Development and Testing of a FuelFlex Dry-Low-NOx Micromix Combustor for Industrial Gas Turbine Applications With Variable Hydrogen Methane Mixtures

Author(s):  
H. H.-W. Funke ◽  
N. Beckmann ◽  
S. Abanteriba

Abstract The negative effects on the earth’s climate make the reduction of the potent greenhouse gases carbon-dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) an imperative of the combustion research. Hydrogen based gas turbine systems are in the focus of the energy producing industry, due to their potential to eliminate CO2 emissions completely as combustion product, if the fuel is produced from renewable and sustainable energy sources. Due to the difference in the physical properties of hydrogen-rich fuel mixtures compared to common gas turbine fuels, well established combustion systems cannot be directly applied for Dry Low NOx (DLN) hydrogen combustion. The paper presents initial test data of a recently designed low emission Micromix combustor adapted to flexible fuel operation with variable fuel mixtures of hydrogen and methane. Based on previous studies, targeting low emission combustion of pure hydrogen and dual fuel operation with hydrogen and syngas (H2/CO 90/10 vol.%), a FuelFlex Micromix combustor for variable hydrogen methane mixtures has been developed. For facilitating the experimental low pressure testing the combustion chamber test rig is adapted for flexible fuel operation. A computer-controlled gas mixing facility is designed and installed to continuously provide accurate and homogeneous hydrogen methane fuel mixtures to the combustor. An evaluation of all major error sources has been conducted. In the presented experimental studies, the integration-optimized FuelFlex Micromix combustor geometry is tested at atmospheric pressure with hydrogen methane fuel mixtures ranging from 57 vol.% to 100 vol.% hydrogen in the fuel. For evaluating the combustion characteristics, the results of experimental exhaust gas analyses are applied. Despite the design compromise, that takes into account the significantly different fuel and combustion properties of the applied fuels, the initial results confirm promising operating behaviour, combustion efficiency and pollutant emission levels for flexible fuel operation. The investigated combustor module exceeds 99.4% combustion efficiency for hydrogen contents of 80–100% in the fuel mixture and shows NOx emissions less than 4 ppm corrected to 15 vol.% O2 at the design point.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4405
Author(s):  
Miroslav Rimar ◽  
Olha Kulikova ◽  
Andrii Kulikov ◽  
Marcel Fedak

Waste is a product of society and one of the biggest challenges for future generations is to understand how to sustainably dispose of large amounts of waste. The main objective of this study was to determine the possibility and conditions of the decentralized combustion of non-hazardous municipal waste. The analysis of the combustion properties of a mixture of wood chips and 20–30% of municipal solid waste showed an improvement in the operating parameters of the combustion process. Analysis also confirmed that the co-combustion of dirty fuels and biomass reduced the risk of releasing minerals and heavy metals from fuel into the natural environment. Approximately 55% of the heavy metals passed into the ash. The analysis of municipal solid waste and fuel mixtures containing municipal solid waste for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons showed the risk of increasing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations in flue gases.


Author(s):  
A. Vasilyev ◽  
V. Zakharov ◽  
O. Chelebyan ◽  
O. Zubkova

Abstract At the ASME Turbo Expo 2018 conference held in Oslo (Norway) on the 11th-15th of June 2018, the paper GT2018-75419 «Experience of Low-Emission Combustion of Aviation and Bio Fuels in Individual Flames after Front Mini-Modules of a Combustion Chamber» was published. This paper continues the studies devoted to the low-emission combustion of liquid fuels in GTE combustors. The paper presents a description of more detailed studies of the front module with a staged pneumatic fuel spray. The aerodynamic computations of the front module were conducted, and the disperse characteristics of the fuel-air spray were measured. The experimental research was carried out in two directions: 1) probing of the 3-burner sector flame tube at the distance of one third of its length (temperature field and gas sampling); 2) numerical study of the model combustor with actual arrangement of the modules in the dome within a wide range of fuel-air ratio. The calculated and experimental data of velocity field behind the front module were compared. And new data about the flame structure inside the test sector were obtained. Experimental data confirm the results of preliminary studies of the 3-burner sector: combustion efficiency is higher than 99.8%, EiNOx is at the level of 2–3 g/fuel kg at the combustor inlet air temperature of 680K and fuel-air ratio of 0.0225. The conducted research allowed to receive additional information on the influence of some design units on the pollutant emission and to estimate the different elements of computational methods for simulation of a low-emission combustor with a multi-atomizer dome.


