Prediction of lean blowout performance on variation of combustor inlet area ratio for micro gas turbine combustor

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirubakaran V. ◽  
Naren Shankar R.

Purpose This paper aims to predict the effect of combustor inlet area ratio (CIAR) on the lean blowout limit (LBO) of a swirl stabilized can-type micro gas turbine combustor having a thermal capacity of 3 kW. Design/methodology/approach The blowout limits of the combustor were predicted predominantly from numerical simulations by using the average exit gas temperature (AEGT) method. In this method, the blowout limit is determined from characteristics of the average exit gas temperature of the combustion products for varying equivalence. The CIAR value considered in this study ranges from 0.2 to 0.4 and combustor inlet velocities range from 1.70 to 6.80 m/s. Findings The LBO equivalence ratio decreases gradually with an increase in inlet velocity. On the other hand, the LBO equivalence ratio decreases significantly especially at low inlet velocities with a decrease in CIAR. These results were backed by experimental results for a case of CIAR equal to 0.2. Practical implications Gas turbine combustors are vulnerable to operate on lean equivalence ratios at cruise flight to avoid high thermal stresses. A flame blowout is the main issue faced in lean operations. Based on literature and studies, the combustor lean blowout performance significantly depends on the primary zone mass flow rate. By incorporating variable area snout in the combustor will alter the primary zone mass flow rates by which the combustor will experience extended lean blowout limit characteristics. Originality/value This is a first effort to predict the lean blowout performance on the variation of combustor inlet area ratio on gas turbine combustor. This would help to extend the flame stability region for the gas turbine combustor.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirubakaran V. ◽  
David Bhatt

Purpose The lean blowout (LBO) limit of the combustor is one of the important performance parameters for any gas turbine combustor design. This study aims to predict the LBO limits of an in-house designed swirl stabilized 3kW can-type micro gas turbine combustor. Design/methodology/approach The experimental prediction of LBO limits was performed on 3kW swirl stabilized combustor fueled with methane for the combustor inlet velocity ranging from 1.70 m/s to 6.80 m/s. The numerical prediction of LBO limits of combustor was performed on two-dimensional axisymmetric model. The blowout limits of combustor were predicted through calculated average exit gas temperature (AEGT) method and compared with experimental predictions. Findings The results show that the predicted LBO equivalence ratio decreases gradually with an increase in combustor inlet velocity. Practical implications This LBO limits predictions will use to fix the operating boundary conditions of 3kW can-type micro gas turbine combustor. This methodology will be used in design stage as well as in the testing stage of the combustor. Originality/value This is a first effort to predict the LBO limits on micro gas turbine combustor through AEGT method. The maximum uncertainty in LBO limit prediction with AEGT is 6 % in comparison with experimental results.


Author(s):  
G. E. Andrews ◽  
M. N. Kim

An experimental investigation was undertaken of the influence on emissions of full coverage discrete hole film cooling of a lean low NOx radial swirler natural gas combustor. The combustor used radial swirler vane passage fuel injection on the centre of the vane passage inlet. The test configuration was similar to that used in the Alstom Power Tornado and related family of low NOx gas turbines. The test conditions were simulated at atmospheric pressure at the flow condition of lean low NOx gas turbine primary zones. The tests were carried out at an isothermal flow Mach number of 0.03, which represents 60% of industrial gas turbine combustor airflow through the swirl primary zone. The effusion film cooling used was Rolls-Royce Transply, which has efficient internal cooling of the wall as well as full coverage discrete hole film cooling. Film cooling levels of 0, 16 and 40% of the primary zone airflow were investigated for a fixed total primary zone air flow and reference Mach number of 0.03. The results showed that there was a major increase in the NOx emissions for 740K inlet temperature and 0.45 overall equivalence ratio from 6ppm at zero film cooling air flow to 32ppm at 40% coolant flow rate. CO emissions increased from 25ppm to 75ppm for the same increase in film cooling flow rate. It was shown that the main effect was the creation of a richer inner swirler combustion with a surrounding film cooling flow that did not mix well with the central swirling combustion. The increase in NOx and CO could be predicted on the basis of the central swirl flow equivalence ratio.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-95
Author(s):  
V. KIRUBAKARAN ◽  
David BHATT

The Lean Blowout Limit of the combustor is one of the important performance parameters for a gas turbine combustor design. This study aims to predict the total pressure loss and Lean Blowout (LBO) limits of an in-house designed swirl stabilized 3kW can-type micro gas turbine combustor. The experimental prediction of total pressure loss and LBO limits was performed on a designed combustor fuelled with Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for the combustor inlet velocity ranging from 1.70 m/s to 11 m/s. The results show that the predicted total pressure drop increases with increasing combustor inlet velocity, whereas the LBO equivalence ratio decreases gradually with an increase in combustor inlet velocity. The combustor total pressure drop was found to be negligible; being in the range of 0.002 % to 0.065 % for the measured inlet velocity conditions. These LBO limits predictions will be used to fix the operating boundary conditions of the gas turbine combustor.


2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Mishra ◽  
Sunil Chandel

Abstract Soot formation and the effect of soot deposit on the performance and integrity on an aero gas turbine combustor has been studied. Defective atomizer or blockage of air passages creates a fuel rich mixture which promotes soot formation in combustor primary zone. The temperature field and soot concentration inside the liner has been analyzed at high equivalence ratio using computational model in CFX. The peak temperature in primary zone increases till equivalence ratio reaches ϕ=1.1. But at high equivalence ratio, i. e., ϕ≥1.2, the peak temperature in primary zone decreases and that in dilution zone increases. Soot concentration increases at liner front end as well as in dilution zone when equivalence ratio increases from 1.25 to 3.0. Erosion and distortion of atomizer flow passages cause higher spray cone angle which again increases the soot concentration. Soot deposit inside liner has detrimental effect on the life and performance of the combustor as well as of the aero engine.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document