Combustor Liner Cooling and Dual-Stage Oxidant Injection for Syngas
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge lies in achieving efficient power production using solid fuels like coal, where varying chemistries of syngas fuels from partial oxidation lead to inconsistent combustion, necessitating a system that can accommodate different fuel compositions without requiring changes in the power production system.
Innovation Solution
The system involves a power production plant with a gasifier, combustor, and turbine, where the combustor liner is configured for cooling and has a dual-stage oxidant injection system to stabilize combustion and accommodate varying syngas chemistries, allowing for continuous operation with different fuel compositions without swapping parts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If solid fuels with variable chemistries are gasified to produce syngas, then power production can utilize large reserves of solid fuels, but the syngas chemistry becomes inconsistent making reliable combustion difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor is designed to accommodate varying syngas chemistries by adjusting combustion parameters such as oxidant flow rates, secondary air injection, and combustor temperature profiles. The system monitors syngas composition and dynamically adjusts operating parameters to maintain stable combustion despite fuel variability.
Solution Approach 2:
A buffer or mixing chamber is introduced between the gasifier and combustor to homogenize the syngas flow. This intermediary zone allows for mixing variations in syngas composition with a controlled atmosphere, smoothing out chemical inconsistencies before combustion occurs.
2Productivity
If the combustor liner is exposed to high combustion temperatures, then power production efficiency is maintained, but the liner temperature becomes excessively high requiring frequent maintenance or replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal stress is extracted from the combustor liner by introducing a cooling medium that absorbs excess heat. The cooling system is designed to remove only the excessive temperature portion while preserving the high-temperature combustion environment needed for efficient power production.
Solution Approach 2:
A phase-change cooling material is applied to the combustor liner that absorbs heat through phase transition (e.g., evaporation or melting). This material undergoes phase change at a specific temperature threshold, effectively capping the maximum liner temperature while allowing high combustion temperatures to maintain productivity.
3Productivity
If the combustor is designed for high fuel burnout efficiency, then complete combustion is achieved, but the system becomes sensitive to fuel composition variations requiring part swaps
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor system employs dynamic adjustment mechanisms that automatically adapt to different fuel compositions. Oxidant flow rates, injection timing, and mixing ratios are continuously adjusted based on real-time fuel analysis to maintain high burnout efficiency across varying fuel types without mechanical modifications.
Solution Approach 2:
The combustor is designed with universal compatibility features that allow it to handle multiple fuel types and compositions using the same hardware configuration. The system incorporates adjustable parameters and control algorithms that enable a single combustor design to optimize performance across a wide range of fuel chemistries.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures high fuel burnout efficiency and low liner temperatures, enabling consistent power production across varying syngas chemistries without the need for part swaps, enhancing operational flexibility and efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
at least a portion of an outer surface of the combustor liner being configured to receive a flow of any one or more of the fuel, the oxidant, and the diluent thereagainst prior to being received by the combustion chamber to thereby provide for cooling of the combustor liner
Implementation Method 2
partial oxidation of the coal to produce a gaseous fuel (i.e., syngas)
Implementation Method 3
a combustor configured for receiving the gaseous fuel, an oxidant, and a diluent, and outputting a combustor exhaust stream
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods that are useful for one or more aspects of a power production plant. More particularly, the disclosure relates to combustor apparatuses and methods for a combustor adapted to utilize different fuel mixtures derived from gasification of a solid fuel. Combustion of the different fuel mixtures within the combustor can be facilitated by arranging elements of the combustor controlled so that a defined set of combustion characteristics remains substantially constant across a range of different fuel mixtures.