Things You Should Know About Fuel Gas Conditioning

1. Electricity can be generated with a variety of methods. One of these is with the use of gas turbines. Gas turbines are run by burning fuel gas and boiling water. The steam from this boiling water rotates the turbine and generates electricity as per Michael Faraday’s Laws of Electromagnetic Induction. In order to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine, the fuel gas must first be purified. This is done using a fuel gas conditioning system. Fuel gas conditioning helps in not only increasing the efficiency of the turbine but also reduces the risk of damage from unrefined fuel gas. Using this process yields a number of benefits ranging from increased speed of production to lower costs. Let’s take a deeper look at fuel gas conditioning. Importance Fuel gas typically comes with quite a few impurities. These impurities slow down the combustion process and can even cause massive damage to the turbine since some of them are chemically reactive with alkali earth metals. Hence, the need to treat and purify fuel gas arises. Implementing a fuel gas treatment package in the system can help in purifying all the fuel gas before it reaches the turbine. In short, conditioning systems are needed to: Increase performance, longevity, and reliability of the turbine. Minimize maintenance costs, downtime, and damages to the turbine.

2. Most fuel gas turbines won’t meet warranty requirements unless a conditioning system has been attached to it. Types of Impurities that the System Helps in Removing If you are still wondering about the importance of a fuel gas conditioning system, reading about the kinds of impurities it removes from fuel gas. At the basic level, the impurities are classified as per the state of matter they are in at room temperature. These are – solids, liquids, or gases. Some common impurities from each category are: Solids – Rust, Mill Scale, Sand These solid impurities can cause the gas turbine to corrode and deteriorate over time. If they are left unchecked in the fuel gas, they can create a buildup of gunk which can stop the turbine from functioning properly. Liquids – Water, Condensed Gas, Heavy Hydrocarbons, Lube Oil These liquid impurities can cause high-temperature related fluctuations within the system which can further cause cases of hot spots which can be disastrous for the turbine and its internal systems. Purifying the fuel will prevent these scenarios from occurring in the first place by removing the root cause. This will significantly save you from heavy repairing costs. Gases – Siloxane, Hydrogen Sulfide, Carbon Dioxide It may seem that these gasses cannot cause damage as solids and liquids but, in reality, they are even more damaging. Gases such as hydrogen sulfide can react with the alkali earth metals and alkaline metals in the turbine. They also severely reduce the efficiency of the turbine. In conclusion, the process of fuel gas conditioning is extremely important for gas turbines. These increase efficiency, reduce damage and help the turbine function properly for ages. Follow us for More information: -