As part of the collaborative project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, a micro gas turbine-based cogeneration system is being developed in connection with a wood gas plant for the production of decentralized electricity and heat. The first phase of this process involves analyzing the gasification system and the micro gas turbine separately and then modifying them in preparation for subsequent connection. The second phase is the actual implementation in a demonstration plant, involving the connection of the micro gas turbine-based cogeneration system to an atmospheric fixed-bed cocurrent gasifier. The goals of the demonstration phase involve the experimental characterization of the operating behavior, the identification of optimization potential and observation of the entire system from a commercial point of view.
Research Tasks at the Institute of Combustion Technology
The most important tasks in this project at the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology are the numerical plant design and the development of a new combustion system for the combustion of wood gas in micro gas turbines. Plant concepts are being created and evaluated for the connection of micro gas turbines to an atmospheric fixed-bed gasifier. An analysis of the micro gas turbine’s stationary operating behavior is carried out using the simulation program for micro gas turbine plants, developed at the DLR. The thermodynamic and control process variables ascertained during analysis help in the design of necessary plant components and of the combustion chamber. In order to use wood gas in the micro gas turbine, a new combustion system is being developed which will guarantee efficient and reliable combustion and produce only low emissions. The DLR continues to coordinate the project as a whole.
Status of Research Work
In the first phase of the project the wood gas combustion chamber has been designed and successfully tested in the micro gas turbine at the test rig of the Institute of Combustion Technology. It is based on the FLOX®2-concept, which features low pollutant emissions and a high fuel-flexibility. With the synthetically mixed wood gas stable operation of the Turbec T100 was obtained between 50 and 100 kWel. The MGT reached an electrical efficiency of 31.5% (without fuel gas compression). In comparison to the Turbec combustion chamber the pressure loss is reduced about approximately one third. The measured emissions of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and unburnt hydrocarbons meet the German emission limits over the whole operating range. The combustion chamber is now ready for long-term testing at the demonstration plant, which is currently under construction.
Funding Reference: 03KB047A
Duration: 01.10.2010 – 31.10.2015
Partners: Institut für Energie und Umwelt e. V. (IUTA) Hochschule Offenburg EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
1 Zornek, T., de Graaff, M., Monz, T., Aigner, M.: Potentiale von Mikrogasturbinen bei der Kopplung mit atmosphärischen Festbettvergasern. Energetische Biomassenutzung - Neue Technologien und Konzepte für die Bioenergie der Zukunft. 2012, S. 315-325
2 FLOX® is a registered Trademark of the Company WS Wärmeprozesstechnik GmbH, Renningen, Deutschland
3 Picture: DLR/FrankEppler
4 Timo Zornek, Thomas Monz, Manfred Aigner: Effizient, flexibel, sauber – Flox-Brennkammersysteme für Mikrogasturbinen, BWK, Bd. 66 (2014) Nr.9, S.13-16