Hydrogen injection for enhancing combustion stability in gas turbine systems

Abstract

A hydrogen injection device (1) includes an injector assembly including an outer conduit (5) configured to feed a flow of a mixture of air and fuel to a combustion chamber (2a) of a combustor. At least one swirler (3) may be positioned in the outer conduit (5) to facilitate a swirling output of the air-fuel mixture (3a) into the combustion chamber (2a) such that the output fuel-air mixture comprises a swirling output flow (12). A stream of hydrogen may be passed through an internal hydrogen injection conduit (7) to be output into a combustion chamber (2a) for injection in the combustion chamber as a stream of hydrogen injection.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of PCT patent application PCT / US2022 / 017674 (international application date February 24, 2022, priority date February 25, 2021, Chinese national application number 202280014871.1, invention title "Hydrogen Injection for Enhancing Combustion Stability in Gas Turbine Systems"), which entered the Chinese national phase on August 14, 2023.

[0002] Cross-references to related applications This application claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 678,134, filed February 23, 2022, and also to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 153,620, filed February 25, 2021. Technical Field

[0003] This invention relates to gas turbines, injection devices for combustion chambers in gas turbine systems, operation of gas turbines, operation of combustion injectors used in conjunction with gas turbine systems, equipment utilizing one or more gas turbine systems, and methods for manufacturing and using them. Background Technology

[0004] Gas turbine units typically used in industrial power generation, such as Figure 1 As shown. As understood from International Publication No. WO 2019 / 222334, such a device typically includes a cold section characterized by a compressor, followed by a hot section with a combustor section and a turbine. The cold section typically includes an inlet for feeding air into a multi-stage axial compressor, which delivers high-pressure air to the combustor section. Fuel may be mixed with the air stream and burned in the combustor section to generate a high-temperature, high-pressure gas stream, which is fed into the turbine. The turbine is located downstream of the combustor section and is configured to receive the hot combustion gas from the combustor section and expand the gas stream as it passes through the turbine, causing the turbine's rotating blades to rotate rapidly. Typically, the turbine's rotating blades are attached to a shaft to rotate the shaft for a dual function: (1) to help drive the compressor to draw more pressurized air into the combustor section; and (2) to cause the generator to rotate rapidly to generate electricity. The operating pressure ratio of a turbine is typically less than about 18:1, and the operating pressure ratio of a turbine is defined as the pressure of the air at the compressor outlet relative to the pressure of the air at the compressor inlet.

[0005] Although burner designs vary by manufacturer, size, and application, many burners (especially multi-cylinder types) Figure 2 Examples are shown in the image) and ring-shaped ( Figure 3(An example is shown) Combustion is performed via a row of cylindrical tubes or "cylinders" arranged circumferentially around the turbine shaft. In a multi-cylinder combustor, the inlet of each cylinder is mechanically coupled to the corresponding outlet port of the compressor. In contrast, annular combustors are typically constructed such that the inlet of each cylinder is open to a common single ring connected to the compressor outlet. In either case, the combustion products are discharged from each cylinder through a transition duct and then distributed in the transition duct at an arc of approximately 360° into the first stage of the turbine.

[0006] Each canister burner typically has a burner chamber fed by one or more air-fuel nozzles arranged in annular configuration around the circumference of the burner's inlet plane. The air-fuel nozzles introduce the air-fuel mixture into the burner chamber. In many cases, an air-fuel ignition furnace is additionally arranged along the burner axis. The air-fuel ignition furnace, used to enhance combustion stability, can be a premixed design or a nozzle-mixed (i.e., diffusion or non-premixed) design. The combination of premixed nozzles and the ignition furnace is generally referred to collectively as the furnace, and each canister burner typically comprises its own furnace or a group of furnaces.

[0007] Typically, a premixed nozzle includes a fuel injector that discharges fuel into a corresponding airflow. Generally, the nozzle is arranged as an annular nozzle, comprising one or more fuel injectors arranged in an annular configuration surrounded by an air ring around a central air-fuel ignition furnace. The furnace facilitates the combustion of the air-fuel mixture injected into the combustion chamber of the combustion section to form hot gas fed to the turbine. Summary of the Invention

[0008] For environmental reasons, it is desirable to operate gas turbine systems with their combustors or combustor sections using lean-burn operation. Lean-burn operation refers to a situation where there is excess air or oxygen relative to the fuel fed into the combustion chamber for combustion. Operating under lean-burn conditions can help reduce nitrogen oxides (NOx). xThe formation of lean-burn gas leads to more environmentally friendly exhaust gases from the gas turbine system. However, lean-burn operation can cause instabilities. These instabilities, due to the lack of sufficient uniformity in continuous combustion or fuel combustion, can cause oscillations in the combustor chamber pressure, also known as vibrations. Oscillations or vibrations caused by these instabilities can cause mechanical damage to the gas turbine system. We have determined that this problem can be better addressed by improving lean-burn stability, thereby significantly reducing combustion instability issues. Reduction in combustion instability can significantly reduce combustor oscillations or vibrations, extending the life of gas system components and improving the operating performance of the gas turbine system. In some embodiments, a hydrogen (H2) gas stream can be injected into a first wake region of an air-fuel injector (also known as an air-fuel furnace) within the combustion chamber, the first wake region being formed downstream of a vortex air-fuel crossflow fed into the combustion chamber via a premixed furnace nozzle. Hydrogen can be injected such that the first wake region interacts with one or more second wake regions formed between the location where hydrogen is injected into the combustion chamber and the first wake region within the combustion chamber. The injection of hydrogen can create at least one second wake in the combustion chamber through the combustion of the injected hydrogen. The one or more second wakes can be formed between the hydrogen injector and the first wake region, and between the outlet of the hydrogen injector and the location where the swirling fuel-air mixture passes through the discharge plane of the outlet for hydrogen injection. This can lead to an interaction between one or more first wakes and one or more second wakes in the first wake region, which can benefit combustion stability due to the interaction between the combustion of hydrogen and the combustion gases of the first wake. This interaction may include, for example, the transfer of heat and active chemicals from the one or more first wakes from the combustion of fuel to the one or more second wakes.

[0009] We have determined that injecting hydrogen into a zone of hot, excess air, if not always, often results in rapid ignition of the hydrogen to burn it. We believe this is due to hydrogen's relatively high chemical reactivity, its broad flammability, and the increased flame temperature. We have determined that injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber and the resulting combustion can initiate a flame-stabilizing chain reaction that suppresses combustion-driven oscillations that can occur within the combustion chamber during fuel combustion. We have determined that this is particularly applicable to embodiments where the hydrogen injection occurs within the combustion chamber adjacent to, and separate from, the output of the vortex air-fuel mixture from the nozzle, and is positioned downstream of the output flow of the air-fuel mixture from the nozzle such that the injected hydrogen can interact with the fuel and air within the combustion chamber in the wake region.

[0010] In some embodiments, hydrogen gas can be injected into the combustion chamber through at least one opening (e.g., at least one port, orifice, nozzle, or other type of injection outlet) at a velocity equal to or greater than 100 m / sec (preferably equal to or greater than 300 m / sec, and most preferably equal to the local speed of sound of hydrogen), such that the hydrogen gas is injected into the first wake of the premixed flame jet within the combustion chamber. Of course, other embodiments may utilize different output velocities to meet a specific set of design criteria.

