Simulation of Microturbine Combustion Chamber Performance with Syngas: Analysis of Compositions Derived from Coal and Biomass

In this study, the performance of an annular combustion chamber of a microturbine was simulated using syngas derived from coal and biomass. The primary objective is to investigate the combustion chamber’s performance and pollutant emissions under premixed combustion conditions. The simulations are conducted using a partially premixed combustion model and the k-epsilon Realizable turbulence model. The partially premixed combustion model, by integrating the advantages of both premixed and non-premixed combustion, enabled an accurate analysis of the combustion process and provided precise predictions of complex turbulent flow behaviors and chemical reactions. The fuel and air were assumed to be premixed, which improved temperature uniformity and contributed to a reduction in NOx emissions when using syngas. An analysis of the OH mass fraction revealed that coal-derived syngas, due to its high hydrogen content and faster combustion rate, produces the shortest flame. The NOx and CO emissions for this fuel were 3.23 ppm and 227.3 ppm, respectively. On the other hand, biomass-derived syngas generates a temperature field similar to that of pure methane combustion due to its methane content. However, the high concentrations of methane and carbon monoxide resulted in a significant CO emission of 2914 ppm. This fuel also exhibited the highest NOx emission, reaching 29.9 ppm. The findings indicate that utilizing coal-derived syngas in premixed combustion conditions reduces NOx emissions and thermal hotspots.