Operational Behaviour of a Gas Turbine Combustion Chamber Using Hydrogen–Ammonia Fuel

This article describes a study of a tubular–annular combustion chamber in a 25 MW gas turbine operating on a hydrogen–ammonia mixture, with the aim of determining its energy and environmental characteristics. A novel approach was developed for modelling the combustion processes of this mixture under conditions where the gaseous fuel was premixed with an oxidiser in the channels of radial–axial swirlers within flame tubes. A detailed kinetic scheme for mixture combustion within the eddy dissipation concept framework was used in three-dimensional calculations of the combustion chamber. It was found that the range of stable operation, without the formation of a flame flashback zone in the radial–axial swirler channels, was defined by an ammonia content exceeding 50% (by volume) in the mixture. The main features of the working process in the combustion chamber with different compositions of the hydrogen–ammonia mixture were analysed. The results will be useful for the design of advanced gas turbine engine combustion chambers as part of decarbonised energy systems.