[0011] We have determined that embodiments employing high nozzle velocities to inject hydrogen can be particularly effective for stabilizing lean combustion and minimizing burner-driven oscillations or vibrations. For example, we have found that the kinetic energy of each high-velocity hydrogen jet can act as a pump, entraining local mass proportional to its velocity while generating localized turbulence that enhances mixing. Enhanced mixing reduces temperature stratification; this lowers peak flame temperatures within the combustion chamber and contributes to reducing NO₂. x Emissions. We also determined that the high-speed hydrogen jet injected into the combustion chamber may help to carry away the heat released during hydrogen combustion from the hydrogen injector outlet in a convective manner, which helps to prevent the nozzle from overheating.

[0012] In some embodiments of the hydrogen injector device of the present invention, the hydrogen injector may have an outlet in fluid communication with a combustion chamber having a single hydrogen outlet orifice for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber. In other embodiments, the hydrogen injector may have an outlet that injects hydrogen into the combustion chamber in multiple jets using multiple outlet orifices. These hydrogen jets may be high-speed hydrogen jets that are injected to generate multiple secondary jet wakes, each of which may entrain lean premixed fuel reactants and hot combustion products into the hydrogen jet. We have determined that the hydrogen-entrained gas mixture formed due to the low ignition energy of hydrogen, the excess available oxygen in the entrained material, and the high temperature of the combustion products can be readily ignited in the relatively low-velocity secondary wake region. The diversity of secondary wake ignition sources can generate a series of small flame structures during combustion in the combustion chamber, each of which can serve as a miniature "ignition" flame for adjacent hydrogen jets. We have determined that the effect of using multiple hydrogen jets, compared to using only a single hydrogen jet with the same mass flow rate into the combustion chamber, provides a synergistic effect between adjacent hydrogen jets, thereby providing a higher level of ignition reliability and flame stability.

[0013] Embodiments of hydrogen injection devices, gas turbine systems having at least one such device, combustors for gas turbine systems having at least one hydrogen injection device, and methods of manufacturing and using them are provided to meet a specific set of design and performance criteria. In a first aspect, a hydrogen injection device for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a combustor in a gas turbine system may include an external duct having an outlet in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. The external duct may be configured such that a fuel-air mixture can enter the combustion chamber via the outlet of the external duct. The hydrogen injection device may also include an internal hydrogen injection duct positioned adjacent to the external duct. The external duct may be positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. In some embodiments, the injection device may include only an internal duct and an external duct. In other embodiments, one or more intermediate annular ducts (e.g., water jet ducts and / or purge air ducts positioned between the internal and external ducts) may be present. The internal hydrogen injection duct may be configured such that at least one jet of hydrogen can be injected into the combustion chamber via the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct.

[0014] In a second aspect, the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct may be positioned to output the at least one hydrogen jet into a first wake region within the combustion chamber. The first wake region is located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct. It should be understood that the passage of the fuel-air mixture through the exhaust region may include passing through the exhaust region, entering the exhaust region, and / or moving along the exhaust region. The location where the fuel-air mixture passes through the exhaust region may be the location or region within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the exhaust region of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The internal hydrogen injection duct may be positioned and configured such that a secondary wake region is formed by at least one hydrogen jet adjacent to the first wake region or when the at least one hydrogen jet enters the first wake region.

[0015] In the third aspect, the external duct may include at least one cyclone separator to generate a swirl of the air-fuel mixture that will exit from the outlet of the external duct.

[0016] In the fourth aspect, the secondary wake zone may be located between the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and the location within the combustion chamber where the fuel mixture is burned in the combustion chamber while the fuel-air mixture exiting from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct.

[0017] In a fifth aspect, the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit is a single orifice, and the internal hydrogen injection conduit has at least one cavity upstream of the single orifice. The at least one cavity may have a depth, a cavity length, and a trailing edge distance, the trailing edge distance being the distance from the downstream end of the cavity to the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. In a sixth aspect, the cavity depth may be greater than or equal to the radius of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit, and may also be less than or equal to the diameter of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. The cavity length may be a value such that the ratio of length to depth is between 1 and 4, and the trailing edge distance is a value such that the ratio of the trailing edge distance to the diameter is not greater than 5. In a seventh aspect, the cavity dimensions may differ from the parameters of the sixth aspect.

[0018] In an eighth aspect, the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct may include a nozzle having at least one central orifice to form at least one central hydrogen jet for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber, and a plurality of external orifices to form multiple non-central hydrogen jets for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber. In some embodiments, one or more central jets may be output to flow in an axial direction, and non-central hydrogen jets may be output so that they flow in a non-axial direction. In a ninth aspect, the external orifices may be configured such that each of the non-central hydrogen jets is output in a flow direction flowing at an angle to the flow direction of the at least one central hydrogen jet, the angle being greater than 0° and less than 90° or greater than 15° and less than 60°. In a further tenth aspect, other ranges of said angle may be utilized. In an eleventh aspect, the at least one central orifice may be configured to form the at least one central hydrogen jet having a velocity of at least 100 m / s, and the external orifices are configured to form non-central hydrogen jets having a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

[0019] In the twelfth aspect, the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct may be a single orifice, said single orifice being configured to inject hydrogen as a jet of hydrogen with a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

[0020] It should be understood that in the thirteenth aspect, the first aspect may be combined with a combination of features included in the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and / or twelfth aspects. For example, in some versions of the thirteenth aspect, a combination of the first, second, third, and fourth aspects may be provided. In another version of the twelfth aspect, a combination of the first through sixth aspects may be used. In yet another version of the thirteenth aspect, the first through fourth aspects, the eighth and ninth aspects, and the eleventh aspect may be used. In yet another version of the thirteenth aspect, the first through sixth aspects and the eleventh aspect may be used.

[0021] In the fourteenth aspect, a gas turbine system may be provided, comprising a combustor configured to feed heated gas into a turbine and a hydrogen injection device connected to the combustor. The hydrogen injection device may be a hydrogen injection device of any of the first to thirteenth aspects described above.

[0022] In some embodiments of the first to fourteenth aspects, the hydrogen injection device may be configured as a furnace for a burner or incorporated into such a furnace.

[0023] In a fifteenth aspect, a method is provided for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a combustor in a gas turbine system, the method comprising: outputting a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber via an outlet of an external duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; and injecting at least one central hydrogen jet into the combustion chamber via an outlet of an internal hydrogen injection duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. The external duct may be positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct.

[0024] In the sixteenth aspect, the method can be used such that at least one central hydrogen jet is injected into a secondary wake region within the combustion chamber, the secondary wake region being located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture exiting from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct within the combustion chamber. Passing through the wake region can include traversing the wake region, entering the wake region, and / or moving along the wake region. In at least some versions of this aspect, at least one central hydrogen jet can be injected at a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

[0025] In the seventeenth aspect, the method may further include generating an air vortex via at least one cyclone separator before the air-fuel mixture is discharged from the outlet of the external duct, thereby creating a swirling flow of the air-fuel mixture. In this aspect, or in combination with the fifteenth and / or sixteenth aspects, the secondary wake region may be located between the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and the location within the combustion chamber where the fuel-air mixture discharged from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct while the fuel mixture is burning in the combustion chamber.

[0026] In the eighteenth aspect, the method of the fifteenth, sixteenth, or seventeenth aspects may be adopted, such that the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit is a single orifice, and the internal hydrogen injection conduit has at least one cavity upstream of the single orifice. In this aspect, the at least one cavity may have a depth, a cavity length, and a cavity trailing edge distance, the cavity trailing edge distance being the distance from the downstream end of the cavity to the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. The cavity depth may be greater than or equal to the radius of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit, and may also be less than or equal to the diameter of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit; the cavity length may be a value such that the ratio of length to depth is between 1 and 4; and the cavity trailing edge distance may be a value such that the ratio of the cavity trailing edge distance to the diameter is not greater than 5. Of course, the at least one cavity in the nineteenth aspect may be configured to have other parameters different from these parameters regarding cavity length, depth, and trailing edge distance.

