Increasing the efficiency of a conversion gas turbine engine by adding hydrogen to fuel gas

   Hydrogen, as a zero-carbon fuel, is becoming an important component for decarbonizing the economy. It can be used not only as a storage medium, but also as a fuel for power generation equipment. Hydrogen is very different in its energy properties (high calorific value, high combustion rate), which are very different from traditional gas turbine fuels, so when burning hydrogen, new unexplored problems may arise during the operation of main and auxiliary equipment. To introduce hydrogen technologies into the traditional energy system, new approaches to equipment operation are required. Gas turbines, unlike other power equipment, can be configured to burn any gaseous fuel that meets the combustion chamber requirements. Combustion of 100 % H₂ in the combustion chamber of an operating gas turbine is impossible without deep modernization; this can cause damage to the main and auxiliary equipment. Gas turbines powered by hydrogen will be an important component in the decarbonization of all industries. The article discusses the variable operating modes of a gas turbine unit with a capacity of 18 MW, depending on the percentage of H₂ in natural gas. The traditional fuel for gas turbines is natural gas, and the presented study considers adding up to 20 % hydrogen to the natural gas feed. The addition of hydrogen fuel affects the operating mode of the turbine. The operation of a gas turbine unit at various outside temperatures, operation at full and partial load in the conditions of the wholesale electricity market is considered.

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