Boundary Layer Flashback Limits of Hydrogen-Methane-Air Flames in a Generic Swirl Burner at Gas Turbine Relevant Conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Ebi ◽  
Peter Jansohn
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Preheat Temperature ◽  
Swirl Burner ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flame Flashback

Abstract Operating stationary gas turbines on hydrogen-rich fuels offers a pathway to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the power generation sector. A key challenge in the design of lean-premixed burners, which are flexible in terms of the amount of hydrogen in the fuel across a wide range and still adhere to the required emissions levels, is to prevent flame flashback. However, systematic investigations on flashback at gas turbine relevant conditions to support combustor development are sparse. The current work addresses the need for an improved understanding with an experimental study on boundary layer flashback in a generic swirl burner up to 7.5 bar and 300°C preheat temperature. Methane-hydrogen-air flames with 50 to 85% hydrogen by volume were investigated. Flashback limits are reported in terms of the equivalence ratio for a given pressure, preheat temperature, bulk flow velocity and hydrogen content. The wall temperature of the center body along which the flame propagated during flashback events has been controlled by an oil heating/cooling system. This way, the effect any of the control parameters, e.g. pressure, had on the flashback limit was de-coupled from the otherwise inherently associated change in heat load on the wall and thus change in wall temperature. The results show that the preheat temperature has a weaker effect on the flashback propensity than expected. Increasing the pressure from atmospheric conditions to 2.5 bar strongly increases the flashback risk, but hardly affects the flashback limit beyond 2.5 bar.

Boundary Layer Flashback Limits of Hydrogen-Methane-Air Flames in a Generic Swirl Burner at Gas Turbine Relevant Conditions

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Ebi ◽  
Peter Jansohn
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Preheat Temperature ◽  
Swirl Burner ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract Operating stationary gas turbines on hydrogen-rich fuels offers a pathway to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the power generation sector. A key challenge in the design of lean-premixed burners, which are flexible in terms of the amount of hydrogen in the fuel across a wide range and still adhere to the required emissions levels, is to prevent flame flashback. However, systematic investigations on flashback at gas turbine relevant conditions to support combustor development are sparse. The current work addresses the need for an improved understanding with an experimental study on boundary layer flashback in a generic swirl burner up to 7.5 bar and 300° C preheat temperature. Methane-hydrogen-air flames with 50 to 85% hydrogen by volume were investigated. High-speed imaging was applied to reveal the flame propagation pathway during flashback events. Flashback limits are reported in terms of the equivalence ratio for a given pressure, preheat temperature, bulk flow velocity and hydrogen content. The wall temperature of the center body along which the flame propagated during flashback events has been controlled by an oil heating/cooling system. This way, the effect any of the control parameters, e.g. pressure, had on the flashback limit was de-coupled from the otherwise inherently associated change in heat load on the wall and thus change in wall temperature. The results show that the preheat temperature has a weaker effect on the flashback propensity than expected. Increasing the pressure from atmospheric conditions to 2.5 bar strongly increases the flashback risk, but hardly affects the flashback limit beyond 2.5 bar.

Boundary Layer Flashback in Premixed Hydrogen–Air Flames With Acoustic Excitation

2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Hoferichter ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Excitation Amplitude ◽  
Bulk Flow ◽  
Acoustic Excitation ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Thermoacoustic Instabilities ◽  
Flame Flashback

Lean premixed combustion is prevailing in gas turbines to minimize nitrogen oxide emissions. However, this technology bears the risk of flame flashback and thermoacoustic instabilities. Thermoacoustic instabilities induce velocity oscillations at the burner exit which, in turn, can trigger flame flashback. This article presents an experimental study at ambient conditions on the effect of longitudinal acoustic excitation on flashback in the boundary layer of a channel burner. The acoustic excitation simulates the effect of thermoacoustic instabilities. Flashback limits are determined for different excitation frequencies characterizing intermediate frequency dynamics in typical gas turbine combustors (100–350 Hz). The excitation amplitude is varied from 0% to 36% of the burner bulk flow velocity. For increasing excitation amplitude, the risk of flame flashback increases. This effect is strongest at low frequencies. For increasing excitation frequency, the influence of the velocity oscillations decreases as the flame has less time to follow the changes in bulk flow velocity. Two different flashback regimes can be distinguished based on excitation amplitude. For low excitation amplitudes, flashback conditions are reached if the minimum flow velocity in the excitation cycle falls below the flashback limit of unexcited unconfined flames. For higher excitation amplitudes, where the flame starts to periodically enter the burner duct, flashback is initiated if the maximum flow velocity in the excitation cycle is lower than the flashback limit of confined flames. Consequently, flashback limits of confined flames should also be considered in the design of gas turbine burners as a worst case scenario.

