Numerical Study of Unsteady Flow-Field and Flame Dynamics in a Gas Turbine Model Combustor

Author(s):  
Moresh J. Wankhede ◽  
Ferry A. Tap ◽  
Philipp Schapotschnikow ◽  
Wilhelmus J. S. Ramaekers

In swirl-stabilized gas turbine combustors, interaction between unsteady flow-field and flame dynamics play a key role in driving several types of combustion instabilities, establishing flame location and its structure and influencing heat release rates. This is challenging to understand and computationally expensive to resolve in detail. In this study, a highly turbulent and swirling flow-flame dynamics in a gas turbine model combustor is characterized numerically using unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (URANS) and detached eddy simulation (DES) based computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods. From flame representation point of view, the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) method is used to reduce combustion chemistry (which still includes detailed reaction kinetics and species diffusion in reaction layers) and hence computational requirements. The helical precessing vortex core (PVC) instability and its influence on downstream flow/flame dynamics is captured. Further insight is gained into URANS and DES methods capabilities in simulating various coherent swirl flow structures such as central toroidal recirculation zone (CTRZ) and outer recirculation zones (ORZ) as well as fuel-air mixing patterns. NOx emission, which is currently a high-priority design objective due to stringent pollutant regulations, is also computed. The results show that the numerically captured swirling flow-flame dynamics is in accordance with the experimental observations and measurements.

Author(s):  
Hong Yin

In advanced gas turbine technology, lean premixed combustion is an effective strategy to reduce peak temperature and thus, NO[Formula: see text] emissions. The swirler is adopted to establish recirculation flow zone, enhancing mixing and stabilizing the flame. Therefore, the swirling flow is dominant in the combustor flow field and has impact on the vane. This paper mainly investigates the swirling flow effect on the turbine first stage vane cooling system by conducting a group of numerical simulations. Firstly, the numerical methods of turbulence modeling using RANS and LES are compared. The computational model of one single swirl flow field is considered. Both the RANS and LES results give reasonable recirculation zone shape. When comparing the velocity distribution, the RANS results generally match the experimental data but fail to at some local area. The LES modeling gives better results and more detailed unsteady flow field. In the second step, the RANS modeling is incorporated to investigate the vane film cooling performance under the swirling inflow boundary condition. According to the numerical results, the leading edge film cooling is largely altered by the swirling flow, especially for the swirl core-leading edge aligned case. Compared to the pressure side, the suction side film cooling is more sensitive to the swirling flow. Locally, the film cooling jet is lifted and turned by the strong swirling flow.


2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 541-550 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Jin ◽  
Chen Ye ◽  
Xiao Luo ◽  
Hui Yuan ◽  
Changgui Cheng

AbstractIn order to improve the inclusion removal property of the tundish, the mathematic model for simulation of the flow field sourced from inner-swirl-type turbulence controller (ISTTC) was developed, in which there were six blades arranged with an eccentric angle (θ) counterclockwise. Based on the mathematical and water model, the effect of inclusion removal in the swirling flow field formed by ISTTC was analyzed. It was found that ISTTC had got the better effect of inhibiting turbulence in tundish than traditional turbulence inhibitor (TI). As the blades eccentric angle (θ) of ISTTC increasing, the intensity of swirling flow above it increased. The maximum rotate speed of fluid in swirling flow band driven by ISTTC (θ=45°) was equal to 25 rmp. Based on the force analysis of inclusion in swirling flow sourced from ISTTC, the removal effect of medium size inclusion by ISTTC was attributed to the centripetal force (Fct) of swirling flow, but removal effect of ISTTC to small size inclusion was more depend on its better turbulence depression behavior.


2014 ◽  
Vol 90 ◽  
pp. 339-345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syeda Reham Shahed ◽  
Mohammad. Ali ◽  
Swarna Saha ◽  
Most. Nasrin Akhter

2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (8) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Casimir ◽  
Xiangyuan Zhu ◽  
Markus Hundshagen ◽  
Gerhard Ludwig ◽  
Romuald Skoda

Abstract Three-dimensional (3D) unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) flow simulations are conducted to investigate the highly unsteady flow field at part load operation of a centrifugal pump. By the availability of unsteady flow field measurement data in the impeller wake region, a thorough validation of the simulation method is performed. Grid independence of the results is ensured. Unsteady characteristics in terms of head and shaft power as well as transient blade loads are evaluated to assess the unsteady pump performance. Significant mis-loading of the blading is revealed when one blade passes the volute tongue and associated with the strong unsteady and 3D flow field in the impeller-volute tongue region. Negative radial velocity in the tongue region is the origin of a vortex at the blade pressure side and a subsequent pressure drop that leads to even temporally negative blade loading. The results provide a detailed insight in the complex part load flow field that might be utilized for an improved pump design. As a valuable secondary outcome, a comparison of results obtained by two widely used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) codes for pump flow simulation is provided, i.e., the commercial code ansyscfx and the branch foam-extend of the open source software openfoam. It is found that the results of both methods in terms of unsteady characteristics as well as local ensemble-averaged velocity field are consistent.


