Combustion chamber for the low-emission combustion of a plurality of premixed fuels reformed and related method

A reformer (60) for use in a gas turbine engine (16) specifically configured for treating a supplemental fuel feed to the combustion chamber, includes a reformer core (62) containing a catalyst composition (65), and an intake flow channel for transporting the reforming fuel mixture, air and steam (saturated or superheated steam) in a reformer core (62). An exhaust flow passage (66) transports the resulting reformate stream (55), the reformed and thermally cracked hydrocarbons and substantial amounts of hydrogen containing core from the reformer (62) for subsequent combination with the main combustion chamber feed. Because the catalytic partial oxidation reaction in the reformer is highly exothermic, the additional heat is by using one or more heat exchange units (72, 77) for a first and / or second auxiliary gas turbine fuel stream (40, 50) transmitted (and thermally integrated), the thermal cracking and evaporation through before they are combined with the reformate. The combined hydrogen-enriched feed improved combustor performance considerably.