Advanced Combustion Modeling in Gas Turbines With ILDM Approach

Author(s):  
Paul Pixner ◽  
Werner Krebs ◽  
Bernd Prade

One of the greatest challenges in modern gas turbine engineering is to optimize the combustion system for the reduction of emissions. For better understanding of combustion systems and hence having the possibility of systematic innovation of gas turbine combustion systems, a permanent improvement of design tools is essential. Demonstrated here is the use of an advanced combustion model — the INTRINSIC LOW DIMENSIONAL MANIFOLD (ILDM) approach — in Computational Flow Dynamics (CFD) analysis. In the past, chemical kinetic models used in CFD-calculations were based on empirical parameters and so called “global mechanisms” which are in fact “local” models and can be used only when modeling one operating point of the gas turbine combustion system. The scope of the integration of the ILDM approach into CFD is the use of a generalized approach for modeling chemical kinetics in CFD. Turbulence-chemistry interaction is considered by a presumed Probability Density Function (PDF) approach. The benefit of this method is a realistic prediction of all relevant flame characteristics e.g. piloting of premixed flames. This offers the possibility to integrate the whole combustion modeling tool in an overall emission prevention strategy. This work here will present the results of applying this new approach to an atmosperic test rig and first validation results.

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 389
Author(s):  
Jinfu Liu ◽  
Zhenhua Long ◽  
Mingliang Bai ◽  
Linhai Zhu ◽  
Daren Yu

As one of the core components of gas turbines, the combustion system operates in a high-temperature and high-pressure adverse environment, which makes it extremely prone to faults and catastrophic accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the combustion system to detect in a timely way whether its performance has deteriorated, to improve the safety and economy of gas turbine operation. However, the combustor outlet temperature is so high that conventional sensors cannot work in such a harsh environment for a long time. In practical application, temperature thermocouples distributed at the turbine outlet are used to monitor the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) to indirectly monitor the performance of the combustion system, but, the EGT is not only affected by faults but also influenced by many interference factors, such as ambient conditions, operating conditions, rotation and mixing of uneven hot gas, performance degradation of compressor, etc., which will reduce the sensitivity and reliability of fault detection. For this reason, many scholars have devoted themselves to the research of combustion system fault detection and proposed many excellent methods. However, few studies have compared these methods. This paper will introduce the main methods of combustion system fault detection and select current mainstream methods for analysis. And a circumferential temperature distribution model of gas turbine is established to simulate the EGT profile when a fault is coupled with interference factors, then use the simulation data to compare the detection results of selected methods. Besides, the comparison results are verified by the actual operation data of a gas turbine. Finally, through comparative research and mechanism analysis, the study points out a more suitable method for gas turbine combustion system fault detection and proposes possible development directions.


Author(s):  
Sajjad Yousefian ◽  
Gilles Bourque ◽  
Rory F. D. Monaghan

There is a need for fast and reliable emissions prediction tools in the design, development and performance analysis of gas turbine combustion systems to predict emissions such as NOx, CO. Hybrid emissions prediction tools are defined as modelling approaches that (1) use computational fluid dynamics (CFD) or component modelling methods to generate flow field information, and (2) integrate them with detailed chemical kinetic modelling of emissions using chemical reactor network (CRN) techniques. This paper presents a review and comparison of hybrid emissions prediction tools and uncertainty quantification (UQ) methods for gas turbine combustion systems. In the first part of this study, CRN solvers are compared on the bases of some selected attributes which facilitate flexibility of network modelling, implementation of large chemical kinetic mechanisms and automatic construction of CRN. The second part of this study deals with UQ, which is becoming an important aspect of the development and use of computational tools in gas turbine combustion chamber design and analysis. Therefore, the use of UQ technique as part of the generalized modelling approach is important to develop a UQ-enabled hybrid emissions prediction tool. UQ techniques are compared on the bases of the number of evaluations and corresponding computational cost to achieve desired accuracy levels and their ability to treat deterministic models for emissions prediction as black boxes that do not require modifications. Recommendations for the development of UQ-enabled emissions prediction tools are made.


Author(s):  
Krzysztof Kostrzewa ◽  
Berthold Noll ◽  
Manfred Aigner ◽  
Joachim Lepers ◽  
Werner Krebs ◽  
...  