2015 ◽  
Vol 789-790 ◽  
pp. 477-483
Author(s):  
A.R. Norwazan ◽  
M.N. Mohd Jaafar

This paper is presents numerical simulation of isothermal swirling turbulent flows in a combustion chamber of an unconfined burner. Isothermal flows of with three different swirl numbers, SN of axial swirler are considered to demonstrate the effect of flow axial velocity and tangential velocity to define the center recirculation zone. The swirler is used in the burner that significantly influences the flow pattern inside the combustion chamber. The inlet velocity, U0 is 30 m/s entering into the burner through the axial swirler that represents a high Reynolds number, Re to evaluate the differences of SN. The significance of center recirculation zone investigation affected by differences Re also has been carried out in order to define a good mixing of air and fuel. A numerical study of non-reacting flow into the burner region is performed using ANSYS Fluent. The Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) realizable k-ε turbulence approach method was applied with the eddy dissipation model. An attention is focused in the flow field behind the axial swirler downstream that determined by transverse flow field at different radial distance. The results of axial and tangential velocity were normalized with the U0. The velocity profiles’ behaviour are obviously changes after existing the swirler up to x/D = 0.3 plane. However, their flow patterns are similar for all SN after x/D = 0.3 plane towards the outlet of a burner.


Author(s):  
Jörg Schlüter ◽  
Thilo Schönfeld ◽  
Thierry Poinsot ◽  
Werner Krebs ◽  
Stefan Hoffmann

Since the flame of high intense low NOx gas turbine combustion systems is stabilized by swirl, the analysis of the swirl flow is very crucial to the design and optimization of such combustion systems. Although a huge amount of publications have been provided on this field just a few have used Large Eddy Simulation due to limits in computer resources. Using Large Eddy Simulation the large vortical structure of the flow is resolved leading to a much better insight of the flow features. Hence, in this paper the Large Eddy Simulation has been applied to investigate the non reacting confined swirling flow downstream of a gas turbine burner. A high accuracy of the prediction of the full three dimensional simulation could be pointed out by comparison of the computational results to measurements. Further the large vortical structure and the dynamic behavior of the flow has been analyzed. The formation of a precessing vortex core is visualized. Due to the precessing motion of the central recirculation zone an alternate vortex shedding at the edges of the burner nozzle is induced. From LES Strouhal numbers for the vortex shedding process are calculated which are confirmed by hot wire measurements.


Author(s):  
Axel Widenhorn ◽  
Berthold Noll ◽  
Manfred Aigner

In this contribution the three-dimensional reacting turbulent flow field of a swirl-stabilized gas turbine model combustor is analyzed numerically. The investigated partially premixed and lifted CH4/air flame has a thermal power load of Pth = 35kW and a global equivalence ratio of φ = 0.65. To study the reacting flow field the Scale Adaptive Simulation (SAS) turbulence model in combination with the Eddy Dissipation/Finite Rate Chemistry combustion model was applied. The simulations were performed using the commercial CFD software package ANSYS CFX-11.0. The numerically achieved time-averaged values of the velocity components and their appropriate turbulent fluctuations (RMS) are in very good agreement with the experimental values (LDA). The same excellent results were found for other flow quantities like temperature and mixture fraction. Here, the corresponding time-averaged and the appropriate RMS profiles are compared to Raman measurements. Furthermore the instantaneous flow features are discussed. In accordance with the experiment the numerical simulation evidences the existence of a precessing vortex core (PVC). The PVC rotates with a frequency of 1596Hz. Moreover it is shown that in the upper part of the combustion chamber a tornado-like vortical structure is established.


2012 ◽  
Vol 622-623 ◽  
pp. 1119-1124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Tung Chong ◽  
Simone Hochgreb

The flow field of a lab-scale model gas turbine swirl burner was characterised using particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) at atmospheric condition. The swirl burner consists of an axial swirler, a twin-fluid atomizer and a quartz tube as combustor wall. The main non-reacting swirling air flow without spray was compared to swirl flow with spray under unconfined and enclosed conditions. The introduction of liquid fuel spray changes the flow field of the main swirling air flow at the burner outlet where the radial velocity components are enhanced. Under reacting conditions, the enclosure generates a corner recirculation zone that intensifies the strength of the radial velocity. Comparison of the flow fields with a spray flame using diesel and palm biodiesel shows very similar flow fields. The flow field data can be used as validation target for swirl flame modelling.


2012 ◽  
Vol 510 ◽  
pp. 545-548
Author(s):  
Liang Yu ◽  
Shu Sheng Yuan ◽  
Zhi Bing Pang ◽  
Yun Liang Wang

RNG (Renormalization Group) k-ε turbulent model was applied to the numerical simulation of turbulent mixing processes in the RQL gas turbine combustor, and SIMPLE algorithm was used to solve the finite difference equations. The calculated conclusions were used to analyze temperature distribution of the mixed flow field and near-wall region of the flow field, and then discuss the NOx emissions. The results show that the effect of the injector zone geometry and the jet to crossflow momentum flux ratios on the NOx emissions is obvious. The reasonable control of jet is beneficial to reduce the local high temperature area and is able to improve the distribution of the exit temperature. And then achieve the goal of reducing the environmental pollution.


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