Gas Turbines Fuels Flexibility

Gas Turbine Engineering BHEL - Hyderabad

Gas Turbine Fuels

!

Gaseous fuels
Natural gas LPG NGL Coal gas, Blast furnace, Coke oven gas, etc.

! Liquid fuels
HSD LDO Distillate#2 Naphtha

Kerosene Ash bearing Fuels

Gaseous Fuel : Types

Classification by Calorific Value
Very High High Medium

Calorific Value
( Kcal /nm3 )

Typical fuels
LPG, NGL Natural gas Refinery gas Coke oven gas Coal gas ( O2 blown )

Primary Gas Composition

Propane and Butane in liquid form Methane H2 , CO , CH4

44,500 to 10,700 10,700 to 7,100 7,100 to 2,700

Low Very Low

2,700 to 900 Below 900

Coal gas ( air blown) Blast furnace gas

H2 , CO , N2 CO , N2

Significance of Fuel Properties - Gaseous fuels

Heating Value
-Effect on emissions, output and combustor stability. Ratio of flammability limits to be minimum 2.2

Flammability limits -To maintain stable combustion Fuel temperature - Avoid Condensation. Fuel Pressure Hydrogen

Min. superheat of 28 deg C above dew point.

-To maintain stable pressure ratios across nozzle, sizing of gas stop and control valves. -Potentially hazardous. Requires special fuel handling systems including inert gas purging.

Gas Fuel Specifications

Minimum Heating value Wobbe index variation Minimum super heat Minimum flammability ratio Contaminants ( ppmw ) Sodium + Potassium Vanadium Magnesium Lead Calcium Sulfur Total Particulates Particulates above 10 microns 1.0 0.5 2.0 1.0 2.0 30.0 30 0.3

100 - 300 Btu / Scf 5 % 28 deg C 2.2 / 1

Gas Fuel Contaminants

Trace Metals
Sand, Clay, Rust Oil & Hydrocarbon liquids Water & Salt Water Tar, Napthalene Benzol, H2S, NH3
- Blow out of flame, Hot corrosion. - Plugging, Caking in Gas nozzles & HGP components. - Hot Corrosion , Life Issues , Turbine fouling Na, K, Ca, V , Pb , Si , Ni - Hot corrosion, fouling deposits, erosion and plugging of Gas orifices. - Load spikes, HGP hardware damage.

Gas firing - Concerns

Avoid liquids Particulate
- Load spikes, Damage to HGP components. - Plugging of fuel nozzles. High emissions, high exhaust spread.

Liquid Fuel : Types

!

Distillates
Light Distillates : ( < 1.8 Cst )
- Naphtha , Kerosene

Heavy Distillates : ( > 1.8 < 25 Cst )

- HSD , LDO , Distillate#2

! Ash Bearing Fuels

Crude Oils , Blends : ( ~ 160 Cst )
- Crude oils , Marine diesel fuel , #4 Burner Fuel

Residual Oils

: ( ~ 900 Cst )

- LSHS , FO , Bunker Oil

Significance of Liquid Fuel Properties

Aromatics Olefins Sulphur Nitrogen Hydrogen Carbon Residue Water
- Excess smoke , Radiation - Gum formation - Sox, Reaction with K, Na for hot corrosion - Nox due to FBN - Less tendency to smoke , Operational Hazard - Higher atomisation pressures, Nozzle clogging - Fouling of fuel handling components

Significance of Liquid Fuel Properties

Viscosity
Pour Point Fuel gravity Distillation Flash Point Vapour Pressure Compatibility CFPP
- Pumping,atomisation,lubrication,treatment - Pumpability , Heating - Water washing of fuel - Volatility - Explosion proofing , Statutory requirements - Mixed phase , Pumping - Precipitation , Separation , Decomposition - Filtration problems

Liquid Fuel Contaminants

Trace Metals
- Hot Corrosion , Life Issues , Turbine fouling - Na, K, Ca, V , Pb , Si , Ni

Sediments Dirt Water

- Filter maintenance , Fuel component fouling - Filter Maintenance - Fuel Component corrosion

Non-Fuel Contaminants
Xe = (A/F) Xa + (S/F) Xs + Xf
Xe - Eq. Contaminants in fuel Xa - Concentration in air (ppm weight) Xs - Concentration in steam/Water ( ppm weight) Xf - Concentration in fuel

A/F - Air to Fuel ratio S/F - Steam( Water) to fuel ratio

Liquid Fuel Specifications

Distillates Light
Min.Kin. Viscosity ( 100F) D445 0.5 5.8 Max.Kin. Viscosity ( 100F) D445 Max.Kin. Viscosity ( 200F) D445 Flash Point Distillation Temp Pour Point Sodium + Potassium ( ppm) Vanadium ( ppm Treated ) Vanadium ( ppm untreated ) Lead Calcium ( ppm) Filterable dirt mg/100ml Water content ( % vol. ) D2276 Water & Sediment( % vol.) D1796 D1298 D93 D86

Ash Bearing Crudes

1.8 160 13

Heavy
1.8 30 4

Residuals
1.8 900 30

--------------- Report --------------------------------- Report --------------------------------- Report ------------------1 0.5 1 2 4 0.1 0.1 1 0.5 1 2 10 0.1 0.1 1 0.5 100 1 10 Report 1.0 Report 1 0.5 500 1 10 Report 1.0 1.0

Effect On Hardware
Distillates Light Explosion Proofing Start UP Fuel Fuel Treatment Fuel preheating Fuel filtration Atomisation Combustor Turbine cleaning * Usually none Some in cold conditions Always Low Pressure Standard None Heavy * Usually none Some in cold conditions Always Standard None * Nearly always Nearly always Nearly always Always Heavy fuel Required Heavy Oils Crudes Residuals * Always Always Always Always Heavy fuel Required

Very light fuels Some fuels

Low pressure Low or High pr. High Pressure

* : Refer to local applicable codes

Fuel Systems

! ! ! !

