scholarly journals NOx Emissions Predictions for a Hydrogen Micromix Combustion System

Author(s):  
Giulia Babazzi ◽  
Pierre Q. Gauthier ◽  
Parash Agarwal ◽  
Jonathan McClure ◽  
Vishal Sethi

Abstract Being free from carbon content, hydrogen has been considered as a promising candidate to reduce pollutant emissions in Gas Turbine Combustion Systems. Due to hydrogen’s significantly different burning characteristics, its implementation requires adjustments to the design philosophies of traditional combustion chambers. The micromix concept offers an alternative diffusive combustion injection system, improving the mixing characteristics without the risk associated with pre-mixing, thereby reducing the likelihood of hotspots forming. The importance of turbulence-chemistry interaction modelling, particularly for highly diffusive flames such as hydrogen, has been widely addressed. A turbulence-chemistry interaction study on such a micromix injector was performed investigating the coupling between the Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) combustion model and different hydrogen reaction mechanisms. This methodology correctly reproduces the typical micromix micro-flame behaviour and the analysed mechanisms are shown to be in good agreement in terms of flow characteristics prediction. A comparative study between two reduced order emissions prediction models was then carried out: a CFD post-processing technique for NOx emissions calculations and a hybrid CFD-CRN approach were explored. Due to the coupling between accurate turbulence-chemistry interaction modelling and the ability to handle detailed chemistry, the hybrid CFD-CRN approach gives valuable results with a modest computational cost and it could be used as an optimising tool during the injector geometry design process.

Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xinying Xu ◽  
Qi Chen ◽  
Mifeng Ren ◽  
Lan Cheng ◽  
Jun Xie

Increasing the combustion efficiency of power plant boilers and reducing pollutant emissions are important for energy conservation and environmental protection. The power plant boiler combustion process is a complex multi-input/multi-output system, with a high degree of nonlinearity and strong coupling characteristics. It is necessary to optimize the boiler combustion model by means of artificial intelligence methods. However, the traditional intelligent algorithms cannot deal effectively with the massive and high dimensional power station data. In this paper, a distributed combustion optimization method for boilers is proposed. The MapReduce programming framework is used to parallelize the proposed algorithm model and improve its ability to deal with big data. An improved distributed extreme learning machine is used to establish the combustion system model aiming at boiler combustion efficiency and NOx emission. The distributed particle swarm optimization algorithm based on MapReduce is used to optimize the input parameters of boiler combustion model, and weighted coefficient method is used to solve the multi-objective optimization problem (boiler combustion efficiency and NOx emissions). According to the experimental analysis, the results show that the method can optimize the boiler combustion efficiency and NOx emissions by combining different weight coefficients as needed.


Author(s):  
M. Zghal ◽  
X. Sun ◽  
P. Q. Gauthier ◽  
V. Sethi

Abstract Hydrogen micromix combustion is a promising concept to reduce the environmental impact of both aero and land-based gas turbines by delivering carbon-free and ultra-low-NOx combustion without the risk of autoignition or flashback. The EU H2020 ENABLEH2 project aims to demonstrate the feasibility of such a switch to hydrogen for civil aviation, within which the micromix combustion, as a key enabling technology, will be matured to TRL3. The micromix combustor comprises thousands of small diffusion flames where air and fuel are mixed in a crossflow pattern. This technology is based on the idea of minimizing the scale of mixing to maximize mixing intensity. The high-reactivity and wide flammability limits of hydrogen in a micromix combustor can produce short and low-temperature small diffusion flames in lean overall equivalence ratios. In order to mature the hydrogen micromix combustion technology, high quality numerical simulations of the resulting short, thin and highly dynamic hydrogen flames, as well as predictions of combustion species, are essential. In fact, one of the biggest challenges for current CFD has been to accurately model this combustion phenomenon. The Flamelet Generated Manifold (FGM) model is a combustion model that has been used in the past decades for its predicting capabilities and its low computational cost due to its reliance on pre-tabulated combustion chemistry, instead of directly integrating detailed chemistry mechanisms. However, this trade for a lower computational cost may have an impact on the solution, especially when considering a fuel such as Hydrogen. Therefore, it is necessary to compare the FGM model to another combustion modelling approach which uses more detailed complex chemistry. The main focus of this paper then, is to compare the flame characteristics in terms of position, thickness, length, temperature and emissions obtained from LES simulations done with the FGM model, to the results obtained with more complex chemistry models, for hydrogen micromix flames. This will be done using STAR-CCM+ to determine the most suitable numerical approach required for the design of injection systems for ultra-low NOx.


