Combustion of Syngas Fuel in Gas Turbine Can Combustor

Numerical investigation of the combustion of syngas fuel mixture in gas turbine can combustor is presented in this paper. The objective is to understand the impact of the variability in the alternative fuel composition and heating value on combustion performance and emissions. The gas turbine can combustor is designed to burn the fuel efficiently, reduce the emissions, and lower the wall temperature. Syngas mixtures with different fuel compositions are produced through different coal and biomass gasification process technologies. The composition of the fuel burned in can combustor was changed from natural gas (methane) to syngas fuel with hydrogen to carbon monoxide (H-2/CO) volume ratio ranging from 0.63 to 2.36. The mathematical models used for syngas fuel combustion consist of the k-epsilon model for turbulent flow, mixture fractions/PDF model for nonpremixed gas combustion, and P-1 radiation model. The effect of syngas fuel composition and lower heating value on the flame shape, gas temperature, mass of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) per unit of energy generation is presented in this paper. The results obtained in this study show the change in gas turbine can combustor performance with the same power generation when natural gas or methane fuel is replaced by syngas fuels.