Performance Testing of HTHP Electrostatic Precipitator at NYU PFBC Facility

NYU has an ongoing research program which is being funded by DOE to test three types of high-pressure, high-temperature filters. The main objectives of the testing program are: (1) to establish the performance capability of the filters under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions; and (2) to evaluate the dust collection efficiency. Shakedown tests for a duration of about 50 hours was completed during October 1986. Testing of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) is in progress. The first test with ESP was performed during the middle of November 1986. The operating experience with respect to the test facility, and in particular with the particulate sampling systems, is reported in this paper. Additionally, some test results are also discussed.

U.S. Department of Energy Coal-Fueled Gas Turbine Program: A Status Report

Beginning in 1982, the Department of Energy (DOE), through the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), has been conducting research for the purpose of verifying the feasibility of using coal fuels in heat engine applications. The heat engines of primary concern are the gas turbine and the diesel engine. The overall program objective is to develop the technology base for an environmentally sound, integrated heat engine system which will produce cost-competitive energy from coal. This paper will present the status of the gas turbine portion of this program.

Coal-Fueled Gas Turbine Combustor Island Development

Solar Turbines Incorporated, a subsidiary of Caterpillar Inc., is currently developing under DOE sponsorship a coal-fueled version of its industrial Centaur Model H gas turbine for cogeneration applications. A critical sub-system component is the coal-fueled combustor island consisting of a Two-Stage Slagging Combustor (TSSC) with an integrated Particulate Rejection Impact Separator (PRIS). Earlier development of the TSSC consisted of basic feasibility demonstrations and emissions evaluations and has been reported previously together with preliminary system design and assessment data. This paper reports on the continued bench-scale development of the combustor island with the objective of developing a data base suitable for use in scaling-up the design by an order of magnitude to a rating consistent with application to the 3.8 MW Centaur Model H gas turbine. Development activities have included analytical and flow visualization modeling; sorbent injection tests for control of sulfur oxides; and baseline evaluations of a continuous slag removal system. A preliminary engine-size combustor island design is also presented.

Correlation Between Sodium Sulfate Mass Transfer and Low-Temperature Hot Corrosion

A mass transfer model is developed that considers diffusive and chemical aspects of sodium sulfate formation and deposition on cooled blades of coal-fired gas turbines. The roles of gas phase condensation of sodium sulfate and multicomponent diffusion across a chemically frozen thin boundary layer are elaborated. A rational procedure is presented for correlating material wastage with laboratory weight gain data obtained by exposing alloy specimens pre-coated with a thin film of salt to SO2-SO3 in an oxygen environment. The sodium sulfate mass transfer model is used in conjunction with the correlation to project blade corrosion and lifetime as a function of gas turbine inlet temperature, blade cooling, and sodium and sulfur contaminant concentration.

The Design of a 3MW Kalina Cycle Experimental Plant

An experimental project is now underway to demonstrate the advantages of the Kalina cycle technology. A Kalina Cycle Experimental Plant (KCEP) will be built as a 3 MW bottoming cycle using the waste heat from a facility within the Energy Technology Engineering Center (ETEC), a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory located in Canoga Park, California. The design of the experimental plant is presented, including the process flow diagram, heat and mass balance, and specifications for the plant’s major equipment; the waste heat boiler, turbine generator and distillation/condensation subsystem. Using a mixture of ammonia and water at a mass ratio of 70/30, and a new condenser design based on absorption principles, the Kalina cycle plant will attempt to demonstrate its superiority over the Rankine steam cycle. Based on single pressure designs at comparable peak cycle temperatures, the Kalina cycle’s output should exceed that of the steam cycle by 25 percent.