Author(s):  
Harald H. W. Funke ◽  
Nils Beckmann ◽  
Jan Keinz ◽  
Sylvester Abanteriba

Abstract The dry-low-NOx (DLN) micromix combustion technology has been developed originally as a low emission alternative for industrial gas turbine combustors fueled with hydrogen. Currently, the ongoing research process targets flexible fuel operation with hydrogen and syngas fuel. The nonpremixed combustion process features jet-in-crossflow-mixing of fuel and oxidizer and combustion through multiple miniaturized flames. The miniaturization of the flames leads to a significant reduction of NOx emissions due to the very short residence time of reactants in the flame. The paper presents the results of a numerical and experimental combustor test campaign. It is conducted as part of an integration study for a dual-fuel (H2 and H2/CO 90/10 vol %) micromix (MMX) combustion chamber prototype for application under full scale, pressurized gas turbine conditions in the auxiliary power unit Honeywell Garrett GTCP 36-300. In the presented experimental studies, the integration-optimized dual-fuel MMX combustor geometry is tested at atmospheric pressure over a range of gas turbine operating conditions with hydrogen and syngas fuel. The experimental investigations are supported by numerical combustion and flow simulations. For validation, the results of experimental exhaust gas analyses are applied. Despite the significantly differing fuel characteristics between pure hydrogen and hydrogen-rich syngas, the evaluated dual-fuel MMX prototype shows a significant low NOx performance and high combustion efficiency. The combustor features an increased energy density that benefits manufacturing complexity and costs.


Author(s):  
Homam Nikpey ◽  
Mohsen Assadi ◽  
Peter Breuhaus

Previously published studies have addressed modifications to the engines when operating with biogas, i.e. a low heating value (LHV) fuel. This study focuses on mapping out the possible biogas share in a fuel mixture of biogas and natural gas in micro combined heat and power (CHP) installations without any engine modifications. This contributes to a reduction in CO2 emissions from existing CHP installations and makes it possible to avoid a costly upgrade of biogas to the natural gas quality as well as engine modifications. Moreover, this approach allows the use of natural gas as a “fallback” solution in the case of eventual variations of the biogas composition and or shortage of biogas, providing improved availability. In this study, the performance of a commercial 100kW micro gas turbine (MGT) is experimentally evaluated when fed by varying mixtures of natural gas and biogas. The MGT is equipped with additional instrumentation, and a gas mixing station is used to supply the demanded fuel mixtures from zero biogas to maximum possible level by diluting natural gas with CO2. A typical biogas composition with 0.6 CH4 and 0.4 CO2 (in mole fraction) was used as reference, and corresponding biogas content in the supplied mixtures was computed. The performance changes due to increased biogas share were studied and compared with the purely natural gas fired engine. This paper presents the test rig setup used for the experimental activities and reports results, demonstrating the impact of burning a mixture of biogas and natural gas on the performance of the MGT. Comparing with when only natural gas was fired in the engine, the electrical efficiency was almost unchanged and no significant changes in operating parameters were observed. It was also shown that burning a mixture of natural gas and biogas contributes to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions from the plant.


2013 ◽  
Vol 117 (1198) ◽  
pp. 1249-1271 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Khandelwal ◽  
A. Karakurt ◽  
V. Sethi ◽  
R. Singh ◽  
Z. Quan

Abstract Modern gas turbine combustor design is a complex task which includes both experimental and empirical knowledge. Numerous parameters have to be considered for combustor designs which include combustor size, combustion efficiency, emissions and so on. Several empirical correlations and experienced approaches have been developed and summarised in literature for designing conventional combustors. A large number of advanced technologies have been successfully employed to reduce emissions significantly in the last few decades. There is no literature in the public domain for providing detailed design methodologies of triple annular combustors. The objective of this study is to provide a detailed method designing a triple annular dry low emission industrial combustor and evaluate its performance, based on the operating conditions of an industrial engine. The design methodology employs semi-empirical and empirical models for designing different components of gas turbine combustors. Meanwhile, advanced DLE methods such as lean fuel combustion, premixed methods, staged combustion, triple annular, multi-passage diffusers, machined cooling rings, DACRS and heat shields are employed to cut down emissions. The design process is shown step by step for design and performance evaluation of the combustor. The performance of this combustor is predicted, it shows that NO x emissions could be reduced by 60%-90% as compared with conventional single annular combustors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Ditaranto ◽  
Inge Saanum ◽  
Jenny Larfeldt

