Gas turbine combustor and method for operating same

A gas turbine combustor stably burns low-BTU gases, such as blast furnace gases, that are heavily laden with CO2. The gas turbine combustor includes a double-swirling burner with an inner swirler and an outer swirler, the burner having a configuration with gas fuel injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions in the inner swirler and with gas injection holes arranged in the outer swirler. In addition, fuel injection holes for enhancing flame stability are provided at positions radially inward of the inner swirler. An inner flame by the inner swirler and an outer flame by the outer swirler interact with each other to stably burn the low-BTU gas. In the inner swirler, the gas injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions contributes to raising a temperature of the inner flame to a level required for flame stabilization.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to gas turbine combustors, and more particularly, to a structure of a burner in a gas turbine combustor constructed to achieve stable combustion of flame-retardant low-Btu gases.

2. Description of the Related Art

In general, fuels of lower heating values burn more slowly, since they are low in flame temperature and hence in burning velocity as well, compared with liquefied natural gas (LNG) which is a principal fuel of gas turbines. Another major feature of these fuels is their low levels of NOx emissions associated with combustion. Typical examples of these low-Btu gases include blast furnace gases. Blast furnace gases are off-gases stemming from blast furnaces in a steel production process, and needs for utilizing these gases as gas turbine fuels, are growing in recent years.

Blast furnace gases are flame-retardant gases that contain carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen (H2) as their principal flammable gas, and are heavily laden with nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as well. These properties make it difficult to operate a gas turbine in its full load range by means only of a single blast-furnace gas as its fuel, from an ignition phase. To implement stable combustion of the blast-furnace gas in a partial load range of low combustion temperatures from the ignition phase, it is necessary to carburet the gas by mixing a hydrogen-containing coke oven gas or equivalent into the blast furnace gas, or to provide a liquid fuel or any other appropriate start-up fuel separately. In addition, since the stable combustion of flame-retardant gases is required, gas turbine combustors commonly employ a diffuse combustion scheme in which fuel and air are supplied from independent flow channels.

Meanwhile, a structural example of a low-Btu gas-fired burner is disclosed in JP-1993-86902-A. This burner employs a structure with a start-up fuel nozzle provided in a radially central section of the burner, gas injection holes arranged around the fuel nozzle, and gas injection holes and air injection holes further arranged at alternate positions around the former gas injection holes. The burner is targeted for a low-Btu gas heavily laden with N2, such as a coal gasification syngas.

In general, in a burner using a swirling flow to stabilize a flame, a circulating gas region in which combustion gases circulate to impart heat to the fuel and air blasted from the burner needs to be formed in a neighborhood of its radially central section to stabilize the flame. The burner in JP-1993-86902-A actively utilizes a low-Btu gas to form the circulating gas region. This burner, which includes gas injection holes arranged only around an inner swirler, is constructed so that when a large portion of fuel is supplied to the inner swirler, a strong swirling flow is formed by utilizing a momentum of a large amount of low-Btu gas to enhance flame stability.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In the burner structure of JP-1993-86902-A, when a blast furnace gas is burnt, the flame formed near the burner (inner and outer swirlers) decreases in temperature because of a low CO2content relative to a CO2content in a coal gasification syngas. The decrease in the temperature of the flame around the inner swirler, in particular, leads to a flame temperature decrease in the circulating gas region, and to an ensuing flame temperature decrease around the outer swirler as well. These decreases in flame temperature have traditionally tended to cause sluggish combustion reactions, thus increasing CO emission levels at a combustor outlet. Additionally, during the combustion of the blast furnace gas, the Btu value of the gas stemming from the blast furnace has occasionally decreased to blow off the flame.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gas turbine combustor constructed to stably burn flame-retardant low-Btu gases, such as blast furnace gases, that are heavily laden with CO2.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention is provided a gas turbine combustor including: a combustion chamber for burning a fuel and air in a mixed condition; and a burner provided upstream in a gas flow direction of the combustor, for supplying the fuel and the air to inside of the combustion chamber and thus stabilizing a flame. The burner includes a first swirler, in which both of a plurality of gas injection holes for injecting the fuel, and a plurality of air injection holes for injecting air are arranged at alternate positions in a circumferential direction of the swirler, and a second swirler, which is provided at an outer periphery of the first swirler. Only a plurality of gas injection holes for injecting the fuel are arranged in the second swirler.