[0027] In a twentieth aspect, embodiments of the method can be used where the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct includes a nozzle having at least one central orifice to form at least one central hydrogen jet for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber, and multiple external orifices to form multiple non-central hydrogen jets for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber. In this aspect, the method may further include injecting non-central hydrogen jets into the combustion chamber via the external orifices of the nozzle. In some embodiments, the one or more central hydrogen jets may flow in an axial direction, while the non-central hydrogen jets flow in a non-axial direction. The injection of non-central jets can be carried out so that they are injected into a secondary wake region within the combustion chamber, located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of a region within the combustion chamber in which a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through an exhaust region within the combustion chamber. Passing through the exhaust region may include traversing the exhaust region, entering the exhaust region, and / or moving along the exhaust region. In the twenty-first aspect, the external orifice may be configured such that each of the non-central hydrogen jets exits in a flow direction flowing at an angle to the flow direction of the at least one central hydrogen jet. This angle may be greater than 0° and less than 90°, greater than 15° and less than 60°, or within another range, to meet a specific set of design criteria. In the twenty-second aspect, the at least one central hydrogen jet may be injected at a velocity of at least 100 m / s, and each of the non-central hydrogen jets may be injected at a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

[0028] In a further twenty-third aspect of an embodiment of the method for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a gas turbine system according to the present invention, aspect fifteen may be combined with any combination of aspects sixteen through twenty-one. For example, the method may utilize aspects fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, and eighteen. As another example, the method may utilize aspects fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second. In some embodiments of aspects fifteen through twenty-two of the method, the furnace of the burner may include an external duct through which a mixture of air and fuel is fed into the combustion chamber.

[0029] In the twenty-fourth aspect, the method can be used in conjunction with fuel staging. For example, in the twenty-fourth aspect of the method, a second portion of the fuel may be fed into a combustion chamber downstream of the outlet of an external duct, while a first portion of the fuel may be fed into the external duct for mixing with air therein, thereby forming an air-fuel mixture and exiting the air-fuel mixture from the outlet of the external duct. The flow rates of the first and second portions may be varied during operation of the gas turbine system to provide a desired level of combustion within the combustion chamber. In conjunction with the use of fuel staging, the injection of at least one central hydrogen jet can be implemented to control or reduce the equivalence ratio of fuel combustion within the combustor, thereby contributing to lean-burn operation. For example, the at least one central hydrogen jet may be injected with an equivalence ratio equal to or less than one to mix with the combustion products and the fuel-air mixture in the secondary wake. In some embodiments of this aspect, hydrogen injection may be implemented such that the ratio of hydrogen to fuel flow rates is such that the equivalence ratio is equal to: in m,H2,central,max It is the maximum permissible mass flow rate of hydrogen injected into the center; m,Fuel It is the fuel flow rate in the furnace; m,recirc It is the mass flow recirculation rate (i.e., countercurrent) in the first wake zone of the furnace; m,total It is the total furnace flow rate; and Ф This is the furnace equivalence ratio, which only considers the equivalence ratio of air and fuel injected into the combustion chamber through the outlet of the external duct of the furnace. Recirculated gas flow rate ( m,recirc The hydrogen injection velocity can be a function of the main premixed furnace swirl number and the average axial injection velocity, which can be estimated by empirical correlations (obtainable in a common domain) or by computational fluid dynamics modeling. In embodiments of this aspect, the external duct and / or internal hydrogen injection duct may be portions of the burner's furnace.

[0030] In other embodiments of the twenty-fourth aspect of the method, hydrogen injection may be performed to reduce the total stoichiometry of the combustor relative to the low stoichiometry limit achievable without hydrogen, thereby contributing to extended turbine load reduction and / or reduction of combustor NO. x Emissions can be reduced without increasing CO emissions. In this respect, hydrogen injection can be controlled so that the operation of the gas turbine system's combustor is constrained by the following relationship to control the operation of the gas turbine system and / or the combustor: in: mH2, total It is the total hydrogen injection rate; βprim It is the molar air-fuel ratio stoichiometric coefficient of the fuel (e.g., for methane as fuel, βprim It can be equal to 9.52); βH2 It is the stoichiometric coefficient of the molar air-fuel ratio of hydrogen; m,air It is the mass flow rate of air; MH2 That is the molecular weight of hydrogen. Mprim It is the molecular weight of the fuel; PFR0 It is the fuel-to-air mass flow rate ratio before hydrogen injection; and PFR1 It is the fuel-to-air mass flow rate ratio during hydrogen injection.

[0031] In embodiments of this aspect, external conduits and / or internal hydrogen injection conduits may be portions of the burner's furnace.

[0032] In the twenty-fifth aspect, the method can be used to reduce the overall combustor equivalence ratio by injecting hydrogen, such that the equivalence ratio of fuel combustion occurring in the combustor due to hydrogen injection is reduced to a value within a pre-selected desired range that provides lean combustion. In some embodiments of this aspect, hydrogen injection can be performed such that a ratio of hydrogen to fuel flow rate is provided such that the equivalence ratio is equal to: in m,H2,central,max It is the maximum permissible mass flow rate of hydrogen injected into the center; m,Fuel It is the fuel flow rate in the furnace; m,recirc It is the mass flow recirculation rate (i.e., countercurrent) in the first wake zone of the furnace; m,total It is the total furnace flow rate; and Ф This refers to the furnace equivalence ratio, which only considers the equivalence ratio of air and fuel that can be injected into the combustion chamber through the outlet of the external duct. Recirculated gas flow rate ( m,recirc The hydrogen injection velocity can be a function of the main premixed furnace swirl number and the average axial injection velocity, which can be estimated by empirical correlations (obtainable in a common domain) or by computational fluid dynamics modeling. In embodiments of this aspect, the external duct and / or internal hydrogen injection duct may be portions of the burner's furnace.

[0033] In a twenty-sixth aspect, a method of injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a combustor in a gas turbine system may include outputting a fuel-air mixture into the combustion chamber via an outlet of an external duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and injecting at least one hydrogen jet into the combustion chamber via an outlet of an internal hydrogen injection duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber. The external duct may be positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The method may further include steps such as generating an air vortex via at least one vortex generator to create a swirling flow of the air-fuel mixture before outputting the air-fuel mixture from the outlet of the external duct, and directing the swirling flow within the combustion chamber to a location where the fuel-air mixture within the swirling flow passes through an exhaust region of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct within the combustion chamber. The at least one hydrogen jet may be injected into a secondary wake region within the combustion chamber, the secondary wake region being downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location where the fuel-air mixture within the swirling flow within the combustion chamber passes through the exhaust region of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct within the combustion chamber. A secondary wake region may be located between the outlet and the discharge zone of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The secondary wake region may have at least one second wake that interacts with at least one first wake within a first wake region, which is generated by the swirling of an air-fuel mixture during fuel combustion within the combustion chamber. For example, activating gases from fuel combustion in the at least one first wake may transfer heat and active chemical substances to the at least one second wake.

