Characterization and Control of Lean Blowout Using Periodically Generated Flame Balls

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Albrecht ◽  
Frank Bauermeister ◽  
Mirko Bothien ◽  
Arnaud Lacarelle ◽  
Jonas Moeck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Spark Discharge ◽  
Discharge System ◽  
Thermoacoustic Instabilities ◽  
Lean Blowout ◽  
Pilot Fuel ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines

Combustion near LBO involves the complex physical processes including turbulence, air/fuel mixing, and chemical kinetics. The goal of this paper was to identify the typical combustion behaviour near LBO of the burner and to develop an effective actuator that will have the necessary control authority without having adverse effects such as increased emissions. Early detection and effective extension of lean blowout (LBO) are the keys to ensure flight safety and low emissions for aero engines, and are of importance to industrial gas turbines for operation below regulated NOx limits. In addition, efficient actuation are crucial for effective active LBO control. An experimental investigation of LBO was carried out using a swirl-stabilized atmospheric combustor with separate pilot and premix gaseous fuel (natural gas) injection systems. Systematic tests were performed including measurements of pressure, OH chemiluminescence and emissions for different combustor lengths, fuel split ratios, preheat temperatures and air flow rates. Operation near LBO may involve excitation of undesired thermoacoustic instabilities that have to be mitigated. LBO was approached by reducing the fuel flow rate while keeping the air flow rate, the preheat temperature and the other parameters constant. Control of the LBO and thermoacoustic instabilities was achieved by generating periodic flame balls. The LBO could be extended by 13 % relative to the natural lean blowout limit at nearly 50% reduced NO emission in comparison to common pilot fuel modulation. A spark discharge system was installed at the pilot fuel injection location. The periodic spark discharge was synchronized with the pulsed fuel injection at a phase shift of 165° and an operating frequency of 22 Hz to produce flame balls that affected the main combustion region. The flame balls excitation provided an effective tool for controlling the premix combustion characteristics at the LBO.

scholarly journals Ultra Low NOx Emissions for Gas and Liquid Fuels Using Radial Swirlers

1989 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Alkabie ◽  
G. E. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Flame Stability ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Gas Oil ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines

Curved blade radial swirlers using all the primary air were investigated with applications to lean burning gas turbine combustor primary zones with low NOx emissions. Two modes of fuel injection were compared, central and radial swirler pássage injection for gaseous and liquid fuels. Both fuel systems produced low NOx emissions but the upstream mixing in the swirler passages resulted in ultra low NOx emissions. A 140mm diameter atmospheric pressure combustor was used with 43% of the combustor air flow into the primary zone through the radial swirler. Radial gas composition measurements at various axial distances were made and these showed that the flame stability and NOx emissions were controlled by differences in local mixing at the base of the swirling shear layer downstream of the swirler outlet. For radial passage fuel injection it was found that a very high combustion efficiency was obtained for both propane and liquid fuels at 400K and 600K inlet temperatures. The flame stability, although worse than for central fuel injection was considerably better than for a premixed system. The NOx emissions at one bar pressure and 600K inlet temperature, compatible with a high combustion efficiency, for propane and kerosene were 3 and 6 ppm at 15% oxygen. For Gas Oil the NOx emissions were higher, but were still very low at 12ppm. Assuming a square root dependence of NOx on pressure these results indicate that NOx emissions of 48ppm for Gas Oil and less than 12ppm for gaseous fuels could be achieved at 16 bar pressure, which is typical of recent industrial gas turbines. High air flow radial swirlers with passage fuel injection have the potential for a dry solution to the NOx emissions regulations.