In accordance with the present invention, a gas turbine combustor constructed to stably burn flame-retardant low-Btu gases heavily laden with CO2, such as blast furnace gases, can be supplied.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Embodiments of the present invention that are described below relate to the structure of a burner in a gas turbine combustor constructed to stably burn flame-retardant low-Btu gases heavily laden with nitrogen (N2) and carbon dioxide (CO2), such as a blast furnace gas, coal gasification syngas, and biomass gasification syngas.

The kinds of low-Btu gases other than blast furnace gases include coal or biomass gasification syngases. Needs for utilizing these coal- or biomass-based gases as gas turbine fuels, are also increasing from the standpoint of more effective use of resources. Fuels obtained by mixing air into feedstock such as coal or wood chips and gasifying the feedstock, are low-Btu gases that contain N2in large amounts, and to burn these fuels, a burner capable of burning a start-up fuel and a low-Btu gas is required.

In general, fuels of lower heating values burn more slowly, since they are low in flame temperature and hence in burning velocity as well, compared with LNG and other high-Btu gases. A technique for achieving the stable combustion of a low-Btu gas is therefore an important factor for a gas turbine combustor. In addition, since these fuels have low heating values, obtaining a combustion gas temperature as high as those of LNG or other gases of higher heating values requires increasing a flow rate of the fuel supplied to the combustor. For this reason, combustors fired with a low-Btu gas are also characterized in that the fuel supplied to the combustor increases in flow rate.

As mentioned earlier, the structure outlined in JP-1993-86902-A exists as a structural example of a low-Btu gas-fired burner. In this structural example, a start-up fuel nozzle is provided in a radially central section of the burner, gas injection holes are arranged around the fuel nozzle, and gas injection holes and air injection holes are further arranged at alternate positions around the former gas injection holes.

In the above structure, which includes only gas injection holes arranged around an inner swirler, supply of a large portion of fuel to an inner swirler forms a strong swirling flow by utilizing a momentum of a large amount of low-Btu gas. In a neighborhood of a radially central section of the burner, a circulating gas region in which combustion gases circulate to impart heat to the fuel and air blasted from the burner is formed to enhance flame stability.

In this case, the fuel that has jetted from the inner swirler is inducted into the circulating gas region while being mixed with the air jetted from the outer swirler, so that stable combustion of a low-Btu gas can be obtained without a shortage of oxygen in that region. In addition, since the air to the swirlers is supplied from an outer periphery of the burner, it is structurally easy to provide air injection holes around the outer swirler, as in JP-1993-86902-A, and this characteristic yields advantages such as suppressing an increase in fabrication costs.

In the conventional burner structure as in JP-1993-86902-A, burning a blast furnace gas having a high CO2content relative to that of a coal gasification syngas reduces a temperature of a flame formed near the burner (inner and outer swirlers). The decrease in the temperature of the flame around the inner swirler, in particular, leads to a flame temperature decrease in the circulating gas region, and to an ensuing flame temperature decrease around the outer swirler as well. These decreases in flame temperature have traditionally tended to cause sluggish combustion reactions, thus increasing CO emission levels at a combustor outlet. Additionally, during the combustion of the blast furnace gas, which is an off-gas, the Btu value of the gas stemming from the blast furnace has occasionally decreased to blow off the flame.

To solve the above problems, the temperature of the flame formed near the inner swirler needs to be elevated for accelerated combustion reactions. To this end, it is crucial to provide gas injection holes and air injection holes in the inner swirler and mix the gas fuel with air for elevated flame temperature. The arrangement of the air injection holes in the inner swirler narrows an arrangement region for the gas injection holes and lowers a supply rate of the gas fuel, compared with the structure described in JP-1993-86902-A. For the combustion of a low-Btu gas heavily laden with CO2, however, it is vital to elevate the flame temperature for accelerated combustion reactions.

Embodiments of the present invention that will be described hereunder, each relate to a double-swirling burner including an inner swirler and an outer swirler. This burner structurally has a basic configuration with gas injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions in the inner swirler, and with gas injection holes arranged in the outer swirler as well. Thus the flame formed near the inner swirler region has a higher temperature than in the conventional technique. Additionally, when fuel is supplied from the outer swirler, a flame originating from the inner flame will also be formed near the outer swirler and both flames will raise the flame temperature near the burner to enhance flame stability.

For these reasons, in the structure according to each embodiment of the present invention, when fuel is supplied from the outer swirler, the flame originating from the inner flame will also be formed near the outer swirler and both flames will raise the flame temperature near the burner to enhance flame stability, so the stable combustion of a blast furnace gas heavily laden with CO2is implemented.