[0034] It should also be understood that embodiments of the gas turbine system and the burner can be configured to utilize any embodiment of the method that may include aspects fifteen to twenty-six, such that the gas turbine system or burner can perform this method. This embodiment may also utilize a hydrogen injection device incorporating aspects one through fourteen. It should be understood that the burner furnace may include a hydrogen injection device. Furthermore, it should be understood that any embodiment of the method utilizing any aspect fifteen through twenty-six may utilize at least one hydrogen injection device incorporating aspects one through fourteen.

[0035] Further details, objectives, and advantages of gas turbines, injection devices for combustion chambers in gas turbine systems, operation of gas turbines, operation of injectors for combustion used in conjunction with gas turbine systems, equipment utilizing one or more gas turbine systems, and methods of manufacturing and using them will become apparent from the following description of certain exemplary embodiments. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Exemplary embodiments of gas turbines, injection devices for combustion chambers in gas turbine systems, operation of gas turbines, operation of injectors for combustion used in conjunction with gas turbine systems, equipment utilizing one or more gas turbine systems, and methods of making and using them are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the same reference numerals used in the drawings may identify the same components.

[0037] Figure 1 It is a side sectional view of a conventional gas turbine unit that can be used for industrial power generation.

[0038] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 A front perspective view of the multi-tube burner section of the gas turbine unit shown.

[0039] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 The image shows a front perspective view of the annular combustor section of the gas turbine unit. Some sections of the combustor section have been cut away to better show certain internal components of the section.

[0040] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device included in the combustion section of a gas turbine system.

[0041] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device included in the combustion section of a gas turbine system. Figure 5 Similar to Figure 4 However, an exemplary fuel feeding system is further shown, which may be included in a gas turbine system for feeding fuel to a burner and mixing a portion of the fuel with air to premix the air and fuel before the air-fuel mixture is output via furnace 4 to combustion chamber 2a.

[0042] Figure 6 yes Figures 4 to 5 A partial schematic diagram of a first exemplary embodiment of the hydrogen injection device shown is enlarged to illustrate certain aspects of the hydrogen flow injector of the hydrogen injection device.

[0043] Figure 7This is an end view of a first exemplary injector outlet device, which is used to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber 2a while feeding an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 2a. The first exemplary injector outlet device can be used in a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device.

[0044] Figure 8 This is an end view of a second exemplary injector outlet device for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber 2a while feeding an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 2a. The second exemplary injector outlet device can be used in a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device.

[0045] Figure 9 This is an end view of a third exemplary injector outlet device, which is used to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber 2a while feeding an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 2a. The third exemplary injector outlet device can be used in a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device.

[0046] Figure 10 This is an end view of a fourth exemplary injector outlet device, which is used to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber 2a while feeding an air-fuel mixture into the combustion chamber 2a. The fourth exemplary injector outlet device can be used in a first exemplary embodiment of a hydrogen injection device.

[0047] Figure 11 This is a perspective end view of an exemplary injector outlet configuration for injecting hydrogen into a combustion chamber 2a, the exemplary injector outlet configuration including... Figures 4 to 6 In the first exemplary embodiment of the hydrogen injection device shown.

[0048] Figure 12 It is along Figure 11 The line AA in the middle is intercepted Figure 11 A cross-sectional view of an exemplary injector outlet structure shown.

[0049] Figure 13 Is Figure 4 and Figure 5 An enlarged schematic diagram of an exemplary secondary wake zone formed within the combustion chamber 2a shown is provided to better illustrate the exemplary ignition of one or more hydrogen jets 13, which, once ignited, pass through the secondary wake zone 11 adjacent to the discharge zone 14, where a mixture of air and fuel output from the outlet 5b of the external duct 5 passes through the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 within the combustion chamber 2a.

[0050] Figure 14 The diagram illustrates an exemplary process in which, when hydrogen undergoes combustion and the mixture of air and fuel output from the outlet 5b of the external duct undergoes combustion in the discharge zone 14 of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7, an exemplary ignition of the hydrogen jet 13 can pass through the secondary wake zone 11 and interact with at least one first wake 12c of the first wake zone 12b. Detailed Implementation

[0051] Reference Figures 4 to 14 The hydrogen injection device 1 may be included in the gas turbine system, such as Figure 1 The turbine system shown utilizes a multi-tube or annular tube combustion section device (examples of which are shown below). Figure 2 and Figure 3 (As shown in the diagram). In other embodiments, the hydrogen injection device 1 may be included in a turbine system utilizing different types of combustor sections. The inclusion of the hydrogen injection device 1 may be provided as part of a retrofit operation of an existing gas turbine system, or may be incorporated into a new design of a new gas turbine system, or incorporated into the combustor of such a system to be installed at an industrial power generation facility or other type of equipment.

[0052] from Figure 4 and Figure 5 As can be most clearly seen, the hydrogen injection device 1 may include an injector assembly comprising an external duct 5 configured to supply an air-fuel mixture (also referred to as an air-fuel mixture) to a combustion chamber 2a of a combustor. The combustion chamber 2a may be defined by a combustion liner 2 of a combustor in a gas turbine system. The combustion chamber 2a provides a combustion space in which fuel combustion occurs to produce hot gases for output to a turbine in the gas turbine system. At least one swirler 3 may be positioned in the external duct 5 to facilitate the swirling output of the air-fuel mixture 3a into the combustion chamber 2a, such that the output fuel-air mixture includes a vortex output stream 12 of the air-fuel mixture, which is injected into the combustion chamber 2a to flow along a pre-selected discharge path for fuel combustion within the combustion chamber 2a.

[0053] One or more cyclones 3 may be positioned in the external duct 5 of the hydrogen injection device 1 to create swirls in the air before it is mixed with fuel. Figure 5As can be best understood, fuel can be fed into the air within the external duct 5 downstream of the cyclone 3 and upstream of the external duct outlet 5b, and the air-fuel mixture 3a is fed into the combustion chamber 2a at the external duct outlet. The air-fuel mixture 3a formed within the external duct 5 can be considered an "air-fuel premixed" flow because the air and fuel are mixed before being output to the combustion chamber for combustion (e.g., they undergo premixing within the external duct between the outlets of the cyclone 3 and the external duct 5, where the vortex mixture of air and fuel is fed into the combustion chamber 2a).

[0054] A hydrogen flow can be passed through an internal hydrogen injection duct 7 to be output into a combustion chamber 2a, where it is injected as a hydrogen jet. The hydrogen jet can be output as at least one hydrogen jet 13 (e.g., a single jet 13 or multiple jets 13) at the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. In some embodiments, the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can be configured as a nozzle with a single outlet orifice or a nozzle with multiple outlet orifices. The outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can be positioned inward relative to the outlet 5b of the external duct 5, such that the outlet 5b of the external duct 5 can surround the outer periphery of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. For example, the outlet 5b of the external duct 5 can surround the entire periphery of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7, and the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can be arranged such that its outlet 7b is positioned inward relative to the outlet 5b of the external duct, the outlet of which is positioned around the periphery of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. The embodiments can utilize any number of arrangements of the outlets of the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 and the external conduit 5.

[0055] In some embodiments, the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 may be located in the central region of the annular outlet 5b of the external conduit 5 or in the center of the annular opening. The annular opening of the outlet 5b of the external conduit 5 may be groove-shaped, cross-shaped, X-shaped, Y-shaped, T-shaped, W-shaped, Z-shaped, N-shaped, M-shaped, F-shaped, E-shaped, D-shaped, C-shaped, U-shaped, V-shaped, circular, elliptical, polygonal, or other types of shapes. The outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection conduit may include a central orifice, the shape of which matches the shape of the annular opening of the outlet 5b of the external conduit 5 and is positioned within the annular opening of the outlet 5b of the external conduit 5.

