Experimental Investigation of Combustion Dynamics in a Turbulent Syngas Combustor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhil Ashokbhai Baraiya ◽  
Baladandayuthapani Nagarajan ◽  
Satynarayanan R. Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Fuel Mixture ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Acoustic Oscillations ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Dynamic Pressure Measurement ◽  
Body Location

In the present work, the proportion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen is widely varied to simulate different compositions of synthesis gas and the potential of the fuel mixture to excite combustion oscillations in a laboratory-scale turbulent bluff body combustor is investigated. The effect of parameters such as the bluff body location and equivalence ratio on the self-excited acoustic oscillations of the combustor is studied. The flame oscillations are mapped by means of simultaneous high-speed CH* and OH* chemiluminescence imaging along with dynamic pressure measurement. Mode shifts are observed as the bluff body location or the air flow Reynolds number/overall equivalence ratio are varied for different fuel compositions. It is observed that the fuel mixtures that are hydrogen-rich excite high amplitude pressure oscillations as compared to other fuel composition cases. Higher H2 content in the mixture is also capable of exciting significantly higher natural acoustic modes of the combustor so long as CO is present, but not without the latter. The interchangeability factor Wobbe Index is not entirely sufficient to understand the unsteady flame response to the chemical composition.

Effect of Chemical Composition of Syngas on Combustion Dynamics Inside Bluff-Body Type Turbulent Syngas Combustor

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhil Ashokbhai Baraiya ◽  
Satynarayanan R. Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Composition ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Acoustic Behavior ◽  
Body Type ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Co2 Intensity ◽  
Dynamic Pressure Measurement

In the present work, the chemical composition of syngas is changed by varying the H2/CO ratio, to map the change in the acoustic behavior of a bluff-body combustor. It was observed that with increase in hydrogen concentration in the syngas mixture, the frequency shifts to higher modes and the flame structures changes. The flame oscillations are mapped by means of simultaneous high-speed OH* and CO2* chemiluminescence imaging along with dynamic pressure measurement. The plots of spatial distribution of OH* and CO2* intensity are used to understand change in flame structure with change in chemical composition and also to help in understanding the kinetics affecting acoustic behavior of the flame. The change in flow structures with change in chemical composition of fuel is studied by simultaneous high-speed PIV, OH* chemiluminescence and dynamic pressure measurements.

Intermittency in the Dynamics of Turbulent Combustors

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vineeth Nair ◽  
R. I. Sujith
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Combustion Instability ◽  
Homoclinic Orbits ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Periodic Oscillations ◽  
Lean Blowout ◽  
Amplitude Fluctuations

The dynamic transitions preceding combustion instability and lean blowout were investigated experimentally in a laboratory scale turbulent combustor by systematically varying the flow Reynolds number. We observe that the onset of combustion-driven oscillations is always presaged by intermittent bursts of high-amplitude periodic oscillations that appear in a near random fashion amidst regions of aperiodic, low-amplitude fluctuations. The onset of high-amplitude, combustion-driven oscillations in turbulent combustors thus corresponds to a transition in dynamics from chaos to limit cycle oscillations through a state characterized as intermittency in dynamical systems theory. These excursions to periodic oscillations become last longer in time as operating conditions approach instability and finally the system transitions completely into periodic oscillations. Such intermittent oscillations emerge through the establishment of homoclinic orbits in the phase space of the global system which is composed of hydrodynamic and acoustic subsystems that operate over different time scales. Such intermittent burst oscillations are also observed in the combustor on increasing the Reynolds number further past conditions of combustion instability towards the lean blowout limit. High-speed flame images reveal that the intermittent states observed prior to lean blowout correspond to aperiodic detachment of the flame from the bluff-body lip. These intermittent oscillations are thus of prognostic value and can be utilized to provide early warning signals to combustion instability as well as lean blowout.

Dynamics and Stability Limits of Syngas Combustion in a Swirl-Stabilized Combustor

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raymond L. Speth ◽  
H. Murat Altay ◽  
Duane E. Hudgins ◽  
Ahmed F. Ghoniem
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fluid Dynamic ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Video Data ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Lean Blowout ◽  
Operating Modes

The combustion dynamics, stability bands and flame structure of syngas flames under different operating conditions are investigated in an atmospheric pressure swirl-stabilized combustor. Pressure measurements and high-speed video data are used to distinguish several operating modes. Increasing the equivalence ratio makes the flame more compact, and in general increases the overall sound pressure level. Very close to the lean blowout limit, a long stable flame anchored to the inner recirculation zone is observed. At higher equivalence ratios, a low frequency, low amplitude pulsing mode associated with the fluid dynamic instabilities of axial swirling flows is present. Further increasing the equivalence ratio produces unstable flames oscillating at frequencies coupled with the acoustic eigenmodes. Additionally, a second unstable mode, coupled with a lower eigen-mode of the system, is observed for flames with CO concentration higher than 50%. As the amount of hydrogen in the fuel is increased, the lean flammability limit is extended and transitions between operating regimes move to lower equivalence ratios.

