Investigation of a FLOX®-Based Combustor for a Micro Gas Turbine With Exhaust Gas Recirculation

Author(s):  
S. Hasemann ◽  
A. Huber ◽  
C. Naumann ◽  
M. Aigner

Micro gas turbines (MGT) offer interesting advantages for the use in combined heat and power (CHP) systems. A possibility to raise the total efficiency of a MGT is the introduction of an external exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The composition of the working fluid due to EGR affects the combustion process and the formation of pollutants. Changes in flame position, flame volume and flame intensity as well as rising CO emissions in state of the art industrial burners have been described by several authors before. This paper describes the experimental investigation of a single stage FLOX®-based combustor for a MGT in the power range of 1–3 kWel applied with EGR. The tests were performed on an atmospheric test rig with optical access. The combustion air was preheated up to 718 °C and diltued with N2, CO2 and steam. A probe of the exhaust gas was analyzed for emissions and OH* chemiluminescence measurements were performed. In addition to the experiments, chemical kinetic simulations were performed. Results show, that the examined combustor is able to work stable even at very low oxygen levels (down to 12.6 %) at combustor inlet, although the possible range of operation under EGR conditions is reduced. The measured increase of CO emissions matches to the performed simulations.

Author(s):  
Homam Nikpey Somehsaraei ◽  
Mohammad Mansouri Majoumerd ◽  
Mohsen Assadi

As a renewable energy source, biogas produced from anaerobic digestion seems to play an important role in the energy market. Unlike wind and solar, which are intermittent, gas turbines fueled by biogas provide dispatchable renewable energy that can be ramped up and down to match the demand. If post-combustion carbon capture systems are implemented, they can also result in negative CO2 emissions. However, one of the major challenges here is the energy needed for CO2 chemical absorption in post-combustion capture, which is closely related to the concentration of CO2 in the exhaust gas upstream of the capture unit. This paper presents an evaluation of the effects of biogas and exhaust gas recirculation use on the performance of the gas turbine cycle for post-combustion CO2 capture application. The study is based on a combined heat and power micro gas turbine, Turbec T100, delivering 100kWe. The thermodynamic model of the gas turbine has been validated against experimental data obtained from test facilities in Norway and the United Kingdom. Based on the validated model, performance calculations for the baseline micro gas turbine (fueled by natural gas), biogas-fired cases and the cycle with exhaust gas recirculation have been carried out at various operational conditions and compared together. A wide range of biogas composition with varying methane content was assumed for this study. Necessary minor modifications to fuel valves and compressor were assumed to allow the engine operation with different biogas composition. The methodology and results are fully discussed in this paper.


Author(s):  
Joseph Ranalli ◽  
Don Ferguson

Exhaust gas recirculation has been proposed as a potential strategy for reducing the cost and efficiency penalty associated with postcombustion carbon capture. However, this approach may cause as-yet unresolved effects on the combustion process, including additional potential for the occurrence of thermoacoustic instabilities. Flame dynamics, characterized by the flame transfer function, were measured in traditional swirl stabilized and low-swirl injector combustor configurations, subject to exhaust gas circulation simulated by N2 and CO2 dilution. The flame transfer functions exhibited behavior consistent with a low-pass filter and showed phase dominated by delay. Flame transfer function frequencies were nondimensionalized using Strouhal number to highlight the convective nature of this delay. Dilution was observed to influence the dynamics primarily through its role in changing the size of the flame, indicating that it plays a similar role in determining the dynamics as changes in the equivalence ratio. Notchlike features in the flame transfer function were shown to be related to interference behaviors associated with the convective nature of the flame response. Some similarities between the two stabilization configurations proved limiting and generalization of the physical behaviors will require additional investigation.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 1819-1834
Author(s):  
Bryan P Maldonado ◽  
Nan Li ◽  
Ilya Kolmanovsky ◽  
Anna G Stefanopoulou

