Combustion tests of a turbine simulator burning low Btu fuel and a rich-quench-lean combustor

The integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) concept represents a highly efficient and environmentally compatible advanced coal fueled power generation technology. When IGCC is coupled with high temperature desulfurization, or hot gas cleanup (HGCU), the efficiency and cost advantage of IGCC is further improved with respect to systems based on conventional low temperature gas cleanup. Commercialization of the IGCC/HGCU concept requires successful development of combustion systems for high temperature low Btu fuel in gas turbines. Toward this goal, a turbine combustion system simulator has been designed, constructed, and fired with high temperature low Btu fuel. Fuel is supplied by a pilot scale fixed bed gasifier and hot gas desulfurization system. The primary objectives of this project are: (1) demonstration of long term operability of the turbine simulator with high temperature low Btu fuel; (2) characterization of particulates in the fuel as well as deposits in the fuel nozzle, combustor, and first stage nozzle; and (3) measurement of NO{sub x}, CO, and particulate emission. In a related project, a reduced scale rich-quench-lean (RQL) gas turbine combustor has been designed, constructed, and fires with simulated low Btu fuel. The overall objective of this work is to develop an RQL combustor with lower conversionmore » of fuel bound nitrogen (FBN) to NO{sub x} than a conventional combustor.« less