The operation envelope of modern gas turbines is affected by thermoacoustically induced combustion oscillations. The understanding and development of active and passive means for their suppression is crucial for the design process and field introduction of new gas turbine combustion systems. Whereas the propagation of acoustic sound waves in gas turbine combustion systems has been well understood, the flame induced acoustic source terms are still a major topic of investigation. The dynamics of combustion processes can be analyzed by means of flame transfer functions which relate heat release fluctuations to velocity fluctuations caused by a flame. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and to validate a novel computational approach to reconstruct flame transfer functions based on unsteady excited RANS simulations and system identification. Resulting time series of velocity and heat release are then used to reconstruct the flame transfer function by application of a system identification method based on Wiener-Hopf formulation. CFD/SI approach has been applied to a typical gas turbine burner. 3D unsteady simulations have been performed and the flame transfer results have been validated by comparison to experimental data. In addition the method has been benchmarked to results obtained from sinusoidal excitations.


Author(s):  
Jeffrey Price ◽  
Josh Kimmel ◽  
Xiaoqun Chen ◽  
Arun Bhattacharya ◽  
Anthony Fahme ◽  
...  

Solar Turbines Incorporated (Solar), under cooperative agreement number DE-FC26-00CH 11049, is improving the durability of gas turbine combustion systems while reducing life cycle costs. This project is part of the Advanced Materials in Advanced Industrial Gas Turbines program in DOE’s Office of Distributed Energy. The targeted engine is the Mercury™ 50 gas turbine, which was developed by Solar under the DOE Advanced Turbine Systems (ATS) program (DOE contract number DE-FC21-95MC31173). The ultimate goal of the program is to demonstrate a fully integrated Mercury 50 combustion system, modified with advanced materials technologies, at a host site for 4,000 hours. The program has focused on a dual path development route to define an optimum mix of technologies for the Mercury 50 turbine and future Solar products. For liner and injector development, multiple concepts including high thermal resistance thermal barrier coatings (TBC), oxide dispersion strengthened (ODS) alloys, continuous fiber ceramic composites (CFCC), and monolithic ceramics were evaluated. An advanced TBC system for the combustor was down-selected for field evaluation. ODS alloys were down-selected for the fuel injector tip application. Preliminary component and sub-scale testing was conducted to determine material properties and demonstrate proof-of-concept. Full-scale rig and engine testing were used to validate engine performance prior to field evaluation. Field evaluation of ceramic matrix composite liners in the Centaur® 50 gas turbine engine [1–3] which was previously conducted under the DOE sponsored Ceramic Stationary Gas Turbine program (DE-AC02-92CE40960), is continuing under this program. This paper is a status review of the program, detailing the current progress of the development and field evaluations.


Author(s):  
G. J. Kelsall ◽  
M. A. Smith ◽  
H. Todd ◽  
M. J. Burrows

Advanced coal based power generation systems such as the British Coal Topping Cycle offer the potential for high efficiency electricity generation with minimum environmental impact. An important component of the Topping Cycle programme is the development of a gas turbine combustion system to burn low calorific value (3.5–4.0 MJ/m3 wet gross) coal derived fuel gas, at a turbine inlet temperature of 1260°C, with minimum pollutant emissions. The paper gives an overview of the British Coal approach to the provision of a gas turbine combustion system for the British Coal Topping Cycle, which includes both experimental and modelling aspects. The first phase of this programme is described, including the design and operation of a low-NOx turbine combustor, operating at an outlet temperature of 1360°C and burning a synthetic low calorific value (LCV) fuel gas, containing 0 to 1000 ppmv of ammonia. Test results up to a pressure of 8 bar are presented and the requirements for further combustor development outlined.


Author(s):  
Hasan Karim ◽  
Jayaprakash Natarajan ◽  
Venkat Narra ◽  
Jun Cai ◽  
Shreekrishna Rao ◽  
...  

