R&D Portfolio

The Fuel and Feedstock Flexibility activity provides R&D cost-shared support for collaborative R&D to accelerate the market adoption of emerging fuel and feedstock flexibility technology options for industry.

Active R&D Portfolio

Project fact sheets for each project are available as Adobe PDFs. Download Adobe Reader.

Fuel Flexible Combustion Systems for High Efficiency Utilization of Opportunity Fuels in Gas Turbines (PDF 1.1 MB)

General Electric Global Research will define, develop, and test new fuel nozzle technology concepts for gas turbine operation on a wide spectrum of opportunity fuels and/or fuel blends. This will enable gas turbine operation on ultra-low Btu fuel streams such as very weak natural gas, highly-diluted industrial process gases, or gasified waste streams that are out of the capability range of current turbine systems.
Fuel-Flexible Combustion System for Refinery and Chemical Plant Process

ENVIRON International Corporation, in collaboration with Callidus Technologies and Shell Global Solutions, will develop and demonstrate a full-scale fuel handling and combustion system. This will allow a broad range of opportunity gas fuels (including renewable gas fuels) to be safely, cost-effectively, and efficiently utilized while generating minimal emissions of criteria pollutants. The project will develop a commercial technology for application in refinery and chemical plant process heaters where opportunity fuels are used.
Development of a Low NOx Medium-Sized Industrial Gas Turbine Operating on Hydrogen-Rich Renewable and Opportunity Fuels

Solar Turbines Inc., in collaboration with Pennsylvania State University and the University of Southern California, will develop injector technologies for gas turbine use of high-hydrogen content renewable and opportunity fuels derived from coal, biomass, industrial process waste, or byproducts. This project will develop low-emission technology for alternate fuels with high-hydrogen content, thereby reducing natural gas requirements and lowering carbon intensity.
Fuel-Flexible, Low Emissions Catalytic Combustor for Opportunity Fuel Applications

Precision Combustion, Inc. will develop a fuel-flexible Rich Catalytic Lean-Burn (RCL®) injector capable of enabling ultra-low nitrogen oxide-lean premixed combustion of a wide range of gaseous opportunity fuels. The combustor fuel flexibility will be demonstrated for low Btu gases, such as digester and low value associated gas and fuels containing reactive species, such as refinery gas and some associated gas.
Fiscalini Farms Renewable Energy Power Generation Project (PDF 1.1 MB)

Fiscalini Farms L.P., in collaboration with University of the Pacific, Biogas Energy, Inc., and the University of California at Berkeley will measure and analyze the efficiency and regulatory compliance of a renewable energy system for power generation. The system will utilize digester gas from an anaerobic digester located at the Fiscalini Farms dairy for power generation with a reciprocating engine. The project will provide power, efficiency, emissions, and cost/benefit analysis for the system and evaluate its compliance with federal and California emissions standards.
Research, Development and Demonstration of Biomass Boiler Applications for the Food Processing Industry (PDF 1.1 MB)

Burns & McDonnell Engineering Company, in collaboration with Frito-Lay, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, CPL Systems, Inc., Alpha Boilers, and Kansas State University will demonstrate use of a biomass boiler in the food processing industry. The 60,000 lb/hr innovative biomass boiler system utilizing a combination of wood waste and tire-derived fuel (TDF) waste will offset all natural gas consumption at Frito-Lay's Topeka, Kansas, processing facility.
Integrated Advanced Reciprocating Internal Combustion Engine System for Increased Use of Gaseous Opportunity Fuels (PDF 1.1 MB)

Gas Technology Institute will collaborate with Integrated CHP Systems Corporation, West Virginia University, Vronay Engineering Services, KAR Engineering Associates, Pioneer Air Systems, and Energy Concepts Company to recover waste heat from reciprocating engines. The project will integrate waste heat recovery along with gas clean-up technology system improvements. This will address fuel quality issues that have hampered expanded use of opportunity fuels such as landfill gas, digester biogas, and coal mine methane. This will enable increased application of CHP using renewable and domestically derived opportunity fuels.