Staged Combustor Evaluation of Low Rank Coal Fuels

The combustion characteristics of fuels derived from low rank, coals have been evaluated at firing conditions representative of an industrial gas turbine engine. Data have been acquired for five fuels containing sub-bituminous coal and one using a lignite. The sub-bituminous fuels were coal-water mixtures differing in either the coal processing or coal loading. One slurry was based on minimally-processed coal which contained relatively high ash and internal moisture levels; the coal loading was limited to 42 pct to sustain acceptable handling. The other four slurries presented different loading of an improved-quality form of the same parent coal; slurry loadings up to 55 pct were achieved, providing nearly 50-pct greater heating value than the minimally-processed fuel. The lignite coal was also processed to produce an improved-quality slurry. Attempts to deliver and combust powdered, sub-bituminous coal were not successful. All tests were performed in a combustor configured to achieve geometrically separated zones of fuel-rich and fuel-lean combustion. Test results indicated a lower limit of fuel energy density as necessary to sustain stable combustion; efficiencies greater than 95 pct were only achieved for improved-quality fuels. The staged combustor approach again demonstrated its ability to control the conversion of fuel-bound nitrogen to NOx as concentrations down to 40 ppm (15 pct 02) were recorded.

High Operation Flexibility and Reliability by Multi-Unit Compressor Arrangement for Gas Storage Applications

The growing gas market and the increasing ratio of imported gas to gas produced within a country requires an expanded capacity for buffer gas storage to compensate for differences between constant import gas flow and seasonal variances in consumption. For economical operation of the gas storage facility and for moving extensive quantities of gas, high operating flexibility as well as high availability and reliability of gas compression equipment are required. This paper will report on an underground gas storage project and indicate specific objectives for the project in reservoir engineering, gas compression and free-flow withdrawal duties. It will also deal with the sizing and selection of gas turbine driven centrifugal compressor sets, including the required station equipment. Finally, operating experience will be discussed.

Coal Fueled Aero-Derivative Gas Turbine: Design Approach

The direct use of coal as a gas turbine fuel offers the opportunity to burn coal in an environmentally sound manner at a competitive cost of energy. A development program is underway to verify the feasibility of using coal water mixture to fuel an aero-derivative gas turbine. This paper presents the overall program approach, required gas turbine design modifications, and reports the results from small-scale combustor test facilities. The GE LM500 gas turbine was selected for this program because of its high efficiency and size, which is appropriate for transportation and cogeneration markets. The LM500 gas turbine power system design will be modified to accommodate coal fuel and any required emissions control devices. The design for the modified annular combustor is complete and preparations for coal fired tests of a 140 degree annular sector combustor are in progress. The combustor design and test development are being supported by a component test program with a One Nozzle Segment Combustor and a single can combustor LM500 Turbine Simulator. These test facilities are providing results on coal water mixture handling and fuel nozzle design, air staging requirements, component metal temperatures, combustor temperature performance, ash deposition rates, and emissions abatement for NOx, SOx, and particulates.

Notes on the Occurrence and Determination of Carbon Within Gas Turbine Combustors

Details are presented of two series of experiments to investigate carbon determination in gas turbine combustion chambers. The first series employed a gravimetric technique to examine carbon distribution within the various zones of a combustor with the aim of identifying zones of formation and oxidation. In the second series a fairly comprehensive investigation of the technique of measuring Smoke Number was made with the objective of obtaining details relevant to its accuracy and applicability. Mixtures of iso-octane and benzene were used as fuel, thereby permitting the effects of hydrogen content to be established. The results are correlated with othersome obtained previously.

Operating Experience With Type H Industrial Gas Turbines on North Sea Platforms

The paper outlines the operating and maintenance experience of the TYPE H industrial gas turbines on 2 of the platforms in the Greater Ekofisk field on the Norwegian continental shelf. Traditional preventive maintenance procedures based on elapsed fired hours are discussed. Availability and reliability statistics are presented. Typical component replacement on inspections is tabulated and comments are given. Finally the author describes an on line, computer supervised, condition monitoring system which is being used and will help replace traditional preventive maintenance with predictive maintenance.