Burner for combustor with hydrogen generation from ammonia and related method

A combustor for a gas turbine system, the combustor comprising:

• a combustor body including a combustion liner;
• a head end assembly including a plurality of burners directed into the combustion liner, at least one burner including:
• an outer fuel/air premixer body having a first air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a mixing passage, the outer fuel/air premixer body mixing fuel and air for injection into a combustion chamber;
• and
• an inner hydrogen-generating body within the outer fuel/air premixer body, the inner hydrogen-generating body including:
• a hollow body having a second air inlet;
• and
• an ammonia passage within the hollow body, the ammonia passage having an ammonia inlet, a heat exchanger portion downstream from the ammonia inlet, a catalyst portion downstream of the heat exchanger portion, and an exit to the combustor reaction zone downstream of the catalyst portion,
• wherein an air flow from the second air inlet in the hollow body heats the heat exchanger portion and the catalyst portion to generate a hydrogen-containing flow from an ammonia flow therein, the hydrogen-containing flow exiting from the exit of the ammonia passage to the combustion chamber.

A method comprising:

• in a burner for a combustor of a gas turbine system:
• mixing air and fuel for injection into a combustion chamber of the combustor in an outer fuel/air premixer body having a first air inlet, a fuel inlet, and a mixing passage;
• and
• generating hydrogen for injection into the combustor reaction zone in an inner hydrogen-generating body inside the mixing passage of the outer fuel/air premixer body, the hydrogen generating including heating a gaseous ammonia in an ammonia passage in the hydrogen-generating body to form a hydrogen-containing flow;
• and
• injecting the hydrogen-containing flow into the combustion chamber for combustion with a fuel/air mixture from the outer fuel/air premixer body.