Combustion Control by Vortex Breakdown Stabilization

2002 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 679-688 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Oliver Paschereit ◽  
Peter Flohr ◽  
Ephraim J. Gutmark
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Recirculation Zone ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Scale Model ◽  
Recirculation Region ◽  
Pressure Pulsations ◽  
Secondary Fuel

Flame anchoring in a swirl-stabilized combustor occurs in an aerodynamically generated recirculation region which is a result of vortex breakdown (VBD). The characteristics of the recirculating flow are dependent on the swirl number and on axial pressure gradients. Coupling with downstream pressure pulsations in the combustor affects the VBD process. The present paper describes combustion instability that is associated with vortex breakdown. The mechanism of the onset of this instability is discussed. Passive control of the instability was achieved by stabilizing the location of vortex breakdown using an extended lance. The reduction of pressure pulsations for different operating conditions and the effect on emissions in a laboratory scale model atmospheric combustor, in a high pressure combustor facility, and in a full scale land-based gas-turbine are described. The flashback safety, one of the most important features of a reliable gas turbine burner, was assessed by CFD, water tests, and combustion tests. In addition to the passive stabilization by the extended lance it enabled injection of secondary fuel directly into the recirculation zone where the flame is stabilized. Tests were conducted with and without secondary fuel injection. Measurements and computations optimized the location of the extended lance in the mixing chamber. The effect of variation of the amount of secondary fuel injection at different equivalence ratios and output powers was determined. Flow visualizations showed that stabilization of the recirculation zone was achieved. Following the present research, the VBD stabilization method has been successfully implemented in engines with sufficient stability margins and good operational flexibility. This paper shows the development process from lab scale tests to full scale engine tests until the implementation into field engines.

Combustion Control by Extended EV Burner Fuel Lance

2002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Oliver Paschereit ◽  
Peter Flohr ◽  
Hanspeter Kno¨pfel ◽  
Weiqun Geng ◽  
Christian Steinbach ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Recirculation Zone ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Vortex Breakdown ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Recirculation Region ◽  
Operational Flexibility ◽  
Stability Margins ◽  
Recirculating Flow ◽  
Secondary Fuel

Flame stabilization in a swirl-stabilized combustor occurs in an aerodynamically generated recirculation region which is a result of vortex breakdown. The characteristics of the recirculating flow are dependent on the swirl number and on axial pressure gradients. Coupling to downstream pressure pulsations is also possible. In order to fix the position of the recirculation zone, an extended fuel lance was inserted into the burner. An additional benefit of the extended lance was to enable secondary fuel injection directly into the recirculation zone where the flame is stabilized. Tests were conducted with and without secondary fuel injection. The measurements included optimization of the location of the extended lance in the mixing chamber and variation of the amount of secondary fuel injection at different equivalence ratios and output powers. Flow visualizations showed that stabilization of the recirculation zone was achieved. The effect of the extended lance on pressure and heat release oscillations and on emissions of NOx, UHC and CO was investigated. The results were confirmed in high pressure single burner pressure tests and in a full scale land-based test gas-turbine. The lance has been successfully implemented in engines with sufficient stability margins and good operational flexibility. This paper shows the careful development process from lab scale tests to full scale engine tests until the implementation into the field engines.

Demonstration of Active Control of Combustion Instabilities on a Full-Scale Gas Turbine Combustor

2001 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. E. Johnson ◽  
Y. Neumeier ◽  
M. Neumaier ◽  
B. T. Zinn ◽  
D. D. Darling ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Fast Response ◽  
Dominant Mode ◽  
Broadband Noise ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Airflow Distribution

