Recent Combustion Strategies in Gas Turbines for Propulsion and Power Generation toward a Zero-Emissions Future: Fuels, Burners, and Combustion Techniques

Abstract

The effects of climate change and global warming are arising a new awareness on the impact of our daily life. Power generation for transportation and mobility as well as in industry is the main responsible for the greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, currently, 80% of the energy is still produced by combustion of fossil fuels; thus, great efforts need to be spent to make combustion greener and safer than in the past. For this reason, a review of the most recent gas turbines combustion strategy with a focus on fuels, combustion techniques, and burners is presented here. A new generation of fuels for gas turbines are currently under investigation by the academic community, with a specific concern about production and storage. Among them, biofuels represent a trustworthy and valuable solution in the next decades during the transition to zero carbon fuels (e.g., hydrogen and ammonia). Promising combustion techniques explored in the past, and then abandoned due to their technological complexity, are now receiving renewed attention (e.g., MILD, PVC), thanks to their effectiveness in improving the efficiency and reducing emissions of standard gas turbine cycles. Finally, many advances are illustrated in terms of new burners, developed for both aviation and power generation. This overview points out promising solutions for the next generation combustion and opens the way to a fast transition toward zero emissions power generation.

Thermoacoustic Combustion Stability Analysis of a Bluff Body-Stabilized Burner Fueled by Methane–Air and Hydrogen–Air Mixtures

“…Hydrogen can play a key role in gas turbine technology in the gradual transition towards full decarbonization of the combustion field. On this topic, Stefanizzi et al [4] presented a review of modern combustion strategies in gas turbines for aviation and power production, with an emphasis on specific elements relating to next-gen fuels, burners, and combustion procedures. Griebel [5] presented modern gas turbine technologies, and explored combustion basics pertinent to gas turbines operating with hydrogen-rich fuels.…”

Experimental Comparison of Different Pressure Gain Measurement Techniques for RDCs

“…In order to achieve higher efficiency in power generations and propulsion applications, Pressure Gain Combustion (PGC) has become an active field of research [1]. Unlike conventional constant pressure combustion systems, a PGC process is inherently unsteady due to an either detonative or a deflagrative combustion of reactants.…”

Numerical characterization of hydrogen under-expanded jets: influence of the nozzle cross-section shape

“…the lack of synchronism between demand and production, can be overcome by storing the excess of energy under a chemical form, for instance producing green hydrogen through the Power-To-Gas technologies [2]. Green hydrogen is another fundamental pillar of the transition towards a zero-carbon scenario [19]. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the industrial sector (steel and iron production, chemicals), will be fed by 3900 T W h of energy provided by hydrogen in 2050 [3].…”