Reliable Distributed Power Generation through Gas Turbine Fuel Flexibility

摘要

Electrification and access to affordable electricity are essential for economic development and im- provements in quality of life. The adoption of distributed generation can help to provide power to are- as previously without access to electricity or suffering from power shortages. Additionally, as penetra- tion of intermittent renewable power generation increases, distributed power generation will help pro- vide system stability and security of supply. While natural gas is considered the bridging fuel to a zero carbon power generation future, in many places natural gas is not yet available, or its’ supply cannot be guaranteed. In these instances fuel oils are traditionally chosen either as the primary or back-up fuel. However, combustion of fuel oils leads to the high greenhouse gas emissions, as well as high levels of pollutants such as NOX, SOX and par- ticulate matter which are both damaging to the environment, and hazardous to human health. Off-spec fuels such as LPG, biogases and process offgasses and high hydrogen gases can be utilised instead of fuel oils to create clean, reliable, high efficiency ‘natural gas ready’ distributed power plants with a greatly reduced environmental impact, while reducing the importation of power from distant central- ized power plants and the need to develop or upgrade the electricity transmission infrastructure. This paper reviews the use of such fuels in gas turbines, and the development of Dry Low Emissions combustion technology on sub-60MW industrial gas turbines to allow the use of a wider range of gas- eous fuels, in particular LPGs and hydrogen-containing fuels. This allows for seamless switching be- tween the different fuels and natural gas, or operation on a natural gas/offgas blend, while maintaining a low emissions profile and maximizing the reliability and economics of distributed power generation.