) is one of the most promising LPM-based combustors for controlling NOx emissions. However, DLN combustors suffer from limited flame stability, especially under low load (near blowout) operating conditions, in addition to the difficulty of separating CO2 from the exhaust stream for reducing the gas-turbine carbon footprint. Trying to overcome such difficulties, the gas turbine manufacturers developed enhanced-design burners for higher turndown and lower NOx emissions, including the Dual Annular Counter Rotating Swirl (DACRS) and environmental-Vortex (EV) burners. The volume of the DACRS combustors is almost twice the conventional burners, which provide ample residence time for complete combustion. The mixing effectiveness is improved in EV-burners resulting in higher flame stability at low load or startup conditions. To widen the operability, control the emissions, and improve the turndown ratio of gas turbine combustors, the concept of flame stratification, i.e., heterogenization of the overall equivalence ratio, was introduced. This technique can widen the stability range of existing LPM flames for industrial applications. Integrating stratified combustion technique with oxy-fuel combustion technology is a way forward that may result in complete control of gas turbine emissions with higher operability turndown ratio. The recent developments and challenges towards the application of hydrogen gas turbine are introduced.

scholarly journals A Comparative Study on Fault Detection Methods for Gas Turbine Combustion Systems

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
Jinfu Liu ◽  
Zhenhua Long ◽  
Mingliang Bai ◽  
Linhai Zhu ◽  
Daren Yu
Keyword(s):  
Fault Detection ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Detection Methods ◽  
Distribution Model ◽  
Outlet Temperature ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Comparison Results ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustion

As one of the core components of gas turbines, the combustion system operates in a high-temperature and high-pressure adverse environment, which makes it extremely prone to faults and catastrophic accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the combustion system to detect in a timely way whether its performance has deteriorated, to improve the safety and economy of gas turbine operation. However, the combustor outlet temperature is so high that conventional sensors cannot work in such a harsh environment for a long time. In practical application, temperature thermocouples distributed at the turbine outlet are used to monitor the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) to indirectly monitor the performance of the combustion system, but, the EGT is not only affected by faults but also influenced by many interference factors, such as ambient conditions, operating conditions, rotation and mixing of uneven hot gas, performance degradation of compressor, etc., which will reduce the sensitivity and reliability of fault detection. For this reason, many scholars have devoted themselves to the research of combustion system fault detection and proposed many excellent methods. However, few studies have compared these methods. This paper will introduce the main methods of combustion system fault detection and select current mainstream methods for analysis. And a circumferential temperature distribution model of gas turbine is established to simulate the EGT profile when a fault is coupled with interference factors, then use the simulation data to compare the detection results of selected methods. Besides, the comparison results are verified by the actual operation data of a gas turbine. Finally, through comparative research and mechanism analysis, the study points out a more suitable method for gas turbine combustion system fault detection and proposes possible development directions.

scholarly journals Development of a Catalytic Combustor for a Heavy-Duty Utility Gas Turbine

1996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph A. Dalla Betta ◽  
James C. Schlatter ◽  
Sarento G. Nickolas ◽  
Martin B. Cutrone ◽  
Kenneth W. Beebe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Catalytic Combustion ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Catalytic Reactor ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Catalytic Combustor

The most effective technologies currently available for controlling NOx emissions from heavy-duty industrial gas turbines are either diluent injection in the combustor reaction zone, or lean premixed Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustion. For ultra low emissions requirements, these must be combined with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) DeNOx systems in the gas turbine exhaust. An alternative technology for achieving comparable emissions levels with the potential for lower capital investment and operating cost is catalytic combustion of lean premixed fuel and air within the gas turbine. The design of a catalytic combustion system using natural gas fuel has been prepared for the GE model MS9OOIE gas turbine. This machine has a turbine inlet temperature to the first rotating stage of over 1100°C and produces approximately 105 MW electrical output in simple cycle operation. The 508 mm diameter catalytic combustor designed for this gas turbine was operated at full-scale conditions in tests conducted in 1992 and 1994. The combustor was operated for twelve hours during the 1994 test and demonstrated very low NOx emissions from the catalytic reactor. The total exhaust NOx level was approximately 12–15 ppmv and was produced almost entirely in the preburner ahead of the reactor. A small quantity of steam injected into the preburner reduced the NOx emissions to 5–6 ppmv. Development of the combustion system has continued with the objectives of reducing CO and UHC emissions, understanding the parameters affecting reactor stability and spatial non-uniformities which were observed at low inlet temperature, and improving the structural integrity of the reactor system to a level required for commercial operation of gas turbines. Design modifications were completed and combustion hardware was fabricated for additional full-scale tests of the catalytic combustion system in March 1995 and January 1996. This paper presents a discussion of the combustor design, the catalytic reactor design and the results of full-scale testing of the improved combustor at MS9OOIE cycle conditions in the March 1995 and January 1996 tests. Major improvements in performance were achieved with CO and UHC emissions of 10 ppmv and 0 ppmv at base load conditions. This ongoing program will lead to two additional full-scale combustion system tests in 1996. The results of these tests will be available for discussion at the June 1996 Conference in Birmingham.