Cycle-to-cycle feedback control is employed to achieve optimal combustion phasing while maintaining high levels of exhaust gas recirculation by adjusting the spark advance and the exhaust gas recirculation valve position. The control development is based on a control-oriented model that captures the effects of throttle position, exhaust gas recirculation valve position, and spark timing on the combustion phasing. Under the assumption that in-cylinder pressure information is available, an adaptive extended Kalman filter approach is used to estimate the exhaust gas recirculation rate into the intake manifold based on combustion phasing measurements. The estimation algorithm is adaptive since the cycle-to-cycle combustion variability (output covariance) is not known a priori and changes with operating conditions. A linear quadratic regulator controller is designed to maintain optimal combustion phasing while maximizing exhaust gas recirculation levels during load transients coming from throttle tip-in and tip-out commands from the driver. During throttle tip-outs, however, a combination of a high exhaust gas recirculation rate and an overly advanced spark, product of the dynamic response of the system, generates a sequence of misfire events. In this work, an explicit reference governor is used as an add-on scheme to the closed-loop system in order to avoid the violation of the misfire limit. The reference governor is enhanced with model-free learning which enables it to avoid misfires after a learning phase. Experimental results are reported which illustrate the potential of the proposed control strategy for achieving an optimal combustion process during highly diluted conditions for improving fuel efficiency.


2013 ◽  
Vol 59 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 162-173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Cristina Cameretti ◽  
Raffaele Tuccillo ◽  
Renzo Piazzesi

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1555-1573 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Pamminger ◽  
Buyu Wang ◽  
Carrie M Hall ◽  
Ryan Vojtech ◽  
Thomas Wallner

Steady-state experiments were conducted on a 12.4L, six-cylinder heavy-duty engine to investigate the influence of port-injected water and dilution via exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) on combustion and emissions for diesel and gasoline operation. Adding a diluent to the combustion process reduces peak combustion temperatures and can reduce the reactivity of the charge, thereby increasing the ignition-delay and, allowing for more time to premix air and fuel. Experiments spanned water/fuel mass ratios up to 140mass% and exhaust gas recirculation ratios up to 20vol% for gasoline and diesel operation with different injection strategies. Diluting the combustion process with either water or EGR resulted in a significant reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions along with a reduction in brake thermal efficiency. The sensitivity of brake thermal efficiency to water and EGR varied among the fuels and injection strategies investigated. An efficiency breakdown revealed that water injection considerably reduced the wall heat transfer; however, a substantial increase in exhaust enthalpy offset the reduction in wall heat transfer and led to a reduction in brake thermal efficiency. Regular diesel operation with main and post injection exhibited a brake thermal efficiency of 45.8% and a 0.3% reduction at a water/fuel ratio of 120%. The engine operation with gasoline, early pilot, and main injection strategy showed a brake thermal efficiency of 45.0% at 0% water/fuel ratio, and a 1.2% decrease in brake thermal efficiency for a water/fuel ratio of 140%. Using EGR as a diluent reduced the brake thermal efficiency by 0.3% for diesel operation, comparing ratios of 0% and 20% EGR. However, a higher impact on brake thermal efficiency was seen for gasoline operation with early pilot and main injection strategy, with a reduction of about 0.8% comparing 0% and 20% EGR. Dilution by means of EGR exhibited a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions up to 15 g/kWh; water injection showed only up to 10 g/kWh reduction for the EGR rates and water/fuel ratio investigated.


Fuel ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 278 ◽  
pp. 118285
Author(s):  
Žiga Rosec ◽  
Tomaž Katrašnik ◽  
Urban Žvar Baškovič ◽  
Tine Seljak

Author(s):  
Fengjun Yan ◽  
Junmin Wang

Fueling control in Diesel engines is not only of significance to the combustion process in one particular cycle, but also influences the subsequent dynamics of air-path loop and combustion events, particularly when exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is employed. To better reveal such inherently interactive relations, this paper presents a physics-based, control-oriented model describing the dynamics of the intake conditions with fuel injection profile being its input for Diesel engines equipped with EGR and turbocharging systems. The effectiveness of this model is validated by comparing the predictive results with those produced by a high-fidelity 1-D computational GT-Power engine model.