Boundary Layer Flashback in Premixed Hydrogen-Air Flames With Acoustic Excitation

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vera Hoferichter ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Flow Velocity ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Excitation Amplitude ◽  
Bulk Flow ◽  
Acoustic Excitation ◽  
Worst Case ◽  
Thermoacoustic Instabilities ◽  
Flame Flashback

Lean premixed combustion is prevailing in gas turbines to minimize nitrogen oxide emissions. However, this technology bears the risk of flame flashback and thermoacoustic instabilities. Thermoacoustic instabilities induce velocity oscillations at the burner exit which, in turn, can trigger flame flashback. This article presents an experimental study at ambient conditions on the effect of longitudinal acoustic excitation on flashback in the boundary layer of a channel burner. The acoustic excitation simulates the effect of thermoacoustic instabilities. Flashback limits are determined for different excitation frequencies characterizing intermediate frequency dynamics in typical gas turbine combustors (100–350 Hz). The excitation amplitude is varied from 0 to 36 % of the burner bulk flow velocity. For increasing excitation amplitude, the risk of flame flashback increases. This effect is strongest at low frequencies. For increasing excitation frequency the influence of the velocity oscillations decreases as the flame has less time to follow the changes in bulk flow velocity. Two different flashback regimes can be distinguished based on excitation amplitude. For low excitation amplitudes flashback conditions are reached if the minimum flow velocity in the excitation cycle falls below the flashback limit of unexcited unconfined flames. For higher excitation amplitudes, where the flame starts to periodically enter the burner duct, flashback is initiated if the maximum flow velocity in the excitation cycle is lower than the flashback limit of confined flames. Consequently, flashback limits of confined flames should also be considered in the design of gas turbine burners as a worst case scenario.

Combustion of Natural Gas, Hydrogen and Bio-Fuels at Ultra-Wet Conditions

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Go¨ke ◽  
Steffen Terhaar ◽  
Sebastian Schimek ◽  
Katharina Go¨ckeler ◽  
Christian O. Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Natural Gas ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Steam Content ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Air Mixing ◽  
Flame Flashback

Humidified Gas Turbines promise a significant increase in efficiency compared to the dry gas turbine cycle. In single cycle applications, efficiencies up to 60% seem possible with humidified turbines. Additionally, the steam effectively inhibits the formation of NOx emissions and also allows for operating the gas turbine on hydrogen-rich fuels. The current study is conducted within the European Advanced Grant Research Project GREENEST. The premixed combustion at ultra wet conditions is investigated for natural gas, hydrogen, and mixtures of both fuels, covering lower heating values between 27 MJ/kg and 120 MJ/kg. In addition to the experiments, the combustion process is also examined numerically. The flow field and the fuel-air mixing of the burner were investigated in a water tunnel using Particle Image Velocimetry and Laser Induced Fluorescence. Gas-fired tests were conducted at atmospheric pressure, inlet temperatures between 200°C and 370°C, and degrees of humidity from 0% to 50%. Steam efficiently inhibits the formation of NOx emissions. For all tested fuels, both NOx and CO emissions of below 10 ppm were measured up to near-stoichiometric gas composition at wet conditions. Operation on pure hydrogen is possible up to very high degrees of humidity, but even a relatively low steam content prevents flame flashback. Increasing hydrogen content leads to a more compact flame, which is anchored closer to the burner outlet, while increasing steam content moves the flame downstream and increases the flame volume. In addition to the experiments, the combustion process was modeled using a reactor network. The predicted NOx and CO emission levels agree well with the experimental results over a wide range of temperatures, steam content, and fuel composition.

