The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook
Land-based gas turbines (GTs) are continuous-flow engines that run with permanent flames once started and at stationary pressure, temperature, and flows at stabilized load. Combustors operate without any moving parts and their substantial air excess enables complete combustion. These features provid...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-05-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/9/3962 |
| _version_ | 1827742925681852416 |
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| author | Michel Molière |
| author_facet | Michel Molière |
| author_sort | Michel Molière |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Land-based gas turbines (GTs) are continuous-flow engines that run with permanent flames once started and at stationary pressure, temperature, and flows at stabilized load. Combustors operate without any moving parts and their substantial air excess enables complete combustion. These features provide significant space for designing efficient and versatile combustion systems. In particular, as heavy-duty gas turbines have moderate compression ratios and ample stall margins, they can burn not only high- and medium-BTU fuels but also low-BTU ones. As a result, these machines have gained remarkable fuel flexibility. Dry Low Emissions combustors, which were initially confined to burning standard natural gas, have been gradually adapted to an increasing number of alternative gaseous fuels. The paper first delivers essential technical considerations that underlie this important fuel portfolio. It then reviews the spectrum of alternative GT fuels which currently extends from lean gases (coal bed, coke oven, blast furnace gases…) to rich refinery streams (LPG, olefins) and from volatile liquids (naphtha) to heavy hydrocarbons. This “fuel diet” also includes biogenic products (biogas, biodiesel, and ethanol) and especially blended and pure hydrogen, the fuel of the future. The paper also outlines how, historically, land-based GTs have gradually gained new fuel territories thanks to continuous engineering work, lab testing, experience extrapolation, and validation on the field. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:19:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7fc09ea37d2f4b2e880fbb5eb12302ca |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:19:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-7fc09ea37d2f4b2e880fbb5eb12302ca2023-11-17T22:54:06ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732023-05-01169396210.3390/en16093962The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective OutlookMichel Molière0Laboratoire Réactions et Génie des Procédés, Université de Lorraine, 54000 Nancy, FranceLand-based gas turbines (GTs) are continuous-flow engines that run with permanent flames once started and at stationary pressure, temperature, and flows at stabilized load. Combustors operate without any moving parts and their substantial air excess enables complete combustion. These features provide significant space for designing efficient and versatile combustion systems. In particular, as heavy-duty gas turbines have moderate compression ratios and ample stall margins, they can burn not only high- and medium-BTU fuels but also low-BTU ones. As a result, these machines have gained remarkable fuel flexibility. Dry Low Emissions combustors, which were initially confined to burning standard natural gas, have been gradually adapted to an increasing number of alternative gaseous fuels. The paper first delivers essential technical considerations that underlie this important fuel portfolio. It then reviews the spectrum of alternative GT fuels which currently extends from lean gases (coal bed, coke oven, blast furnace gases…) to rich refinery streams (LPG, olefins) and from volatile liquids (naphtha) to heavy hydrocarbons. This “fuel diet” also includes biogenic products (biogas, biodiesel, and ethanol) and especially blended and pure hydrogen, the fuel of the future. The paper also outlines how, historically, land-based GTs have gradually gained new fuel territories thanks to continuous engineering work, lab testing, experience extrapolation, and validation on the field.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/9/3962gas turbinefuel flexibilityalternative fuelscombustionlow emissionshydrogen |
| spellingShingle | Michel Molière The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook Energies gas turbine fuel flexibility alternative fuels combustion low emissions hydrogen |
| title | The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook |
| title_full | The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook |
| title_fullStr | The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook |
| title_short | The Fuel Flexibility of Gas Turbines: A Review and Retrospective Outlook |
| title_sort | fuel flexibility of gas turbines a review and retrospective outlook |
| topic | gas turbine fuel flexibility alternative fuels combustion low emissions hydrogen |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/9/3962 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michelmoliere thefuelflexibilityofgasturbinesareviewandretrospectiveoutlook AT michelmoliere fuelflexibilityofgasturbinesareviewandretrospectiveoutlook |