Computer model of a gas path in a microturbine unit

Abstract

Microturbine units are used for autonomous supply of buildings and engineering facilities with heat and electric energy. Gas path of a microturbine unit contains a combustion chamber and a set of gas-burners which provide mixing of the natural gas with the air, followed by total combustion of the obtained gas-air mixture. The known structures have two essential disadvantages which reduce operational efficiency of a gas turbine as part of the microturbine unit. The first disadvantage is caused by inhomogeneous nature of the “gas-air” flammable mixture, which leads to an incomplete combustion of fuel and emission of nitrogen oxides harmful for the environment. The second disadvantage is connected with a loss of mechanical strength of structural elements exposed to the impact of high-temperature products of combustion. The article proposes methods of boosting the resource of a combustion chamber by enhancing its mechanical durability with a simultaneous reduction of the content of nitrogen oxides in flue gases. The first method is in the use of power elements installed inside the combustion chamber. The second method of boosting the resource of the combustion chamber is connected with accurate profiling of windows through which cylindrical gas-burners get inserted. The third method is based on improving the quality of mixture formation in the casing of the gas-burner. Combined application of the proposed modification activities allows reducing the extent of harmful emissions as well as boosting the resource of the microturbine unit.