Proposal:

Execute Contract to Cost-Share Development and Demonstration of an Advanced Premixer/Catalytic Combustor for Natural-Gas Turbines

Synopsis:

The South Carolina Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Center, in conjunction with UC Irvine, Solar Turbines, Inc. and Catalytica Inc., has proposed the development and demonstration of an advanced combustor for natural gas-fired gas turbine applications. The objective of this proposed project is a combustion system that achieves ultra-low NO_x emissions in gas turbines without flue gas treatment. Total cost of this two-year project is $1,069,000, with AQMD co-funding of $265,000 annually for two years, for a total AQMD contribution of $530,000.

Committee:

Technology, January 17, 1997, Recommended for Approval

Recommended Action:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with South Carolina Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Center for an amount not to exceed $265,000 for the first year of a two-year project to develop and demonstrate an advanced premixer/catalytic combustor for gas turbine applications.

James M. Lents, Ph.D.
Executive Officer

Attachment

Background

The recent deregulation of California’s electric utilities is expected to result in increased competition among new, as well as existing, electric power generators and suppliers. The competition will necessarily require generators to produce electricity in the most efficient, cost-competitive manner possible while meeting all environmental regulations in California. Combined cycle gas turbines and cogeneration applications now offer fuel efficiency exceeding central station steam plants operated by the now deregulated electric utilities. New clean and efficient gas turbines are expected to be one of the near-term technologies to meet the demand for new power producers and distributed generation applications.

Control of NO_x emissions from combustion sources such as gas turbines are required by the AQMD under RECLAIM and Rule 1134. Current BACT to achieve low levels of NO_x emissions (9 ppm @ 15% O₂) is selective catalytic reduction (SCR). SCR uses ammonia to react with NO_x in the presence of a catalyst bed.

The primary focus of recent research and development programs has been on improving the fuel efficiency and reliability of gas turbines. DOE’s Advanced Turbine Systems (ATS) program is an example of such a focus. The objective of the ATS program is to develop the gas turbine materials, components and systems necessary to significantly improve simple and combined cycle efficiencies. Although environmental impact has been recognized as an issue, the reduction of air emissions has been a secondary objective.

Proposal

The objective of this proposed project is the development and demonstration of an ultra-low NO_x combustion system that could be integrated into advanced gas turbines for electric power generators. Specifically, the proposed project would support the development and demonstration of catalytic combustors to significantly reduce NO_x emissions from large stationary gas turbines without using SCR. To optimize the performance of catalytic combustors and minimize NO_x formation, a premixer is needed to facilitate mixing between the natural gas and air prior to entering the combustor.

This project will develop a new and innovative low pressure drop premixer capable of delivering the highly mixed reactants to the combustor. This premixer, when integrated with a catalytic combustor, is expected to reduce gas turbine NO_x emissions to less than 3 ppm (@ 15% O₂). The premixer is also expected to reduce hot spots in the catalyst, thereby preventing premature catalyst deterioration. In addition, the project will optimize the catalyst configuration to achieve significant emission reductions at the lowest cost. This project will build on previous work in the development of catalytic combustion for gas turbine applications and would attempt to decrease CO emissions, broaden the operating range, and increase load turndown of a typical gas turbine.

Specifically, the project will design, develop, and evaluate an advanced premixer for a gas turbine catalytic combustor. The premixer design will be optimized through a series of parametric tests over a range of temperatures and pressures expected in advanced gas turbines. The initial development and scale-up of the premixer will be conducted at the University of California, Irvine, Combustion Laboratory (UCICL) high-pressure facility.

In the second year, tests will be conducted on a combined catalyst/premixer design in Catalytica's facility in Mountain View, California, followed by further optimization and tests on an actual Solar Turbine engine in Solar Turbines' facility in San Diego, California. In addition, market evaluation for the immediate application of the advanced technology in stationary sources, and long-term application in locomotives and hybrid automobiles will be conducted.

The proposed project is included in the October 1996 update of the Technology Advancement Plan for the Clean Fuels Program as proposed project S1-1, "Development and Demonstration of Ultra-Low NO_x Gas Turbines." The primary benefits of this project are expected to occur over the long term. If the proposed technology is successfully demonstrated, this project could provide a cost-effective alternative to reduce emissions from gas turbines, which fall under RECLAIM and Rule 1134. Gas turbines, as noted previously, are expected to be one of the technologies of choice in the recently deregulated electric utility industry and the resulting growth in distributed power generation. If proven successful, the premixer/catalytic combustor system could reduce NO_x emissions by over 60 percent compared to SCR, reduce cost of emission control, and reduce the use, emissions, and related risks of ammonia.