Comparison of Center Nozzle Staging to Outer Nozzle Staging in a Multi-Flame Combustor

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wyatt Culler ◽  
Xiaoling Chen ◽  
Stephen Peluso ◽  
Domenic Santavicca ◽  
Jacqueline O’Connor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Rate Fluctuation ◽  
Fuel Staging ◽  
Model Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Dynamic Pressure Measurements ◽  
Similar Phase

Combustion instability in gas turbines is often mitigated using fuel staging, a strategy where the fuel is split unevenly between different nozzles of a multiple-nozzle combustor. This work examines the efficacy of different fuel staging configurations by comparing axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric fuel staging in a four-around-one model gas turbine combustor. Fuel staging is accomplished by increasing the equivalence ratio of the center nozzle (axisymmetric staging) or an outer nozzle (non-axisymmetric staging). When the global equivalence ratio is ϕ = 0.70 and all nozzles are fueled equally, the combustor undergoes longitudinal, self-excited oscillations. These oscillations are suppressed when the center nozzle equivalence ratio is increased above ϕStaging = 0.79. This bifurcation equivalence ratio varies between ϕStaging = 0.86 and ϕStaging = 0.76 for the outer nozzles, and is attributed to minor hardware differences between each nozzle. High speed CH* chemiluminescence images in combination with dynamic pressure measurements are used to determine the instantaneous phase difference between the heat release rate fluctuation and the combustor pressure fluctuation throughout the combustor. This analysis shows that the staged flame has similar phase relationships for all staging configurations. It is found that axisymmetric staging can be as effective as non-axisymmetric staging; however, the aforementioned hardware variations can impact both the bifurcation equivalence ratio and the effectiveness of staging.

Experimental Investigation Into the Role of Mean Flame Stabilization On the Combustion Dynamics of High-Hydrogen Fuels in a Turbulent Combustor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikhil Ashokbhai Baraiya ◽  
Vikram Ramanan ◽  
Baladandayuthapani Nagarajan ◽  
Chetankumar S Vegad ◽  
S. R. Chakravarthy
Keyword(s):  
Bluff Body ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Acoustic Mode ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Pure Hydrogen ◽  
Airflow Rate ◽  
High Hydrogen ◽  
Combustion Dynamics

Abstract A bluff-body turbulent combustor is mapped for its thermo-acoustic stability across variation in airflow rate, non-dimensionalized as the Reynolds number (Re) and fuel composition. The combustor stability is evaluated for three fuels, namely, pure hydrogen (PH), synthesis natural gas (SNG), and syngas (SG). The combustion dynamics display markedly different behavior across the fuels, in the extent of the unstable region, as well as the observed dominant Eigenvalues. At low Re, SNG displays stable combustion, while SG exhibits high amplitude oscillations at the fundamental duct acoustic mode. As the Re is increased, SNG displays very high amplitude oscillations at the duct acoustic mode, while SG exhibit relatively low amplitude oscillations at the third harmonic. In the case of PH, high amplitude oscillations observed at higher Re at the first harmonic. These peculiarities are investigated in light of the role of mean flame stabilization. The combustion dynamics of fuels is influenced by the global equivalence ratio, as well as the jet momentum ratio. These effects significantly demarcates the dynamics of SNG and SG combustion. This is seen manifested in mean flame structure of flame at high amplitude oscillations, whereby result in SNG flame to be present in the wake, while the SG flame resides in the shear layer. The driving by the flame because of their mean stabilization quantified by a spatial Rayleigh index. It confirms the presence of large driving regions for SNG compared to that of SG, results in the observed differences in amplitude of the oscillations.

scholarly journals Simulating Bluff-Body Flameholders: On the Use of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition for Combustion Dynamics Validation

2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Blanchard ◽  
A. J. Wickersham ◽  
Lin Ma ◽  
Wing Ng ◽  
Uri Vandsburger
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Proper Orthogonal Decomposition ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Orthogonal Decomposition ◽  
Time Averaging ◽  
Reacting Flow ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Proper Orthogonal

Contemporary tools for experimentation and computational modeling of unsteady and reacting flow open new opportunities for engineering insight into dynamic phenomena. In this article, we describe a novel use of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) for validation of the unsteady heat release of a turbulent premixed flame stabilized by a vee-gutter bluff-body. Large-eddy simulations were conducted for the same geometry and flow conditions as examined in an experimental rig with chemiluminescence measurements obtained with a high-speed camera. In addition to comparing the experiment to the simulation using traditional time-averaging and pointwise statistical techniques, the dynamic modes of each are isolated using proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) and then compared mode-by-mode against each other. The results show good overall agreement between the shapes and magnitudes of the first modes of the measured and simulated data. A numerical study of into the effects of various simulation parameters on these heat release modes showed significant effects on the flame's effective angle but also on the size, shape, and symmetry patterns of the flame's dynamic modes.

The Effect of the Geometric Modifications of the Venturi on the Non-Reactive Flow and Combustion Behavior Using a Counter-Rotating Radial-Radial Swirler

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheng-Chieh Lin ◽  
Xionghui Wang ◽  
Wessam Estefanos ◽  
Samir Tambe ◽  
San-Mou Jeng
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Drop ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Flow Behavior ◽  
Dynamic Pressure ◽  
Vertical Plane ◽  
Reactive Flow ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Acoustic Oscillations ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional

An experimental study was conducted to perform an analysis of the effect of the geometric modifications of the venturi on the non-reactive and reactive flow behavior using a counter-rotating radial-radial swirler. In the non-reactive flow tests, measurements were taken in a central vertical plane and horizontal (cross-sectional) plane at the exit of the swirler, using a High-Speed, Two Dimensional, Particle Image Velocimetry (2D PIV) system. The size of the swirler used in the non-reactive flow tests is a 4.76X scaled size of the swirler used in combustion. The 4.76X swirler models were tested in air flow seeded with olive oil at Re = 51,500, corresponding to the pressure drop across the 1X swirler models of 4% of atmospheric pressure at ambient conditions. Compared with the 1X swirler models, the 4.76X swirler models provide high spatial and temporal resolutions from the enhanced visibility of the flow characteristics and lower velocities at the same Re. Four swirler configurations of high swirl number (SN ≈ 1.0) were used, with no modification for the baseline configuration (configuration 1), and with the chevrons on the venturi for the straight chevrons configuration (configuration 2). The design of the inclined venturi was used for the converging venturi configuration (configuration 3), and chevrons were added on the converging venturi for the converging chevrons configuration (configuration 4). In the combustion tests, the 1X swirler models were tested using 478K preheated air at 4% pressure drop across the swirler, and different chamber lengths. Measurements were conducted using a regular camera to capture the flame image, and dynamic pressure transducers to obtain the acoustic pressure oscillations. Four configurations were studied and compared in the non-reactive and reactive flows with the objective of understanding the mechanisms responsible in reducing the extent of the combustion instabilities. Results of this study show that the converging venturi in configuration 3 appears to be the best design in eliminating the combustion instabilities in the fuel-lean region as compared to the other configurations. This indicates that the prevention of the frequencies coupling between the heat release rate and acoustic oscillations has been achieved by using the design of the converging venturi.

scholarly journals Ignition Thresholds and Flame Propagation of Methane/Air Mixtures Ignited via Radiatively Heated Inert Particles

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (16) ◽  
pp. 5173
Author(s):  
Junrong Ma ◽  
Changsuo Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Ignition Temperature ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fuel Mixture ◽  
Temperature Threshold ◽  
Stoichiometric Ratio ◽  
Flammability Limits ◽  
Heated Particle ◽  
Ignition Threshold ◽  
Fuel Mixtures

The prevention and evaluation of explosions requires suitable standards of measurement. As such, for this study two ignition thresholds, the ignition temperature and the minimum ignition irradiance were selected as the assessment criteria. These ignition threshold values were experimentally determined by heating stationary inert silicon carbide particles via thermal radiation with a large spot size in order to ignite quiescent methane-air fuel mixtures. A high-speed Schlieren camera was used to capture the progression of the formation and propagation of the flames throughout the experiments. The results of the experiments show that the irradiance and temperature threshold are directly and inversely proportional to the particle size, respectively. Furthermore, the irradiance and temperature thresholds have similar tendencies within the flammability limits; wherein, the minimum value corresponds to fuel mixtures at a stoichiometric ratio, and increases as the equivalence ratio shifts toward the flammability limits. Irradiance thresholds, though, are more sensitive to changes in equivalence ratio than temperature. The temperature histories of the heated particle determined that when the irradiance is lower than its ignition threshold value, the heated particle-fuel mixture system will arrive at a thermal equilibrium, rather than ignition, due to the inability of the particle to reach the ignition temperature. This study also found that longer ignition times will result in a more drastic deformation of the flame fronts caused by natural convection.

scholarly journals Injector-coupled transverse instabilities in a multi-element premixed combustor

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175682772093283
Author(s):  
John J Philo ◽  
Rohan M Gejji ◽  
Carson D Slabaugh
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Thermoacoustic Instabilities ◽  
Transverse Modes ◽  
Additional Mode ◽  
The Relationship

Combustion instabilities in a high-pressure, multi-element combustor are studied in order to understand the relationship between the chamber and injector dynamics. A linear array of seven injectors supplies premixed natural gas and air into a rectangular combustion chamber designed to promote high-frequency, transverse thermoacoustic instabilities. The effect of equivalence ratio on the combustion dynamics was investigated for two injector lengths, 62.5 and 125 mm. For all operating conditions, the 125 mm injectors promote high-amplitude instabilities of the fundamental transverse (1T) mode, which has a frequency of 1750–1850 Hz. Reducing the injector length significantly lowers the instability amplitudes for all operating conditions and, for lower equivalence ratio cases, excites an additional mode near 1550 Hz. The delineating feature controlling the growth of the instabilities in each injector configuration is the coupling with axial pressure fluctuations in the injectors that occur in response to the transverse modes in the chamber.

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