CFD Analysis of Turbec T100 Combustor at Part Load by Varying Fuels

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaela Calabria ◽  
Fabio Chiariello ◽  
Patrizio Massoli ◽  
Fabrizio Reale
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Cfd Analysis ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Wide Range

In recent years an increasing interest is focused on the study of micro gas turbines (MGT) behavior at part load by varying fuel, in order to determine their versatility. The interest in using MGT is related to the possibility of feeding with a wide range of fuels and to realize efficient cogenerative cycles by recovering heat from exhaust gases at higher temperatures. In this context, the studies on micro gas turbines are focused on the analysis of the machine versatility and flexibility, when operating conditions and fuels are significantly varied. In line of principle, in case of gaseous fuels with similar Wobbe Index no modifications to the combustion chamber should be required. The adoption of fuels whose properties differ greatly from those of design can require relevant modifications of the combustor, besides the proper adaptation of the feeding system. Thus, at low loads or low calorific value fuels, the combustor becomes a critical component of the entire MGT, as regards stability and emissions of the combustion process. Focus of the paper is a 3D CFD analysis of the combustor behavior of a Turbec T100P fueled at different loads and fuels. Differences between combustors designed for natural gas and liquid fuels are also highlighted. In case of natural gas, inlet combustor temperature and pressure were taken from experimental data; in case of different fuels, such data were inferred by using a thermodynamic model which takes into account rotating components behavior through operating maps of compressor and turbine. Specific aim of the work is to underline potentialities and critical issues of the combustor under study in case of adoption of fuels far from the design one and to suggest possible solutions.

Analysis of Part Electric Gas Turbine: A Novel Hybrid Propulsion Concept

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. N. Murthy ◽  
Subhash Kumar ◽  
Sheshadri Sreedhara
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Electric Motor ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Variable Speed ◽  
Hybrid Propulsion ◽  
Design Point ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Efficient Option

Abstract A gas turbine engine (GT) is very complex to design and manufacture considering the power density it offers. Development of a GT is also iterative, expensive and involves a long lead time. The components of a GT, viz compressor, combustor and turbine are strongly dependent on each other for the overall performance characteristics of the GT. The range of compressor operation is dependent on the functional and safe limits of surging and choking. The turbine operating speeds are required to be matched with that of compressor for wide range of operating conditions. Due to this constrain, design for optimum possible performance is often sacrificed. Further, once catered for a design point, gas turbines offer low part load efficiencies at conditions away from design point. As a more efficient option, a GT is practically achievable in a split configuration, where the compressor and turbine rotate on different shafts independently. The compressor is driven by a variable speed electric motor. The power developed in the combustor using the compressed air from the compressor and fuel, drives the turbine. The turbine provides mechanical shaft power through a gear box if required. A drive taken from the shaft rotates an electricity generator, which provides power for the compressor’s variable speed electric motor through a power bank. Despite introducing, two additional power conversions compared to a conventional GT, this split configuration named as ‘Part Electric Gas Turbine’, has a potential for new applications and to achieve overall better efficiencies from a GT considering the poor part load characteristics of a conventional GT.

scholarly journals Prediction of Auto-Ignition Temperatures and Delays for Gas Turbine Applications

2015 ◽  
Vol 138 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roda Bounaceur ◽  
Pierre-Alexandre Glaude ◽  
Baptiste Sirjean ◽  
René Fournet ◽  
Pierre Montagne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Process Conditions ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Auto Ignition ◽  
Wide Range