Development of a Catalytic Combustor for a Heavy-Duty Utility Gas Turbine

1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 844-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Dalla Betta ◽  
J. C. Schlatter ◽  
S. G. Nickolas ◽  
M. B. Cutrone ◽  
K. W. Beebe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Catalytic Combustion ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Catalytic Reactor ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Catalytic Combustor

The most effective technologies currently available for controlling NOx emissions from heavy-duty industrial gas turbines are diluent injection in the combustor reaction zone, and lean premixed Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustion. For ultralow emissions requirements, these must be combined with selective catalytic reduction (SCR) DeNOx systems in the gas turbine exhaust. An alternative technology for achieving comparable emissions levels with the potential for lower capital investment and operating cost is catalytic combustion of lean premixed fuel and air within the gas turbine. The design of a catalytic combustion system using natural gas fuel has been prepared for the GE model MS9OO1E gas turbine. This machine has a turbine inlet temperature to the first rotating stage of over 1100°C and produces approximately 105 MW electrical output in simple cycle operation. The 508-mm-dia catalytic combustor designed for this gas turbine was operated at full-scale conditions in tests conducted in 1992 and 1994. The combustor was operated for twelve hours during the 1994 test and demonstrated very low NOx emissions from the catalytic reactor. The total exhaust NOx level was approximately 12–15 ppmv and was produced almost entirely in the preburner ahead of the reactor. A small quantity of steam injected into the preburner reduced the NOx emissions to 5–6 ppmv. Development of the combustion system has continued with the objectives of reducing CO and UHC emissions, understanding the parameters affecting reactor stability and spatial nonuniformities that were observed at low inlet temperature, and improving the structural integrity of the reactor system to a level required for commercial operation of gas turbines. Design modifications were completed and combustion hardware was fabricated for additional full-scale tests of the catalytic combustion system in March 1995 and January 1996. This paper presents a discussion of the combustor design, the catalytic reactor design, and the results of full-scale testing of the improved combustor at MS9OO1E cycle conditions in the March 1995 and January 1996 tests. Major improvements in performance were achieved with CO and UHC emissions of 10 ppmv and 0 ppmv at baseload conditions. This ongoing program will lead to two additional full-scale combustion system tests in 1996. The results of these tests will be available for discussion at the June 1996 Conference in Birmingham.

Development and Testing of a Low NOx Hydrogen Combustion System for Heavy-Duty Gas Turbines

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. York ◽  
Willy S. Ziminsky ◽  
Ertan Yilmaz
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Hydrogen Fuel ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
High Hydrogen ◽  
Hydrogen Fuels

Interest in hydrogen as a primary fuel stream in heavy-duty gas turbine engines has increased as precombustion carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has become a viable option for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants. The U.S. Department of Energy has funded the Advanced IGCC/Hydrogen Gas Turbine Program since 2005 with an aggressive plant-level NOx target of 2 ppm at 15% O2 for an advanced gas turbine cycle. Approaching this NOx level with highly reactive hydrogen fuel at the conditions required is a formidable challenge that requires novel combustion technology. This study begins by measuring entitlement NOx emissions from perfectly premixed combustion of the high-hydrogen fuels of interest. A new premixing fuel injector for high-hydrogen fuels was designed to balance reliable flashback-free operation, reasonable pressure drop, and low emissions. The concept relies on small-scale jet-in-crossflow mixing that is a departure from traditional swirl-based premixing concepts. Single nozzle rig experiments were conducted at pressures of 10 atm and 17 atm, with air preheat temperatures of about 650 K. With nitrogen-diluted hydrogen fuel, characteristic of carbon-free syngas, stable operation without flashback was conducted up to flame temperatures of approximately 1850 K. In addition to the effects of pressure, the impacts of nitrogen dilution levels and amounts of minor constituents in the fuel—carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane—on flame holding in the premixer are presented. The new fuel injector concept has been incorporated into a full-scale, multinozzle combustor can with an energy conversion rate of more than 10 MW at F-class conditions. The full-can testing was conducted at full gas turbine conditions and various fuel compositions of hydrogen, natural gas, and nitrogen. This combustion system has accumulated over 100 h of fired testing at full load with hydrogen comprising over 90% of the reactants by volume. NOx emissions (ppm) have been measured in the single digits with hydrogen-nitrogen fuel at target gas turbine pressure and temperatures. Results of the testing show that small-scale fuel-air mixing can deliver a reliable, low-NOx solution to hydrogen combustion in advanced gas turbines.

