Test results of a catalytically assisted combustor for a gas turbine

A catalytically assisted ceramic combustor for a gas turbine was designed and tested to achieve low NOx emissions. This combustor is composed of a burner and a ceramic liner. The burner consists of an annular preburner, six catalytic combustor segments and six premixing nozzles, which are arranged in parallel and alternately. In this combustor system, catalytic combustion temperature is controlled under 1000 °C, premixed gas is injected from the premixing nozzles to the catalytic combustion gas and lean premixed combustion over 1300 °C is carried out in the ceramic liner. This system was designed to avoid catalyst deactivation at high temperature and thermal shock fracture of the ceramic honeycomb monolith of the catalyst. A 1 MW class combustor was tested using LNG fuel. Firstly, NOx emissions from the preburner were investigated under various pressure conditions. Secondly, two sets of honeycomb cell density catalysts and one set of thermally pretreated catalysts ware applied to the combustor, and combustion tests were carried out under various pressure conditions. As a result, it was found that the main source of NOx was the preburner, and total NOx emissions from the combustor were approximately 4 ppm (at 16% O2) at an adiabatic combustion temperature of 1350 °C and combustor inlet pressure of 1.33 MPa.