scholarly journals Computational Modeling of Boundary Layer Flashback in a Swirling Stratified Flame Using a LES-Based Non-Adiabatic Tabulated Chemistry Approach

Entropy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 567
Author(s):  
Xudong Jiang ◽  
Yihao Tang ◽  
Zhaohui Liu ◽  
Venkat Raman
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Layer ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Boundary Layers ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Predictive Accuracy ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Tabulated Chemistry ◽  
Lean Fuel ◽  
Flame Flashback

When operating under lean fuel–air conditions, flame flashback is an operational safety issue in stationary gas turbines. In particular, with the increased use of hydrogen, the propagation of the flame through the boundary layers into the mixing section becomes feasible. Typically, these mixing regions are not designed to hold a high-temperature flame and can lead to catastrophic failure of the gas turbine. Flame flashback along the boundary layers is a competition between chemical reactions in a turbulent flow, where fuel and air are incompletely mixed, and heat loss to the wall that promotes flame quenching. The focus of this work is to develop a comprehensive simulation approach to model boundary layer flashback, accounting for fuel–air stratification and wall heat loss. A large eddy simulation (LES) based framework is used, along with a tabulation-based combustion model. Different approaches to tabulation and the effect of wall heat loss are studied. An experimental flashback configuration is used to understand the predictive accuracy of the models. It is shown that diffusion-flame-based tabulation methods are better suited due to the flashback occurring in relatively low-strain and lean fuel–air mixtures. Further, the flashback is promoted by the formation of features such as flame tongues, which induce negative velocity separated boundary layer flow that promotes upstream flame motion. The wall heat loss alters the strength of these separated flows, which in turn affects the flashback propensity. Comparisons with experimental data for both non-reacting cases that quantify fuel–air mixing and reacting flashback cases are used to demonstrate predictive accuracy.

Design, Development and Application of Vehicle Gas Turbine Engines

1966 ◽  
Vol 181 (1) ◽  
pp. 149-172
Author(s):  
P. A. Phillips ◽  
Peter Spear
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Turbine Engines ◽  
Gas Turbine Engines ◽  
Design Development ◽  
Turbine Engine ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Cycle Temperature

After briefly summarizing worldwide automotive gas turbine activity, the paper analyses the power plant requirements of a wide range of vehicle applications in order to formulate the design criteria for acceptable vehicle gas turbines. Ample data are available on the thermodynamic merits of various gas turbine cycles; however, the low cost of its piston engine competitor tends to eliminate all but the simplest cycles from vehicle gas turbine considerations. In order to improve the part load fuel economy, some complexity is inevitable, but this is limited to the addition of a glass ceramic regenerator in the 150 b.h.p. engine which is described in some detail. The alternative further complications necessary to achieve satisfactory vehicle response at various power/weight ratios are examined. Further improvement in engine performance will come by increasing the maximum cycle temperature. This can be achieved at lower cost by the extension of the use of ceramics. The paper is intended to stimulate the design application of the gas turbine engine.

scholarly journals Wall Temperature Measurements in Gas Turbine Combustors With Thermographic Phosphors

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Nau ◽  
Zhiyao Yin ◽  
Oliver Lammel ◽  
Wolfgang Meier
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Wall Temperature ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Temperature Measurements ◽  
Transient Temperature ◽  
High Time Resolution ◽  
Ceramic Surface ◽  
Precessing Vortex Core

Phosphor thermometry has been developed for wall temperature measurements in gas turbines and gas turbine model combustors. An array of phosphors has been examined in detail for spatially and temporally resolved surface temperature measurements. Two examples are provided, one at high pressure (8 bar) and high temperature and one at atmospheric pressure with high time resolution. To study the feasibility of this technique for full-scale gas turbine applications, a high momentum confined jet combustor at 8 bar was used. Successful measurements up to 1700 K on a ceramic surface are shown with good accuracy. In the same combustor, temperatures on the combustor quartz walls were measured, which can be used as boundary conditions for numerical simulations. An atmospheric swirl-stabilized flame was used to study transient temperature changes on the bluff body. For this purpose, a high-speed setup (1 kHz) was used to measure the wall temperatures at an operating condition where the flame switches between being attached (M-flame) and being lifted (V-flame) (bistable). The influence of a precessing vortex core (PVC) present during M-flame periods is identified on the bluff body tip, but not at positions further inside the nozzle.

