A turbine is important machine in power plant. To take this utility in operation we required some fuel to start and for working. As an engineering people, it is most important to select the most suitable fuel so the machine will give its highest efficiency. In gas turbine different types of fuels can be used to perform its operations. I don’t know diesel will use as fuel or not but coal may be used as a fuel in gas turbine plant. But it may contain as much as 20% of its weight of dirt in the form of ash. In case the ash particles are allowed to pass through the turbine the latter’s blades are likely to be blocked and even damaged.Experiments with some success have already been conducted in England and United States so as to devise means by which ash in the coal has been removed or rendered innocuous by making it small enough to pass through the gas turbine.
For the removal of ash, two methods have been used. First method employs suitable cleaning devices. In second method, the coal is burnt at such a higher temperature that the ash melts and flows down to the bottom of the combustion chamber from where it can be removed.
But in second case the removal of ash is only 95% has been ensured, the rest 5% remains un-removed. Suitable cleaner can be installed to remove this part or at least large sized particles in it, which would otherwise cause more damage to the gas turbine blades than small particles.
The presence of even minute traces of the large sized particles in the combustion gases is harmful for the turbine blades.
I hope, from above details, you come to know that coal can be used as fuel in gas turbine with due care to be taken.
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