Session: 03-03 Hydrogen Sustainability, Affordability and Safety

Paper Number: 101368

101368 - Best Practices From Hydrogen Fuel System Retrofit 

As the world pushes towards decarbonization, Hydrogen co-firing is being considered as a viable solution for Gas Turbine Power Plants. To enable this capability at currently operating natural gas fired plants, a hydrogen fuel system retrofit is necessary. Hydrogen has a higher propensity to leak and to ignite with respect to natural gas. Additionally, hazardous area classification and materials at an existing natural gas power plant do not necessarily comply with industry regulations and standards. Considering these challenges, the conventional procedures and tests used for natural gas must be reconsidered for the application of a hydrogen system to achieve a safe, compliant, and cost effective retrofit.

This paper aims to begin to develop best practices for future retrofits by reflecting on the experience taken from the successful retrofit and demonstration of a hydrogen system at Southern Company/Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough. The experience found that while the methods applied are not new to the industry, it was necessary to apply a more controlled and in some cases inventive process considering the challenges associated with unique properties of hydrogen.

Outline

· Team Philosophy – Working relationship between all parties.

· Plant and OEM Communications and DOR

· Arrangement of system for hazardous area considerations

· Flange Gasket and Bolting Practices

· Use of Threaded fittings

· Pipe Material and Pipe Sizing

· Pressure & Leak Testing

· System Purging Sequences – From Air to Hydrogen and Hydrogen to Air

· Natural Gas service test / trial

· Control System Logic Modifications

· Safety relief valves considerations

· Commissioning procedures

· Environmental and Performance Impacts

Presenting Author: Travis Pigon Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.

Presenting Author Biography: Travis Pigon is a Principal System Engineer for the Gas Turbine Service Engineering Department of Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc. Travis joined Mitsubishi Power in 2008 and holds a B.S. and an M.S in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central Florida. His tenure at Mitsubishi Power has include over 10 years of Gas Turbine component design and upgrade applications as a Gas Turbine design engineer and Gas Turbine Design & Application Engineering Manager.
In his current role, he is responsible for leading top level design of complex, interdisciplinary retrofit upgrades for Gas Turbine Power Plants; including the recent successful validation of hydrogen fuel blending on an M501G natural gas turbine at Georgia Power’s Plant McDonough-Atkinson in Smyrna, Georgia

Authors:

Travis Pigon Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
Scott Cloyd Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
Chaya Springer Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
James Boggs Mitsubishi Power Americas, Inc.
Takashi Shiraiwa Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.
Shinichi Yamazaki Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd.