Predicted exhaust emissions from a methanol and jet fueled gas turbine combustor

A computer model of a gas turbine combustor has been used to predict the kinetic combustion and pollutant formation processes for methanol and simulated jet fuel. Use of the kinetic reaction mechanisms has also allowed a study of ignition delay and flammability limit of these two fuels. The NOX emissions for methanol were predicted to be from 69 to 92% lower than those for jet fuel at the same equivalence ratio which is in agreement with experimentally observed results. The high heat of vaporization of methanol lowers both the combustor inlet mixture temperatures and the final combustion temperatures. The lower combustion temperatures lead to low NOX emissions while the lower inlet mixture temperatures increase methanol's ignition delay. This increase in ignition delay dictates the lean flammability limit of methanol to be 0.8, while jet fuel is shown to combust at 0.4.