Luke H. Cowell

Passive Control of Combustion Instability in Lean Premixed Combustors

A Solar fuel injector that provides lean premixed combustion conditions has been studied in a combined experimental and numerical investigation. Lean premixed conditions can be accompanied by excessive combustion driven pressure oscillations which must be eliminated before the release of a final combustor design. In order to eliminate the pressure oscillations the location of fuel injection was parametrically evaluated to determine a stable configuration. It was observed that small axial changes in the position of the fuel spokes within the premix duct of the fuel injector had a significant positive effect on decoupling the excitation of the natural acoustic modes of the combustion system. In order to further understand the phenomenon, a time-accurate 2D CFD analysis was performed. 2D analysis was first calibrated using 3D steady-state CFD computations of the premixer in order to model the radial distribution of velocities in the premixer caused by non-uniform inlet conditions and swirling flow. 2D time-accurate calculations were then performed on the baseline configuration. The calculations captured the coupling of heat release with the combustor acoustics, which resulted in excessive pressure oscillations. When the axial location of the fuel injection was moved, the CFD analysis accurately captured the fuel time lag to the flame-front, and qualitatively matched the experimental findings.

Coal alkali retention in a slagging combustor

Abstract Combustion tests and laboratory experiments were conducted to study the coal alkali retention and volatilization in the slagging combustor. The test results have indicated that 45–64% of alkali introduced in the coal feed were retained with slag in the fuel-rich primary combustion zone. The laboratory alkali volatilization study further suggested that the vapour phase alkalis are only present in significant concentration at temperatures above 1204 °C (2200 °F). Less than 50% of sodium and 30% of potassium are released from coal over the operating temperature range of 1427–1538 °C (2600–2800 °F) found in slagging combustors. Cleaning coal with hot water and dilute acid removed water-soluble alkalis and lowered the volatilization of sodium from 49 to 20% and potassium from 19 to 4% at temperatures up to 1538 °C (2800 °F). Inactive alkalis of coal stay with thermally degraded clays after combustion.

Development of a Dual-Fuel Injection System for Lean Premixed Industrial Gas Turbines

A fuel injection system for industrial gas turbine engines capable of using natural gas and liquid fuel in dry, lean premixed combustion is under development to significantly reduce NOx and CO emissions. The program has resulted in a design capable of operating on DF#2 over the 80 to 100% engine load range meeting the current TA LUFT regulations of 96 ppm (dry, @ 15% O2) NOx and 78 ppm CO. When operating on natural gas the design meets the guaranteed levels of 25 ppm NOx and 50 ppm CO.The design approach is to apply lean premixed combustion technology to liquid fuel. Both injector designs introduce the majority of the diesel fuel via airblast alomization into a premixing passage where fuel vaporization and air-fuel premixing occur. Secondary fuel injection occurs through a pilot fuel passage which operates in a partially premixed mode. Development is completed through injector modeling, flow visualization, combustion rig testing, and engine testing. The prototype design tested in development engine environments has operated with NOx emissions below 65 ppm and 20 ppm CO at full load. This paper includes a detailed discussion of the injector design and qualification testing completed on this development hardware.Copyright

Ten Years of DLE Industrial Gas Turbine Operating Experiences

Industrial gas turbine manufacturers began offering engines configured with dry low emissions (DLE) control in 1992. In the past ten years the performance and emissions reductions have been well demonstrated by DLE equipment. To date DLE gas turbines have relied on lean premixed combustion technology to achieve emissions reductions of 8 to 10 fold from “conventional” diffusion flame engines. The significant new content incorporated for DLE combustion systems has required industrial gas turbine manufacturers and users to work with greater synergy to overcome significant challenges. As evidence of this ultimately successful integration, DLE gas turbines are now as common in service as conventional diffusion flame engines. With thousands of DLE units sold one would expect that DLE gas turbines are now a mature product. In many aspects, this is true. However, emissions regulations and other market drivers have continued to change, forcing DLE equipment to continually evolve. A Solar history of DLE gas turbine developments, capabilities, and experiences are provided to give operators background and knowledge to reduce field issues and maximize availability of their DLE gas turbines. Design limitations and problems encountered in the field are discussed along with the steps that were taken to resolve them. Recommendations on DLE engine operation to avoid unscheduled downtime are presented. Design improvements to reduce emissions further and improve system flexibility are summarized.Copyright