Abstract Hydrogen, a carbon-free fuel, is a challenging gas to transport and store, but that can be solved by producing ammonia, a worldwide commonly distributed chemical. Ideally, ammonia should be used directly on site as a fuel, but it has many combustion shortcomings, with a very low reactivity and a high propensity to generate NOx. Alternatively, ammonia could be decomposed back to a mixture of hydrogen and nitrogen which has better combustion properties, but at the expense of an endothermal reaction. Between these two options, a trade off could be a partial decomposition where the end use fuel is a mixture of ammonia, hydrogen, and nitrogen. We present an experimental study aiming at finding optimal NH3-H2-N2 fuel blends to be used in gas turbines and provide manufacturers with guidelines for their use in retrofit and new combustion applications. The industrial burner considered in this study is a small-scale Siemens burner used in the SGT-750 gas turbine, tested in the SINTEF high pressure combustion facility. The overall behaviour of the burner in terms of stability and emissions is characterized as a function of fuel mixtures corresponding to partial and full decomposition of ammonia. It is found that when ammonia is present in the fuel, the NOx emissions although high can be limited if the primary flame zone is operated fuel rich. Increasing pressure has shown to have a strong and favourable effect on NOx formation. When ammonia is fully decomposed to 75% H2 and 25% N2, the opposite behaviour is observed. In conclusion, either low rate or full decomposition are found to be the better options.


2019 ◽  
pp. 86-90
Author(s):  
Sergey Serbin

The appliance of modern tools of the computational fluid dynamics for the investigation of the pulsation processes in the combustion chamber caused by the design features of flame tubes and aerodynamic interaction compressor, combustor and turbine is discussed. The aim of the research is to investigate and forecast the non-stationary processes in the gas turbine combustion chambers. The results of the numerical experiments which were carried out using three-dimensional mathematical models in gaseous fuels combustion chambers reflect sufficiently the physical and chemical processes of the unsteady combustion and can be recommended to optimize the geometrical and operational parameters of the low-emission combustion chamber. The appliance of such mathematical models are reasonable for the development of new samples of combustors which operate at the lean air-fuel mixture as well as for the modernization of the existing chambers with the aim to develop the constructive measures aimed at reducing the probability of the occurrence of the pulsation combustion modes. Keywords: gas turbine engine, combustor, turbulent combustion, pulsation combustion, numerical methods, mathematical simulation.


Author(s):  
Christopher J. Mordaunt ◽  
Seong-Young Lee ◽  
Vickey B. Kalaskar ◽  
Amy Mensch ◽  
Robert J. Santoro ◽  
...  