[0056] In some configurations, one or more other conduits may be arranged between the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 and the external conduit 5. For example, an annular water injection conduit (not shown) may be positioned between the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 and the external conduit 5. As another example, an annular purge air conduit may be positioned between the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 and the external conduit 5. As yet another example, both an annular water injection conduit (not shown) and an annular purge air conduit may be positioned between the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 and the external conduit 5.

[0057] from Figures 7 to 10 Different exemplary outlet configurations of the external duct 5 outlet 5b and the internal hydrogen duct 7 outlet 7b can be understood, which are configured to be in fluid communication with the combustion chamber 2a of the combustor of the gas turbine system. These different configurations may include, for example, a trough shape ( Figure 7 ), cross-shaped ( Figure 8 ), zipper-shaped ( Figure 9 ) or ring ( Figure 10 Design. From Figure 6 and Figures 11 to 13 Other exit constructions can be understood from other examples discussed in this article.

[0058] For example, from Figures 6 to 10 It is understood that the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can be a single, uniformly circular or other shaped orifice outlet. The internal hydrogen injection duct may include at least one intermediate cavity 7a located upstream of the outlet 7b within the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. Each cavity 7a may be positioned to regulate the velocity of the hydrogen jet as it passes through the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 toward its outlet 7b, such that the hydrogen flow above the cavity excites a periodic secondary flow within the cavity, which increases the turbulence level of the hydrogen flow. We have found that this cavity excitation and the increase in hydrogen jet turbulence effectively increase the jet diffusion rate and the momentum transfer between the hydrogen jet and its surrounding environment as it is discharged into the combustion chamber 2a.

[0059] Each cavity 7a may be positioned to facilitate the amplification of the jet wake mass and momentum transfer of one or more hydrogen jets 13 injected into the combustion chamber via the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct (compared to a circular nozzle without such cavities 7a or without multiple such cavities 7a). Each cavity 7a defined in the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 may include a cavity depth d, a cavity length L, and a cavity trailing edge distance X, which is the distance between the downstream end of the cavity 7a and the outlet 7b. The outlet 7b may be circular and have a diameter D, which is the diameter of a circular orifice through which hydrogen is directly fed into the combustion chamber 2a.

[0060] from Figure 6As best understood, each cavity 7a can be configured to have a specific depth d and length L, and is also positioned at a specific trailing edge distance X from the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7. The cavity depth d is preferably less than the diameter D of the circular orifice of the outlet 7b. In some embodiments, the cavity depth d may be greater than or equal to the radius of the orifice of the outlet 7b, and may also be less than or equal to the diameter D of the orifice of the outlet 7b (e.g., D / 2 ≤ d ≤ D). The cavity length L can be selected such that the ratio of length L to depth d is between 1 and 4 (e.g., 1 ≤ L / d ≤ 4). The trailing edge distance X can be selected such that the ratio of the trailing edge distance X to the diameter D of the outlet 7b is not greater than 5 (e.g., x / D ≤ 5). We have determined that embodiments utilizing the cavity size specifications generally provide improved wake mass and momentum transfer, which is ideal for hydrogen injection within the combustion chamber 2a—particularly (but not exclusively) when used in conjunction with a single orifice outlet 7b of uniform size for the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. Hydrogen exiting from outlet 7b can be output as a hydrogen jet 13, which can be output at a pre-selected injection flow rate. The velocity of the hydrogen jet 13 can be equal to or greater than 100 m / s, greater than or equal to 300 m / s, or the flow rate can reach the local sound velocity of hydrogen passing through the injector orifice defining the hydrogen outlet 7b.

[0061] The outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can also be configured to have a plurality of spaced-apart orifices for injecting hydrogen jets 13 into the combustion chamber 2a. It should be understood that each injected hydrogen jet 13 can be a stream of hydrogen output at a relatively high velocity. In some of these embodiments, the velocity of each jet can be equal to or greater than 100 m / s, greater than or equal to 300 m / s, or the flow rate can reach the local sound velocity of hydrogen passing through the injector orifice of the nozzle defining the outlet 7b.

[0062] An outlet 7b having a nozzle configuration for providing multiple jets 13 of hydrogen for injection into the combustion chamber 2a can be configured to have multiple injection zones. The injection zones may include a first central injection zone having at least one central hydrogen jet 13a directed in a direction parallel to the axis of the furnace 4 (e.g., an axial flow direction along which the flow of fuel, air, and hydrogen passes through an external conduit 5 and an internal hydrogen injection conduit 7 to be injected into the combustion chamber 2a). In some embodiments, the first zone may have only a single central orifice 21. However, it is contemplated that other embodiments may include a plurality of spaced-apart central orifices 21 for providing a first zone with a plurality of central hydrogen jets 13a.

[0063] The hydrogen injection zone of the nozzle used to define outlet 7b may further include a second zone. The second zone may be configured such that a plurality of second zone injection orifices 23 are arranged along the outer periphery surrounding the outer periphery of at least one first zone central orifice 21, through which at least one central hydrogen injection jet 13a is output into combustion chamber 2a. The second zone injection orifices 23 may be positioned to output non-central hydrogen jets 13b, such that each of these jets is output at an angle θ greater than 0° and less than 90° relative to the axis of furnace 4 (e.g., a non-axial flow direction) and / or at a non-zero angle relative to the flow direction of the central hydrogen injection jet 13a, such that the non-central hydrogen injection jets 13b are output in the flow direction at an angle θ greater than 0° and less than 90° with respect to the flow direction of the central hydrogen injection jet 13a. The external second orifice 23 can be arranged such that the output angle θ of the non-central hydrogen jet 13b is in the range of greater than 0° and less than 90°, or more preferably in the range of greater than or equal to 15° and less than or equal to 60°. Of course, the external second orifice 23 can be arranged and configured such that the output angle θ of the non-central hydrogen jet 13b is in different ranges, such as, for example, a range of greater than or equal to 10° and less than or equal to 70°, a range of greater than or equal to 5° and less than or equal to 80°, or better to satisfy a certain set of design criteria and a certain range of wake dynamics, which may occur in a specific combustion chamber 2a for a specific operation of a gas turbine system.

[0064] In some embodiments, the one or more first zone central orifices 21 may emit one or more hydrogen jets 13a, all of which flow in the axial direction, and the outer second zone orifice 23 may emit non-central hydrogen jets 13b, all of which flow in the non-axial direction. In other embodiments, the at least one first zone central orifice 21 and the outer second zone orifice 23 may be arranged and configured such that at least one hydrogen jet 13a can flow in the axial direction, and at least some non-central hydrogen jets 13b can be output, flowing in one or more non-axial directions.

[0065] The spaced-out outer peripheral second zone injection orifices 23 can be positioned such that a series of these orifices extend around the periphery of the at least one first zone central orifice 21, such that the entire periphery is surrounded by the spaced-out second zone injection orifices 23 (examples of which can be found in...). Figure 11(best seen in the middle), or at least a portion of the outer periphery of the at least one first zone central orifice 21 is surrounded by the second zone injection orifice 23. In some other embodiments, the outlet 7b for the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 may be configured to include only the external injection orifice 23, such that there is no central hydrogen injection jet 13a, nor any first zone central orifice 21 defined in the outlet 7b.