Driven by global warming, a relentless march towards increased fuel efficiency has resulted in increased firing temperature for HA-class engines without an increase in baseload emissions. Moreover, emissions compliance for CO, NOx, and unburned hydrocarbons are desired over increased range in gas turbine load. In addition, exceptional gas turbine operational flexibility is desired to address potential intermittency due to the penetration of renewables in the electrical grid. Staged/sequential combustion is a state of the technology to provide operational flexibility and reduced emissions in power generation gas turbines. GE Power’s 7HA-class gas turbine combustion system combines GE’s proven DLN-2.6+ combustion technology, that has run reliably for over 1.3 million fired hours across more than eighty 9FA.03, 9F.05 & 7FA gas turbine engines, with an axially fuel staged system (AFS). Axially staging combustion to two zones allows for increased firing temperature at baseload (while maintaining the same NOx level) by operating the later/second stage hotter than the first/primary stage. During low load operation as the gas turbine firing temperature is reduced, percentage fuel split in the staged fuel system can either be reduced significantly or turned off and thereby keeping the overall combustion system into emissions compliance over a wider range of firing temperatures. This paper presents both the development testing of the staged combustion in the FA and HA class gas turbine combustion system rigs at GE Power’s Gas Turbine Technology Laboratory and the validation testing of staged combustion system for the 7HA.01 engine completed during Spring 2016 at GE Power’s engine test facility in Greenville, SC. The paper also discusses the significant simplification of operational principle and flexibility of startup, loading and baseload operation of the 7HA combustion system. Discussion of engine test results will show how axial fuel staging was utilized to demonstrate emissions compliance ( NOx (15% O2) < 25 ppm; CO < 9 ppm), operation from 14% load to 100% load with low combustion dynamics and also to enable wide wobbe capability, which is a normalized measure of fuel flexibility.


Author(s):  
P. Gokulakrishnan ◽  
C. C. Fuller ◽  
R. G. Joklik ◽  
M. S. Klassen

Single digit NOx emission targets as part of gas turbine design criteria require highly accurate modeling of the various NOx formation pathways. The concept of lean, premixed combustion is adopted in various gas turbine combustor designs, which achieves lower NOx levels by primarily lowering the flame temperature. At these conditions, the post-flame thermal-NOx pathway contribution to the total NOx can be relatively small compared to that from the prompt-NOx and the N2O-route, which are enhanced by the super-equilibrium radical pathway at the flame front. In addition, new sources of natural gas fuel (e.g., imported LNG) with widely varying chemical compositions including higher order hydrocarbon components, impact flame stability, lean blow-out limits and emissions in existing lean premixed combustion systems. Also, the presence of higher order hydrocarbons can increase the risk of flashback induced by autoignition in the premixing section of the combustor. In this work a detailed chemical kinetic model was developed for natural gas fuels that consist of CH4, C2H6, C3H8, nC4H10, iC4H10, and small amounts of nC5H12, iC5H12 and nC6H14 in order to predict ignition behavior at typical gas turbine premixing conditions and to predict CO and NOx emissions at lean premixed combustion conditions. The model was validated for different NOx-pathways using low and high pressure laminar premixed flame data. The model was also extended to include a vitiated kinetic scheme to account for the influence of exhaust gas recirculation on fuel oxidation. The model was employed in a chemical reactor network to simulate a laboratory scale lean premixed combustion system to predict CO and NOx. The current kinetic mechanism demonstrates good predictive capability for NOx emissions at lower temperatures typical of practical lean premixed combustion systems.


Author(s):  
William D. York ◽  
Bryan W. Romig ◽  
Michael J. Hughes ◽  
Derrick W. Simons ◽  
Joseph V. Citeno

Operators of heavy duty gas turbines desire more flexibility of operation in compliance with increasingly stringent emissions regulations. Delivering low NOx at base load operation, while at the same time meeting aggressive startup, shutdown, and part load requirements for NOx, CO, and unburned hydrocarbons is a challenge that requires novel solutions in the framework of lean premixed combustion systems. The DLN2.6+ combustion system, first offered by the General Electric Company (GE) in 2005 on the 9F series gas turbines for the 50 Hz market, has a proven track record of low emissions, flexibility, and reliability. In 2010, GE launched a program to incorporate the DLN2.6+ into the 7F gas turbine model. The primary driver for the introduction of this combustion system into the 60 Hz market was to enable customers to capitalize on opportunities to use shale gas, which may have a greater Wobbe range and higher reactivity than traditional natural gas. The 7F version of the DLN2.6+ features premixed pilot flames on the five outer swirl-stabilized premixing fuel nozzles (“swozzles”). The premixed pilots have their roots in the multitube mixer technology developed by GE in the US Department of Energy Hydrogen Gas Turbine Program. A fraction of air is extracted prior to entering the combustor and sent to small tubes around the tip of the fuel nozzle centerbody. A dedicated pilot fuel circuit delivers the gas fuel to the pilot tubes, where it is injected into the air stream and given sufficient length to mix. Since the pilot flames are premixed, they contribute lower NOx emissions than a diffusion pilot, but can still provide enhanced main circuit flame stability at low-load conditions. The pilot equivalence ratio can be optimized for the specific operating conditions of the gas turbine. This paper presents the development and validation testing of the premixed pilots, which were tested on E-class and F-class gas turbine combustion system rigs at GE Power & Water’s Gas Turbine Technology Lab. A 25% reduction in NOx emissions at nominal firing temperature was demonstrated over a diffusion flame pilot, translating into more than 80% reduction in CO emissions if increased flame temperature is employed to hold constant NOx. On the new 7F DLN2.6+, the premixed pilots have enabled modifications to the system to reduce base load NOx emissions while maintaining similar gas turbine low-load performance and bringing a significant reduction in the combustor exit temperature at which LBO occurs, highlighting the stability the pilot system brings to the combustor without the NOx penalty of a diffusion pilot. The new combustion system is scheduled to enter commercial operation on GE 7F series gas turbines in 2015.


