Review of Hybrid Emissions Prediction Tools and Uncertainty Quantification Methods for Gas Turbine Combustion Systems

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

Many sources of uncertainty exist when emissions are modeled for a gas turbine combustion system. They originate from uncertain inputs, boundary conditions, calibration, or lack of sufficient fidelity in a model. In this paper, a nonintrusive polynomial chaos expansion (NIPCE) method is coupled with a chemical reactor network (CRN) model using Python to quantify uncertainties of NOx emission in a premixed burner. The first objective of uncertainty quantification (UQ) in this study is development of a global sensitivity analysis method based on the NIPCE method to capture aleatory uncertainty on NOx emission due to variation of operating conditions. The second objective is uncertainty analysis (UA) of NOx emission due to uncertain Arrhenius parameters in a chemical kinetic mechanism to study epistemic uncertainty in emission modeling. A two-reactor CRN consisting of a perfectly stirred reactor (PSR) and a plug flow reactor (PFR) is constructed in this study using Cantera to model NOx emission in a benchmark premixed burner under gas turbine operating conditions. The results of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis (SA) using NIPCE based on point collocation method (PCM) are then compared with the results of advanced Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). A set of surrogate models is also developed based on the NIPCE approach and compared with the forward model in Cantera to predict NOx emissions. The results show the capability of NIPCE approach for UQ using a limited number of evaluations to develop a UQ-enabled emission prediction tool for gas turbine combustion systems.


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.


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

Many sources of uncertainty exist when emissions are modelled for a gas turbine combustion system. They originate from uncertain inputs, boundary conditions, calibration, or lack of sufficient fidelity in the model. In this paper, a non-intrusive polynomial chaos expansion (NIPCE) method is coupled with a chemical reactor network (CRN) model using Python to rigorously quantify uncertainties of NOx emission in a premixed burner. The first objective of the uncertainty quantification (UQ) in this study is development of a global sensitivity analysis method based on NIPCE to capture aleatory uncertainty due to the variation of operating conditions and input parameters. The second objective is uncertainty analysis of Arrhenius parameters in the chemical kinetic mechanism to study the epistemic uncertainty in the modelling of NOx emission. A two-reactor CRN consisting of a perfectly stirred reactor (PSR) and a plug flow reactor (PFR) is constructed in this study using Cantera to model NOx for natural gas at the relevant operating conditions for a benchmark premixed burner. UQ is performed through the use of a number of packages in Python. The results of uncertainty and sensitivity analysis using NIPCE based on point collocation method (PCM) are then compared with the results of advanced Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Surrogate models are also developed based on the NIPCE approach and compared with the forward model in Cantera to predict NOx emissions. The results show the capability of NIPCE approach for UQ using a limited number of evaluations to develop a UQ-enabled emission prediction tool for gas turbine combustion systems.


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):  
Shigeki AOKI ◽  
Kiyoshi MATSUMOTO ◽  
Yasushi DOUURA ◽  
Takeo ODA ◽  
Masahiro Ogata ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
A. R. Clague ◽  
C. W. Wilson ◽  
M. Pourkashanian ◽  
L. Ma

A sequence of kinetic models has been developed to simulate the chemical processes occurring throughout the hot section of a modern gas turbine engine. The work was performed as part of the EU funded PARTEMIS programme, which was designed to investigate the effect of both engine condition and fuel sulphur content on the production of gaseous aerosol precursor such as SO3, H2SO4 and HONO. For the PARTEMIS programme, a Hot End Simulator (HES) was designed to recreate the thermodynamic profile through which the hot gases pass after leaving the combustor. Combustion rig tests were performed in which the concentrations of gaseous product species were measured at the exits of both the combustor and the HES. These measurements were used to validate the kinetic models. The combustor was modelled by a sequence of five perfectly stirred reactors, using the Combustor Model Interface (CMI) developed at the University of Leeds. The CMI allows for the addition of dilution air at each stage of the combustor as well as re-circulation between each stage. The results at the combustor exit were then used as initial boundary conditions for the HES model, which followed the evolution of reacting gases through each of the pressure stages of the HES. This combination of the two models allowed the chemistry occurring throughout an engine, from combustor inlet to turbine exit, to be simulated. The principal aim of this modelling programme was to determine the extent of conversion of the sulphur (IV) species, SO2, to the sulphur (VI) species, SO3 and H2SO4. The predicted level of this conversion at the exit of the HES was found to be in very good agreement with the experimentally measured values. These values were lower than had been previously determined by modelling studies and this was found to result from changes made to the thermodynamic properties of the key intermediate, HOSO2, following recent experimental measurements. The results also showed that for these tests, the predominant sulphur conversion process occurred within the combustor itself rather than the turbine or beyond.


Author(s):  
Krzysztof Kostrzewa ◽  
Axel Widenhorn ◽  
Berthold Noll ◽  
Manfred Aigner ◽  
Werner Krebs ◽  
...  

In order to achieve low levels of pollutants modern gas turbine combustion systems operate in lean and premixed modes. However, under these conditions self-excited combustion oscillations due to a complex feedback mechanism between pressure and heat release fluctuations can be found. These instabilities may lead to uncontrolled high pressure amplitude oscillations which can damage the whole combustor. The flame induced acoustic source terms are still analytically not well described and are a major topic of thermo-acoustic investigations. For the analysis of thermo-acoustic phenomena in gas turbine combustion systems flame transfer functions can be utilized. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and to investigate modeling parameters, which could influence a novel computational approach to reconstruct flame transfer functions known as the CFD/SI method. The flame transfer function estimation is made by application of a system identification method based on Wiener-Hopf formulation. Varying acoustic boundary conditions, combustion models and time resolutions may strongly affect the reconstructed flame response characterizing overall system dynamics. The CFD/SI approach has been applied to a generic gas turbine burner to derive a flame response. 3D unsteady simulations excited with white noise have been performed and the reconstructed flame transfer functions have been validated with experimental data. Moreover, the impact on the reconstructed flame transfer functions because of different boundary condition configurations has been examined.


Author(s):  
Jochen Rupp ◽  
Jon Carrotte ◽  
Adrian Spencer

Gas turbine combustion systems are prone to thermo-acoustic instabilities, and this is particularly the case for new low emission lean burn type systems. The presence of such instabilities is basically a function of the unsteady heat release within the system (i.e., both magnitude and phase) and the amount of damping. This paper is concerned with this latter process and the potential damping provided by perforated liners and other circular apertures found within gas turbine combustion systems. In particular, the paper outlines experimental measurements that characterize the flow field within the near field region of circular apertures when being subjected to incident acoustic pressure fluctuations. In this way the fundamental process by which acoustic energy is converted into kinetic energy of the velocity field can be investigated. Experimental results are presented for a single orifice located in an isothermal duct at ambient test conditions. Attached to the duct are two loudspeakers that provide pressure fluctuations incident onto the orifice. Unsteady pressure measurements enable the acoustic power absorbed by the orifice to be determined. This was undertaken for a range of excitation amplitudes and mean flows through the orifice. In this way regimes where both linear and nonlinear absorption occur along with the transition between these regimes can be investigated. The key to designing efficient passive dampers is to understand the interaction between the unsteady velocity field, generated at the orifice and the acoustic pressure fluctuations. Hence experimental techniques are also presented that enable such detailed measurements of the flow field to be made using particle image velocimetry. These measurements were obtained for conditions at which linear and nonlinear absorption was observed. Furthermore, proper orthogonal decomposition was used as a novel analysis technique for investigating the unsteady coherent structures responsible for the absorption of energy from the acoustic field.


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