2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 89-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tommaso Lucchini ◽  
Daniel Pontoni ◽  
Gianluca D’Errico ◽  
Bart Somers

Computational fluid dynamics analysis represents a useful approach to design and develop new engine concepts and investigate advanced combustion modes. Large chemical mechanisms are required for a correct description of the combustion process, especially for the prediction of pollutant emissions. Tabulated chemistry models allow to reduce significantly the computational cost, maintaining a good accuracy. In the present work, an investigation of tabulated approaches, based on flamelet assumptions, is carried out to simulate turbulent Diesel combustion in the Spray A framework. The Approximated Diffusion Flamelet is tested under different ambient conditions and compared with Flamelet Generated Manifold, and both models are validated with Engine Combustion Network experimental data. Flame structure, combustion process and soot formation were analyzed in this work. Computed results confirm the impact of the turbulent–chemistry interaction on the ignition event. Therefore, a new look-up table concept Five-Dimensional-Flamelet Generated Manifold, that accounts for an additional dimension (strain rate), has been developed and tested, giving promising results.


Author(s):  
L. Mazzei ◽  
S. Puggelli ◽  
D. Bertini ◽  
A. Andreini ◽  
B. Facchini ◽  
...  

Lean burn combustion is increasing its popularity in the aeronautical framework due to its potential in reducing drastically pollutant emissions (NOx and soot in particular). Its implementation however involves significant issues related to the increased amount of air dedicated to the combustion process, demanding the redesign of injection and cooling systems. Also the conditions at the combustor exit are a concern, as high turbulence, residual swirl and the impossibility to adjust the temperature profile with dilution holes determine a harsher environment for nozzle guide vanes. This work describes the final stages of the design of an aeronautical effusion-cooled lean burn combustor. Full annular tests were carried out to measure temperature profiles and emissions (CO and NOx) at the combustor exit. Different operating conditions of the ICAO cycle were tested, considering Idle, Cruise, Approach and Take-Off. Scale-adaptive simulations with the Flamelet Generated Manifold combustion model were performed to extend the validation of the employed CFD methodology and to reproduce the experimental data in terms of RTDF/OTDF profiles as well as emission indexes. The satisfactory agreement paved the way to an exploitation of the methodology to provide a deeper understanding of the flow physics within the combustion chamber, highlighting the impact of the different operating conditions on flame, spray evolution and pollutant formation.


Author(s):  
D. Bertini ◽  
L. Mazzei ◽  
S. Puggelli ◽  
A. Andreini ◽  
B. Facchini ◽  
...  

Lean burn combustion is increasing its popularity in the aeronautical framework due to its potential in reducing drastically pollutant emissions (NOx and soot in particular). Its implementation, however, involves significant issues related to the increased amount of air dedicated to the combustion process, demanding the redesign of injection and cooling systems. A reduced coolant mass flow rate in conjunction with higher compressor discharge temperature negatively affect the cooling potential thus requiring the exploitation of efficient schemes such as effusion cooling. This work describes the experimental and numerical final validation of an aeronautical effusion-cooled lean-burn combustor. Full annular tests were carried out to measure temperature profiles and metal temperature distributions at different operating conditions of the ICAO cycle. Such an outcome was obtained also with an in-house developed CHT methodology (THERM3D). RANS simulations with the Flamelet Generated Manifold combustion model were performed to estimate aerothermal field and heat loads, while the coupling with a thermal conduction solver returns the most updated wall temperature. The heat sink within the perforation is treated with a 0D correlative model that calculates the heat pickup and the temperature rise of coolant. The results highlight an overall good capability of the proposed approach to estimate the metal temperature distribution at different operating conditions. It is also shown how more advanced scale-resolving simulations could significantly improve the prediction of turbulent mixing and heat loads.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1107
Author(s):  
Stefano d’Ambrosio ◽  
Roberto Finesso ◽  
Gilles Hardy ◽  
Andrea Manelli ◽  
Alessandro Mancarella ◽  
...  