[0066] The outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 is configured such that when the output stream 12 passes through the discharge zone 14 of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 at a location spaced apart from and downstream of the outlet 7b within the combustion chamber 2a, the one or more hydrogen jets 13 interact with a mainstream field 12a generated by a vortex output stream 12 of an air-fuel mixture exiting from the outlet 5b of the external duct 5. For example, the mainstream field 12a may be generated by a swirling flow of a fuel-air mixture rotating within the combustion chamber 2a and passing through the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7a at a location within the discharge zone 14, spaced apart from and downstream of the outlet 7b within the combustion chamber 2a. This location within the discharge zone 14 may be a location within the combustion chamber 2a or a zone within the combustion chamber 2a. The first wake zone 12b of the fluid may have at least one first wake 12c, which is generated by the swirling of the air-fuel mixture when the output flow 12 passes through the discharge zone 14, when the fuel is burned in the combustion chamber 2a adjacent to the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 and / or in the discharge zone of the internal hydrogen injection duct.

[0067] Hydrogen injected into the combustion chamber 2a via the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 can mix with air, fuel, and combustion products from fuel combustion (e.g., CO2, CO, water vapor, etc.). This mixture may be guided into the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 within the combustion chamber 2a by a first wake 12c formed by fuel combustion in the main flow field 12a within the first wake zone 12b adjacent to the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7. The hydrogen can burn when mixed with air, and a secondary wake zone 11 is generated in the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 between the location where the main flow field 12a of the air-fuel mixture intersects with the discharge zone 14 of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 within the combustion chamber 2a and the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7.

[0068] from Figure 13 and Figure 14As can be clearly seen, the combustion of hydrogen within one or more hydrogen jets 13 can produce an array of small flame structures 11b, which is formed through fluid and chemical communication between secondary tails 11a of adjacent hydrogen jets in the discharge zone 14. The secondary tail 11a may also be referred to as the second tail.

[0069] The secondary wake 11a can be formed in the combustion chamber 2a between the first wake zone 12b and the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen duct, and can also be formed between the location of the exhaust zone 13 of the fuel-air mixture in the vortex output flow 12 of the air-fuel mixture passing through the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 in the combustion chamber 2a and the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7.

[0070] The small flame structure 11b can be provided by a hydrogen jet 13 with a relatively high nozzle velocity, which generates multiple secondary jet wakes 11a. These secondary jet wakes each entrain lean premixed air-natural gas reactants and hot combustion products into the hydrogen jet 13 for combustion of hydrogen in the combustion chamber 2a, forming the small flame structure 11b within the secondary jet wake streams 11a. These small flame structures 11b help improve air-fuel mixing due to hydrogen combustion and also help remove heat generated from combustion from the furnace 4 due to the momentum transfer provided by the velocity of the hydrogen jet combined with the flame structure formed by hydrogen combustion. Combustion of hydrogen within the secondary wake zone 11 helps avoid zones of reduced air-fuel mixing, thus mitigating or preventing combustion instability of the fuel burning in the combustion chamber.

[0071] For example, the interaction of hydrogen burning in the secondary wake zone 11 located in the combustion chamber 2a can help improve the flame stability of the furnace 4 and the combustion stability within the combustion chamber 2a. For example, one or more central hydrogen jets 13a, output in the flow direction opposite to the streamline of the reverse flow field (generated by a vortex output flow 12 of an air-fuel mixture exiting from the outlet 5b of the external duct 5 of the furnace 4 via one or more swirlers 3 of the furnace 4), can interact with the first wake zone within the combustion chamber 2a. The detailed nature of this flow interaction between the injected hydrogen and the swirling air-fuel mixture can depend on the relative momentum of the hydrogen jet 13 and the recirculated flow along the axis of the injector burner. However, we have determined that the presence of high shear rates, high turbulence intensity, and reverse flow provides an efficient method by which mixing and subsequent combustion can occur, as a result of which the combustion provides viable energy and chemical radicals, which are then fluidly connected to the outer peripheral hydrogen jet (if present) via a first wake recirculation flow, and the swirling of air and fuel from the main furnace as the air-fuel mixture enters the combustion space via the outlet 5b of the external duct.

[0072] Hydrogen introduced into the combustion chamber 2a via the external injector orifice 23 further enhances this effect, thereby contributing to further improvement in lean combustion stability. A divergent, non-central hydrogen jet 13b can be output in a flow direction nominally parallel to the shear layer between the annular recirculation vortex and the swirling air-fuel mixture 12 discharged from the outlet 5b of the external duct 5. This divergent, non-central hydrogen jet can generate multiple diffusion flames, the reaction rate of which is increased due to the presence of hydrogen and the heat and free radicals convected from the reaction zone of the central hydrogen jet 13a. When the air-fuel mixture is a lean mixture with excess oxygen relative to the fuel in the mixture (e.g., more oxygen in the mixture than the fuel requires in a fully combusted stream), the combustion of hydrogen and its interaction with the swirling air-fuel mixture 12 can contribute to improved combustion stability within the combustion space of the combustion chamber 2a.

[0073] Figure 14 Further illustrated is the interaction between injected hydrogen and the output mixture of fuel and air from furnace 4 in an exemplary interaction process, which can be generated by the operation of an exemplary furnace 4 having an external conduit 5 and an internal hydrogen injection conduit 7. In a first step S1 of the exemplary process, a secondary wake zone 11 may include at least one secondary wake 11a adjacent to each hydrogen output orifice, which may create one or more small recirculation zones within the secondary wake zone 11. In a second step S2 of the exemplary process, a flame or flame structure 11b formed in the secondary wake zone 11 may transfer heat and active chemicals (e.g., free radicals) to the local hydrogen jet 13 and the adjacent secondary wake 11a. In a third step S3 of the exemplary process, as fuel exits from the outlet 5b of the external conduit 5 and passes through the discharge zone 14 of the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection conduit 7, the ignited jet 13 may transfer heat and active chemicals to at least one larger first wake 12c formed by the fuel burning in the combustion chamber 2a. In the fourth step S4 of the exemplary process, the thermally activated gas from the first wake 12c of fuel combustion can transfer heat and active chemical substances to the output stream exiting the furnace 4. In the fifth step S5 of the exemplary process, the interaction between the first wake 12c and the second wake 11a in the secondary wake region 11 can benefit from improved combustion stability due to the interaction between the combustion of hydrogen and the combustion gases of the first wake 12c. This interaction may include, for example, activated gases from one or more first wakes 12c derived from the combustion of fuel that transfers heat and active chemical substances to the one or more second wakes 11a.

[0074] We believe that the improved combustion stability and gas turbine system performance provided by embodiments of the hydrogen injection device 1 of the present invention are due to a number of factors. For example, we believe that the kinetic energy of each relatively high-speed hydrogen jet 13 can act as a pump, entraining local mass proportional to its velocity while generating local turbulence within the combustion chamber 2a, which enhances mixing. Enhanced mixing helps reduce temperature stratification; this lowers peak flame temperature and thus reduces NO. x Emissions. As another example, we believe that the high-speed hydrogen jet 13 helps to convect and transfer the heat released during the hydrogen combustion process, thereby removing this heat from the nozzle and preventing the nozzle from overheating.

[0075] An embodiment of the hydrogen injection device 1 utilizing multiple hydrogen jets 13 can provide a hydrogen jet with a relatively high nozzle velocity to generate multiple secondary jet tails 11a, each of which can carry a lean premixed air-natural gas reactant and hot combustion products into the hydrogen jet. Due to the low ignition energy of hydrogen, the excess available oxygen in the entrained mass, and the high temperature of the combustion products, the gas mixture entrained with hydrogen is easily ignited in a relatively low-velocity secondary tail zone 11 within the combustion chamber 2a. This secondary tail zone can be a zone near the outlet of the furnace 4, which is located upstream of the position where the swirling flow 12 of the air-fuel mixture output from the outlet 5b of the external duct 5 can pass through the combustion chamber when it is injected into the combustion chamber. This is such that the secondary tail zone 11 is located between the outlet 7b of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 and the zone within the combustion chamber that is axially spaced from the outlet within the combustion chamber, through which the swirling flow 12 output from the outlet 5b of the external duct will pass.