First Embodiment

Hereunder, embodiments of the present invention will be described referring to the accompanying drawings.

A block diagram of a gas turbine according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and an enlarged combustor cross-sectional view are shown inFIG. 1. The gas turbine5includes an air compressor2, a combustor3, a turbine4, an electric generator6, a start-up motor8, and so on.

The compressor2generates combustion air102by drawing in air101from the atmosphere by suction and compressing the air101. The gas turbine5supplies the combustion air102to the gas turbine combustor3. In the combustor3, the combustion air102that the compressor2has generated is mixed with a carbureted gas70(supplied in a partial load range from an ignition phase) that is a mixture of a low-Btu blast furnace gas60and a coke oven gas80, and consequent combustion gases140are supplied to the turbine4. The supplied combustion gases140give rotational motive power to the turbine4, and the rotational motive power of the turbine4is transmitted to the compressor2and the generator6. The rotational motive power that has been transmitted to the compressor2is used as motive power for compression, and the rotational motive power that has been transmitted to the generator6is converted into electrical energy.

The combustor3includes a combustion chamber12for burning a fuel and air in a mixed condition in an outer casing10that is a pressure vessel. The combustor3also includes a flow sleeve11for combustion chamber cooling, at an outer periphery of the combustion chamber12. Additionally, a burner300for supplying the fuel and the air to the combustion chamber12and retaining a flame is disposed upstream in a gas flow direction of the combustion chamber12. The combustion air102that has been supplied to the combustor3flows through a space present between the flow sleeve11and the combustion chamber12, and then while cooling the combustion chamber12, the combustion air102is supplied thereto from, for example, combustion air inlet holes13provided in a sidewall of the combustion chamber, and air injection holes402provided in the burner300.

The burner300employs a double-swirling structure including an inner swirler201which is a first swirler, and an outer swirler202which is a second swirler provided at an outer periphery of the inner swirler201. A flow rate and heating value of a low-Btu gas supplied to the inner swirler201and the outer swirler202can be varied according to particular load conditions of the gas turbine. In the partial load range from the ignition of the gas turbine, the carbureted gas70which is the mixture of the blast furnace gas60and the coke oven gas80, is supplied. When an increase in a flow rate of the fuel increases a combustion temperature and thus raises the load, that is, under high-load conditions (e.g., in a full load range from an intermediate load state), only the blast furnace gas60can be supplied.

The low-Btu gas can have its supply pressure controllable with a pressure control valve150provided in a fuel line. A first fuel line51for supplying an inner fuel201fto the inner swirler201, and a second fuel line52for supplying an outer fuel202fto the outer swirler202exist at a downstream side of the pressure control valve150. The fuel lines51and52are fitted with a first fuel flow control valve41and a second fuel flow control valve42, respectively, and flow rates of the fuel supplied to the first fuel line and the second fuel line can be controlled according to particular ignition and load conditions of the gas turbine, by a control device200.

FIG. 2shows a front view of the burner300. This view shows the burner300as seen from the downstream side. The burner according to the present invention has a double-swirling structure including the inner swirler201and the outer swirler202. To elevate a flame temperature of the inner swirler even during combustion of a blast furnace gas containing a large amount of CO2, gas injection holes401and air injection holes402are both arranged at alternate positions in a circumferential direction of the inner swirler201, and only gas injection holes403are arranged in the outer swirler202existing outside the inner swirler201.

Each injection hole is provided with a swirl angle inclined in the circumferential direction, as shown inFIG. 3(a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A inFIG. 2), and a low-velocity flame-stabilizing region is formed as a circulating gas region in a neighborhood of a radially central section of the burner, thereby enhancing combustion stability. In addition, since the plurality of gas injection holes401for injecting the fuel, and the plurality of air injection holes402for injecting air are arranged at alternate positions in the circumferential direction of the inner swirler201, diffuse combustion that supplies the fuel and the air through independent flow channels ensures stable combustion of the low-Btu gas.

Meanwhile, as shown inFIG. 1, the gas fuel202fis supplied from the gas injection holes403to the outer swirler202. The gas fuel202fis mixed with both of the air102asupplied from the inner swirler201, and the air supplied from the combustion air inlet holes13and existing near the burner, and when an inner flame is formed near the inner swirler201, this flame induces an outer flame formed near the outer swirler. The formation of the outer flame elevates a temperature of the inner flame periphery, thus enhancing flame stability. This characteristic is particularly effective for combustion of low-Btu gases, such as blast furnace gases, that contain a large amount of CO2.