This paper presents the results of an investigation of active control of combustion instabilities in a natural gas, high-pressure, full-scale gas turbine combustor that was retrofitted with an Active Control System (ACS). The combustor test rig simulates the geometry, inlet airflow distribution, and pressurization of a can-type combustor that exhibits dynamic flame instabilities at some off-design operating conditions. Two essential features of the investigated ACS are 1) a real-time mode observer that identified the frequencies, amplitudes and phases of the dominant modes in the pressure signal and 2) a fast response servo valve that can modulate a large portion of the gaseous fuel. Two active control configurations were studied. In the first configuration, the actuator was mounted on one of two premixed fuel stages, and in the second configuration it was mounted on the inlet to the stabilizing diffusion stage. In both configurations, the ACS damped combustion instabilities, attenuating the dominant mode by up to 15dB and reducing the overall broadband noise by 30-40%. NOx emissions were also reduced by approximately 10% when control was applied. Finally, this study demonstrated the importance of having a fast multiple-mode observer when dealing with complex combustion processes with inherently large time delays.

Development of a Partial Oxidation Gas Turbine (POGT) for Innovative Gas Turbine Systems

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Rabovitser ◽  
Serguei Nester ◽  
Stan Wohadlo ◽  
Kenneth Smith ◽  
Waseem Nazeer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Partial Oxidation ◽  
Combustion Engine ◽  
Combustion Products ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Single Digit ◽  
Complete Combustion ◽  
Secondary Fuel ◽  
Oxidation Reactor

Gas Technology Institute (GTI) has been advancing the POGT concept since 1995. The progress to date of a GTI-led team on the development and testing of a POGT prototype, and POGT-based systems are presented. There are two main features that distinguish a POGT from a conventional gas turbine: the design arrangement and the thermodynamic processes used in operation. One unique feature is utilization of a non-catalytic partial oxidation reactor (POR) in place of a typical combustor. An important secondary distinction is that a much smaller compressor is required, one that typically supplies less than half of the air flow required in a conventional gas turbine. From a thermodynamic point of view, the working fluid provided by the POR (a secondary fuel gas) has much higher specific heat than complete combustion products. This allows higher energy per unit mass of fluid to be extracted by the POGT expander than is the conventional case. A POR operates at fuel rich conditions, typically at equivalence ratios on the order of 2.5, and virtually any hydrocarbon fuel can be combusted. Because of these fuel rich conditions, incomplete combustion products are used as the hot section working fluid. A POGT thus produces two products: power and a secondary fuel that usually is a H2 rich gas. This characteristic can lead to high efficiencies and ultra-low emissions (single digit NOx and CO levels) when the secondary fuel is burned cleanly in a bottoming cycle. When compared to the equivalent standard gas turbine bottoming cycle combination, the POGT provides an increase of about 10 percentage points in overall system efficiency. Two areas of recent development are addressed in the paper: POGT development and experimental evaluation of a 7 MWth pressurized non-catalytic POR installed at GTI; and examples of POGT-based systems for combined generation of power, heat, syngas, hydrogen, etc. The POGT design approach to convert an existing engine into a POGT by replacing its combustor with a POR together with concomitant modifications of other engine components is discussed. Experimental results of the POR operation include descriptions of major operating conditions: start up, light off conditions, lean combustion mode, lean-to-rich transition, and operation in rich partial oxidation mode at different loads and air to fuel ratios. The overall efficiency of a POGT two-stage power system is typically high and can approach 70% depending on the POGT operating conditions and the chosen bottoming cycle. The bottoming-cycle can be either a low pressure (or vacuum) combustion turbine, or an internal combustion engine, or a solid oxide fuel cell, or any combination of them. In addition, the POGT can be used as the driver for cogeneration systems. In such cogeneration systems the bottoming cycle can be a fuel-fired boiler, an absorption chiller, or an industrial furnace. The POGT is ideally suited for the co-production of power and either hydrogen, or synthesis gas (syngas), or chemicals. Some of these important applications are discussed.