Operational Flexibility of GE’s F-Class Gas Turbines With the DLN2.6+ Combustion System

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. York ◽  
Derrick W. Simons ◽  
Yongqiang Fu
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combined Cycle ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Operational Flexibility ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Combined Cycle Plant ◽  
Base Load

F-class gas turbines comprise a major part of the heavy-duty gas turbine power generation fleet worldwide, despite increasing penetration of H/J class turbines. F-class gas turbines see a wide range of applications, including simple cycle peaking operation, base load combined cycle, demand following in simple or combined cycle, and cogeneration. Because of the different applications, local power market dynamics, and varied emissions regulations by region or jurisdiction, there is a need for operational flexibility of the gas turbine and the combustion system. In 2015, GE introduced a DLN2.6+ combustion system for new and existing 7F gas turbines. Approximately 50 are now in operation on 7F.04 and 7F.05 turbines, combining for nearly 150,000 fired hours. The system has been demonstrated to deliver 5 ppm NOx emissions @ 15% O2, and it exhibits a wide window of operation without significant thermoacoustic instabilities, owing the capability to premixed pilot flames on the main swirl fuel-air premixers, low system residence time, and air path improvements. Based on the success on the 7F, this combustion system is being applied to the 6F.03 in 2018. This paper highlights the flexibility of the 7F and 6F.03 DLN2.6+ combustion system and the enabling technology features. The advanced OpFlex* AutoTune control system tightly controls NOx emissions, adjusts fuel splits to stay clear of instabilities, and gives operators the ability to prioritize emissions or peak load output. Because of the low-NOx capability of the system, it is often being pushed to higher combustor exit temperatures, 35°C or more above the original target. The gas turbine is still meeting 9 or 15 ppm NOx emissions while delivering nearly 12% additional output in some cases. Single-can rig test and engine field test results show a relatively gentle NOx increase over the large range of combustor exit temperature because of the careful control of the premixed pilot fuel split. The four fuel legs are staged in several modes during startup and shutdown to provide robust operation with fast loading capability and low starting emissions, which are shown with engine data. The performance of a turndown-only fueling mode is highlighted with engine measurements of CO at low load. In this mode, the center premixer is not fueled, trading the NOx headroom for a CO emissions benefit that improves turndown. The combustion system has also demonstrated wide-Wobbe capability in emissions compliance. 7F.04 engine NOx and dynamics data are presented with the target heated gas fuel and also with cold fuel, producing a 24% increase in Modified Wobbe Index. The ability to run unheated fuel at base load may reduce the start-up time for a combined cycle plant. Lastly, there is a discussion of a new OpFlex* Variable Load Path digital solution in development that will allow operators to customize the start-up of a combined cycle plant.

Development and Testing of a Low NOX Hydrogen Combustion System for Heavy Duty Gas Turbines

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
William D. York ◽  
Willy S. Ziminsky ◽  
Ertan Yilmaz
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Hydrogen Fuel ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
High Hydrogen ◽  
Hydrogen Fuels