Fuels having a high CO2content, as with blast furnace gases, are generally high in density, and when swirling flows are used to obtain flame stability as in the present invention, high-density fuels easily penetrate even to the outside because of their inertial force. In the combustor of the present embodiment, therefore, the fuel injection holes401and the air injection holes402are provided in the inner swirler201and the flow rate of the fuel is controlled so that, for example, a fuel-air mixing concentration matches stoichiometric mixing conditions, and thus so that the temperature of the flame formed near the inner swirler will be as high as possible to enable the stabilization of the inner flame. In other words, induction of air into the inner swirler accelerates the mixing between the air and part of the fuel prone to penetrate even to the outside, and hence stabilizes the inner flame to obtain flame stability. The characteristic that the fuel to be supplied to the burner is separately supplied to the inner swirler and the outer swirler each, suppresses an increase in fuel velocity, even when the flow rate of the fuel supplied to the burner increases. Accordingly, the penetration of the fuel to the outside is suppressed and the inner flame is further stabilized.

The combustor according to the present embodiment utilizes the stable inner flame to form an outer flame by mixing the fuel supplied from the outer swirler and the combustion air flowing in from a liner wall, and further exploits an interaction of the inner and outer flames to achieve the stable combustion of the flame-retardant low-Btu gas heavily laden with CO2.

Next, a cross-sectional view of the burner300is shown inFIG. 4. The inner swirler201and the outer swirler202connect to a flange126that fixes a nozzle body (fuel lines)125provided to supply the gas fuels to the burner. The gas fuel201fsupplied to the inner swirler201is supplied through a fuel line provided centrally in the body125, and the air102ato the inner swirler201is supplied through an air inlet hole402aprovided in a side face of the outer swirler202.

The gas fuel201fand air102athat have been supplied to the inner swirler201are both assigned a swirling component, whereby a negative pressure is generated in the radially central section of the burner and a circulating gas region30is formed. To continuously apply heat of the flame to the air102aas well as to the gas fuel201fsupplied to the inner swirler201, a flame250is continuously formed in the circulating gas region30, so that flame stability is ensured.

Meanwhile, the gas fuel202fto the outer swirler202is supplied from a fuel line provided outside the body125. The gas fuel202fthat has been supplied to the outer swirler202is assigned a swirling component and a circulating gas region31is formed so as to surround the circulating gas region30that has been formed near the inner swirler201. Heat is continuously applied from the inner flame250to the gas fuel202f, thereby forming an outer flame260.

Part of the combustion gases of the outer flame260is incorporated into the circulating gas region30via the circulating gas region31, and flame stability is obtained by an interaction of the flames250and260formed by the inner swirler201and the outer swirler202, respectively. In addition, since the gas fuel202fis supplied from the outer swirler202in the present invention, a decrease in fuel concentration around the air injection holes402(radially outward of the burner) in the inner swirler201can be prevented and thus a region of a higher flame temperature can be expanded, which also contributes to flame stability.

In addition, if a flow rate ratio of fuel supply to the inner swirler and the outer swirler is previously set to match optimal conditions, stable combustion can be achieved, even when the flow of the fuel is controlled with one line. As shown and described in the present embodiment, however, providing the first fuel flow control valve41and the second fuel flow control valve42in the first fuel line51and the second fuel line52, respectively, and configuring the combustor so that the control device200controls the flow rates of the fuel supplied to the first and second fuel lines, contributes to even more stable combustion since the fuel can be supplied at the optimal fuel flow rate ratio that match ignition and load conditions.

Furthermore, while the present embodiment has been described assuming gas turbine ignition and load changes based upon a flow rate of the carbureted gas70, stable combustion is also implemented when, as shown inFIG. 7, a liquid fuel nozzle407is disposed in the radially central section of the double-swirling burner. Moreover, although the gas injection holes and air injection holes shown in a rectangular form have been described, substantially the same advantageous effects can likewise be obtained by constructing the two types of injection holes in a circular form.