Development and Integration of the Dual Fuel Combustion System for the MGT Gas Turbine Family

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bernhard Ćosić ◽  
Frank Reiss ◽  
Marc Blümer ◽  
Christian Frekers ◽  
Franklin Genin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Distribution System ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Dual Fuel ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Supply And Distribution ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines

Abstract Industrial gas turbines like the MGT6000 are often operated as power supply or as mechanical drives. In these applications, liquid fuels like 'Diesel Fuel No.2' can be used either as main fuel or as backup fuel if natural gas is not reliably available. The MAN Gas Turbines (MGT) operate with the Advanced Can Combustion (ACC) system, which is capable of ultra-low NOx emissions for gaseous fuels. This system has been further developed to provide dry dual fuel capability. In the present paper, we describe the design and detailed experimental validation process of the liquid fuel injection, and its integration into the gas turbine package. A central lance with an integrated two-stage nozzle is employed as a liquid pilot stage, enabling ignition and start-up of the engine on liquid fuel only. The pilot stage is continuously operated, whereas the bulk of the liquid fuel is injected through the premixed combustor stage. The premixed stage comprises a set of four decentralized nozzles based on fluidic oscillator atomizers, wherein atomization of the liquid fuel is achieved through self-induced oscillations. We present results illustrating the spray, hydrodynamic, and emission performance of the injectors. Extensive testing of the burner at atmospheric and full load high-pressure conditions has been performed, before verification within full engine tests. We show the design of the fuel supply and distribution system. Finally, we discuss the integration of the dual fuel system into the standard gas turbine package of the MGT6000.

scholarly journals Reduced NOx Emissions Using Low Radial Swirler Vane Angles

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Alkabie ◽  
G. E. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Primary Zone ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines ◽  
Curved Blade ◽  
Swirl Vane ◽  
Vane Angle

The influence of vane angle and hence swirl number of a radial swirler on the weak extinction, combustion inefficiency and NOx emissions was investigated at lean gas turbine combustor primary zone conditions. A 140mm diameter atmospheric pressure low NOx combustor primary zone was developed with a Mach number simulation of 30% and 43% of the combustor air flow into the primary zone through a curved blade radial swirler. The range of radial swirler vane angles was 0–60 degrees and central radially outward fuel injection was used throughout with a 600K inlet temperature. For zero vane angle radially inward jets were formed that impinged and generated a strong outer recirculation. This was found to have much lower NOx characteristics compared with a 45 degree swirler at the same pressure loss. However, the lean stability and combustion efficiency in the near weak extinction region was not as good. With swirl the central recirculation zone enhanced the combustion efficiency. For all the swirl vane angles there was little difference in combustion inefficiency between the swirlers. However, the NOx emissions were reduced at the lowest swirl angles and vane angles in the range 20–30 degrees were considered to be the optimum for central injection. NOx emissions for central injection as low as 5ppm at 15% oxygen and 1 bar were demonstrated for zero swirl and 20 degree swirler vane angle. This would scale to well under 25 ppm at pressure for all current industrial gas turbines.

An Experimental Study of Effects of Confinement Ratio on Swirl Stabilized Flame Macrostructures

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiheng Tong ◽  
Mao Li ◽  
Marcus Thern ◽  
Jens Klingmann
Keyword(s):  
Flame Front ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Recirculation Zone ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Stability ◽  
Reconstruction Method ◽  
Lean Blowout ◽  
Image Reconstruction Method ◽  
Root Position ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines

Swirl stabilized premixed flames are common in industrial gas turbines. The flame shape in the combustor is highly related to the combustion stability and the performance of the gas turbine. In the current paper, the effects of confinement on the time averaged flame structures or flame macrostructures are studied experimentally. Experiments are carried out with swirl number S = 0.66 in two cylindrical confinements with diameters of d1 = 39 mm and d2 = 64 mm and confinement ratio c1 = 0.148 and c2 = 0.0567. All the experiments were carried out in atmospheric. CH∗ chemiluminescence from the flame was recorded to visualize the flame behavior. An inverse Abel image reconstruction method was employed to better distinguish the flame macrostructures. Different mechanisms forming the time averaged M shape flames are proposed and analyzed. It is found that the confinement wall plays an important role in determining the flame macrostructures. The flow structures including the inner and outer recirculation zones formed in the confinement are revealed to be the main reasons that affects different flame macrostructures. Meanwhile, the alternation of flame shapes determines the flame stability characteristics. A smaller confinement diameter forced the flame front to bend upstream into the outer recirculation zone hence forming a M shape flame. A strong noise caused by the interaction of the flame front in the outer recirculation zone with the combustor wall was observed. Another unsteady behavior of the flame in the bigger combustor, which was caused by the alternation of the flame root position inside and outside the premixing tube, is also presented. The V shape flame in the two combustors radiated weaker chemiluminescence but the main heat release zone was elongated than the M shape flame. Other operating conditions, i.e. total mass flow rate of the air flow and the equivalence ratio also affect the flame macrostructures. The flame blowout limits were also altered under different test conditions. The bigger confinement has better performance in stabilizing the flame by having lower lean blowout limits.