Development of a Catalytic Combustor for Industrial Gas Turbines

A catalytic combustion system for advanced industrial gas turbines is under long tern development employing recent advances in catalyst and materials technologies. Catalytic combustion is a proven means of burning fuel with single digit NOx emissions levels. However, this technology has yet to be considered for production in an industrial gas turbine for a number of reasons including: limited catalyst durability, demonstration of a system that can operate over all loads and ambient conditions, and market and cost factors. The catalytic combustion system will require extensive modifications to production gas turbines including fuel staging and variable geometry. The combustion system is composed of five elements: a preheat combustor, premixer, catalyst bed, part load injector and post-catalyst combustor. The preheat combustor operates in a lean premixed mode and is used to elevate catalyst inlet air and fuel to operating temperature. The premixer combines fuel and air into a uniform mixture before entering the catalyst. The catalyst bed initiates the fuel-air reactions, elevating the mixture temperature and partially oxidizing the fuel. The part load injector is a lean premixed combustor system that provides fuel and air to the post-catalyst combustor. The post-catalyst combustor is the volume downstream of the catalyst bed where the combustion reactions are completed. At part load conditions a conventional flame bums in this zone. Combustion testing is on-going in a subscale rig to optimize the system and define operating limits. Short duration rig testing has been completed to 9 atmospheres pressure with stable catalytic combustion and NOx emissions down to the 5 ppmv level. Testing was intended to prove-out design elements at representative full load engine conditions. Subscale combustion testing is planned to document performance at part-load conditions. Preliminary full-scale engine design studies are underway.Copyright

Experimental Evaluation of Sorbents for Sulfur Control in a Coal-Fueled Gas Turbine Slagging Combustor

This paper reports on a slagging combustor that has been used to evaluate three calcium-based sorbents for sulfur capture efficiency in order to assess their applicability for use in a oil-fueled gas turbine. Testing is competed in a bench-scale combustor with one-tenth the heat input needed for the full-scale gas turbine. The bench-scale rig is a two-stage combustor featuring a fuel-rich primary zone an a fuel-lean secondary zone. The combustor is operated at 6.5 bars with inlet air preheated to 600 K. Gas temperatures of 1840 K are generated in the primary zone and 1280 K in the secondary zone. Sorbents are either fed into the secondary zone or mixed with the coal-water mixture and fed into the primary zone. Dry powered sorbents are fed into the secondary zone by an auger into one of six secondary air inlet ports. The three sorbents tested in the secondary zone include dolomite, pressure-hydrated dolomitic lime, and hydrated lime. Sorbents have been tested while burning coal-water mixtures with coal sulfur loadings of 0.56 to 3.13 weight percent sulfur. Sorbents are injected into the secondary zone at varying flow rates such that the calcium/sulfur ratio varies from 0.5 to 10.0.

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.

The Influence of Coal Slurry Fuel Properties on the Performance of a Bench Scale Two-Stage Slagging Combustor

Fuel specifications for a coal-fueled industrial gas turbine are being determined through bench scale testing of a two-stage slagging combustor with coal water mixtures (CWM) possessing different properties. Twelve CWMs have been formulated with variations in coal loading, ash concentration, fuel additives, coal particle size, and coal type. The test combustor is operated at 7 bars with a 600 K air inlet temperature in a high pressure test facility. The two-stage slagging combustor (TSSC) features a rich burning, slagging primary zone and a lean secondary zone. Combustor performance is characterized by measurements of pollutant emissions, slag capture, particulate emissions, and coal utilization. The combustor has demonstrated a high degree of fuel property flexibility with performance remaining above goals in most tests. The properties of the CWMs and the test results are discussed.Copyright