Interest in hydrogen as a primary fuel stream in heavy-duty gas turbine engines has increased as pre-combustion carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) has become a viable option for integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) power plants. The US Department of Energy has funded the Advanced IGCC/Hydrogen Gas Turbine Program since 2005 with an aggressive plant-level NOx target of 2 ppm @ 15% O2 for an advanced gas turbine cycle. Approaching this NOx level with highly-reactive hydrogen fuel at the conditions required is a formidable challenge that requires novel combustion technology. This study begins by measuring entitlement NOx emissions from perfectly-premixed combustion of the high-hydrogen fuels of interest. A new premixing fuel injector for high-hydrogen fuels was designed to balance reliable, flashback-free operation, reasonable pressure drop, and low emissions. The concept relies on distributed, small-scale jet-in-crossflow mixing that is a departure from traditional swirl-based premixing concepts. Single nozzle rig experiments were conducted at pressures of 10 atm and 17 atm, with air preheat temperatures of about 650K. With nitrogen-diluted hydrogen fuel, characteristic of carbon-free syngas, stable operation without flashback was conducted up to flame temperatures of approximately 1850K. In addition to the effects of operating pressure, the impact of minor constituents in the fuel — carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and methane — on flame holding in the premixer is presented. The new fuel injector concept has been incorporated into a full-scale, multi-nozzle combustor can with an energy conversion rate of more than 10 MW at F-class conditions. The full-can testing was conducted at full gas turbine conditions and various fuel compositions of hydrogen, natural gas, and nitrogen. This combustion system has accumulated over 100 hours of fired testing at full-load with hydrogen comprising over 90 percent of the reactants by volume. NOx emissions (ppm) have been measured in the single digits with hydrogen-nitrogen fuel at target gas turbine pressure and temperatures. Results of the testing show that small-scale fuel-air mixing can deliver a reliable, low-NOx solution to hydrogen combustion in advanced gas turbines.

Alstom Gas Turbine Technology Overview: Status 2014

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wolfgang Kappis ◽  
Stefan Florjancic ◽  
Uwe Ruedel
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
The United States ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Fuel Flexibility ◽  
Market Requirements ◽  
Base Load ◽  
Very High

Market requirements for the heavy duty gas turbine power generation business have significantly changed over the last few years. With high gas prices in former times, all users have been mainly focusing on efficiency in addition to overall life cycle costs. Today individual countries see different requirements, which is easily explainable picking three typical trends. In the United States, with the exploitation of shale gas, gas prices are at a very low level. Hence, many gas turbines are used as base load engines, i.e. nearly constant loads for extended times. For these engines reliability is of main importance and efficiency somewhat less. In Japan gas prices are extremely high, and therefore the need for efficiency is significantly higher. Due to the challenge to partly replace nuclear plants, these engines as well are mainly intended for base load operation. In Europe, with the mid and long term carbon reduction strategy, heavy duty gas turbines is mainly used to compensate for intermittent renewable power generation. As a consequence, very high cyclic operation including fast and reliable start-up, very high loading gradients, including frequency response, and extended minimum and maximum operating ranges are required. Additionally, there are other features that are frequently requested. Fuel flexibility is a major demand, reaching from fuels of lower purity, i.e. with higher carbon (C2+), content up to possible combustion of gases generated by electrolysis (H2). Lifecycle optimization, as another important request, relies on new technologies for reconditioning, lifetime monitoring, and improved lifetime prediction methods. Out of Alstom’s recent research and development activities the following items are specifically addressed in this paper. Thermodynamic engine modelling and associated tasks are discussed, as well as the improvement and introduction of new operating concepts. Furthermore extended applications of design methodologies are shown. An additional focus is set ono improve emission behaviour understanding and increased fuel flexibility. Finally, some applications of the new technologies in Alstom products are given, indicating the focus on market requirements and customer care.

scholarly journals A Different Approach to Gas Turbine Exhaust Silencing

1974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marv Weiss
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Unique Method ◽  
Acoustic Testing ◽  
Gas Turbine Exhaust ◽  
Attenuation Values ◽  
Turbine Exhaust

A unique method for silencing heavy-duty gas turbines is described. The Switchback exhaust silencer which utilizes no conventional parallel baffles has at operating conditions measured attenuation values from 20 dB at 63 Hz to 45 dB at higher frequencies. Acoustic testing and analyses at both ambient and operating conditions are discussed.

Experience With Large Heavy-Duty Gas Turbine Rotors

1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. R. Schmoch ◽  
B. Deblon
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Turbine Rotor ◽  
Strength Properties ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Material Strength ◽  
Heavy Duty ◽  
Turbine Rotors ◽  
Heavy Duty Gas Turbine ◽  
Response To Temperature

The peripheral speeds of the rotors of large heavy-duty gas turbines have reached levels which place extremely high demands on material strength properties. The particular requirements of gas turbine rotors, as a result of the cycle, operating conditions and the ensuing overall concepts, have led different gas turbine manufacturers to produce special structural designs to resolve these problems. In this connection, a report is given here on a gas turbine rotor consisting of separate discs which are held together by a center bolt and mutually centered by radial serrations in a manner permitting expansion and contraction in response to temperature changges. In particular, the experience gained in the manufacture, operation and servicing are discussed.

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