Numerical Investigations of NOx Emissions of a Partially Premixed Burner for Natural Gas Operations in Industrial Gas Turbine

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Innocenti ◽  
Antonio Andreini ◽  
Andrea Giusti ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Matteo Cerutti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbulent Combustion ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Air Concentration ◽  
Partially Premixed ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine

In the present paper a numerical analysis of a low NOx partially premixed burner for industrial gas turbine applications is presented. The first part of the work is focused on the study of the premixing process inside the burner. Standard RANS CFD approach was used: k–ε turbulence model was modified and calibrated in order to find a configuration able to fit available experimental profiles of fuel/air concentration at the exit of the burner. The resulting profiles at different test points have been used to perform reactive simulations of an experimental test rig, where exhaust NOx emissions were measured. An assessment of the turbulent combustion model was carried out with a critical investigation of the expected turbulent combustion regimes in the system and taking into account the partially premixed nature of the flame due to the presence of diffusion type pilot flames. A reliable numerical setup was discovered by comparing predicted and measured NOx emissions at different operating conditions and at different split ratio between main and pilot fuel. In the investigated range, the influence of the premixer in the NOx formation rate was found to be marginal if compared with the pilot flame one. The calibrated numerical setup was then employed to explore possible modifications to fuel injection criteria and fuel split, with the aim of minimizing exhaust NOx emissions. This preliminary numerical screening of alternative fuel injection strategies allowed to define a set of advanced configurations to be investigated in future experimental tests.

Investigation of Flame Stabilization in a High-Pressure Multi-Jet Combustor by Laser Measurement Techniques

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Lammel ◽  
Tim Rödiger ◽  
Michael Stöhr ◽  
Holger Ax ◽  
Peter Kutne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Natural Gas ◽  
Combustion Chamber ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Recirculation Zone ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Optical Access

In this contribution, comprehensive optical and laser based measurements in a generic multi-jet combustor at gas turbine relevant conditions are presented. The flame position and shape, flow field, temperatures and species concentrations of turbulent premixed natural gas and hydrogen flames were investigated in a high-pressure test rig with optical access. The needs of modern highly efficient gas turbine combustion systems, i.e., fuel flexibility, load flexibility with increased part load capability, and high turbine inlet temperatures, have to be addressed by novel or improved burner concepts. One promising design is the enhanced FLOX® burner, which can achieve low pollutant emissions in a very wide range of operating conditions. In principle, this kind of gas turbine combustor consists of several nozzles without swirl, which discharge axial high momentum jets through orifices arranged on a circle. The geometry provides a pronounced inner recirculation zone in the combustion chamber. Flame stabilization takes place in a shear layer around the jet flow, where fresh gas is mixed with hot exhaust gas. Flashback resistance is obtained through the absence of low velocity zones, which favors this concept for multi-fuel applications, e.g. fuels with medium to high hydrogen content. The understanding of flame stabilization mechanisms of jet flames for different fuels is the key to identify and control the main parameters in the design process of combustors based on an enhanced FLOX® burner concept. Both experimental analysis and numerical simulations can contribute and complement each other in this task. They need a detailed and relevant data base, with well-known boundary conditions. For this purpose, a high-pressure burner assembly was designed with a generic 3-nozzle combustor in a rectangular combustion chamber with optical access. The nozzles are linearly arranged in z direction to allow for jet-jet interaction of the middle jet. This line is off-centered in y direction to develop a distinct recirculation zone. This arrangement approximates a sector of a full FLOX® gas turbine burner. The experiments were conducted at a pressure of 8 bar with preheated and premixed natural gas/air and hydrogen/air flows and jet velocities of 120 m/s. For the visualization of the flame, OH* chemiluminescence imaging was performed. 1D laser Raman scattering was applied and evaluated on an average and single shot basis in order to simultaneously and quantitatively determine the major species concentrations, the mixture fraction and the temperature. Flow velocities were measured using particle image velocimetry at different section planes through the combustion chamber.

scholarly journals Optical Characterization of a Multipoint Lean Direct Injector for Gas Turbine Combustors: Velocity and Fuel Drop Size Measurements

