The optimization of oil operation for a dry low NOx gas turbine combustor

Abstract

As the market for Gas Turbines becomes more aggressive, and the legislation for emissions more stringent, manufacturers are looking for better ways of becoming competitive. One competitive criteria is the ability to create robust low emission burners. While it is relatively easy to design a premixed burner for natural gas operation, the process involved in producing a reliable Low NOx burner for oil is considerably more complicated. Within the bounds of the given burner geometry, this works surrounds the optimisation of the premix oil mixture in preparation for Gas Turbine combustion, in able to achieve a Dry Low NOx performance with values less than 25ppm.The main development included the use of numerical methods involving CFD codes to vary different nozzle parameters and operating conditions. The author defined the critical parameters for the nozzle design operating in such a burner, and suggested a new type of nozzle. This nozzle was designed and modelled, and proved to be the optimal solution providing the lowest emissions for a Dry oil burner available in the power generation business.