The invention concerns a gas turbine combustion system, including a gas turbine. The gas turbine includes at least one compressor, at least one combustion chamber for generating working gas, wherein the combustion chamber connected to receive compressed air from the compressor, at least one turbine connected to receive working gas from the combustion chamber. The combustion chamber consists of an individual can-combustor or comprising a number of can-combustors arranged in an annular can-architecture, wherein the can-combustor having at least one premixed burner. The ignition of the mixture starts at the premixed burner outlet and the flame is stabilized in the region of the premixed burner outlet by means of a backflow zone. The can-combustor comprising a number of premixed burners arranged uniformly or divided at least in two groups within the can-combustor.

An improved chemical looping combustion (CLC) process and system includes a hopper containing oxygen carrier particles, e.g., metal oxides, that are gravity fed at a controlled rate of flow from the hopper into (a) a generally vertical downflow reactor where they are mixed with all of the hydrocarbon fuel feed to the system and (b) into one or more standpipes that are in communication with a plurality of staged fluidized reactor beds, the amount of the oxygen carrier particles introduced into the system being stoichiometrically predetermined to produce a syngas mixture of H.sub.2 and CO.sub.2; or to complete combustion of the fuel to CO.sub.2 and water vapor, thereby permitting capture of a majority of the CO.sub.2 produced in an essentially pure form.

Embodiments of the present invention include high-temperature staged recirculating burners and radiant tube burner assemblies that provide high efficiency, low NOx and CO emissions, and uniform temperature characteristics. One such staged recirculating burner includes a combustion tube having inside and outside helical fins forming opposing spiral pathways for combustion gases and products of combustion, a combustion nozzle coupled to the combustion tube, a gas tube running axially into the combustion tube, and a staging gas nozzle coupled to the gas tube, where the staging gas nozzle includes radial exit holes into the combustion tube and an axial gas staging tube extending into the combustion nozzle to stage combustion.

High turndown ratio gaseous fuel burner nozzles and the control thereof are provided. High turndown ratio gaseous fuel burner nozzles include a mechanically adjustable nozzle port, such as in the form of an iris port, for expanded turndown control. A nozzle extension longitudinally extending from the mechanical adjustable nozzle port can be included to assist in shaping the flow of combustible gas from the nozzle port. A laminar flow insert can be housed within the nozzle extension to assist in producing laminar flow of the combustible gas flowing therethrough. A burner nozzle controller in control communication with the mechanically adjustable nozzle port can adjust the size of the nozzle port to selectively maintain exit velocity of the gaseous fuel from the nozzle port for one or more of combustion stability and flame stability.

Systems/methods for continuous operation of fixed bed reactors using gaseous fuels for the purpose of power generation through integration with a combined cycle power plant are provided. The fixed bed reactors are assumed to operate in a semi-batch mode composed of reactor modules that are integrated into module trains that comprise the chemical-looping combustion island of the power plant. The scheduling of each reactor train is cast as an optimization problem that maximizes thermodynamic efficiency subject to constraints imposed to each reactor and the entire island. When the chemical-looping reactors are arranged cyclically, each feeding to or being fed from another reactor, in an operating scheme that mimics simulated moving bed reactors, the thermodynamic efficiency of the reactor island can be improved. Allowing the reversal of module order in the cyclically arranged reactor modules further improves the overall thermodynamic efficiency (to 84.7%), while satisfying constraints imposed for carbon capture, fuel conversion, power plant safety and oxygen carrier stability.

Systems/methods for continuous operation of fixed bed reactors using gaseous fuels for the purpose of power generation through integration with a combined cycle power plant are provided. The fixed bed reactors are assumed to operate in a semi-batch mode composed of reactor modules that are integrated into module trains that comprise the chemical-looping combustion island of the power plant. The scheduling of each reactor train is cast as an optimization problem that maximizes thermodynamic efficiency subject to constraints imposed to each reactor and the entire island. When the chemical-looping reactors are arranged cyclically, each feeding to or being fed from another reactor, in an operating scheme that mimics simulated moving bed reactors, the thermodynamic efficiency of the reactor island can be improved. Allowing the reversal of module order in the cyclically arranged reactor modules further improves the overall thermodynamic efficiency (to 84.7%), while satisfying constraints imposed for carbon capture, fuel conversion, power plant safety and oxygen carrier stability.

A waste heat recovery boiler in producing glass beads includes an equipment base arranged at the lower part of the waste heat recovery boiler. The upper part of the equipment base is connected with a cylindrical combustion production chamber, the lower part of the combustion production chamber is provided with a raw material inlet with single-layer or staggered layers. A finished product outlet is arranged at the lower end inside the combustion diffusion chamber, a membrane wall is arranged outside the combustion diffusion chamber, a steam-water lead-out straight tube system is symmetrically arranged at the upper end of the combustion diffusion chamber, a top annular water collecting tank is connected between the steam-water lead-out straight tube system and a steam-water lead-out tube system, and the steam-water lead-out tube system is connected with an upper drum.

A waste heat recovery boiler in producing glass beads includes an equipment base arranged at the lower part of the waste heat recovery boiler. The upper part of the equipment base is connected with a cylindrical combustion production chamber, the lower part of the combustion production chamber is provided with a raw material inlet with single-layer or staggered layers. A finished product outlet is arranged at the lower end inside the combustion diffusion chamber, a membrane wall is arranged outside the combustion diffusion chamber, a steam-water lead-out straight tube system is symmetrically arranged at the upper end of the combustion diffusion chamber, a top annular water collecting tank is connected between the steam-water lead-out straight tube system and a steam-water lead-out tube system, and the steam-water lead-out tube system is connected with an upper drum.

A cylindrical burner apparatus and method which produce low NO.sub.x emissions and low noise levels without being dependent upon a blower, or natural draft, for providing air flow or flue gas recirculation. A flow of combustion air is induced into an initial tube pass of the burner by discharging a gas fuel from a plurality of discharge ports located in the initial tube pass. At the same time, a flow of recycled flue gas is induced through a bypass duct between a subsequent tube pass of the burner and the initial tube pass by discharging one or more jets of gas fuel through the bypass duct.

A thermophotovoltaic generator incorporating a two-stage combustor for providing heat to a thermophotovoltaic cell. Combustor parts include a partial oxidation reactor, which functions catalytically to convert a hydrocarbon fuel and a first supply of an oxidant into a gaseous partial oxidation product; and further include downstream thereof, a deep oxidation reactor including a premixer plenum fluidly connected to a heat spreader comprising a porous matrix, such as a ceramic foam. Functionally, the deep oxidation reactor converts the gaseous partial oxidation product and a second supply of oxidant into complete combustion products. Heat produced by the two-stage combustor generates radiative energy from a photon emitter, which is directly converted to electricity in a photovoltaic diode cell.