[0076] Multiple secondary wake ignition sources, provided by multiple jets 13 of injected hydrogen (e.g., hydrogen injected via orifice 21 in the first zone and orifice 23 in the second zone), can generate an array of small flame structures in the secondary wake zone 11 within the combustion chamber 2a, each of which serves as a miniature "ignition" flame for an adjacent hydrogen jet 13. We have determined that this provides a synergistic effect between adjacent hydrogen jets 13, unexpectedly offering a higher level of flame stability compared to using a single hydrogen jet 13 with the same mass flow rate and the cumulative flow from multiple hydrogen jets 13.

[0077] In some embodiments, a central (axial) injection of hydrogen, provided by at least one central jet 13a, can be output, such that the central jet can be mixed with the recirculated gas in the tail of the furnace 4 at an equivalence ratio equal to or less than one. This can be an operating mode in which the resulting mixture in the furnace tail within the combustion chamber 2a remains stoichiometric or lean. Hydrogen injected in excess of stoichiometric amounts constitutes an excess of reactants, the effects of which are diluted when mixed with other gases outside the burner tail. Mathematically, assuming the ratio of hydrogen to fuel flow is much less than one, this ratio can be expressed as: in m,H2,central,max It is the maximum permissible mass flow rate of hydrogen injected into the center; m,Fuel It is the fuel flow rate in the furnace; m,recirc It is the mass flow recirculation rate (i.e., countercurrent) in the first wake zone of the furnace; m,total It is the total furnace flow rate and Ф This only considers the equivalence ratio of air and fuel injected through the furnace. It should be understood that the recirculated gas flow rate ( m,recirc It can be a function of the main premixed furnace swirl number and the average axial injection velocity, which can be estimated by empirical correlations (obtainable in the common domain) or by computational fluid dynamics modeling.

[0078] For examples where the fuel is methane (CH4), m,Fuel This will be the mass flow rate of methane injected into the combustion chamber 2a via the outlet 5b of the external conduit 5. Of course, the fuel flow rate value may vary depending on the type of fuel used in the combustion chamber 2a, as the fuel may alternatively be propane, liquefied petroleum gas, fuel oil, No. 2 fuel oil, kerosene, or a synthetic gas made from another type of fuel (e.g., carbon), or another suitable fuel.

[0079] Embodiments of the hydrogen injection device 1 can be configured for use in gas turbine systems to provide co-combustion of hydrogen with primary fuels (e.g., natural gas, propane, liquefied petroleum gas, No. 2 fuel oil, kerosene, syngas derived from other fuels, etc.). The hydrogen injection device 1 can be used to facilitate different types of operation of the gas turbine system. For example, the device can be used to help reduce the total combustor stoichiometry used during gas turbine system operation. As another example, the hydrogen injection device 1 can be used to help facilitate increased combustor axial fuel staging.

[0080] For example, the hydrogen injection device 1 can be used to reduce the total equivalence ratio of the combustor using hydrogen, relative to the low equivalence ratio limit achievable without hydrogen injection (based on hydrogen, primary fuel, and air flow rates, where the primary fuel may be fuel included in a fuel-air mixture delivered to the combustion chamber via external duct 5). This can be achieved by compensating for the ratio of fuel to available oxygen with injected hydrogen to provide an increased oxygen ratio, thereby resulting in a lower combustion equivalence ratio within the combustion space of combustion chamber 2a. The objective of this operating strategy for the gas turbine system can be to facilitate extended turbine load reduction and / or reduce combustor NO. x It releases emissions without increasing carbon monoxide (CO) emissions. It can be seen that, under these operating conditions, the relationship between reactant flow rates is equal to: in: mH2, total It is the total hydrogen injection rate; βprim It is the stoichiometric coefficient of the molar air-fuel ratio for primary fuels (Note: for methane as a primary fuel, βprim It can be equal to 9.52); βH2 It is the stoichiometric coefficient of hydrogen's molar air-fuel ratio, which is equal to 2.38; m,air It is the mass flow rate of air; MH2 That is the molecular weight of hydrogen. Mprim It is the molecular weight of the primary fuel; PFR0 It is the fuel-to-air mass flow rate ratio prior to hydrogen injection; and PFR1 It is the ratio of fuel to air mass flow rate during hydrogen injection.

[0081] The injection of hydrogen can be controlled so that the operation of one or more combustors (or all combustors) in the gas turbine system is constrained by the above relationship, thereby controlling the operation of the gas turbine system and / or the combustors: Hydrogen injection can also (or optionally) be employed through an exemplary embodiment of the hydrogen injection device 1 to facilitate the reduction of NO in the gas turbine combustor of the gas turbine system. x Furthermore, the fuel or air can be staged more extensively. For example, for staged combustion of fuel, the fuel can be diverted from the outlet of furnace 4 and introduced downstream of the burner. Figure 5This configuration is best illustrated in that at least one control valve 30 of the burner's fuel feed system is configured to allow a portion of the fuel feed to flow to the external duct 5 for premixing with air exiting from the external duct's outlet 5b, while another portion of the fuel can be directed to feed into the burner chamber 2a downstream of the furnace 4. In this configuration, the main furnace 4 of the burner can operate at a lower equivalence ratio than without fuel staging. The degree of fuel staging is limited in many cases by the lean-burn stability limit of the main furnace 4. By utilizing hydrogen injection via an embodiment of the hydrogen injection device 1 of the present invention, the lean-burn safe operating limit of the burner can be extended, which can drive a greater NO by increasing the proportion of axially staged fuel. x reduce.

[0082] It should be understood that modifications can be made to the embodiments explicitly shown and discussed herein to meet a specific set of design objectives or a specific set of design criteria. For example, embodiments of the hydrogen injection device 1 may utilize a single orifice or multiple orifices to inject one or more jets of hydrogen into the combustion chamber at a pre-selected flow rate or a flow rate within a pre-selected range of hydrogen injection flow rates. In some embodiments, this range may be less than 100 m / s or less than 300 m / s. In still other embodiments, this range may be greater than 100 m / s or greater than 300 m / s.

[0083] As another example, the dimensions and shapes of the internal hydrogen injection duct 7 and the external duct 5 can be of any suitable type to meet a specific set of design criteria for the operational performance of a particular gas turbine system. For example, some embodiments may be quite large, while others may be smaller, taking into account the size of the burner to be used in the embodiments and the operational requirements of that burner.

[0084] As yet another example, embodiments of the hydrogen injection device 1 may be configured to inject one or more jets 13 of hydrogen gas, said jets being 100% hydrogen or having another component (e.g., more than 80% hydrogen by volume and less than 20% other gases by volume, etc.). Other gaseous elements that may be included in the hydrogen jets 13 may include, for example, nitrogen or carbon dioxide. It should be understood that the injected hydrogen jets 13 may include at least 99% by volume hydrogen, at least 95% by volume hydrogen, at least 90% by volume hydrogen, at least 75% by volume hydrogen, or at least 50% by volume hydrogen. The specific composition of the hydrogen jet flow rate used in a particular embodiment of the hydrogen injection device may depend on the source of the injected hydrogen and other operating or design criteria of the gas turbine system.

