The marriage of gas turbines and coal

Journal Article · Sun Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991 · Mechanical Engineering; (United States)

OSTI ID:5784215

Bajura, R A; Webb, H A

This paper reports on developing gas turbine systems that can use coal or a coal-based fuel ensures that the United States will have cost-effective environmentally sound options for supplying future power generation needs. Power generation systems that marry coal or a coal-based fuel to a gas turbine Some matchmakers would consider this an unlikely marriage. Historically, most gas turbines have been operated only on premium fuels, primarily natural gas or distillate oil. The perceived problems from using coal or coal-based fuels in turbines are: Erosion and deposition: Coal ash particles in the hot combustion gases passing through the expander turbine could erode or deposit on the turbine blades. Corrosion: Coal combustion will release alkali compounds form the coal ash. Alkali in the hot gases passing through the expander turbine can cause corrosion of high-temperature metallic surfaces. Emissions: coal contains higher levels of ash, fuel-bound sulfur and nitrogen compounds, and trace contaminants than premium fuels. Meeting stringent environmental regulations for particulates, sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}), nitrogen oxides (NO{sub x}), and trace contaminants will be difficult. Economics: Coal-based systems are expensive to build. The difference in price between coal and premium fuels must be large enough to justify the higher capital cost.

• OSTI ID: 5784215
• Journal Information: Mechanical Engineering; (United States), Vol. 113:9; ISSN 0025-6501
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
ELECTRIC POWER
ENERGY SOURCES
GAS TURBINE POWER PLANTS
DESIGN
USA
COAL-FIRED GAS TURBINES
COMBINED-CYCLE POWER PLANTS
CORROSION
NITROGEN OXIDES
PEAKING POWER PLANTS
PLANNING
POLLUTION REGULATIONS
POWER GENERATION
SULFUR DIOXIDE
TURBINE BLADES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
EQUIPMENT
GAS TURBINES
MACHINERY
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POWER
POWER PLANTS
REGULATIONS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR OXIDES
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
TURBINES
TURBOMACHINERY
200102* - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Power Cycles
200105 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Heat Utilization
200500 - Fossil-Fueled Power Plants- Environmental Aspects- (1990-)
296000 - Energy Planning & Policy- Electric Power