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher M. Heath ◽  
Yolanda R. Hicks ◽  
Robert C. Anderson ◽  
Randy J. Locke
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Drop Size ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Direct Injection ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Diagnostic Methods ◽  
Spray Angle ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Flame Tube ◽  
Component Velocity

Performance of a multipoint, lean direct injection (MP-LDI) strategy for low emission aero-propulsion systems has been tested in a Jet-A fueled, lean flame tube combustion rig. Operating conditions for the series of tests included inlet air temperatures between 672 K and 828 K, pressures between 1034 kPa and 1379 kPa and total equivalence ratios between 0.41 and 0.45, resulting in equilibrium flame temperatures approaching 1800 K. Ranges of operation were selected to represent the spectrum of subsonic and supersonic flight conditions projected for the next-generation of commercial aircraft. This document reports laser-based measurements of in situ fuel velocities and fuel drop sizes for the NASA 9-point LDI hardware arranged in a 3 × 3 square grid configuration. Data obtained represent a region of the flame tube combustor with optical access that extends 38.1-mm downstream of the fuel injection site. All data were obtained within reacting flows, without particle seeding. Two diagnostic methods were employed to evaluate the resulting flow path. Three-component velocity fields have been captured using phase Doppler interferometry (PDI), and two-component velocity distributions using planar particle image velocimetry (PIV). Data from these techniques have also offered insight into fuel drop size and distribution, fuel injector spray angle and pattern, turbulence intensity, degree of vaporization and extent of reaction. This research serves to characterize operation of the baseline NASA 9-point LDI strategy for potential use in future gas-turbine combustor applications. An additional motive is the compilation of a comprehensive database to facilitate understanding of combustor fuel injector aerodynamics and fuel vaporization processes, which in turn may be used to validate computational fluid dynamics codes, such as the National Combustor Code (NCC), among others.

Fuel Injection Scheme for a Compact Afterburner Without Flameholders

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shai Birmaher ◽  
Philipp W. Zeller ◽  
Peter Wirfalt ◽  
Yedidia Neumeier ◽  
Ben T. Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Experimental Setup ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Significant Length

State of the art afterburner combustion employs spray bars and flameholders in a long cavity, which adds significant length and weight to the engine and increases its observability. This paper presents a feasibility study for the development of a compact “prime and trigger” afterburner that eliminates the flameholders and reduces the length of the engine. In this concept, fuel is injected just upstream or in between the turbine stages in such a manner that upon exiting the turbine the fuel has evaporated and premixed with the flow without significant combustion, a process referred to as “priming”. Downstream of the turbine, combustion is initiated either through autoignition or by using a low power plasma radical generator being developed in a parallel investigation to “trigger” the combustion process. The prime and trigger injection and ignition scheme has been investigated using an experimental setup that simulates the operating conditions in a typical gas turbine engine. For this investigation, a trigger is not used, and combustion of the fuel occurs through autoignition. A physics-based theoretical model was developed to predict the location of autoignition for given flow and spray properties and injection locations. The theoretical predictions and the experimental results obtained using thermocouple measurements and CH* chemiluminescence confirm the feasibility of the prime and trigger concept by demonstrating the predictable and controlled autoignition of the afterburner fuel.

Relight Envelope of a Military Gas Turbine Engine: An Experimental Study

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Mishra ◽  
G. Gouda ◽  
B. S. Vedaprakash
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Test Facility ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Engine Fuel ◽  
Gas Turbine Engines ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Start Up

