Efficiency of chemically recuperated gas turbine fired with methane: Effect of operating parameters

Previously, a set of optimistic studies have been published to show the efficiency of chemically recuperated gas turbines (CRGT) based on steam methane reforming. The thermodynamic efficiency of such turbines is depending not only on temperature and pressure in a cycle but also on temperature, pressure and steam to-methane ratio in a recuperation system. In this paper, the effect of operational parameters (temperature, pressure, steam-to-methane ratio) on the efficiency of CRGT was determined. Exhaust heat recuperation in CRGT is taking place due to methane reforming, steam-methane mixture heating, and steam generation. A thermodynamic enthalpy of steam methane reforming process was determined via Gibbs free energy minimization method. The thermodynamic analysis of CRGT was performed in Aspen HYSYS. The efficiency of CRGT was determined for a wide range of operational parameters (gas turbine inlet temperature of 800- 1500 degrees C, pressure of 5-25 bar, steam-to-methane ratio of 1...3). Based on the analysis it was confirmed that the efficiency of CRGT and thermochemical exhaust heat recuperation system is increasing with an increase in temperature. An increase in temperature and steam-to-methane ratio leads to an increase in a share of recuperated heat in a reformer. The heat recuperation rate is up to 0.63 for a high-temperature gas turbine and a steam-to-methane ratio of 3. The efficiency of CRGT is up to 49% for gas turbines with inlet gas temperature of 1500 degrees C which is an available level in modern gas turbines from Mitsubishi, Siemens, Alstom, etc.