The University of Stavanger powers a gas turbine using 100% hydrogen

In southwest Norway, the University of Stavanger maintains a mini gas plant. The gas turbine generates heat as well as power. It also provides hot water for the nearby laboratory facilities to keep warm. Furthermore, excess energy is delivered to Lyse’s district heating and electrical infrastructures. Every ounce of energy is put to good use.

The researchers have been working on a way for utilizing pure hydrogen as a gas turbine fuel. The objective is to create power that emits no CO2. A significant milestone was attained in mid-May 2022. They began using 100% hydrogen to power the turbine.

“In tiny gas turbines, we have achieved a world record for hydrogen combustion. No one has ever been able to create at such a high level “Professor Mohsen Assadi agrees. He directs the study and takes with him Reyhaneh Banihabib, a Ph.D. fellow, and engineers Magnus Wersland and Bjarte Hetlelid (both from the NORCE research institution) to conduct the facility’s testing. They’ve now demonstrated that hydrogen can be used in the current natural gas infrastructure.

“The gas turbine’s efficiency will be somewhat reduced if it is powered by hydrogen. The main benefit, though, is the ability to make use of existing infrastructure. Furthermore, there are no CO2 emissions linked with the generation of this energy “Assadi claims. He notes that this study is focused on both the storage and delivery of gas fuel.

“To begin, some work must be done to guarantee that current gas infrastructure can take hydrogen rather than natural gas. Second, this is about energy conversion technology, specifically turbine technology. That’s what we’ve been concentrating on. We’ve helped with the fuel system and combustion chamber technology technological advancements “Assadi claims.

His research team will now examine the gas plant’s constraints in order to see how they might boost capacity in order to create as much clean energy as feasible.

The tiny gas turbine factory is a joint venture with DLR, a German research institute (German Aerospace Center). They provided the combustion chamber, which allowed the experiments to be carried out.