Design and Preliminary Results of a Fuel Flexible Industrial Gas Turbine Combustor

Abstract

The work described in this paper is a part of the DOE/ LeRc “Advanced Conversion Technology Project” (ACT). The program is a multiple contract effort with funding provided by the Department of Energy and Technical Program Management provided by NASA LeRc. It is anticipated that future industrial gas turbine engines will require fuel flexibility. The emphasis in this paper is the fuel flexible combustor technology developed under the “Low NOx Heavy Fuel Combustor Concept Program” for application to the Detroit Diesel Allison (DDA) Model 570-K industrial gas turbine engine. The technology, to achieve emission goals, emphasizes dry NO, reduction methods. Due to the high levels of fuel bound nitrogen (FBN) control of NOx can be effected through a staged combustor with a rich initial combustion zone. A RICH/QUENCH/LEAN (RQL) variable geometry combustor is the technology that will be presented to achieve low NO, from alternate fuels containing FBN. The results will focus on emissions and durability for fuel flexible operation.

Multifuel Evaluation of Rich/Quench/Lean Combustor

“…Three ax!Rl locations of variable geometry are used to vary rich / lean zone equivalence ratios in concert or independently while maintaining a specified pressure drop. A description and illustration of the key features of this combustor are given in the previous paper (5).…”

Experimental Investigation of an Atmospheric Rectangular Rich Quench Lean Combustor Sector for Aeroengines

“…The rich quench lean combustion concept appears to be a hopeful candidate for low emission combustion in aeroengines. In the gas turbine, the concept was first applied to achieve low NO emissions using fuels with a high level of fuel-bound nitrogen, and was successfully demonstrated in Novick et al (1982), Lew et al (1982). In the USA the RQL concept has been chosen as one of the technologies in the HSCI' program to achieve a low environmental pollution level (Shaw et al, 1993).…”