Gas Turbine NOx Water & Steam Injection Calculator
Compute thermal NOx suppression, water-to-fuel injection ratio (Ω), heat rate penalty, and mass flow power boost in heavy-duty gas turbines.
Combustor & Fuel Parameters
Injection Ratio & Cycle Performance
Recommended Tools & Equipment
Tested hardware and components for high reliability
Thermal NOx & Zeldovich Kinetics
Thermal nitrogen oxides ($NO_x$) form via the extended Zeldovich mechanism when atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen react in combustor primary flame zones above $1500^\circ\text{C}$ ($2800^\circ\text{F}$). The formation rate escalates exponentially with peak stoichiometric flame temperature.
Water vs Steam Injection Mechanisms
Injecting demineralized water directly into the fuel nozzle acts as a thermal heat sink. As liquid water droplets absorb latent heat of vaporization ($h_{fg} \approx 2257\text{ kJ/kg}$) and sensible heat, flame temperature is quenched by $150^\circ\text{C}$ to $250^\circ\text{C}$, cutting $NO_x$ by up to $85\%$. Injected mass expands across the turbine section, creating a temporary peak power boost at the expense of cycle thermal efficiency.