This paper addresses the possibility to burn hydrogen in a large size, heavy-duty gas turbine designed to run on natural gas as a possible short-term measure to reduce greenhouse emissions of the power industry. The process used to produce hydrogen is not discussed here: we mainly focus on the behavior of the gas turbine by analyzing the main operational aspects related to switching from natural gas to hydrogen. We will consider the effects of variations of volume flow rate and of thermophysical properties on the matching between turbine and compressor and on the blade cooling of the hot rows of the gas turbine. In the analysis we will take into account that those effects are largely emphasized by the abundant dilution of the fuel by inert gases (steam or nitrogen), necessary to control the emissions. Three strategies will be considered to adapt the original machine, designed to run on natural gas, to operate properly with diluted hydrogen: variable guide vane (VGV) operations, increased pressure ratio, re-engineered machine. The performance analysis, carried out by a calculation method including a detailed model of the cooled gas turbine expansion, shows that moderate efficiency decays can be predicted with elevated dilution rates (nitrogen is preferable to steam under this point of view). The combined cycle power output substantially increases if not controlled by VGV operations. It represents an opportunity if some moderate re-design is accepted (turbine blade height modifications or high-pressure compressor stages addition).
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January 2005
Technical Papers
Using Hydrogen as Gas Turbine Fuel
Paolo Chiesa,
Paolo Chiesa
Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Giovanni Lozza,
Giovanni Lozza
Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Luigi Mazzocchi
Luigi Mazzocchi
CESI, Milano, Italy
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Paolo Chiesa
Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Giovanni Lozza
Dipartimento di Energetica, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
Luigi Mazzocchi
CESI, Milano, Italy
Contributed by the International Gas Turbine Institute (IGTI) of THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERS for publication in the ASME JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Paper presented at the International Gas Turbine and Aeroengine Congress and Exhibition, Atlanta, GA, June 16–19, 2003, Paper No. 2003-GT-38205. Manuscript received by IGTI October 2002; final revision March 2003. Associate Editor: H. R. Simmons.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Jan 2005, 127(1): 73-80 (8 pages)
Published Online: February 9, 2005
Article history
Received:
October 1, 2002
Revised:
March 1, 2003
Online:
February 9, 2005
Citation
Chiesa , P., Lozza, G., and Mazzocchi, L. (February 9, 2005). "Using Hydrogen as Gas Turbine Fuel ." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. January 2005; 127(1): 73–80. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.1787513
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