Numerical Investigation of Enhanced Dilution Zone Mixing in a Reverse Flow Gas Turbine Combustor

Author(s):  
D. Scott Crocker ◽  
Clifford E. Smith

An advanced method for dilution zone mixing in a reverse flow gas turbine combustor was numerically investigated. For long mixing lengths associated with reverse flow combustors (X/H > 2.0), pattern factor was found to be mainly driven by nozzle-to-nozzle fuel flow and/or circumferential airflow variations; conventional radially injected dilution jets could not effectively mix out circumferential non-uniformities. To enhance circumferential mixing, dilution jets were angled to produce a high circumferential (swirl) velocity component. The jets on the outer liner were angled in one direction while the jets on the inner liner were angled in the opposite direction, thus enhancing turbulent shear at the expense of jet penetration. 3-D CFD calculations were performed on a three-nozzle (90°) sector, with different fuel flow from each nozzle (90%, 100% and 110% of design fuel flow). The computations showed that the optimum configuration of angled jets reduced the pattern factor by 60% compared to an existing conventional dilution hole configuration. The radial average temperature profile was adequately controlled by the inner-to-outer liner dilution flow split.

1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 272-281 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. S. Crocker ◽  
C. E. Smith

An advanced method for dilution zone mixing in a reverse flow gas turbine combustor was numerically investigated. For long mixing lengths associated with reverse flow combustors (X/H > 2.0), pattern factor was found to be mainly driven by nozzle-to-nozzle fuel flow and/or circumferential airflow variations; conventional radially injected dilution jets could not effectively mix out circumferential nonuniformities. To enhance circumferential mixing, dilution jets were angled to produce a high circumferential (swirl) velocity component. The jets on the outer liner were angled in one direction while the jets on the inner liner were angled in the opposite direction, thus enhancing turbulent shear at the expense of jet penetration. Three-dimensional CFD calculations were performed on a three-nozzle (90 deg) sector, with different fuel flow from each nozzle (90, 100, and 110 percent of design fuel flow). The computations showed that the optimum configuration of angled jets reduced the pattern factor by 60 percent compared to an existing conventional dilution hole configuration. The radial average temperature profile was adequately controlled by the inner-to-outer liner dilution flow split.


Author(s):  
D. Scott Crocker ◽  
Clifford E. Smith ◽  
Geoff D. Myers

An advanced method for dilution zone mixing in reverse flow gas turbine combustors was experimentally investigated. To enhance circumferential mixing, dilution jets were injected with a high circumferential (swirl) velocity component. The jets on the outer liner were angled in one direction while the jets on the inner liner were angled in the opposite direction. To demonstrate reduced pattern factor, AlliedSignal Engines’ F109 combustor was tested at sea level takeoff conditions. For the baseline (conventional) configuration, the experimental results showed that large scale circumferential temperature non-uniformities at the turbine inlet were caused primarily by fuel flow variations from nozzle to nozzle. These temperature variations were significantly reduced by angled dilution jets. A pattern factor of 0.102 was achieved compared to the best case pattern factor of 0.163 for the baseline configuration. The only combustor modification was the dilution hole configuration. The radial average temperature profile produced by angled dilution jets was very similar to the profile produced by the baseline configuration.


Author(s):  
Joost L. H. P. Sallevelt ◽  
Artur K. Pozarlik ◽  
Martin Beran ◽  
Lars-Uno Axelsson ◽  
Gerrit Brem

Combustion tests with bioethanol and diesel as a reference have been performed in OPRA's 2 MWe class OP16 gas turbine combustor. The main purposes of this work are to investigate the combustion quality of ethanol with respect to diesel and to validate the developed CFD model for ethanol spray combustion. The experimental investigation has been conducted in a modified OP16 gas turbine combustor, which is a reverse-flow tubular combustor of the diffusion type. Bioethanol and diesel burning experiments have been performed at atmospheric pressure with a thermal input ranging from 29 to 59 kW. Exhaust gas temperature and emissions (CO, CO2, O2, NOx) were measured at various fuel flow rates while keeping the air flow rate and air temperature constant. In addition, the temperature profile of the combustor liner has been determined by applying thermochromic paint. CFD simulations have been performed with ethanol for five different operating conditions using ANSYS FLUENT. The simulations are based on a 3D RANS code. Fuel droplets representing the fuel spray are tracked throughout the domain while they interact with the gas phase. A liner temperature measurement has been used to account for heat transfer through the flame tube wall. Detailed combustion chemistry is included by using the steady laminar flamelet model. Comparison between diesel and bioethanol burning tests show similar CO emissions, but NOx concentrations are lower for bioethanol. The CFD results for CO2 and O2 are in good agreement, proving the overall integrity of the model. NOx concentrations were found to be in fair agreement, but the model failed to predict CO levels in the exhaust gas. Simulations of the fuel spray suggest that some liner wetting might have occurred. However, this finding could not be clearly confirmed by the test data.


