Turbine developments |
combustion retrofits for the existing gas turbine fleet
H2
With their acquisition by Hanwha from Ansaldo Energia in July 2021, Thomassen Energy/PSM are now increasingly well placed to play a significant role in the developing hydrogen value chain. Their focus is on retrofitting hydrogen-capable combustors and advanced control systems to the existing gas turbine fleet, enabling it to participate in the renewables-dominated power grid and the energy transition
emissions and stable combustion dynamics. Thomassen Energy/PSM have proven technologies for addressing these issues, and since 2018 can point to “stable and flexible sub-9ppm NOx 35% H2
Hydrogen is a highly reactive fuel requiring special control and combustor design features to deal with high flame speed and avoid flashback while at the same time maintaining low NOx
operation from 0 to
by volume blended with natural gas.” The technologies offered by Thomassen Energy/PSM include: the FlameSheet™ combustor (see Modern Power Systems, September 2017, pp 30-33), which can operate at “up to 60% hydrogen by volume today”, with development underway to 100%; the LEC-III™ combustion system platform, capable of up to around 50% H2
; and the addition
of AutoTune digital combustion control. FlameSheet™ is compatible with a wide range of gas turbine types between 1 MW and 300 MW, while the LEC-III™ retrofit is targeted at OEM Frame 6B, 7E and 9E, as well as 501B6 and 501D5 turbines.
Today, there are 16 OEM 7F and 501F gas turbines operating with FlameSheet™, with the platform selected up to now for its operational attributes rather than the fuel flexibility it can provide.
The ultra-low-NOx LEC-III™ can be found in
almost 100 gas turbines around the world. Among notable Thomassen Energy/PSM hydrogen projects, past, present and planned, are the following:
FlameSheet™ attributes
● Hydrogen up to 60%
●
●
x
● ●
● FlameSheet™ testing at DLR (German Aerospace Centre) high pressure rig, Cologne. FlameSheet™ F-class combustor testing at full engine pressure and temperature. Demonstrated (to date) 60+% vol H2 low single digit NOx
with emissions and enhanced operational turndown.
● High hydrogen retrofit consortium programme, led by Thomassen Energy, with Dutch government subsidy for phases 1 and 2. A consortium consisting of equipment manufacturers (Thomassen Energy, PSM, OPRA), academia/research (TU Delft, TU Eindhoven, DLR Cologne) and end-users (Vattenfall, GETEC (Emmtec), Nobian, Dow, Polenergia (Elektrocieplownia Nowa Sarzyna)) has been established. The aim is to develop
a gas turbine combustor retrofit for fuel flexible operation from 100% natural gas to 100% hydrogen, and all points between, suitable for gas turbines in the range 1-300 MW, employing a single scalable combustor platform based on FlameSheet™. Fuel flexibility is considered essential to minimise operational risks in the event of hydrogen supply constraints. The first phase of the project, 2019- 20, focused on atmospheric testing of a FlameSheet combustor adapted to the OPRA 1.8 MW OP16 gas turbine. From the tests, performed at OPRA’s Hengelo test rig, it was found that it was possible to achieve 100%
hydrogen combustion with sub 9 ppm NOx emissions.
Above: PSM/Thomassen Energy current footprint within Hanwha 16 | July/August 2022|
www.modernpowersystems.com
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