Development of a Dry Low NOx Combustor for Dual Gaseous Fuels of Natural Gas and Petroleum Gas

Abstract

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) will be suitable for satisfying part of the growing global energy demands. The widespread utilization of LPG as a gas turbine fuel for power generation requires an advanced combustor that achieves dry low nitrogen oxides (NOx) combustion and flashback-resistant combustion. This paper describes the development of a “multi-cluster combustor” as an advanced dry low NOx and flashback-resistant combustion technology for dual gaseous fuels of natural gas and petroleum gas. The dual gaseous fuel capability will contribute to expanding fuel flexibility. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of the dual gaseous fueled combustion with the multi-cluster combustor with the same configuration. The combustor was tested in a single-can combustor test stand at medium pressure with both fuels. In the tests, natural gas consisted mainly of methane with a content of over 90 vol.%, and petroleum gas consisted almost entirely of propane. The test results showed that the combustor achieves dry low NOx combustion of both fuels within their stable ranges without flashback. This paper concluded from the test results that the multi-cluster combustor possesses the potential capability to achieve dry low NOx and flashback-resistant combustion of dual gaseous fuels of natural gas and petroleum gas. As the next step, further tests will be required with petroleum gas including butane and for high pressure conditions.