Author(s):  
A. M. Elkady ◽  
A. R. Brand ◽  
C. L. Vandervort ◽  
A. T. Evulet

In a carbon constrained world there is a need for capturing and sequestering CO2. Post-combustion carbon capture via Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) is considered a feasible means of reducing emission of CO2 from power plants. Exhaust Gas Recirculation is an enabling technology for increasing the CO2 concentration within the gas turbine cycle and allow the decrease of the size of the separation plant, which in turn will enable a significant reduction in CO2 capture cost. This paper describes the experimental work performed to better understand the risks of utilizing EGR in combustors employing dry low emissions (DLE) technologies. A rig was built for exploring the capability of premixers to operate in low O2 environment, and a series of experiments in a visually accessible test rig was performed at representative aeroderivative gas turbine pressures and temperatures. Experimental results include the effect of applying EGR on operability, efficiency and emissions performance under conditions of up to 40% EGR. Findings confirm the viability of EGR for enhanced CO2 capture; In addition, we confirm benefits of NOx reduction while complying with CO emissions in DLE combustors under low oxygen content oxidizer.


Author(s):  
V Pirouzpanah ◽  
R Khoshbakhti Saray

Dual-fuel engines at part loads inevitably suffer from lower thermal efficiency and higher carbon monoxide and unburned fuel emission. The present work was carried out to investigate the combustion characteristics of a dual-fuel (diesel-gas) engine at part loads, using a single-zone combustion model with detailed chemical kinetics for combustion of natural gas fuel. The authors have developed software in which the pilot fuel is considered as a subsidiary zone and a heat source derived from two superimposedWiebe combustion functions to account for its contribution to ignition of the gaseous fuel and the rest of the total released energy. The chemical kinetics mechanism consists of 112 reactions with 34 species. This quasi-two-zone combustion model is able to establish the development of the combustion process with time and the associated important operating parameters, such as pressure, temperature, heat release rate (HRR), and species concentration. Therefore, this paper describes an attempt to investigate the combustion phenomenon at part loads and using hot exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) to improve the above-mentioned drawbacks and problems. By employing this technique, it is found that lower percentages of EGR and allowance for its thermal and radical effects have a positive influence on performance and emission parameters of dual-fuel engines at part loads. Predicted values show good agreement with corresponding experimental values under special engine operating conditions (quarter-load, 1400 r/min). Implications are discussed in detail.


Author(s):  
Martin Henke ◽  
Thomas Monz ◽  
Manfred Aigner

Microgas turbine (MGT) based combined heat and power (CHP) units provide a highly efficient, low-pollutant technology to supply heat and electrical power from fossil and renewable energy sources; however, pressurized MGT systems in an electrical power range from 1 to 5 kWel utilize very small turbocharger components. These components suffer from higher losses, like seal and tip leakages, resulting in a reduced electrical efficiency. This drawback is avoided by an inverted Brayton cycle (IBC) based system. In an IBC hot gas is produced in a combustion chamber at atmospheric pressure. Subsequently, the exhaust gas is expanded in a turbine from an atmospheric to a subatmospheric pressure level. In order to increase electrical efficiency, heat from the turbine exhaust gas is recuperated to the combustion air. After recuperation, the gas is compressed to atmospheric pressure and is discharged from the cycle. To decrease the power demand of the compressor, and thereby increasing the electrical cycle efficiency, it is crucial to further extract residual thermal power from the gas before compression. Coolant flows provided by heating applications can use this heat supply combined with heat from the discharged exhaust gas. The low pressure levels of the IBC result in high volumetric gas flows, enabling the use of large, highly efficient turbocharger components. Because of this efficiency benefit and the described cooling demand, micro-CHP applications provide an ideal field for utilization of the IBC. To further increase the total efficiency, discharged exhaust gas can be partially recirculated to the air inlet of the cycle. In the present paper a steady state analysis of an IBC with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is shown, and compared to the performance of a conventional Brayton cycle with equivalent component properties. Using EGR, it could be found that the sensitivity of the electrical cycle efficiency to the coolant temperature further increases. The sequent discussion focuses on the trade-off between total efficiency and electrical efficiency, depending on coolant temperature and EGR rate. The results show that EGR can increase the total efficiency by 10% to 15% points, while electrical efficiency decreases by 0.5% to 1% point. If the coolant temperature is below 35 °C, condensation of water vapor in the exhaust gas leads to a further increase of heat recovery efficiency. A validated in-house simulation tool based on turbocharger maps has been used for the calculations.


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