Found some interesting information at the Department of Energy's site on Advanced Turbine Systems. It seems the DOE has moved through phases of development, with only four gas turbine manufacturers still involved at the pre-commercial testing stage. These are GE, Siemens/Westinghouse, Solar Turbines and Allison Engine Company.
The Advanced Turbine Systems Program has four phases:
System Studies for Program Definition (Phase I):
During this phase, six gas turbine manufacturers (General Electric,
Westinghouse, Asea Brown Boveri, United Technologies, Solar
Turbines, and Allison Engine Company) performed studies to
identify incentives and define technical issues and resource
requirements for developing natural-gas-fired advanced turbine
systems.
Concept Development (Phase II):
Five gas turbine manufacturers (General Electric, Westinghouse,
Asea Brown Boveri, Solar Turbines, and Allison Engine Company)
were selected to design and test critical concepts and components for their proposed
ATS systems.
Technology Readiness Testing (Phase III):
Four gas turbine manufacturers (General Electric, Westinghouse, Solar Turbines, and
Allison Engine Company) have been selected to bring their ATS concepts to the point of
pre-commercial testing. Detailed designs and turbine engine specifications for
component manufacturing and assembly will be developed.
Pre-Commercial Demonstration (Phase IV):
A pre-commercial demonstration of a full-scale utility and industrial ATS system will be
conducted.
fe.doe.gov
Part of the ATS program involves achieving single-digit NOx without post-exhaust clean-up system. From Catalytica's website we know that they are working with two of these turbine manufacturers on their ATS project: Solar Turbines and Allison Engine Company. catalytica-inc.com
Here is a short exerpt by Solar Turbines in regards to their project.
Solar's Mecury 50 is a highly flexible combustion system that can be configured for either ultralean premixed or catalytic combustion.... The low emissions of the Mercury 50 have been validated, and rig testing of a catalyst module has been completed.
No mention by Allison/Rolls Royce about their project. Unfortunately there is no public evidence that the two big utility-scale turbines in the ATS project, that from GE and Siemens/Westinghouse, will use Xonon. There is this exerpt, though.
Advanced Gas Turbine Systems for the Utility Market
Both General Electric and Westinghouse, the two utility developers participating in the ATS program,
have selected a closed-loop steam cooling system for their advanced combined cycle. This innovative
combined cycle will achieve program goals of high efficiency, single-digit nitrogen oxide (NOx) levels,
and a 10 percent reduction in the cost of electricity. The integration of an advanced gas turbine with a
steam cooling system increases net thermal performance to the 60 percent level. With the closed-loop
steam cooling system, although the operating temperature of the gas turbine is increased, single-digit
NOx levels are maintained.
The emerging General Electric and Westinghouse utility ATS designs
share the following features:
Combustion System
The dry combustion system has can-annular combustors of lean premixed multi-stage design, resulting
in single-digit NOx generation. Options to improve performance offered by this new design include
catalytic combustion to reduce NOx, eliminating cooling air injection into the turbine path, and
closed-loop steam cooling of the combustors and transitions.
fe.doe.gov
Erik |
