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Title: Test and evaluation of methanol in a gas turbine system. Final report

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6618572· OSTI ID:6618572

A test was conducted to compare the operational and emission characteristics of two Turbo Power and Marine Systems, Inc. (TPM) gas turbines, one operating on distillate fuel (Jet A) and the other operating on methanol. The test, which included 523 h of methanol burn time, was conducted at Southern California Edison Company's (SCE) Ellwood Energy Support Facility in Goleta, California. The facility consisted of two gas turbines combined with an electric generator in a TP-4 Twin Pac configuration. Normally, distilled water is injected into the combustion chambers of each turbine to reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions. During the major portion of the program, no water was injected into the methanol fueled turbine. Periodically during the program, performance and emission tests as well as physical inspections of the hot section of each turbine were conducted. Emission and performance tests were also conducted on natural gas. One series of tests was conducted with distilled water injected into the combustion chamber during methanol operations. Oxides of nitrogen emissions on the methanol-fueled turbine, without water injection, were approximately 80% of the emissions of the distillate fueled turbine with water injection. There was a significant reduction in particulate emissions during methanol operation. An additional reduction in oxides of nitrogen emission was obtained during operations of the methanol-fueled turbine with water injection. No significant problems occurred during the test that could be attributed to firing methanol. The hot end inspections indicated cleaner components within the methanol fueled turbine.

Research Organization:
Southern California Edison Co., Rosemead (USA)
OSTI ID:
6618572
Report Number(s):
EPRI-AP-1712
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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