Full Engine RCL® Low NOx Catalytic Combustor

RCLCropped1NOx emissions are a primary contributor to air pollution, and their control is a primary focus of air pollution regulations. PCI is developing a gas turbine engine catalytic combustor that enables low single digit ppm NOx emissions along with high combustion stability, a wide turndown range, and substantial fuel flexibility. PCI's RCL® catalytic combustor technology is a breakthrough, reducing emissions with improved combustion efficiency by preventing the emissions from forming in the first place. This offers a substantial capital and operating cost savings compared to much larger and more complex post-combustion NOx control systems such as Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) PCI's full engine catalytic combustors replace existing lean premix gas turbine mixers and injectors in the combustor with integrated RCL® catalytic injectors, converting all combustion in the engine to catalytic combustion.

Performance Benefits for our RCL® Catalytic Combustor

The PCI Rich Catalytic Lean burn (RCL®) Catalytic Combustor offers many desirable features without efficiency penalty across a wide turndown range such as:

  • Demonstrated ultra-low emissions (NOx<3, CO<10 ppm) at 15-17 atm.
  • Reduced combustion acoustics enabling improved component life
  • Compact - Capable of fitting to existing engine envelopes
  • Robust operation at high firing temperatures
  • Long catalyst life
  • No preburner required for operation
  • Fuel flexibility: The PCI RCL® Catalytic Combustor is relatively indifferent to fuel reactivity, and has been operated with a wide range of fuels including methane (of varying Wobbe index levels), low BTU gas, refinery fuel gas, coal-derived syngas, and hydrogen.

Applications

Offering performance at Best Available Control Technology levels yet with significant operating and cost benefits, PCI's RCL® Catalytic Combustor is attracting interest from power generation and industrial gas turbine manufacturers as well as from government agencies. PCI is developing this technology with support from the U.S. Department of Energy with involvement from multiple gas turbine engine manufacturers.

Additional Articles

Additional information can be obtained from the following published papers:
 

"Ultra Low NOx MW-Scale Catalytic Hydrogen Combustor for Advanced Coal Power Systems", Proceeding of ASME - ICEPAG 2009, International Colloquium on Environmentally Preferred Advanced Power Generation, ICEPAG 2009-1035, CA, February 2009.

"Low Single Digit Engine Emissions Testing for Catalytic Pilot" GT2009-60258 ASME/IGTI. Orlando, Florida.

"Rich-Catalytic Lean-Burn Combustion for Fuel-flexible Operation with Ultra-low Emissions", Catalysis Today, June 2006, Volume 117, pp 438-446.

"Rich-Catalytic Lean-Burn Combustion for Low-Single-Digit NOx Gas Turbines", Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, January 2005, Volume 127, Issue 1, pp 27-35.

"Rich-Catalytic Lean-Burn Combustion for Low-Single-Digit NOx Gas Turbines", GT-2003-38129, proceedings of ASME Turbo Expo 2003 Power for Land, Sea and Air."


Contact PCI to learn more about how our solutions may be adapted for your needs.