Fuel Storage Off-base Fuel Forwarding On-base fuel System Combustion

Fuel Storage
Number of tanks to be sufficient to provide fuel without interruption ( Filling , Settling and Pumping ) Initial coarse filtration recommended Inlet to tank from bottom with baffling and velocity diffusion Use of floating suction Re-circulation ,if required, should not agitate the fuel Draining the fuel from tank , site specific experience Sloping bottoms for proper collection of water Floating roof for volatile fuels Provision for heating for heavy oils Prohibit use of cadmium,zinc and copper

Storage Tanks Typical details

Cone Bottom
2.5 cm from bottom 5cm in 300cm

Sloping Bottom

Sloping Bottom

Gauge Hatch

Floating Suction Fuel In

Cable for checking Operation of floating Suction

Fuel Out
18

Inlet Diffuser 18 minimum Limit Lift to 75 Deg

Drain Water

Off-Base Fuel Forwarding

Generally centrifugal pumps used 100% redundancy with auto change-over Each pump to have isolation valving Filtration in multi Duplex stages. Entire pipelines preferably of SS
Water coalescent filters , Magnetic particle removal , 20 Micron filters , 5 micron fine filtration

Pressure control with re-circulation to ensure proper flow under all operating conditions Relief valves to release locked up pressure Adequate provisions for regular sampling Sunshades for low lubricity fuels

On-Base Fuel Handling

Coarse strainer at inlet Emergency stop valve High pressure fuel pump Last chance HP filter Flow divider Fuel Check valves Naphtha purge drain system ( Only for naphtha fuel firing ) Redundant off-base systems for improved availability

Combustors
Cannular multiple combustion chambers Liquid fuel nozzles with atomisation and purge ports Combustion liners suitable for distillates / heavy oils Mixed firing of distillates and gases possible Flame detection and exhaust spread for control ISO ratings slightly lower on liquid fuels DLN systems suitable for liquid firing Water or Steam injection for Nox abatement

Heavy Fuels : On-site Treatment / Firing

Trace Metal Removal

- Sodium, Potassium, Calcium by water washing / Electrostatic precipitators

- Vanadium by vanadium inhibitors ( Magnesium ) - Lead not removable ( source control ) - Heat tracing for viscosity control

Peak firing not allowed Vanadium inhibition causes HGP deposits Turbine water washing essential High pressure Atomisation Start-up fuel requirement Availability lower Gas Turbine ratings lower on heavy oil firing

NAPHTHA

Key Properties & Issues

Flash point LEL/UEL Autoigniton IBP Viscosity Miscibility with Water

Deg C % Deg C Deg C Cst

: : : : : :

< 25 0.9 - 6.0 290 30 < 0.7 Hygroscopic

Fire Hazard Fire Hazard Fire Hazard Volatile Low Lubricity Corrosive

BHEL GTs

Special Design Considerations fuel

Alternate start / shutdown

Naphtha drain and purge Suitable ventilation system Leak detection Lubricity enhancing additive Suitable fuel storage / delivery system Operational control

Design Considerations : Start / shutdown fuel

Machine not to start or shutdown on naphtha Use of distillate # 2 , HSD or Natural gas Consequences of false start avoided

Design Considerations : Drain / Purge

Modified design to facilitate drain / purge on GT trip

Fuel Filter

Gas Turbine
Water Dirty Oil H.P Filter Naphtha Purge Drain

Stop Valve

Fuel Pump

Dirty Oil / Water drain

Flow Divider

Pressurised Naptha drain Atmospheric fuel drain

Naphtha Purge And Drain System ( typical)

To Naphtha Drain Tank

Design Considerations :

Ventilation

Turbine cooling and reduced risk of accumulated vapours

Ventilation preferred means of protection Hot and cold areas sealed Scavenging of heavy vapours

Design Considerations :

Ventilation

Design Considerations :
Detection

Leak Detection

probes at critical locations

20 % LEL / 60% UEL philosophy Operator alarm or trip recommended

Design Considerations :

Lubricity Additive

Use of PFD without additive for smaller

frames

Use of mechanical flow dividers with additive On-line control of additive dosage Fuel pumps with dedicated lubrication

Design Considerations : Operational Control

Permissive for startup and shutdown sequence with alternative fuels Initiation of purge after turbine trip Auto-changeover to naphtha after FSNL Permissive to start after establishing ventilation Mixed firing as per predetermined schedule Alarm / trip on detection of naphtha

Naphtha

Firing

Naphtha firing experience is predominantly available from Indian installations, most of such gas turbines having been supplied by BHEL. Naphtha when handled as recommended can be a very good fuel for gas turbines. This is ably supported by large number of operating hours of BHEL gas turbines

Mixed Fuel Firing

Mixed firing of gas and distillate possible Minimum limits of gas and distillate as 30 and 10 % of base load Mixed firing above minimum load Auto change-over to either fuel on trouble

Permissible zone
Load

Gas Liquid

0% 100%

30% 70%

90%

100% 0%

% fuel

10%

Summary
BHEL Gas Turbines are designed to handle variety of gaseous and liquid fuels Suitable on-site treatment is provided for handling difficult heavy oils Emission control is affected by inbuilt combustion system control mechanism and Nox abatement systems Fuel flexibility is further enhanced by having mixed firing of gas and liquid fuels Special design and operational features have been added for handling Naphtha firing in India

Thank You