Low NOX combustor for a gas turbine
AssigneeCatacel Corp.
InventorWilliam B. Retallick
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A combustion system for a gas turbine includes a steam reformer and a combustor connected in series. A portion of the incoming fuel is diverted to the steam reformer, the balance passing directly to the combustor. The effluent from the steam reformer, which effluent includes a significant amount of hydrogen, is combined with the unreformed fuel entering the combustor. The result is a hot combustion gas which contains very little NOx.
Claims15
A combustion system comprising:
- a) a steam reformer,
- b) a combustor, and
- c) a source of fuel, and means for distributing a portion of the fuel to the combustor and a portion of the fuel to the steam reformer,
- wherein the distributing means is set such that a portion of the fuel passes into the steam reformer, the remainder passing into the combustor, and
- wherein the steam reformer has an output effluent that is combined with unreformed fuel that passes into the combustor,
- further comprising means for controlling a proportion of fuel that flows into the reformer,
- wherein the controlling means includes means for sensing a component of an outlet stream of the combustor, and for adjusting the proportion of fuel flowing into the reformer in response to said sensed component.
A combustion system comprising a steam reformer and a combustor connected in series, wherein the steam reformer and the combustor are connected to a common source of fuel, wherein a portion of the fuel passes into the steam reformer and the balance passes directly to the combustor, wherein the steam reformer has an effluent that passes into an inlet end of the combustor,
- further comprising means for monitoring a concentration of NOx in an outlet stream of the combustor, and for adjusting a proportion of fuel flowing into the steam reformer in response to said concentration.
A method of operating a combustor for a gas turbine, wherein the combustor receives fuel from a source, the method comprising:
- a) passing a portion of the fuel from the source that supplies the combustor into a steam reformer, and
- b) combining effluent from the steam reformer with unreformed fuel entering the combustor,
- further comprising monitoring a concentration of NOx in an outlet stream of the combustor, and controlling a proportion of fuel flowing into the steam reformer in response to said concentration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.