Sole Source Justification

Section II, Step 3(C) of the Consultant Selection Policy and Procedure, identifies four provisions under which the Executive Officer may award a sole-source contract: (1) cost to prepare documents exceeds cost for consultant; (2) delay would result in the endangerment of public health; (3) services are only available from sole-source; and (4) other circumstances exist identifying sole-source as in the best interest of the AQMD. This request for sole-source award is made under provision #3.

The proposed project provides several elements that make it unique and only available from the South Carolina Energy Research, Development, and Demonstration Center team. First, as described in detail below, the project team is uniquely qualified and brings together academia and state-of-the-art university research, a catalytic combustor developer and manufacturer, a gas turbine manufacturer, and a direct link to the DOE ATS program. Second, the project team has brought together significant direct cost-sharing and in-kind resources, listed below to complete the project. Finally, the project was the only proposal received in response to PON 9495-003, a general solicitation of interest issued by the AQMD’s Technology Advancement office, that addressed ultra-low NO_x catalytic combustion systems for advanced gas turbine applications.

The team member capabilities are described below:

(a) The South Carolina Energy Research, Development and Demonstration Center.

This Center will be responsible for the coordination, program management, and administering of the subcontracts. The program manager, Dr. Fant of the Center, is currently the research manager of the multi-million dollar Advanced Gas Turbine Systems Research (AGTSR) consortium sponsored by the US Department of Energy. AGTSR consists of 83 performing member universities and seven cost-sharing corporations, with Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Gas Research Institute (GRI) as advisors for the utility and industrial gas turbine markets.

(b) University of California, Irvine (UCICL), Combustion Laboratory.

Dr. Scott Samuelson will be the principal investigator at UCICL. Dr. Samuelson is a professor of mechanical, aerospace and environmental engineering and the Director of the UCICL. He is one of the nation's leading experts on continuous combustion in industrial and propulsion systems with pioneering work in low-NO_x burner technologies, gas turbine and coal combustion, hazardous waste incineration, etc. He has over 25 years of experience and in excess of 150 publications. Dr. John LaRue will be the co-principal investigator. Dr. LaRue, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, is an internationally recognized expert in turbulence theory and turbulence experimental methods, with a wide body of published research in combustion flows. His research will be directed to fluid mechanics, turbulence, and measurement of turbulent flows in the proposed premixer system.

The UCI Combustion laboratory is well equipped to conduct basic and applied research in conventional and advanced combustion systems. It has eight test stands designed for testing gas turbine combustors, and specific combustor components at both atmospheric and high pressure/high temperature environments. The laboratory is equipped for chemical analysis, computational diagnostics, and turbulence analysis. In addition, the laboratory has developed advanced laser diagnostics and numerical tools for conducting diagnostics of practical gas turbine engine-hardware and model combustors.

(c) Solar Turbines, San Diego, California.

Solar Turbines is among the world's leading manufacturers of gas turbines and is owned by Caterpillar Company. Its Product Development Test laboratory and staff have supported the complex testing requirements of Solar Turbines industrial gas turbines, and related components and subsystems. This laboratory is approximately 100,000 square feet in size, with 32 test cells and 7 outdoor testing pads.

(d) Catalytica, Mountain View, California.

Catalytica is the leading manufacturer of catalyst-based combustors for gas turbines. Catalytica has facilities and expertise to test various catalyst configurations under a range of pressures and temperatures including actual gas turbine combustor conditions. Catalytica also has manufacturing capability to produce catalytic combustion modules for both subscale and full scale tests.

Resource Impacts

The total cost of this two-year project is estimated to be $1,069,000. The co-sponsors and amounts of direct support are as follows:

Energy Center		$ 6,000
UCICL		62,000
Solar Turbines		246,000
Catalytica		225,000
	Sub-Total:	539,000
AQMD		530,000
	Total	$1,069,000

This does not include the substantial in-kind cost share made available to the program due to the individual team members' participation in the Department of Energy's Advanced Gas Turbine program.

Sufficient funds are available in the FY 1996-97 Budget to cosponsor the first year of this two year program in an amount not to exceed $265,000. The second year of funding for another $265,000 will be considered for recommendation during FY 1997-98.