Gas turbines burn a large variety of gaseous fuels under elevated pressure and temperature conditions. During transient operations, variable gas/air mixtures are involved in the gas piping system. In order to predict the risk of auto-ignition events and ensure a safe operation of gas turbines, it is of the essence to know the lowest temperature at which spontaneous ignition of fuels may happen. Experimental auto-ignition data of hydrocarbon–air mixtures at elevated pressures are scarce and often not applicable in specific industrial conditions. Auto-ignition temperature (AIT) data correspond to temperature ranges in which fuels display an incipient reactivity, with timescales amounting in seconds or even in minutes instead of milliseconds in flames. In these conditions, the critical reactions are most often different from the ones governing the reactivity in a flame or in high temperature ignition. Some of the critical paths for AIT are similar to those encountered in slow oxidation. Therefore, the main available kinetic models that have been developed for fast combustion are unfortunately unable to represent properly these low temperature processes. A numerical approach addressing the influence of process conditions on the minimum AIT of different fuel/air mixtures has been developed. Several chemical models available in the literature have been tested, in order to identify the most robust ones. Based on previous works of our group, a model has been developed, which offers a fair reconciliation between experimental and calculated AIT data through a wide range of fuel compositions. This model has been validated against experimental auto-ignition delay times corresponding to high temperature in order to ensure its relevance not only for AIT aspects but also for the reactivity of gaseous fuels over the wide range of gas turbine operation conditions. In addition, the AITs of methane, of pure light alkanes, and of various blends representative of several natural gas and process-derived fuels were extensively covered. In particular, among alternative gas turbine fuels, hydrogen-rich gases are called to play an increasing part in the future so that their ignition characteristics have been addressed with particular care. Natural gas enriched with hydrogen, and different syngas fuels have been studied. AIT values have been evaluated in function of the equivalence ratio and pressure. All the results obtained have been fitted by means of a practical mathematical expression. The overall study leads to a simple correlation of AIT versus equivalence ratio/pressure.

Gas Turbine Fouling: The Influence of Climate and Part-Load Operating Conditions

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicola Aldi ◽  
Nicola Casari ◽  
Mirko Morini ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
Pier Ruggero Spina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Alternative Fuels ◽  
Environmental Influence ◽  
Electrical Power ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Part Load

Abstract Energy and climate change policies associated with the continuous increase in natural gas costs pushed governments to invest in renewable energy and alternative fuels. In this perspective, the idea to convert gas turbines from natural gas to syngas from biomass gasification could be a suitable choice. Biogas is a valid alternative to natural gas because of its low costs, high availability and low environmental impact. Syngas is produced with the gasification of plant and animal wastes and then burnt in gas turbine combustor. Although synfuels are cleaned and filtered before entering the turbine combustor, impurities are not completely removed. Therefore, the high temperature reached in the turbine nozzle can lead to the deposition of contaminants onto internal surfaces. This phenomenon leads to the degradation of the hot parts of the gas turbine and consequently to the loss of performance. The amount of the deposited particles depends on mass flow rate, composition and ash content of the fuel and on turbine inlet temperature (TIT). Furthermore, compressor fouling plays a major role in the degradation of the gas turbine. In fact, particles that pass through the inlet filters, enter the compressor and could deposit on the airfoil. In this paper, the comparison between five (5) heavy-duty gas turbines is presented. The five machines cover an electrical power range from 1 MW to 10 MW. Every model has been simulated in six different climate zones and with four different synfuels. The combination of turbine fouling, compressor fouling, and environmental conditions is presented to show how these parameters can affect the performance and degradation of the machines. The results related to environmental influence are shown quantitatively, while those connected to turbine and compressor fouling are reported in a more qualitative manner. Particular attention is given also to part-load conditions. The power units are simulated in two different operating conditions: 100 % and 80 % of power rate. The influence of this variation on the intensity of fouling is also reported.

Design and CFD Simulation of a Micro Gas Turbine Combustor Fuelled With Low LHV Producer Gas

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco F. Nicolosi ◽  
Massimiliano Renzi
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Inert Gases ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Producer Gas ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Average Temperature ◽  
Gasification Process

