Near-Zero NOx

Gas Turbine Combustion

Vivek Khanna
Solar Turbines Incorporated
San Diego, California

2nd Distributed Energy Peer Review

December 2-4, 2003
Washington D.C.
10 November 2003
 Outline

Program structure
Project goals
Program milestones and schedule
Technical results and current activities
Key technical hurdles and plans to overcome
Project risk
Other low NOx technology efforts
Impact on DER

10 November 2003
 Program Structure

DOE

PRECISION
COMBUSTION
SOLAR

SBIR Near-Zero NOx

10 November 2003
 The Development Team

Program Sponsor
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
Office of Distributed Energy, Washington, DC
Debbie Haught, Merrill Smith

DOE Project Management

DOE Chicago Operations Office, Argonne, IL
Dale Dietzel, Steve Waslo
DOE Golden Field Office, Golden, CO
Paul Bakke

10 November 2003
 Program Goals

Assess and advance an ultra-low NOx R/L

combustion system for GTs
Seeking a cost-effective alternative to SCR
Lower electricity cost
No ammonia storage/slip issues
Easier citing of GTs

10 November 2003
 Technical Goals

< 2.5 ppm NOx, < 10 ppm CO, UHC

- Natural gas

> 8000-hour durability

Minimum change to current engine
Field replaceable

10 November 2003
 Technical Milestones

Proof-of-concept rig tests

Single PCI R/L module
Demonstrate operability in an engine environment
Saturn engine test (1 MW)
Develop a Gen II module design
Focus on Taurus 70 (7.5 MW) application
Rig test a single T70 module

10 November 2003
 Long Term Milestones
Beyond Contract Effort

Full system rig test (12 modules)

In-house engine test
Long-term field test
Document module durability

10 November 2003
 Program Schedule

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Proof-of-Concept
Rig Test

Saturn
Demo

Injector
Optimization

Gen II
Design/Test

10 November 2003
 Single Burner Module
Configuration

Reverse-Flow Premixer

Combustor Liner
Catalyst
Flameholding Cone

Post-Mix Duct

10 November 2003
Rich/Lean Catalytic
Combustion

10 November 2003
 Single Injector Tests T70
Operating Conditions

NOx & CO Emissions vs. Operating Condition Well-mixed, lean stable combustion achieved.
12/10/01 RCL test @ Solar; Tin = 810 F, Pin = 16 atm
20.00 5.00 NOx <3ppm @ 16 atmp for flame temp
CO NOx
18.00 4.50 <2875 F.
16.00 4.00 CO < 10 ppm for flame temp > 2660 F.

NOx (ppm, 15% O2 dry)

CO (ppm, 15% O2 dry)

14.00 3.50 Pressure drop < 5%

12.00 3.00 Capable of high firing temperature operation.
10.00 2.50 Dynamic pressure oscillations << 1/4 %
8.00 2.00 Extremely quiet operation achieved, over
6.00 1.50 wide operating range.
4.00 1.00

2.00 0.50

0.00 0.00
2600 2650 2700 2750 2800 2850 2900 2950
Adiabatic Flame Temperature (F) at Catalyst Module Exit

10 November 2003
 Saturn Engine Test

Short term demonstration in an engine

environment (1 MW)
External can combustion system
Four module cluster
Assess transient operability

10 November 2003
 Saturn Test Facility
Dilution Air
Exhaust
(Muffler)

PZ Air

Combustor Turbine

10 November 2003
Saturn Module Construction

10 November 2003
 Saturn Combustor Assembly

4 R/L Modules

10 November 2003
 Saturn Engine Operation
500 100
Preburner Fuel (Wf_pbn) Ngp
450 RCL Stage A Fuel (Wf_A) 90
RCL Stage B Fuel (Wf_B)
400 Adjust combustor air 80
Shaft Speed (Ngp)

Gas producer shaft speed (Ngp, %)

valves for best emissions
Fuel mass flow (Wf, pph)

350 idle 70
Wf_A
300 fuel RCL modules, 60
ignite combustion,
250 accel to 65% Ngp Wf_B 50

200 40
cold crank increase preburner fuel
150 30
(RCL inlet temp) to
light-off catalysts
100 preburner fuel 20
on @ 29% Ngp
50 turn preburner fuel off @ 80% Ngp -- 10
catalysts remain active (lit off)
0 0
12:36:00 12:43:12 12:50:24 12:57:36 Wf_pbn
13:04:48
Time

10 November 2003
 Saturn Engine Test Results
14
CO
HC
Emissions corrected to 15% O2 (ppm)
12 NOx

10

0
81 83 85 87 89 91 93
% NGP

NOx <3ppm and CO < 10 ppm achieved between 82% NGP and 89.7%
NGP
Maximum speed limited by limits on scroll temperature
System response to load changes and engine control very similar to
SoLoNOx systems
10 November 2003
 Current Technical Activity

Gen II module in design

Incorporates a pilot burner
Improved flame stabilizer
More robust tube bundle design

Combustor casing and liner mods being

defined

10 November 2003
 Technical Hurdles

Catalyst durability
Catalytic element retention
Catalytic reactor resonance
Pilot performance
CO emissions vs liner volume

10 November 2003
 Plans to Overcome
Technical Hurdles

Complete Gen II design

Rig tests of a single Gen II module
Demonstrate pilot burner performance
Integrate activities with PCI SBIR
Demonstrate catalyst durability
Multi-burner rig and engine tests

10 November 2003
 Project Risk

All milestones except the last completed successfully

Minimal technical risk involved in the successful
completion of the program
Shortfall or elimination of future funding can
curtail the technical effort

10 November 2003
Other Low NOx Technology Efforts

10 November 2003
 Technologies

Surface Combustion (ALZETA)

Lean Catalytic Combustion (CESI)
Low Swirl Injector (LBNL/DOE)
Catalytic Pilot for DLN (PCI)

10 November 2003
Alzeta Surface Burners

10 November 2003
CESI Lean Catalytic
Combustion

10 November 2003
Taurus 70 Lean Catalytic
Combustor Concept

87 in

10 November 2003
 PCI R/L Catalytic Pilot
Uses PCIs Catalytic Technology in DLN Pilot

10 November 2003
LBNL Low Swirl Injector
Development

SoLoNOx injector
converted to an LSI

10 November 2003
 Impact on DER

Program goals directly support DERs vision

Cleaner, smaller and more efficient units of power
generation
Opportunities for greater local control of electricity
delivery and consumption
Enable more efficient utilization of waste heat in
combined heat and power (CHP) applications
Boosting efficiency and lowering emissions

10 November 2003