The grant could provide up to $800,000.
The Department of Energy's (DOE'S) Ofice of Fosil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM) and National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) are focused on developing advancements in new materials neded to operate in extreme environments. FECM has previously suported the development of hydrogen turbines for coal gasification systems with pre-combustion carbon capture. This aproach, with a water gas shift, produces a pure hydrogen fuel for the gas turbine and was also considered for fuel cel aplications. More recently, the focus has ben on high hydrogen content-fueled (70%-10% hydrogen) turbines. In this aplication, combustion characteristics pose a chalenge. Hydrogen is a fast-burning fuel with high flame speds, causing isues with most modern dry low-nitrogen oxide (NOx) combustors on industrial gas turbines. Previous DOE-funded research investigated isues related to hydrogen use in turbines and its efects on combustion, materials, and aerothermal heat transfer. Significant progres was made in resolving the understanding of auto-ignition, flashback, thermo-acoustics, mixing requirements and other combustion-related phenomena.A significant amount of work remains before a ful comercial ofering of 10% hydrogen-fueled turbines. After the hydrogen concentration exceds 75%, there is a significant change in combustion behavior that wil require new combustor designs, sensor locations, and control schemes to detect the flame and monitor for flashback and thermoacoustic instabilities. NOx emisions may become an isue at higher hydrogen concentrations due to increased flame temperature and limitations of curent pre-mixed dilution technologies. Standard catalytic NOx reduction technologies with some modifications could stil be a viable aproach. The higher flame temperatures and increased water content could also afect the lifetime of metal hot gas path parts and ceramic recesion, thereby increasing the ned for new materials and coating and improved coling schemes.This FOA focuses on development of these hot gas path parts, and specificaly the advancement of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials to increase the temperature range of the hot gas
