Multiple-injection dry low-NOx combustor for hydrogen-rich syngas fuel: testing and evaluation of performance in an IGCC pilot plant

Abstract

The successful development of oxygen-blown integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC) technology requires gas turbines capable of achieving the dry low nitrogen oxides (NOx) combustion of hydrogen-rich syngas for low emissions and high plant efficiency. The authors have been developing a "multiple-injection burner" to achieve the dry low-NOx combustion of hydrogen-rich syngas. This burner consists of multiple fuel nozzles and a perforated plate with multiple air holes. At each injection point, one fuel nozzle and one air hole are installed coaxially, so that a fuel jet surrounded by a sheath air jet is injected. The burner achieves low-NOx combustion by mixing fuel and air rapidly with multiple fuel-air coaxial jets, and prevents flashback into the burner by lifting the flame from itself. The purpose of this paper is to present the test results of multi-can combustors equipped with multiple-injection burners in an IGCC pilot plant, and evaluate combustor performance by focusing on the effects of flame shapes. The syngas fuel produced in the plant contained approximately 50% carbon monoxide, 20% hydrogen, and 20% nitrogen by volume. In the tests, the combustor with slenderer flames achieved lower NOx emissions of 10.9 ppm (at 15% oxygen) diluent-free with high stability and high reliability, and reduced both combustor liner and burner plate metal temperatures at the maximum gas turbine load. These findings demonstrated that the multiple-injection combustor achieved the dry low-NOx combustion of the syngas fuel in the plant. : Integrated coal gasification combined cycle (IGCC), Gas turbine, Dry low NOx combustor, Multiple injection burner, Hydrogen-rich syngas fuel

Development of a State-of-the-Art Dry Low NOx Gas Turbine Combustor for IGCC with CCS

“…In order to demonstrate the feasibility for practical IGCC plants, the multi-cluster combustor was tested on a real gas turbine in a multi-can combustor configuration in an IGCC pilot plant at practical pressure with practical syngas fuel [19,22,26,27].…”

“…The fluctuating-pressure-measuring system measured pressure fluctuations at a point inside the combustion chamber on each can combustor. The metal-temperature-measuring system was equipped with thermocouples to measure metal temperatures of the liner and burner perforated plate [27].…”