Abstract
This study aims to investigate the possibility of direct burning of ammonia in a micro gas turbine (mGT) from a thermodynamic and turbomachinery point of view. The performance of a 3.2 KW mGT fueled by ammonia has been assessed using a simulation algorithm, which consists of a series of equations that characterize the various components’ pressure losses, the behavior of the heat exchangers, combustor, and turbomachines, as well as the other auxiliary devices. In addition, in this study, the effect of steam injection in the combustion chamber on the mGT performance parameters has been investigated. Higher power and efficiency can be achieved at the rated rotational speed using steam injection. With the STeam Injected Gas Turbine (STIG) cycle taken into consideration, the results indicate that the maximum mass flow rate of steam produced by recovering the heat of the flue gas can be 1.5 g/s, depending on the temperature at the pinch point. Analyzing the mGT’s performance, when ammonia was fed and 1.5 g/s of steam was injected, the mass flow rate of fuel dropped, which also reduced the amount of power consumed by the fuel compressor. As a result, there is a significant gain in electric power and efficiency. Adopting the steam injection technique also has the added benefit of increasing system flexibility, as the released heat can be used to make steam, which improves electric performance, or to deliver thermal power, depending on the needs of the users.