Future gas turbine technology may require that liquid fuels play an additional role as a coolant over a wide range of combustion-chamber operating conditions. Additionally, in order to satisfy greater efficiency and performance goals, gas turbine operating temperatures and pressures are steadily increasing. Given the desire to reduce dependence on foreign fuels and that current hydrocarbon fuels, such as JP-8, are prone to thermal or catalytic decomposition at such elevated conditions, there is great interest in utilizing alternatively-derived liquid fuels. The successful development of a versatile, multiple-use fuel must achieve the desired operational characteristics of high combustion efficiency, excellent combustion stability, acceptable pollutant emission levels, and compatibility with current engine seals. Combustion instability represents a critical area of concern for future gas turbine engines that may burn alternative fuels. Combustion instability is characterized by large, unsteady combustion-chamber pressure oscillations which occur at the characteristic frequencies associated with the acoustic modes of the combustor. The occurrence of combustion-driven instabilities is closely tied to the details of the injection and fuel-air mixing processes, the heat release characteristics, and the degree to which heat release rate couples with the acoustics of the combustor. Additionally, the efficiency and emissions characteristics are also largely determined by the fuel injection, atomization, and mixing processes associated with combustion. As fuel properties and composition vary, effects on combustion efficiency and emissions, especially the formation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and soot, can be expected. Therefore, changes in these processes attributed to differing fuel properties can have a dramatic affect on the combustion characteristics and require careful consideration through a well-coordinated combustion research program. The current study investigates whether a coal-based aviation fuel, JP-900, which has the required thermal stability attributes, also satisfies the engine combustion requirements. Additionally, a Fischer-Tropsch fuel and a volumetric 50/50 blend of JP-8 and the Fischer-Tropsch fuel are studied. Previous studies of coal-based fuels have shown that soot production can be a significant problem due to the higher aromatic content than found in conventional fuels. However, improvements in the fuel refinement processes have helped reduce this problem. Experiments included in this current research effort involve studying the combustion instability patterns, the pollutant emission levels, and sooting propensity of coal-based and Fischer-Tropsch fuels as compared to JP-8. The experimental setup consists of an optically-accessible model gas turbine dump combustor, with provisions for laser extinction measurements, which utilizes a Delavan hollow-cone pressure atomizer for fuel injection.


Author(s):  
Enhui Liu ◽  
Xiao Liu ◽  
Hongtao Zheng ◽  
Jinghe Lu ◽  
Zhihao Zhang ◽  
...  

Abstract With the increasingly environmental problems and strict pollutant emission limits, pollutant emission has become a critical consideration for gas turbine. Mixing uniformity index of fuel-air has a significant effect on NOx emission. Previous works conducted basic research on mixing mechanism based on jet in crossflow, while few people studied a single real swirler channel in gas turbine combustor. The present work aims to bridge this gap and investigates the effects of fuel injection from the windward and leeward sides on the fuel concentration distribution and mixing uniformity index, based on a typical radical swirler channel. The qualitative analysis of velocity field and vortices structure and the quantitative analysis of velocity ratio and uniformity index are carried out. Due to the presence of sharp corner at the inlet of swirler, a recirculation zone is formed by the flow separation. The recirculation zone at the leeward side decreases the flow velocity and increases the area and time for fuel-air mixing. The velocity ratio plays a key role in the characteristics of flow and mixing. Under the same inlet conditions, the effective velocity ratio (R = 40) in the near field of the leeward side is about 10 times that of windward side (R = 4), and the maximum jet depth can be achieved in the near field. Therefore, the outlet uniformity index on the windward and leeward sides are 38.85% and 49.43%, respectively. From the perspective of mixing uniformity, fuel injection from the leeward side is beneficial to realize quick mixing in short distance. The present study is expected to provide insightful information for understanding mixing characteristics of methane fuel in low emission combustor.


Author(s):  
Digvijay B. Kulshreshtha ◽  
S. A. Channiwala

The development of the combustion chamber for 20kW gas turbine unit using kerosene type fuel has been undertaken keeping in view the basic requirements of a good combustion chamber, namely, high combustion efficiency, low pressure loss, smooth ignition, wide stability limits, size and shape compatible with engine envelop, low emissions of smoke, unburned fuel and gaseous pollutant species, durability and ease of maintenance. A sophisticated experimental test rig has then been developed to investigate over a wide range of air/fuel ratios for the temperature profiles at the few axial and liner wall locations of this combustion chamber. The range of overall air/fuel ratios considered varies from 22.7396 to 152.4 i.e. Rich Air/Fuel Mixture to Lean Air/Fuel Mixture Range. The temperature profiles for centerline and liner wall for eight different air/fuel ratios are summarized here. The two air/fuel ratios selected are near the designed value of 118.34. It could be concluded from the results that the air/fuel ratio of 122.106 gives the best results for centerline temperature and the liner wall temperature as well as the exit temperature profile. This is very near to the designed air/fuel ratio of 118.34. The temperatures of near 1400 °C achieved at the centerline of the combustion chamber and the liner wall temperatures in the range of 500 °C for lower air/fuel ratio and 300 °C for higher air/fuel ratio certainly ensures safe and reliable operation of this combustion chamber.


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