[0085] The gas turbine system and the hydrogen injection device 1 that can be incorporated into the system can be configured to include process control elements, which are positioned and configured to monitor and control operations (e.g., temperature and pressure sensors, flow sensors, an automated process control system having at least one workstation including a processor, non-transitory memory and at least one transceiver for communicating with sensor elements, valves and controllers, the controller being used to provide a user interface for the automated process control system that can run on the workstation and / or another computer device in the system, etc.).

[0086] As another example, it is conceivable that specific features, set forth separately or as part of an embodiment, may be combined with other separately set forth features or as part of other embodiments. Therefore, elements and actions of the various embodiments set forth herein may be combined to provide further embodiments. Thus, although certain exemplary embodiments of hydrogen injection devices, apparatus for injecting hydrogen into a combustor, combustors for gas turbine systems, gas turbine systems, and methods of making and using them have been shown and described above, it should be clearly understood that the invention is not limited thereto, but may be practiced and implemented differently in other ways within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A hydrogen injection device for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a combustor in a gas turbine system, the hydrogen injection device comprising: An external duct having an outlet in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the external duct being configured such that a fuel-air mixture can be delivered into the combustion chamber via the outlet of the external duct. An internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned adjacent to the external duct, the external duct being positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct, which is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and the internal hydrogen injection duct is configured such that at least one hydrogen jet can be injected into the combustion chamber via its outlet. The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned to output the at least one hydrogen jet toward a first wake zone within the combustion chamber. The first wake zone is located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned and configured such that a secondary wake zone is formed by the at least one hydrogen jet adjacent to or upon its entry into the first wake zone.

2. A hydrogen injection device for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of an operating combustor in a gas turbine system, the hydrogen injection device comprising: An external duct having an outlet in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, the external duct being configured such that a fuel-air mixture can be delivered into the combustion chamber via the outlet of the external duct. An internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned adjacent to the external duct, the external duct being positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct, which is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and the internal hydrogen injection duct is configured such that at least one hydrogen jet can be injected into the combustion chamber via its outlet. The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned to output the at least one hydrogen jet toward a first wake zone within the combustion chamber. The first wake zone is located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The internal hydrogen injection duct is positioned and configured such that a secondary wake zone is formed by the at least one hydrogen jet adjacent to or upon its entry into the first wake zone.

3. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 2, wherein, The external duct has at least one vortex generator to generate a vortex for the air-fuel mixture to be discharged from the outlet of the external duct; and The secondary wake region is located between the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and the location within the combustion chamber where, when the fuel mixture is burned in the combustion chamber, the fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct.

4. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 2, wherein, The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit is a single orifice, and the internal hydrogen injection conduit has at least one cavity upstream of the single orifice.

5. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 4, wherein, The at least one cavity has a depth, a cavity length, and a cavity trailing edge distance, wherein the cavity trailing edge distance is the distance from the downstream end of the cavity to the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit; The cavity depth is greater than or equal to the radius of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit, and is also less than or equal to the diameter of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. The cavity length is a value such that the ratio of the length to the depth is between 1 and 4; The cavity trailing edge distance is a value such that the ratio of the cavity trailing edge distance to the diameter is no greater than 5.

6. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 2, wherein, The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct includes a nozzle having at least one central orifice to form at least one central hydrogen jet to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber, and multiple external orifices to form multiple non-central hydrogen jets to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber.

7. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 6, wherein, The external orifice is configured such that each non-central hydrogen jet in the non-central hydrogen jet is output in a flow direction that flows at an angle to the flow direction of the at least one central hydrogen jet, the angle being greater than 0° and less than 90° or greater than 15° and less than 60°.

8. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 6, wherein, The at least one central orifice is configured to form the at least one central hydrogen jet, such that the at least one central hydrogen jet has a velocity of at least 100 m / s, and the external orifice is configured to form a non-central hydrogen jet with a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

9. The hydrogen injection device according to claim 2, wherein, The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct is a single orifice configured to inject the hydrogen as a hydrogen jet with a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

10. A method for injecting hydrogen into the combustion chamber of a combustor in a gas turbine system, the method comprising: A fuel-air mixture is output to the combustion chamber via an outlet of an external conduit that is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber; At least one jet of hydrogen is injected into the combustion chamber via the outlet of an internal hydrogen injection duct in fluid communication with the combustion chamber, and The external conduit is positioned such that its outlet surrounds the outer periphery of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. The at least one hydrogen jet is injected toward a first wake zone within the combustion chamber, the first wake zone being located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where a fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct within the combustion chamber.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, A secondary wake region is formed by injecting at least one hydrogen jet toward the first wake region.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising: An air vortex is generated via at least one cyclone separator before the air-fuel mixture is discharged from the outlet of the external duct to create a vortex for the air-fuel mixture. and The secondary wake region is located between the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and the location within the combustion chamber where the fuel-air mixture output from the outlet of the external duct passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct when the fuel mixture is burned in the combustion chamber.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit is a single orifice, and the internal hydrogen injection conduit has at least one cavity upstream of the single orifice.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein, The at least one cavity has a depth, a cavity length, and a cavity trailing edge distance, wherein the cavity trailing edge distance is the distance from the downstream end of the cavity to the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit; The cavity depth is greater than or equal to the radius of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit, and is also less than or equal to the diameter of the orifice of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection conduit. The cavity length is a value such that the ratio of the length to the depth is between 1 and 4; The cavity trailing edge distance is a value such that the ratio of the cavity trailing edge distance to the diameter is no greater than 5.

15. The method according to claim 10, wherein, The at least one hydrogen jet is at least one central hydrogen jet, and the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct includes a nozzle having at least one central orifice to form the at least one central hydrogen jet to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber, and a plurality of external orifices to form multiple non-central hydrogen jets to inject hydrogen into the combustion chamber. The method further includes: The non-central hydrogen jet is injected into the combustion chamber through the external orifice of the nozzle.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein, The external orifice is configured such that each non-central hydrogen jet in the non-central hydrogen jet is output in a flow direction that flows at an angle to the flow direction of the at least one central hydrogen jet, the angle being greater than 0° and less than 90° or greater than 15° and less than 60°.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein, The at least one central hydrogen jet has a velocity of at least 100 m / s, and each non-central hydrogen jet in the non-central hydrogen jet has a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein, The at least one hydrogen jet has a velocity of at least 100 m / s.

19. The method of claim 10, comprising: An air vortex is generated via at least one cyclone separator before the air-fuel mixture is discharged from the outlet of the external duct to create a vortex for the air-fuel mixture. as well as The vortex within the combustion chamber is directed to the location of the discharge zone where the fuel-air mixture within the vortex passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct within the combustion chamber; Wherein, at least one hydrogen jet is injected into a secondary wake region within the combustion chamber, the secondary wake region being located downstream of the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and upstream of the location within the combustion chamber where the fuel-air mixture in the vortex passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct; and The secondary wake region is located between the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct and the discharge zone within the combustion chamber where the fuel-air mixture in the swirling flow passes through the outlet of the internal hydrogen injection duct. The secondary wake region has at least one second wake that interacts with at least one first wake within a first wake region, which is generated by the swirling flow of the air-fuel mixture when the fuel is burned inside the combustion chamber.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein, The activated gases from the combustion of fuel in at least one first wake are connected to the heat and active chemical substances in at least one second wake.

Images