Abstract In this paper, the authors analyze the feasibility of fuelling a small-scale 3.2 kWe MGT, manufactured by the Dutch company MTT, with a low LHV fuel produced via a gasification process. In particular, a CFD analysis on the combustor of the MGT is carried out in order to assess the behaviour of the component when it is fuelled with a traditional fuel (natural gas) and with a producer gas coming from a gasification process. The operating conditions of the combustor, used as boundary conditions for the simulations, are obtained by analyzing the characteristic performance curves of the turbo-machines used in the MGT. The simulation of the combustion process with methane has been validated using the temperature output from experimental tests and the NOX emissions. A RANS simulation using the Non-Adiabatic Non-Premixed Combustion Model Approach has been adopted. NOX formation has been simulated by the adoption of the extended Zel’dovich mechanism. Both nominal and part load simulations have been performed. This simplified modelling strategy allows to assess the main issues and figures of the combustion process with a reasonable computational effort. The CFD simulations showed that the combustion with a low LHV fuel are feasible but some modifications of the present configuration of the combustor are required, with specific attention to the fuel injection system. Results showed that, with Natural Gas, the average temperature of the exhaust mass flow is 1297 K, the level of CO and NOX referred to the 15% of O2 are respectively less than 1 ppm and 30.365 ppm, respectively. With S the original design of the injector proved to be non-adequate for a proper air and fuel mixing; therefore, a modified design has been proposed with an increased injection section. In the novel design for syngas, a better temperature distribution and lower emissions have been found: an average temperature of the flue gas at the combustor discharge of 1249 K is obtained, and the level of CO and NOX are both less than 1 ppm. The lower operating temperature is determined by the higher fuel flow rate and, in particular, by the high share of inert gases in the fuel. Additional simulations have been run at part load operation to assess the viability of the proposed design also in off-design conditions.

Operability Limits of Tubular Injectors With Vortex Generators for a Hydrogen-Fueled Recuperated 100 kW Class Gas Turbine

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bauer ◽  
Balbina Hampel ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Bulk Flow ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Vortex generators are known to be effective in augmenting the mixing of fuel jets with air. The configuration investigated in this study is a tubular air passage with fuel injection from one single orifice placed in the side wall. In the range of typical gas turbine combustor inlet temperatures, the performance vortex generator premixers (VGPs) have already been investigated for natural gas as well as for blends of natural gas and hydrogen. However, for highly reactive fuels, the application of VGPs in recuperated gas turbines is particularly challenging because the high combustor inlet temperature leads to potential risk with regard to premature self-ignition and flame flashback. As the current knowledge does not cover the temperature range far above the self-ignition temperature, an experimental investigation of the operational limits of VGPs is currently being conducted at the Thermodynamics Institute of the Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany, which is particularly focused on reactive fuels and the thermodynamic conditions present in recuperated gas turbines with pressure ratios of 4–5. For the study presented in this paper, an atmospheric combustion VGP test rig has been designed, which facilitates investigations in a wide range of operating conditions in order to comply with the situation in recuperated microgas turbines (MGT), namely, global equivalence ratios between 0.2 and 0.7, air preheating temperatures between 288 K and 1100 K, and air bulk flow rates between 6 and 16 g/s. Both the entire mixing zone in the VGP and the primary combustion zone of the test rig are optically accessible. High-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging is used for the detection of the flashback and blow-off limits of the investigated VGPs. Flashback and blow-off limits of hydrogen in a wide temperature range covering the autoignition regime are presented, addressing the influences of equivalence ratio, air preheating temperature, and momentum ratio between air and hydrogen on the operational limits in terms of bulk flow velocity. It is shown that flashback and blow-off limits are increasingly influenced by autoignition in the ultrahigh temperature regime.

Operability Limits of Tubular Injectors With Vortex Generators for a Hydrogen Fuelled Recuperated 100kW Class Gas Turbine

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bauer ◽  
Balbina Hampel ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Bulk Flow ◽  
Vortex Generators ◽  
Test Rig ◽  
Temperature Range ◽  
Auto Ignition ◽  
Wide Range

Vortex generators are known to be effective in augmenting the mixing of fuel jets with air. The configuration investgated in this study is a tubular air passage with fuel injection from one single orifice placed in the side wall. In the range of typical gas turbine combustor inlet temperatures, the performance vortex generator premixers (VGPs) have already been investigated for natural gas as well as for blends of natural gas and hydrogen. However, for highly reactive fuels, the application of VGPs in recuperated gas turbines is particularly challenging because the high combustor inlet temperature leads to potential risk with regard to premature self-ignition and flame flashback. As the current knowledge does not cover the temperature range far above the self-ignition temperature, an experimental investigation of the operational limits of VGPs is currently being conducted at the Thermodynamics Institute of the Technical University of Munich, which is particularly focused on reactive fuels and the thermodynamic conditions present in recuperated gas turbines with pressure ratios of 4–5. For the study presented in the paper, an atmospheric combustion VGP test rig has been designed, which facilitates investigations in a wide range of operating conditions in order to comply with the situation in recuperated micro gas turbines, namely global equivalence ratios between 0.2 and 0.7, air preheating temperatures between 288K and 1100K, and air bulk flow rates between 6–16 g/s. Both the entire mixing zone in the VGP and the primary combustion zone of the test rig are optically accessible. High speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging is used for the detection of the flashback and blow-off limits of the investigated VGPs. Flashback and blow-off limits of hydrogen in a wide temperature range covering the auto-ignition regime are presented, addressing the influences of equivalence ratio, air preheating temperature and momentum ratio between air and hydrogen on the operational limits in terms of bulk flow velocity. It is shown that flashback and blow-off limits are increasingly influenced by auto-ignition in the ultra-high temperature regime.

