Combustion tests of a turbine simulator burning low Btu fuel from a fixed bed gasifier

One of the most efficient and environmentally compatible coal fueled power generation technologies is the integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) concept. 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) measurement of NO{sub x}, CO, and particulate emissions; and (3) characterization of particulates in the fuel as well as deposits in the fuel nozzle, combustor, and first stage nozzle. In a related project, a reduced scale rich-quench-lean (RQL) gas turbine combustor has been designed, constructed, and fired with simulated low Btu fuel. The overall objective of this project is to develop an RQL combustor with lower conversion of fuel bound nitrogen (FBN) to NO{sub x} than a conventional combustor.