A twin spool low bypass turbofan engine under development and its combustor in full-scale were tested independently at altitude conditions to establish the relight envelope of the engine. Demonstration of relight capability and defining its boundary are mandatory for military gas turbine engines and for single engine application in particular. The engine was first subjected to windmill to establish its windmilling characteristics. The full engine was then tested for light-off in an altitude test facility simulating windmilling conditions from 4 to 12 km altitude with flight Mach numbers from 0.2 to 1.0. The relight boundary is defined based on the successful light-off points achieved from engine tests. Similar tests were carried out on the full-scale combustion chamber in a stand-alone mode simulating altitude conditions at engine flame-out. The combustor test has defined the light-off and lean blow out limits of the at each point on the relight boundary. The information of fuel-air ratio at light-off and blow-out is very useful in setting the engine fuel schedule for altitude operation and relight. In this paper an attempt is made to highlight various tests carried out on engine and its combustor to define the relight boundary of the engine. The paper also emphasizes the experience of combustor development and associated problems in meeting the relight challenges of military engines. These problems include the necessity of higher fuel-air ratio at high altitudes, the role of additional localized fuel injection through start-up atomizers, and effect of single igniter on relight characteristics. The relight envelope demonstrated by the engine is very satisfactory to meet the first flight requirement where the flight mission generally concentrate in the zone of 0.6 to 0.8 Mach and altitude does not exceed 10 to 12 km. Combustor and atomizer modification is needed to improve relight performance and to shift the boundary to further left.

Jet Shear Layer Turbulent Diffusion Flames for Ultralow NOx Emissions

1992 ◽  
Vol 114 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. F. Ali Al-Shaikhly ◽  
G. E. Andrews ◽  
C. O. Aniagolu
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Diffusion Flames ◽  
Stability Margin ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Turbulent Diffusion Flames ◽  
Primary Zone

Direct fueling of each shear layer generated by an array of holes in a grid plate was shown to have ultralow NOx emissions combined with a good flame stability, compared with a premixed system. Two methods of fuel injection were investigated that had opposite NOx/stability characteristics. Four shear layers in a 76-mm combustor were used at gas turbine primary zone operating conditions with 60 percent simulated primary zone air at one bar pressure. The fuels used were propane and natural gas and a minimum NOx emission of 2.5 ppm at 15 percent oxygen, compatible with a 0.1 percent inefficiency, was demonstrated for natural gas with a reasonable stability margin. These designs have the potential for a dry NOx solution to any current or proposed gas turbine NOx regulation for natural gas.

Investigation on Mixing Characteristics of Methane Fuel in Low Emission Combustor

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enhui Liu ◽  
Xiao Liu ◽  
Hongtao Zheng ◽  
Jinghe Lu ◽  
Zhihao Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Recirculation Zone ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Near Field ◽  
Velocity Ratio ◽  
Pollutant Emission ◽  
Windward Side ◽  
Leeward Side ◽  
Low Emission ◽  
Mixing Characteristics

Abstract With the increasingly environmental problems and strict pollutant emission limits, pollutant emission has become a critical consideration for gas turbine. Mixing uniformity index of fuel-air has a significant effect on NOx emission. Previous works conducted basic research on mixing mechanism based on jet in crossflow, while few people studied a single real swirler channel in gas turbine combustor. The present work aims to bridge this gap and investigates the effects of fuel injection from the windward and leeward sides on the fuel concentration distribution and mixing uniformity index, based on a typical radical swirler channel. The qualitative analysis of velocity field and vortices structure and the quantitative analysis of velocity ratio and uniformity index are carried out. Due to the presence of sharp corner at the inlet of swirler, a recirculation zone is formed by the flow separation. The recirculation zone at the leeward side decreases the flow velocity and increases the area and time for fuel-air mixing. The velocity ratio plays a key role in the characteristics of flow and mixing. Under the same inlet conditions, the effective velocity ratio (R = 40) in the near field of the leeward side is about 10 times that of windward side (R = 4), and the maximum jet depth can be achieved in the near field. Therefore, the outlet uniformity index on the windward and leeward sides are 38.85% and 49.43%, respectively. From the perspective of mixing uniformity, fuel injection from the leeward side is beneficial to realize quick mixing in short distance. The present study is expected to provide insightful information for understanding mixing characteristics of methane fuel in low emission combustor.

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