Research Status and Technical Progress of Hydrogen-Fueled Gas Turbine

As a multiple-energy carrier, hydrogen can facilitate the transition to a low-carbon future, and coupling renewable energy sources with hydrogen-power generation systems (e.g., gas turbines) can markedly enhance gas turbine combined cycles (GTCCs) power generation regarding cleanliness and flexibility. Conventional gas turbines fuel the natural gas–hydrogen mixture and encounter issues like unstable combustion and elevated nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions. Initially, the alterations in combustion characteristics resulting from the fuel transition are analyzed, and the principal technical challenges of hydrogen-mixed combustion are summarized. It is found that hydrogen exhibits a laminar flame speed approximately 7–10 times higher than that of methane, and a hydrogen blending ratio beyond 30% significantly increases the risk of flashback and thermoacoustic oscillations. The existing technical proficiencies of advanced hydrogen combustion strategies are delineated to offer decision-making assistance for the industry. For instance, micromix combustors can achieve NOx emissions below 20 ppm even with 100% hydrogen, while axial staging technology expands the stable operating range to 25–106% load. Additionally, current research on hydrogen-fueled gas turbines primarily focuses on enhancing traditional combustor designs. Conversely, the focus on the overall alteration of gas turbines has been relatively restricted. It further examines component failure issues arising from elevated temperatures and material hydrogen embrittlement, highlighting that X80 pipeline steel experiences a 17-fold increase in hydrogen embrittlement index when the hydrogen blending ratio rises from 1% to 20%, as well as safety concerns related to fuel transitions from conventional gas turbines to hydrogen gas turbines, offering technical references for the comprehensive optimization of hydrogen-fueled gas turbines.