In the present paper, a model-based controller of engine torque and engine-out Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, which was previously developed and tested by means of offline simulations, has been validated on a FPT F1C 3.0 L diesel engine by means of rapid prototyping. With reference to the previous version, a new NOx model has been implemented to improve robustness in terms of NOx prediction. The experimental tests have confirmed the basic functionality of the controller in transient conditions, over different load ramps at fixed engine speeds, over which the average RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) values for the control of NOx emissions were of the order of 55–90 ppm, while the average RMSE values for the control of brake mean effective pressure (BMEP) were of the order of 0.25–0.39 bar. However, the test results also highlighted the need for further improvements, especially concerning the effect of the engine thermal state on the NOx emissions in transient operation. Moreover, several aspects, such as the check of the computational time, the impact of the controller on other pollutant emissions, or on the long-term engine operations, will have to be evaluated in future studies in view of the controller implementation on the engine control unit.


Author(s):  
Ioannis Goulos ◽  
Fakhre Ali ◽  
Konstantinos Tzanidakis ◽  
Vassilios Pachidis ◽  
Roberto d'Ippolito

This paper presents an integrated methodology for the comprehensive assessment of combined rotorcraft–powerplant systems at mission level. Analytical evaluation of existing and conceptual designs is carried out in terms of operational performance and environmental impact. The proposed approach comprises a wide-range of individual modeling theories applicable to rotorcraft flight dynamics and gas turbine engine performance. A novel, physics-based, stirred reactor model is employed for the rapid estimation of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions. The individual mathematical models are implemented within an elaborate numerical procedure, solving for total mission fuel consumption and associated pollutant emissions. The combined approach is applied to the comprehensive analysis of a reference twin-engine light (TEL) aircraft modeled after the Eurocopter Bo 105 helicopter, operating on representative mission scenarios. Extensive comparisons with flight test data are carried out and presented in terms of main rotor trim control angles and power requirements, along with general flight performance charts including payload-range diagrams. Predictions of total mission fuel consumption and NOx emissions are compared with estimated values provided by the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). Good agreement is exhibited between predictions made with the physics-based stirred reactor model and experimentally measured values of NOx emission indices. The obtained results suggest that the production rates of NOx pollutant emissions are predominantly influenced by the behavior of total air inlet pressure upstream of the combustion chamber, which is affected by the employed operational procedures and the time-dependent all-up mass (AUM) of the aircraft. It is demonstrated that accurate estimation of on-board fuel supplies ahead of flight is key to improving fuel economy as well as reducing environmental impact. The proposed methodology essentially constitutes an enabling technology for the comprehensive assessment of existing and conceptual rotorcraft–powerplant systems, in terms of operational performance and environmental impact.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Paccati ◽  
L. Mazzei ◽  
A. Andreini ◽  
S. Patil ◽  
S. Shrivastava ◽  
...  

