Andrei Colibaba-Evulet

Design and Evaluation of the AIMS Combustor

This paper describes a reduced NOx and CO, partially premixed flame combustor that has been developed for the 175 kW Advanced Integrated Microturbine System (AIMS) recuperated cycle gas micro-turbine. The AIMS turbine is equipped with a recuperated silo combustor. The new, reduced emissions combustor retains key features of the conventional Dry Low NOx (DLN) combustors; the differences are the arrangement of the premixers, the novel head-end assembly design, and the liner cooling and dilution features. The combustion system was designed and tested at the GE Global Research facilities in Niskayuna, NY and leverages technology developed by GE Power Systems (GEPS) and GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE). Laboratory tests show that when firing with natural gas, without water or steam injection, NOx and CO emissions from the new combustor are in single digits at full-speed, full-load conditions. CO emissions show a strong pressure effect, increasing at base load (when compared to similar conditions in commercial combustors running at higher pressures). The standard combustor on the AIMS gas turbine is a reversed flow cylindrical can. An array of 4 fuel nozzles is located at the head end of the can and produces a swirl stabilized premixed flame. The liner contains an array of cooling and dilution holes that provide the air needed to dilute the burned gas to the desired turbine inlet temperature.Copyright