CFD Simulation of a Microturbine Annular Combustion Chamber Fuelled With Methane and Biomass Pyrolysis Syngas: Preliminary Results

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Fantozzi ◽  
Paolo Laranci ◽  
Michele Bianchi ◽  
Andrea De Pascale ◽  
Michele Pinelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Combustion Chamber ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Calorific Value ◽  
Methane Combustion ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Preliminary Results

Micro gas turbines could be profitably used, for distributed energy production, also exploiting low calorific value biomass-derived fuels, obtained by means of integrated pyrolysis and/or gasification processes. These synthesis gases show significant differences with respect to natural gas (in terms of composition, low calorific value, hydrogen content, tar and particulate matter content) that may turn into ignition problems, combustion instabilities, difficulties in emission control and fouling. CFD simulation of the combustion chamber is a key instrument to identify main criticalities arising when using these gases, in order to modify existing geometries and to develop new generation combustion chambers for use with low calorific value gases. This paper describes the numerical activity carried out to analyze the combustion process occurring inside an existing microturbine annular combustor. A CFD study of the combustion process performed with different computational codes is introduced and some preliminary results are reported in the paper. A comparison of results obtained with the different codes is provided, for the reference case of methane combustion. A first evaluation of the pollutant emissions and a comparison with the available experimental data is also provided in the paper, showing in particular a good matching of experimental data on NOx emissions at different load conditions. Moreover, the carried out investigation concerns the case of operation with a syngas fuel derived from pyrolysis of biomass and finally the case of syngas and natural gas co-firing. This combustion condition is simulated with a simple reduced chemical kinetic scheme, in order to assess only the key issues rising with this fuel in comparison with the case of methane combustion. The analysis shows that in case of syngas operation the combustor internal temperature hot spots are reduced and the primary zone flame tends to stabilize closer to the injector, with possible implications on the emission release.

Catalytic Detection of Fuel Leaks in Gas Turbines Units: Gaseous and Volatile Hydrocarbon Based Fuels

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michel Molie`re ◽  
Philippe Cozzarin ◽  
Se´bastien Bouchet ◽  
Philippe Rech
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Comprehensive Evaluation ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Critical Function ◽  
Vapor Detection ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Detection Systems ◽  
Boiling Points ◽  
Detection Technology

Gas/vapor detection is a critical function in Gas Turbines (GT) units as it allows to take appropriate steps in case of incipient fuel leaks in the confined volume of enclosures. This important subject is being actively revisited by the GT community and safety organizations, namely under the impulse of the HSE of UK. Historically the catalytic detection technology that is of common use in stationary GT, has been applied to detect leakages of gaseous fuels — and more especially Natural Gas (NG) — since the catalytic detectors or “pellistors” are most sensitive to methane. Indeed, the response of catalytic detectors is specific to each individual hydrocarbon molecule and decrease with the size of the latter. After years this technology has been extended to the detection of rich NG (containing some amounts of C3-C4) then to hydrogen and liquefied petroleumliquids (LPG). The use of alternative gas turbine fuels such as LPG, syngas and volatile fuels is becoming increasingly popular in some world regions and requires to adapt the leak detection systems. Especially, volatile liquid fuels that comprise naphtha, “natural gas liquids”, gas condensates (and alcohols) are critical in safety terms. Indeed these fuels exhibit both low initial boiling points (IBP as low as 30°C) and Flash Points (down to-20°C); in case of leak, they generate — as liquids — large masses of flammable substances. In addition, vapors of liquid fuels have a more complex response in catalytic detection than gases due to their complex composition with tens of HC molecules of various size and structure. In this context, the behavior of commercial detectors in presence of not only gas fuels but also of synthetic vapors of naphtha has been the matter of a comprehensive evaluation at the laboratory of INERIS, a French Institute devoted to safety and environment. This work that targets the detection of hydrocarbon (CnHm) fuels is the first phase of an overall, GE-INERIS joint evaluation program covering both hydrocarbon and non-hydrocarbon GT fuels, i.e. the complete CnHm/CO/H2/N2(CO2) spectrum. The first part of this program phase addressed the lightest terms of the paraffin series (C1 to C4) and some mixtures of the same that are involved in the detection of NG and LPG vapors. The second part was dedicated to the higher paraffins terms (C5 to C8) including various mixtures of the same and 2 synthetic naphtha compositions. Particular emphasis has been placed on the capability to detect hydrocarbons at the levels (as low as 5%) that result from recent safety codes. After a record of principles, the paper summarizes the results of these tests that confirm the general capability of the catalytic technology for the detection of LPG and naphtha vapors.