Abstract Due to the increasingly stringent international limitations in terms of NOx emissions, the development of new combustor concepts has become extremely important in order for aircraft engines to comply with these regulations. In this framework, lean-burn technology represents a promising solution and several studies and emission data from production engines have proven that it is more promising in reducing NOx emissions than rich-burn technology. Considering the drawbacks of this combustion strategy (flame stabilization, flashback or blowout or the occurrence of large pressure fluctuations causing thermo-acoustics phenomena) as well as the difficulties and the high costs related to experimental campaigns at relevant operating conditions, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) plays a key role in deepening understanding of the complex phenomena that are involved in such reactive conditions. During last years, large research efforts have been devoted to develop new advanced numerical strategies for high-fidelity predictions in simulating reactive flows that feature strong unsteadiness and high levels of turbulence intensity with affordable computational resources. In this sense, hybrid RANS-LES models represent a good compromise between accurate prediction of flame behaviour and computational cost with respect to fully-LES approaches. Stress-Blended Eddy Simulation (SBES) is a new global hybrid RANS-LES methodology which ensures an improved shielding of RANS boundary layers and a more rapid RANS-LES “transition” compared to other hybrid RANS-LES formulations. In the present work, a full annular aeronautical lean-burn combustor operated at real conditions is investigated from a numerical point of view employing the new SBES approach using poly-hexcore mesh topology, which allows to adopt an isotropic grid for more accurate scale-resolving calculations by means of fully regular hexahedral elements in the main stream. The results are compared to experimental data and to previous reference numerical results obtained with Scale Adaptive Simulation formulation on a tetrahedral mesh grid in order to underline the improvements achieved with the new advanced numerical setup.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 5077 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiseok Lee ◽  
Seunghan Yu ◽  
Jinje Park ◽  
Hyunbin Jo ◽  
Jongkeun Park ◽  
...  

For renewable electricity production, biomass can fully displace coal in an existing power plant with some equipment modifications. Recently, a 125 MWe power plant burning mainly anthracite in Korea was retrofitted for dedicated wood pellet combustion with a change of boiler configuration from arch firing to wall firing. However, this boiler suffers from operational problems caused by high unburned carbon (UBC) contents in the bottom ash. This study comprises an investigation of some methods to reduce the UBC release while achieving lower NOx emissions. The computational fluid dynamics approach was established and validated for typical operating data. Subsequently, it was applied to elucidate the particle combustion and flow characteristics leading to the high UBC content and to evaluate the operating variables for improving the boiler performance. It was found that the high UBC content in the bottom ash was a combined effect of the poor fuel grindability and low gas velocity in the wide burner zone originating from the arch-firing boiler. This prevented the operation with deeper air staging for lower NOx emissions. Reducing the particle size to <1.5 mm by modifying mills or pretreating the fuel using torrefaction was the only effective way of lowering the UBC and NOx emissions with deeper air staging while increasing the boiler efficiency.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 163
Author(s):  
Tomasz Laube ◽  
Janusz Piechna

A new idea for a contra-rotary ramjet engine is presented. To define the theoretical limits of the non-typical, contra-rotary ramjet engine configuration, its analytical model was developed. The results obtained from that model and the analytical results were compared with those received from numerical simulations. The main weakness of existing rotary ramjet engine projects is the very high rotational speed of the rotor required for achieving supersonic inlet flow. In this paper, a new idea for a contra-rotary ramjet engine (CORRE) is presented and analyzed. This paper presents the results of analytical analysis and numerical simulations of a jet engine system with two rotors rotating in opposite directions. Contra-rotating rotors generate a supersonic air velocity at the inlet to the compressor at two times slower rotor’s speed. To determine the flow characteristics, combustion process, and engine efficiency of the double-rotor engine, a numerical solution of the average Navier-Stokes equations was used with the k-eps turbulence model and the non-premixed combustion model. The results of numerical simulations of flow and the combustion process inside the contra-rotary jet engine achieving a shockwave compression are shown and compared with similar data for a single-rotor engine design and analytical data. This paper presents only the calculation results of the flow processes and the combustion process, indicating the advantages of the proposed double-rotor design. The results of the numerical analysis were presented on the contours and diagrams of the pressure and flow velocity, temperature distribution, and mass fraction of the fuel.


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