Project Title:  RCL^™ Catalytic Combustors for Gas Turbine Engines

DOE SBIR/STTR Project ID#(s):  35816, 55731

Technology:

Precision Combustion, Inc. (PCI) has developed a breakthrough catalytic combustor which has demonstrated below 3ppm NOx emissions for advanced, natural gas fueled ground power gas turbine engines.  The catalytic combustor is based upon PCI’s patented Rich Catalytic/Lean burn (RCL^™) combustor technology and operates by partially reacting a fuel-rich fuel/air mixture over a catalyst, then introducing and rapidly mixing cooling air to produce a fuel-lean reactive mixture.  This fuel-lean mixture feeds a catalytic pilot flame that stabilizes the main injector/swirler flame providing reduced NOx emissions and much lower combustor acoustics

Benefits:

-          Enables cost-efficient retrofits of existing DLN gas turbines to enable low emissions operation

-          Enables a cost effective “in engine-pollution prevention” approach to address stricter future emissions requirements and avoid emissions and efficiency penalties associated with after treatment technologies.

-          Full RCL^™ catalytic combustors enable low  NOx and CO emissions without expensive SCR after-treatment

-          Increased safety by  enabling low emissions catalytic combustion without pre-ignition or flashback danger

-          Low NOx (<5 ppm) and Low CO (<5 ppm) created by catalytic pilot, a fraction of what is created by current technology diffusion flame pilots

-          Reduced combustion driven pressure oscillations (acoustics) resulting in potentially longer gas turbine component mechanical life

Applications:

The developed technology is applicable to large utility, industrial, and microturbine gas turbines and can be utilized in the pilot embodiment or as a full RCL^™ catalytic combustor.  The full RCL^™ catalytic combustor enables lower emission operations of gas turbines without the use of expensive after-treatment systems such as SCR.

Benefit to the Company:

The DOE SBIR program has brought numerous benefits to PCI.  The two projects performed in the SBIR program (An Advanced Technology Catalytic Combustor for Natural Gas Turbine Engines, Advanced Catalytic Pilot for Advanced Gas Turbine Systems) have enabled PCI to initiate and perform high-risk, high-reward R&D and build an extensive knowledge base of catalytic combustion applications and gas turbine operations with integrated RCL^Ô catalytic combustion technology.  Participation in the DOE SBIR Program has yielded one U.S patent (6,174,159) to date with several others pending.  In addition, performance in DOE  development programs has attracted DOE Phase III funding from OIT and the ATS program as well as from Commercial OEM’s Siemens Westinghouse and Solar Turbines.  Successful Phase III performance is currently leading to full engine trials in 2003/2004.  During PCI’s participation in the program, PCI has been selected as a one of the Connecticut ’s fastest growing technology companies by Deloite and Touche and has been identified as a Connecticut “Fast Fifty” award winner for 1998-2000.  In 1998 PCI was also honored with a Tibbetts Award from the Small Business Administration.