Reduced NOX diffusion flame combustors for industrial gas turbines

This paper describes reduced NOx diffusion flame combustors that have been developed for both simple cycle and regenerative cycle MS3002 and MS5002 ga s turbines. Laboratory tests have shown that when firing with natural gas, without water or steam injection, NOx emissions from the new combustors are about 40 percent lower than NOx emissions front the standard combustors. C O emissions are virtually unchanged at base load, but, increase at part loa d conditions. Commercial demonstration tests have confirmed the laboratory results. The standard combustors on both the MS3002 and MS5002 gas turbine are cylindrical cans, approximately 10.5 inches (27 cm) in diameter. A sing le fuel nozzle is centered at the inlet to each can and produces a swirl st abilized diffusion flame. The walls of the cans are louvered for cooling, a nd contain tin array of mixing and dilution holes that provide the air need ed to complete combustion and dilute the burned gas to the desired turbine inlet temperature. The MS3002 turbine is equipped with six combustor cans, while the MS5002 turbine is equipped with twelve combustors. The new, reduc ed NOx, emissions combustors (referred to as a "lean head end," or LHE, com bustors) retain, all of the key features of the conventional combustors; th e only major difference is the, arrangement of the mixing and dilution hole s in the cylindrical combustor cans. By optimizing the number diameter, and location of these holes, NOx emissions can be reduced considerably. Minor changes are also sometimes made to the combustor cap. The materials of cons truction, pressure drop, and fuel nozzle are all unchanged. The differences in NOx emissions between the standard and LHE combustors, as well cis the variations in NOx emissions with firing temperature, are well correlated us ing turbulent flame length arguments. Details of this correlation are prese nted.