Flame Holding in the Premixing Zone of a Gas Turbine Model Combustor After Forced Ignition of H2-NG-Air-Mixtures

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Utschick ◽  
Thomas Sattelmayer
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Atmospheric Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Safe Operation ◽  
Trailing Edge ◽  
Damage And Failure ◽  
Turbine Model

Flashback and self-ignition in the premixing zone of typical gas turbine swirl combustors in lean premixed operation are immanent risks and can lead to damage and failure of components. Thus, steady combustion in the premixing zone must be avoided under all circumstances. This study experimentally investigates the flame holding propensity of fuel injectors in the swirler of a gas turbine model combustor with premixing of H2-NG-air-mixtures under atmospheric pressure and proposes a model to predict the limit for safe operation. The A2EV swirler concept exhibits a hollow, thick walled conical structure with four tangential slots. Four fuel injector geometries were tested. One of them injects the fuel orthogonal to the air flow in the slots (jet-in-crossflow-injector, JICI). Three injector types introduce the fuel almost isokinetic to the air flow at the trailing edge of the swirler slots (trailing edge injector, TEI). A cylindrical duct and a window in the swirler made of quartz glass allow the application of optical diagnostics (OH* chemiluminescence and Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence of the OH radical (OH-PLIF)) inside the swirler. The fuel-air-mixture was ignited with a focused single laser pulse during steady operation. The position of ignition was located inside the swirler in proximity to a fuel injection hole. If the flame was washed out of the premixing zone not later than four seconds after the ignition the operation point was defined as safe. Operation points were investigated at three air mass flows, three air ratios, two air preheat temperatures (573 K, 673 K) and 40 to 100 percent per volume hydrogen in the fuel composed of hydrogen and natural gas. The determined safety limit for atmospheric pressure yields a similarity rule based on a critical Damköhler number. Application of the proposed rule at conditions typical for gas turbines leads to these safety limits for the A2EV burner: With the TEIs the swirler can safely operate with up to 80 percent per volume hydrogen content in the fuel at an air ratio of two. With the JIC injector safe operation at stoichiometric conditions and 95 percent per volume hydrogen is possible.

Evaluation of Combustion and Emissions Using Biodiesel and Blends With Kerosene in a Low NOx Gas Turbine Combustor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hu Li ◽  
Mohamed Altaher ◽  
Gordon E. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Waste Cooking Oil ◽  
Industrial Applications ◽  
Liquid Fuels ◽  
Gaseous Emissions ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines

Biofuels offer reduced CO2 emissions for both industrial and aero gas turbines. Industrial applications are more practical due to low temperature waxing problems at altitude. Any use of biofuels in industrial gas turbines must also achieve low NOx and this paper investigates the use of biofuels in a low NOx radial swirler, as used in some industrial low NOx gas turbines. A waste cooking oil derived methyl ester biodiesel (WME) has been tested on a radial swirler industrial low NOx gas turbine combustor under atmospheric pressure and 600K. The pure WME and its blends with kerosene, B20 and B50 (WME:kerosene = 20:80 and 50:50 respectively), and pure kerosene were tested for gaseous emissions and lean extinction as a function of equivalence ratio. The co-firing with natural gas (NG) was tested for kerosene/biofuel blends B20 and B50. The central fuel injection was used for liquid fuels and wall injection was used for NG. The experiments were carried out at a reference Mach number of 0.017. The inlet air to the combustor was heated to 600K. The results show that B20 produced similar NOx at an equivalence ratio of ∼0.5 and a significant low NOx when the equivalence ratio was increased comparing with kerosene. B50 and B100 produced higher NOx compared to kerosene, which indicates deteriorated mixing due to the poor volatility of the biofuel component. The biodiesel lower hydrocarbon and CO emissions than kerosene in the lean combustion range. The lean extinction limit was lower for B50 and B100 than kerosene. It is demonstrated that B20 has the lowest overall emissions. The co-firing with NG using B20 and B50 significantly reduced NOx and CO emissions.