Evaluation of Numerical Methods to Predict Temperature Distributions of an Experimentally Investigated Convection-Cooled Gas-Turbine Blade

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Findeisen ◽  
B. Woerz ◽  
M. Wieler ◽  
P. Jeschke ◽  
M. Rabs
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Numerical Methods ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbine Blade ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Cooling System ◽  
Fe Model ◽  
Gas Turbine Blade ◽  
Transfer Coefficients ◽  
Temperature Distributions

This paper presents two different numerical methods to predict the thermal load of a convection-cooled gas-turbine blade under realistic operating temperature conditions. The subject of the investigation is a gas-turbine rotor blade equipped with an academic convection-cooling system and investigated at a cascade test-rig. It consists of three cooling channels, which are connected outside the blade, so allowing cooling air temperature measurements. Both methods use FE models to obtain the temperature distribution of the solid blade. The difference between these methods lies in the generation of the heat transfer coefficients along the cooling channel walls which serve as a boundary condition for the FE model. One method, referred to as the FEM1D method, uses empirical one-dimensional correlations known from the available literature. The other method, the FEM2D method, uses three-dimensional CFD simulations to obtain two-dimensional heat transfer coefficient distributions. The numerical results are compared to each other as well as to experimental data, so that the benefits and limitations of each method can be shown and validated. Overall, this paper provides an evaluation of the different methods which are used to predict temperature distributions in convection-cooled gas-turbines with regard to accuracy, numerical cost and the limitations of each method. The temperature profiles obtained in all methods generally show good agreement with the experiments. However, the more detailed methods produce more accurate results by causing higher numerical costs.

scholarly journals Hydromechanical Fuel Control for Portable Gas Turbine Generator Sets

1968 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. E. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Production Cost ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Turbine Generator ◽  
Design Problems ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
High Speeds ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Generator Sets

Controls for small lightweight gas turbines present some unique design problems. The requirements for small size, light weight, ability to rotate at high speeds to save reduction gearing, and low production cost conflict with the requirements for reasonably accurate control of very small fuel flows and the scheduling of a wide range of hydrocarbon fuels over a wide range of ambient temperatures. This paper discusses in some detail the design of such a control and the satisfactory results obtained.

Uncertainty Analysis of Inflow Conditions on an HPT Gas Turbine Nozzle: Effect on Particle Deposition

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Friso ◽  
N. Casari ◽  
M. Pinelli ◽  
A. Suman ◽  
F. Montomoli
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Particle Deposition ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Gas Turbine Nozzle ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Inflow Conditions

Abstract Gas turbines (GT) are often forced to operate in harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of particles in their flow-path is expected. With this regard, deposition is a problem that severely affects gas turbine operation. Components’ lifetime and performance can dramatically vary as a consequence of this phenomenon. Unfortunately, the operating conditions of the machine can vary in a wide range, and they cannot be treated as deterministic. Their stochastic variations greatly affect the forecasting of life and performance of the components. In this work, the main parameters considered affected by the uncertainty are the circumferential hot core location and the turbulence level at the inlet of the domain. A stochastic analysis is used to predict the degradation of a high-pressure-turbine (HPT) nozzle due to particulate ingestion. The GT’s component analyzed as a reference is the HPT nozzle of the Energy-Efficient Engine (E3). The uncertainty quantification technique used is the probabilistic collocation method (PCM). This work shows the impact of the operating conditions uncertainties on the performance and lifetime reduction due to deposition. Sobol indices are used to identify the most important parameter and its contribution to life. The present analysis enables to build confidence intervals on the deposit profile and on the residual creep-life of the vane.

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