Fuel quality impact analysis for practical implementation of corn COB gasification gas in conventional gas turbine power plants

• Published in: Biomass & bioenergy Vol. 122; pp. 221 - 230
• Main Authors: Guteša Božo, Milana, Valera-Medina, Agustin, Syred, Nick, Bowen, Philip J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2019
• Subjects: alternative fuels; Bioenergy; Biomass; carbon dioxide; combustion; corn cobs; energy; Gas turbine; Gasification; heat; mathematical models; natural gas; physicochemical properties; power plants; Simulation; symbiosis; turbines; wastes; Gasification; Bioenergy; Gas turbine; Biomass; Simulation
• ISSN: 0961-9534; 1873-2909
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biombioe.2019.01.012

Practical implementation of alternative fuels in gas turbine facilities is a challenging step towards cleaner and more responsible energy production. Despite numerous technical, economical and legal obstacles, possibilities for partial or complete substitution of fossil fuels are still subject of profound research. From all possible solutions, one with high acceptance is the symbiosis of existing gas turbine technologies and new ways of waste biomass energy utilization through firing or co – firing of biomass gasification gas. Therefore, the practical implementation of corn cob gasification gas with CO2 recirculation in gas turbines is analyzed in this paper. The followed methodology approaches this solution through two different scenarios each with 5 different cases. In the first scenario fuel mass flows are kept constant regardless of the fuel quality change consequence of the corn cob gas share, while in the second scenario fuel volume flows are assumed constant. Fuel quality refers to fuel composition which affects heat capacity, as well as physical and chemical characteristics of fuel. Impact of fuel composition changes on combustion product characteristics was analyzed using CHEMKIN PRO with GRI–Mech 3.0. Finally, fuel quality impacts on a gas turbine power plant performance are analyzed using a numerical model of a physical cycle that enables the simulation of a 3.9 MW experimentally correlated gas turbine. The results show that utilization of corn cob gasification gas is possible through co-firing with natural gas with acceptable values without modification of the fuel system or gas turbine. •New model is developed for gas turbine plant parameters in off – design regimes for biomass gasification gas combustion.•Basic model accuracy is improved with variable polytropic gas turbine efficiency, water injection and fuel enthalpy.•Developed model can be applied for gas turbine processes simulation for alternative gases and as complex as CARSOXY.•Corn cob gasification gas implementation is analyzed for increase of alternative energy sources share in power production.•Power production is possible, co-firing with up to 40% of CCG, modification of conventional gas turbine plant is minimal.