Design and construction of a gas turbine combustor test rig for alternative fuel testing

Current power generation methods rely primarily on the combustion of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas. Interest in green power technologies has recently led to the direct combustion of biomass-derived liquid fuels in gas turbine engines. The difference in properties of these fuels compared to conventional fuels has lead to some design challenges and modifications in fuel storage and delivery systems for these turbine engines.; The scope of the work presented as part of this thesis is focused on the design, construction, and validation of a gas turbine combustor test rig for alternative fuel testing. Design of the test rig has incorporated the capability to bleed 0.5 kg/s of compressed air from an Allison 250-C20B gas turbine engine for high-pressure tests as well as the option to use an electric blower to supply air at atmospheric pressure. The fuel skid design for the combustor test rig includes control valves and a separate fuel pump to permit mixtures of alternative fuels with diesel for testing purposes.; Preliminary testing of the assembled test rig was conducted to demonstrate the functionality of the design. Results from these tests were analyzed to provide recommendations for changes in the design as well as for the future use of the combustor test rig.