Part-Load Performance of Gas Turbines: Part I — A Novel Compressor Map Generation Approach Suitable for Adaptive Simulation

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Tsoutsanis ◽  
Y. G. Li ◽  
P. Pilidis ◽  
M. Newby
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Part Load ◽  
Turbine Performance ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Map Generation ◽  
Compressor Map

Part-load performance prediction of gas turbines is strongly dependent on detailed understanding of engine component behavior and mainly that of compressors. The accuracy of gas turbine engine models relies on the compressor performance maps, which are obtained in costly rig tests and remain manufacturer’s proprietary information. The gas turbine research community has addressed this limitation by scaling default generic compressor maps in order to match the targeted off-design measurements. This approach is efficient in small range of operating conditions but becomes less accurate for wide range of operating conditions. In this part of the paper a novel method of compressor map generation which has a primary objective to improve the accuracy of engine models performance at part load conditions is presented. This is to generate a generic form of equations to represent the lines of constant speed and constant efficiency of the compressor map for a generic compressor. The parameters that control the shape of the compressor map have been expressed in their simplest form in order to aid the adaptation process. The proposed compressor map generation method has the capacity to refine current gas turbine performance adaptation techniques, and it has been integrated into Cranfield’s PYTHIA gas turbine performance simulation and diagnostics software tool.

Combustion of Natural Gas, Hydrogen and Bio-Fuels at Ultra-Wet Conditions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Go¨ke ◽  
Steffen Terhaar ◽  
Sebastian Schimek ◽  
Katharina Go¨ckeler ◽  
Christian O. Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Steam Content ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Air Mixing ◽  
Flame Flashback

Humidified Gas Turbines promise a significant increase in efficiency compared to the dry gas turbine cycle. In single cycle applications, efficiencies up to 60% seem possible with humidified turbines. Additionally, the steam effectively inhibits the formation of NOx emissions and also allows for operating the gas turbine on hydrogen-rich fuels. The current study is conducted within the European Advanced Grant Research Project GREENEST. The premixed combustion at ultra wet conditions is investigated for natural gas, hydrogen, and mixtures of both fuels, covering lower heating values between 27 MJ/kg and 120 MJ/kg. In addition to the experiments, the combustion process is also examined numerically. The flow field and the fuel-air mixing of the burner were investigated in a water tunnel using Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Induced Fluorescence. Gas-fired tests were conducted at atmospheric pressure, inlet temperatures between 200°C and 370°C, and degrees of humidity from 0% to 50%. Steam efficiently inhibits the formation of NOx emissions. For all tested fuels, both NOx and CO emissions of below 10 ppm were measured up to near-stoichiometric gas composition at wet conditions. Operation on pure hydrogen is possible up to very high degrees of humidity, but even a relatively low steam content prevents flame flashback. Increasing hydrogen content leads to a more compact flame, which is anchored closer to the burner outlet, while increasing steam content moves the flame downstream and increases the flame volume. In addition to the experiments, the combustion process was modeled using a reactor network. The predicted NOx and CO emission levels agree well with the experimental results over a wide range of temperatures, steam content, and fuel composition.

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