Author(s):  
P. P. Singh ◽  
P. R. Mulik ◽  
A. Cohn

A total of four combustion tests studying the response of various water/fuel emulsion rates on NOx emissions have been conducted on: (a) Paraho shale oil, (b) H-Coal© (372–522 K) distillate, (c) No. 2 oil doped with quinoline, (d) H-Coal© (505–616 K) distillate, utilizing a 0.14 m dia gas turbine can-type combustor at base-load conditions. Each test fuel run was proceeded with a base-line fuel run with No. 2 distillate oil. The results indicate that the effectiveness of water injection to reduce NOx decreased rapidly with an increase in the fuel-bound nitrogen (FBN) content of the test fuels. The smoke number, in general, decreased with increased water injection, while carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons increased at high water/fuel flow rates.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3 Part B) ◽  
pp. 1977-1989
Author(s):  
Seyfettin Hataysal ◽  
Ahmet Yozgatligil

Gas turbine combustor performance was explored by utilizing a 1-D flow network model. To obtain the preliminary performance of combustion chamber, three different flow network solvers were coupled with a chemical reactor network scheme. These flow solvers were developed via simplified, segregated and direct solutions of the nodal equations. Flow models were utilized to predict the flow field, pressure, density and temperature distribution inside the chamber network. The network model followed a segregated flow and chemical network scheme, and could supply information about the pressure drop, nodal pressure, average temperature, species distribution, and flow split. For the verification of the model?s results, analyses were performed using CFD on a seven-stage annular test combustor from TUSAS Engine Industries, and the results were then compared with actual performance tests of the combustor. The results showed that the preliminary performance predictor code accurately estimated the flow distribution. Pressure distribution was also consistent with the CFD results, but with varying levels of conformity. The same was true for the average temperature predictions of the inner combustor at the dilution and exit zones. However, the reactor network predicted higher elemental temperatures at the entry zones.


Author(s):  
K. Sudhakar Reddy ◽  
D. N. Reddy ◽  
C. M. Vara Prasad

This paper presents the results of numerical investigations of a turbulent, swirling and recirculating flow without combustion inside a reverse flow gas turbine combustor. In order to establish the characteristics of fuel distribution patterns of the fuel spray injected into swirling flows, flow fields are analyzed inside the swirl combustor for varying amount of swirl strength using a commercial CFD code fluent 6.1.22. Three Dimensional computations are performed to study the influence of the various parameters like injection pressure, flow Reynolds number and Swirl Strength on the fuel distribution patterns. The model predictions are compared against the experimental results, and its applicability over a wide range of flow conditions was investigated. It was observed from the CFD analysis, that the fuel decay along the axis is faster with low injection pressures compared to higher injection pressures. With higher Reynolds numbers the fuel patterns are spreading longer in the axial direction. The higher momentum of the air impedes the radial mixing and increases the constraint on the jet spread. The results reveal that an increase in swirl enhances the mixing rate of the fuel and air and causes recirculation to be more pronounced and to occur away form the fuel injector. The CFD predictions are compared with the experimental data from the phototransistor probe measurements, and good agreement has been achieved.


1997 ◽  
Vol 119 (3) ◽  
pp. 546-552 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Stuttaford ◽  
P. A. Rubini

The preliminary design process of a gas turbine combustor often involves the use of cumbersome, geometry restrictive semi-empirical models. The objective of this analysis is the development of a versatile design tool for gas turbine combustors, able to model all conceivable combustor types. A network approach is developed that divides the flow into a number of independent semi-empirical subflows. A pressure-correction methodology solves the continuity equation and a pressure-drop/flow rate relationship. The development of a full conjugate heat transfer model allows the calculation of flame tube heat loss in the presence of cooling films, annulus heat addition, and flame tube feature heat pick-up. A constrained equilibrium calculation, incorporating mixing and recirculation models, simulates combustion processes. Comparison of airflow results to a well-validated combustor design code showed close agreement. The versatility of the network solver is illustrated with comparisons to experimental data from a reverse flow combustor.


Author(s):  
Daero Joung ◽  
Kang Y. Huh

This study is concerned with 3D RANS simulation of turbulent flow and combustion in a 5 MW commercial gas turbine combustor. The combustor under consideration is a reverse flow, dry low NOx type, in which methane and air are partially mixed inside swirl vanes. We evaluated different turbulent combustion models to provide insights into mixing, temperature distribution, and emission in the combustor. Validation is performed for the models in STAR-CCM+ against the measurement data for a simple swirl flame (http://public.ca.sandia.gov/TNF/swirlflames.html). The standard k-ε model with enhanced wall treatment is employed to model turbulent swirl flow, whereas eddy break-up (EBU), presumed probability density function laminar flamelet model, and partially premixed coherent flame model (PCFM) are tried for reacting flow in the combustor. Independent simulations are carried out for the main and pilot nozzles to avoid flashback and to provide realistic inflow boundary conditions for the combustor. Geometrical details such as air swirlers, vane passages, and liner holes are all taken into account. Tested combustion models show similar downstream distributions of the mean flow and temperature, while EBU and PCFM show a lifted flame with stronger effects of swirl due to limited increase in axial momentum by expansion.


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