Construction of a multi-stage gas turbine system with extremely low environmental impact using nitrous oxide as energy source

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19885
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 64:Environmental conservation measure and related fields
• Research Institution: Kitakyushu National College of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Yamamoto Yohji 北九州工業高等専門学校, 生産デザイン工学科, 教授 (50707453)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 橘 武史 北九州工業高等専門学校, 生産デザイン工学科, 特命教授 (50179719)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 環境負荷低減 / 亜酸化窒素 / 分解発熱 / ガスタービン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, we tried to achieve a multi-stage gas turbine system using nitrous oxide (N2O) as energy source, which can drive the gas turbine with little or no fuel by utilizing the decomposition heat of N2O.
It was confirmed that when N2O was decomposed in constant volume, a pressure spike was obtained, and that the reactor with a heater placed in the flow path was able to decompose the N2O in the flow. These results show that N2O has potential to be used as the energy source for heat engines, including gas turbines.

Free Research Field

燃焼工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

燃焼機器の作動に伴う温暖化ガス排出の割合は重大で、発電機等に用いられるガスタービンもその例外ではない。燃料を用いずN2Oのみでガスタービン等の熱機関を駆動させることができれば、排出ガスは酸素と窒素なので、炭化水素系燃料の燃焼で問題となっている二酸化炭素や汚染排出物質がゼロとなり、安全性も高い。この技術が確立されると、環境、エネルギー問題解決方法や安全対策に関する有望な選択肢が一つ増えることとなる。