Damping of Combustion Instabilities Through Pseudo-Active Control

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jesús Oliva ◽  
Ennio Luciano ◽  
Javier Ballester
Keyword(s):  
Combustion Chamber ◽  
Active Control ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Pressure Oscillation ◽  
Practical Reasons ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Secondary Fuel ◽  
Pilot Fuel ◽  
Instability Control

Active instability control techniques have demonstrated very good capabilities to correct combustion oscillations but, due to high costs and other practical reasons, have not achieved the success expected in gas turbines engines. A different approach, named here as ‘pseudo-active instability control’, has been explored and the first results are presented in this work. In this case, the flow of non-premixed pilot fuel is modulated by passive methods: the pressure oscillation in the combustion chamber induces a velocity fluctuation at the secondary fuel injector. In principle, damping of the instability may be achieved if the heat release oscillations due to the secondary fuel are out of phase with those of the main flame. This work reports a first exploration of this strategy, aimed mainly at performing a proof of the concept. An experimental study has been carried out in a laboratory premixed combustor with pilot fuel injection. The relationship between the fluctuations of pressure in the combustion chamber and those of velocity at the injector was studied both experimentally (hot wire anemometry) and theoretically (1-D acoustic model of the injection line). Combustion tests in limit cycle conditions demonstrated that modifications in the geometry of the secondary injection affected the pressure fluctuations inside the combustion chamber. Depending on the geometry (and, hence, acoustic impedance), the instability was enhanced or damped. This demonstrates that the proposed ‘pseudo-active control’ can produce similar effects (at least, qualitatively) to those of active control, but only using passive means, as initially postulated.

scholarly journals Evaporative Compressor Cooling for NOx Suppression and Enhanced Engine Performance for Naval Gas Turbine Propulsion Plants

1998 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Sexton ◽  
Herman B. Urbach ◽  
Donald T. Knauss
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Engine Performance ◽  
Specific Power ◽  
Heat Recovery Boiler ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Discharge Temperature ◽  
Compressor Performance

Water, in the liquid or vapor phase, injected at various locations into the gas turbine cycle has frequently been employed to improve engine performance while simultaneously reducing NOx emissions. Commercial steam injected gas turbines have been designed to inject small amounts of steam (less than 15% of air flow), generated in a heat recovery boiler, into or downstream of the combustor. Recently, it has been proposed to inject larger amounts of water (as high as 50% of air flow) and operate combustors near stoichiometric conditions. All these methods increase turbine mass flow rate without increasing air flow rate and consequently increase specific power. The increase in specific power for naval applications means smaller intake and exhaust stacks and therefore less impact on topside space. The present paper presents a new concept, in naval propulsion plants, to decrease NOx production and increase specific power with a water fog (droplet spray) injected (WFI) directly into the inlet of the engine compressor. The simulated performance of a simple-cycle gas turbine engine using WFI is reported. The paper describes the computer model developed to predict compressor performance resulting from the evaporation of water passing through the stages of an axial flow compressor. The resulting effects are similar to those of an intercooled compressor, without the complications due to the addition of piping, heat exchangers, and the requirement for a dual spool compressor. The effects of evaporative cooling on compressor characteristics are presented. These results include compressor maps modified for various water flow rates as well as estimates of the reductions in compression work and compressor discharge temperature. These modified compressor performance characteristics are used in the engine simulation to predict how a WFI engine would perform under various water injection flow rates. Estimates of increased output power and decreased air flow rates are presented.

Upgrading the Undergraduate Gas Turbine Lab

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Lee ◽  
Shane Lowe ◽  
Bret P. Van Poppel ◽  
Michael J. Benson ◽  
Aaron St. Leger
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
The United States ◽  
Virtual Laboratory ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Physical Laboratory ◽  
Temperature And Pressure

