CBE Seminar: Adapting Gas Turbines for Operation on Hydrogen and Other Renewable Fuels

Abstract: A need to reduce carbon intensity in our society is creating interest in the generation of electricity from renewable sources. Examples include solar, wind, fuel cells, gas turbines and combinations of these technologies. Gas turbines offer an excellent near-term strategy for significantly reducing the carbon signature of the electrical grid. To be successful, however, these systems must be able to operate on appropriate renewable fuels. These include renewable hydrogen as well as renewable liquids such as biodiesel. This seminar will present an overview of ongoing progress in adapting current gas turbine technology to use renewable sources for energy and propulsion, with emphasis on the consideration for renewable hydrogen as perhaps the ultimate source of sustainable energy. The adaptation of gas turbines for operation on hydrogen is presented, with impactful research carried out to address operational challenges with using hydrogen. In particular, the development of design tools to develop necessary modifications to the gas turbine to accommodate high levels of hydrogen is presented, with emphasis on consideration for operability issues such as autoignition, flashback and flameholding, as well as strategies for low emissions. In addition, some discussion regarding requirements for utilizing renewable liquid fuels is presented in the context of gas turbines used for propulsion.

Bio: Vincent McDonell is an adjunct professor in mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC Irvine. He is currently the director of the UCI Combustion Laboratory and associate director of the Advanced Power and Energy Program. His research has emphasized the use of alternative gaseous and liquid fuels for low-emission operation of continuous combustion systems such as gas turbines, industrial systems and appliances. The research also encompasses a wide range of applications involving the atomization of liquids, including fuel injection as well as spray forming, cooling and processing. Tools applied include various conventional and laser-based diagnostic methods as well as computational tools such as computational fluid dynamics and chemical kinetic simulations. When emphasis is on development of design tools for atomization systems or combustion systems, statistically designed experimental methods are frequently applied. Besides detailed studies of components, McDonell has also conducted research associated with combined heat-and-power systems, which are critical to the concept of local energy systems or microgrids. Research is supported by numerous agencies including local, state and federal entities, as well as numerous collaborations with industry.

Host: Vasan Venugopalan