Author(s):  
Uwe Krüger ◽  
Jens Hüren ◽  
Stefan Hoffmann ◽  
Werner Krebs ◽  
Patrick Flohr ◽  
...  

Environmental compatibility requires low emission burners for gas turbine power plants. In the past, significant progress has been made developing low NOx and CO burners by introducing lean premixed techniques in combination with annular combustion chambers. Unfortunately, these burners often have a more pronounced tendency to produce combustion-driven oscillations than conventional burner designs. The oscillations may be excited to such an extent that the risk of engine failure occurs. For this reason, the prediction of these thermoacoustic instabilities in the design phase of an engine becomes more and more important. A method based on linear acoustic four-pole elements has been developed to predict instabilities of the ring combustor of the 3A-series gas turbines (Krüger et al. (1999b)). The complex network includes the whole combustion system starting from both compressor outlet and fuel supply system and ending at the turbine inlet. The flame frequency response was determined by a transient numerical simulation (step-function approach). Based on this method, possible improvements for the gas turbine are evaluated in this paper. First, the burner impedance is predicted theoretically and compared with results from measurements on a test rig for validation of the prediction approach. Next, the burner impedance in a gas turbine combustion system is analyzed and improved thermoacoustically. Stability analyses for the gas turbine combustion system show the positive impact of this improvement. Second, the interaction of the acoustic parts of the gas turbine system has been detuned systematically in circumferential direction of the annular combustion chamber in order to find a more stable configuration. Stability analyses show the positive effect of this measure as well. The results predicted are compared with measurements from engine operation. The comparisons of prediction and measurements show the applicability of the prediction method in order to evaluate the thermoacoustic stability of the combustor as well as to define possible countermeasures.


Author(s):  
Andrea Donini ◽  
Robert J. M. Bastiaans ◽  
Jeroen A. van Oijen ◽  
L. Philip H. de Goey

Gas turbines are one of the most important energy conversion methods in the world today. This is because using gas turbines, large scale, high efficiency, low cost and low emission energy production is possible. For this type of engines, low pollutants emissions can be achieved by very lean premixed combustion systems. Numerical simulation is foreseen to provide a tremendous increase in gas turbine combustors design efficiency and quality over the next future. However, the numerical simulation of modern stationary gas-turbine combustion systems represents a very challenging task. Several numerical models have been developed in order to reduce the costs of flame simulations for engineering applications. In the present paper the Flamelet-Generated Manifold (FGM) chemistry reduction method is implemented and extended for the inclusion of all the features that are typically observed in stationary gas-turbine combustion. These consist of stratification effects, heat loss and turbulence. The latter is included by coupling FGM with the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) model. Three control variables are included for the chemistry representation: the reaction evolution is described by the reaction progress variable, the heat loss is described by the enthalpy and the stratification effect is expressed by the mixture fraction. The interaction between chemistry and turbulence is considered through a presumed probability density function (PDF) approach, which is considered for progress variable and mixture fraction. This results in two extra control variables: progress variable variance and mixture fraction variance. The resulting manifold is therefore five-dimensional, in which the dimensions are progress variable, enthalpy, mixture fraction, progress variable variance and mixture fraction variance. A highly turbulent and swirling flame in a gas turbine model combustor is computed in order to test the 5-D FGM implementation. The use of FGM as a combustion model shows that combustion features at gas turbine conditions can be satisfactorily reproduced with a reasonable computational effort. The implemented combustion model retains most of the physical accuracy of a detailed simulation while drastically reducing its computational time, paving the way for new developments of alternative fuel usage in a cleaner and more efficient combustion.


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