A method of operating the gas turbine combustor of the above-described burner structure is described below on the basis ofFIG. 1. During start-up, the gas turbine is driven by such external motive power as of the start-up motor8. When a rotating speed of the gas turbine is maintained at a speed commensurate with ignition conditions of the combustor, the combustion air102required for ignition is supplied to the combustor3and as a result, the ignition conditions hold. Under this state, when the carbureted gas70that has been created by mixing the coke oven gas80into the blast furnace gas60is supplied to the burner300, ignition can be caused in the combustor3. After the ignition of the combustor, the combustion gases140are supplied to the turbine4for increased flow rate of the carbureted gas70. At the same time, the turbine4rotates at a higher speed and an ensuing release of driving by the start-up motor8places the gas turbine4in self-sustained operation, whereby the turbine reaches a no-load rated speed. After the turbine has reached the no-load rated speed, synchronous operation of the generator6is started and the flow rate of the carbureted gas70is increased. This raises an entrance gas temperature of the turbine4, thus increasing the load. As a combustion gas temperature at the combustor exit increases with the increase in load, combustion stability also increases, which then makes it possible to turn off the coke oven gas that has been supplied for carbureting. In the burner, the interaction between the flame250formed by the inner swirler201, and the flame260formed by the outer swirler202, retains flame stability, even under single-gas combustion conditions based only upon the blast-furnace gas60.

Second Embodiment

Burner structural views of a combustor which is a second embodiment of the present invention are shown inFIGS. 5 and 6. The present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that fuel injection holes404for enhancing flame stability are provided more radially inward of the burner than gas injection holes401and air injection holes402arranged in an inner swirler201. The fuel injection holes404for enhancing flame stability, provided more radially inward of the burner than the gas injection holes401and the air injection holes402, are intended to prevent a decrease in fuel concentration inside a circulating gas region that the burner forms, by injecting fuel into a radially central neighborhood of the burner.

As described in the first embodiment, blast furnace gases heavily laden with CO2are of high densities, so that in the burner stabilizing a flame by swirling the fuel, the inertial force of these high-density fuel gases makes them easily penetrate even to the outside. This reduces the fuel concentration in the circulating gas region formed in the burner, resultingly lowers the flame temperature, and hence reduces combustion stability. The second embodiment of the present invention is intended to suppress these decreases.

A cross-sectional view of the burner in the combustor according to the second embodiment is shown inFIG. 6. The burner in the present embodiment is constructed so that a flame stability enhancing fuel203finjected from the flame stability enhancing fuel injection holes404will work as a branch forming a part of an inner fuel201fsupplied to the inner swirler201. The formation of this branch allows supply of the flame stability enhancing fuel203fto be implemented in a simplified device arrangement and facilitates flow rate ratio control of the fuel and air injected from the inner swirler into the burner.

During single-gas turbine operation on a blast furnace gas60alone, a further decrease in heating value correspondingly increases a flow rate of the fuel to prevent gas turbine power from decreasing, and consequently increases a velocity at which the fuel is ejected from the swirler(s). If this increase in the ejection velocity of the gas fuel201foccurs inside the inner swirler201, the ejected gas fuel easily penetrates even to the outside, which in turn reduces the fuel concentration, and hence the flame temperature, within the circulating gas region30. An ensuing decrease in outer flame temperature is likely to cause sluggish reactions, thus degrading combustion stability. In particular, the density of the gas containing a large amount of CO2in the fuel is high and in the present burner that uses a swirling flow to obtain flame stability, the gas fuel is prone to penetrate even to the outside and cause a temperature decrease in the circulating gas region30.

The present embodiment, intended to suppress the temperature decrease in the circulating gas region30, features supplying the flame stability enhancing fuel203fto the circulating gas region30and preventing the fuel concentration from decreasing. During single-gas turbine operation on the blast furnace gas alone, therefore, even if the gas fuel decreases in heating value, the flame stability enhancing fuel203fcan be supplied to the circulating gas region30formed near the radially central section of the burner, and a resulting flame temperature rise near a flame stabilization point77enables stable combustion.

The flame stability enhancing fuel injection holes404in the present embodiment are also assigned an inclination angle at which each is inclined inward of the inner swirler201to inject the fuel in a radially inward direction thereof. This inclination of the fuel injection holes404concentrates the flame stability enhancing fuel203fin the burner central section at which the circulating gas region30is formed, and provides a more significant favorable effect to improve combustion stability due to the flame temperature rise near the flame stabilization point77.

In addition, for example, if the flame stability enhancing fuel injection holes, as with the gas injection holes401provided in the inner swirler201, is assigned a swirl angle inclined in a circumferential direction of the inner swirler201, this inclination aids in the formation of the circulating gas region30and thus further improves combustion stability.

Furthermore, as shown inFIG. 6, a liquid fuel nozzle407may be disposed in the radially central section of the double-swirling burner. This will implement even more stable combustion.