Retrofittable Solutions to Keep Existing Gas Turbine Power Plants Viable and Profitable in an Increasingly Dynamic Power Generation Market: Validation of Low Pressure Drop FlameSheet™ Combustor

Abstract

Abstract As renewable energy sources continue their global energy market penetration, new natural gas fired power plant installations have decreased significantly. The reduction in new installed capacity has increased pressure on operators to profitably maintain and expand their existing fleet capability. Retrofitting existing gas turbines to increase baseload power output, expand fuel flexibility and provide a wider operating load range are key natural gas fired power plant market demands. The FlameSheet™ combustor system addresses these considerations with a novel “dual-zone burn system” design that reduces emissions, increases fuel flexibility and reduces pressure losses to improve thermal cycle efficiency. The present work presents the results of FlameSheet™ installations into GE 7F.03 heavy duty gas turbines at two commercial sites. The first installation combined FlameSheet™ with PSM’s Gas Turbine Optimization Package (GTOP) to provide higher output through a combination of lower combustor pressure drop, higher mass flows and an increase in firing temperature, while maintaining sub-9ppm NOx emissions across the expanded operating range. Results are also presented for a second site on a unit that operates with up to 5% hydrogen blend into the baseline natural gas, where a reduction in NOx to sub-4 ppm levels at a typical 7F.03 baseload point has been safely and reliably achieved. Both results continue to demonstrate that fuel flexibility and expanded operational windows are possible to “future proof” existing gas turbine installations at a fraction of the cost of a new unit installation.