A study of gas turbine engines is an important component of an integrated thermodynamics and fluid mechanics two-course sequence at the United States Military Academy (USMA). Owing to the ubiquity of gas turbines in military use, graduating cadets will encounter a variety of these engines throughout their military careers. Especially for this unique population, it is important for engineering students to be familiar with the operation and applications of gas turbines. Experimental analysis of a functional auxiliary power unit (APU) from an Army utility helicopter has been a key component of this block of instruction for several decades. As with all laboratory equipment, the APU has experienced intermittent maintenance issues, which occasionally render it unusable for the gas turbine laboratory in the course. Because of this, a very basic virtual laboratory was implemented which integrated video of the physical laboratory with key parameters and behind-the-screen data collection for use in engine analysis. A revitalized version of both the physical and virtual gas turbine laboratory experiences offered in the thermal-fluids course will include substantial improvements over the existing setup. The physical laboratory, which is centered on a refurbished APU from a medium-sized commercial aircraft, will continue to incorporate measurements of temperature and pressure throughout the combustion process, as well as fuel flow rate. In an improvement over the original laboratory setup, an orifice plate will be used to measure the flow rate of bleed air exiting the turbine, which had not previously been open during engine testing. Additionally, the air flow through the anti-surge valve was not metered in the original version of the physical laboratory. However, the anti-surge air flow can account for nearly 25% of the total air flow, and performance calculations in the physical laboratory will now account for this loss. The turbine output shaft will run a water-brake dynamometer. All instrumentation will be converted to digital signals and projected on a large screen outside the test area through a LabVIEW front panel. The virtual laboratory will include the same metering options as the operational APU. In addition, the virtual laboratory will include the option to alter engine operating parameters, such as inlet temperature and pressure or exhaust temperatures, and students may conduct broad parameter sweeps across ranges of possible inputs or desired outputs. These improvements will enable students to gain a deeper understanding of gas turbine operation and capabilities in practical applications. The improved laboratory will be implemented in Spring, 2014.

Investigation of Spray Formation and Turbulent Droplet Transport in High Momentum Jet Stabilized Combustor Injection Systems

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Schäfer ◽  
Fabian Hampp ◽  
Oliver Lammel ◽  
Manfred Aigner
Keyword(s):  
Mass Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Air Flow ◽  
High Momentum ◽  
Droplet Distribution ◽  
Swirl Atomizer ◽  
Pressure Swirl ◽  
Pressure Swirl Atomizer

Abstract This work investigates the influence of coaxial air flow on droplet distribution, velocity, and size generated by a pressure-swirl atomizer. The experiments were performed inside a generic test section with large optical access at atmospheric conditions. The flow conditions replicate the mixing duct sections of high momentum jet stabilized combustors for gas turbines, e.g. high axial air velocities without swirl generation and high preheat temperatures. High momentum jet stabilized combustors based on the FLOX® burner concept are used successfully in gas turbines due to its fuel and load flexibility and very low pollutant emissions. In previous and ongoing studies, different model combustors have been under investigation mainly with the focus of broadening fuel flexibility and operational limits. Operation with different liquid fuel injection systems in high pressure experiments showed a significant impact from the injector shape and injection strategy on the fuel air mixing behavior, the flame position and stability, and thus NOx emissions. This experiment will give a more detailed understanding of the turbulent mixing and interaction of primary and secondary atomization with the surrounding air in such burners. The setup will also allow for the testing of different injection systems for various burner configurations by the variation of injection type, location, fuel, and air flow properties. In the present experiments a pressure-swirl atomizer was set to a constant pressure drop and mass flow. Liquid fuel was replaced by deionized water due to safety concerns. The coaxial air mass flow was preheated up to 473 K and set to bulk velocities of 20 m/s, 50 m/s, and 80 m/s. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) was used to characterize the flow field downstream of the point of injection. The droplet size and velocity distributions were quantified by double frame shadow imaging combined with a long-distance microscope with a resolution below 1 μm per pixel. Moreover, the formation of ligaments as well as primary spray break-up was visualized. The results show a significant change of the spatial droplet distribution with increasing co-flow velocity for a given atomizer geometry. The spray cone angle widens at high co-flow velocities due to the formation of a pronounced recirculation zone behind the backward facing step of the injector near the nozzle orifice. This also leads to a change in the initial droplet momentum and the spatial distribution of large droplets. Smaller droplets are concentrated to the center of the spray due to turbulent transport. These findings assist the ongoing developments of liquid fuel injection systems for high momentum jet based combustors and provide validation data for numerical simulations of primary and secondary atomization.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document