Investigation of Flame Dynamics in a V - Flame Combustor During Combustion Instability

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Vishnu ◽  
R. I. Sujith ◽  
Preeti Aghalayam
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Large Amplitude ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Combustion Instability ◽  
Flame Dynamics ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Flame Behavior

Propulsion systems such as gas turbines are susceptible to combustion instability, when operated at lean equivalence ratio [1]. During combustion instability, there is a nonlinear interaction between combustion and acoustics leading to large amplitude acoustic oscillations. These large amplitude oscillations are detrimental to the stability of the combustor and can cause damages to the structural integrity of the combustor, flame flash back or blow off. The main source of nonlinearity is in the heat release rate caused due to the velocity perturbations at the flame holder [2]. The heat release rate fluctuations are due to the variation in the flame surface area. Hence there is a need to understand the flame dynamics that contributes to the heat release rate fluctuations. The present study aims in understanding the stability of a V - flame combustor by varying the flame location inside an acoustic resonator. By varying the flame location the instability regimes of the combustor are identified. At the flame locations where the system exhibits combustion instability, acoustic pressure oscillations are acquired simultaneously with high speed images of the flame front fluctuations so that a correlation can be made between them. Tools from dynamical systems theory are applied to the pressure signal to quantify different dynamical states of the system during combustion instability. Moreover the flame dynamics at each dynamical state are investigated. It is observed that combustion instability is characterized by interesting dynamical states such as frequency locked state, quasi-periodic oscillations, period 3 oscillations and chaotic oscillations. High speed imaging of the flame reveals different interesting patterns of flame behavior during combustion instability. Flame wrinkling, roll up of flame elements, separation as islands of the flame elements and mutual annihilation of flame elements were some of the interesting flame behavior observed. This study helps in understanding the role of nonlinear heat release rate mechanism in establishing different dynamical states during combustion instability.

scholarly journals Combustion Instability of Swirl Premixed Flame with Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma

Processes ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 1405
Author(s):  
Kai Deng ◽  
Shenglang Zhao ◽  
Chenyang Xue ◽  
Jinlin Hu ◽  
Yi Zhong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Heat Release ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Combustion Instability ◽  
Premixed Flame ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Acoustic Frequency ◽  
Planar Laser ◽  
Barrier Discharge Plasma

The effects of plasma on the combustion instability of a methane swirling premixed flame under acoustic excitation were investigated. The flame image of OH planar laser-induced fluorescence and the fluctuation of flame transfer function showed the mechanism of plasma in combustion instability. The results show that when the acoustic frequency is less than 100 Hz, the gain in flame transfer function gradually increases with the frequency; when the acoustic frequency is 100~220 Hz, the flame transfer function shows a trend of first decreasing and then increasing with acoustic frequency. When the acoustic frequency is greater than 220 Hz, the flame transfer function gradually decreases with acoustic frequency. When the voltage exceeds the critical discharge value of 5.3 kV, the premixed gas is ionized and the heat release rate increases significantly, thereby reducing the gain in flame transfer function and enhancing flame stability. Plasma causes changes in the internal recirculation zone, compression, and curling degree of the flame, and thereby accelerates the rate of chemical reaction and leads to an increase in flame heat release rate. Eventually, the concentration of OH radicals changes, and the heat release rate changes accordingly, which ultimately changes the combustion instability of the swirling flame.

Synchronization During Multi-Mode Thermoacoustic Oscillations in a Liquid-Fueled Gas Turbine Combustor at Elevated Pressure

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitchell L. Passarelli ◽  
J. D. Maxim Cirtwill ◽  
Timothy Wabel ◽  
Adam M. Steinberg ◽  
A. J. Wickersham
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Elevated Pressure ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Frequency Pulling ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine ◽  
Thermoacoustic Oscillations

Abstract This paper analyzes intermittent self-excited thermoacoustic oscillations in which the pressure (P′) and heat release rate (q̇′) fluctuations are harmonically coupled. That is to say, P′ and q̇′ do not oscillate at the same frequencies, but rather at frequencies in integer ratios. Thus, this system represents a case dominated by nonlinear cross-mode coupling. The measurements were obtained in an optically-accessible combustor equipped with an industrial gas turbine fuel injector operating with liquid fuel under partially-premixed conditions at elevated pressure. High-speed chemiluminescence (CL) imaging of OH* was used as an indicator of the heat release rate. The data was processed using spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) to isolate the dominant heat release and pressure modes. Synchronization theory was used to determine when the modes are coupled and how their interaction manifests in the measurements, particularly how it relates to the observed intermittency. The results show three distinct intervals of synchronized oscillation shared by all the mode pairs analyzed. The first interval exhibits the same characteristics as a pair of noisy, phase-locked self-oscillators, with phase-slipping and frequency-pulling. While the behaviour of the second interval differs among mode pairs, strong frequency-pulling is observed during the third interval for all pairs.

Adjoint Methods for Elimination of Thermoacoustic Oscillations in a Model Annular Combustor via Small Geometry Modifications

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
José G. Aguilar ◽  
Matthew P. Juniper
Keyword(s):  
Sensitivity Analysis ◽  
Time Delay ◽  
Heat Release ◽  
Combustion Chamber ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Acoustic Pressure ◽  
Annular Combustor ◽  
Thermoacoustic Oscillations

In gas turbines, thermoacoustic oscillations grow if moments of high fluctuating heat release rate coincide with moments of high acoustic pressure. The phase between the heat release rate and the acoustic pressure depends strongly on the flame behaviour (specifically the time delay) and on the acoustic period. This makes the growth rate of thermoacoustic oscillations exceedingly sensitive to small changes in the acoustic boundary conditions, geometry changes, and the flame time delay. In this paper, adjoint-based sensitivity analysis is applied to a thermoacoustic network model of an annular combustor. This reveals how each eigenvalue is affected by every parameter of the system. This information is combined with an optimization algorithm in order to stabilize all thermoacoustic modes of the combustor by making only small changes to the geometry. The final configuration has a larger plenum area, a smaller premix duct area and a larger combustion chamber volume. All changes are less than 6% of the original values. The technique is readily scalable to more complex models and geometries and the inclusion of further constraints, such that the combustion chamber itself should not change. This demonstrates why adjoint-based sensitivity analysis and optimization could become an indispensible tool for the design of thermoacoustically-stable combustors.

Comparison of Equivalence Ratio Transients on Combustion Instability in Single-Nozzle and Multi-Nozzle Combustors

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoling Chen ◽  
Wyatt Culler ◽  
Stephen Peluso ◽  
Domenic Santavicca ◽  
Jacqueline O’Connor
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Combustion Instability ◽  
Driving Mechanism ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Rate Distribution ◽  
Ratio Change

Low-emissions gas turbine combustion, achieved through the use of lean, premixed fueling strategies, is susceptible to combustion instability. The driving mechanism for this instability arises from fluctuations of pressure, fuel/air flow rate, and heat release rate. If these fluctuations are relatively in-phase, the combustion system will evolve to a self-excited state. The self-excited instability frequency and amplitude depend mainly on the operating condition and the geometry of the combustor. In this study, we consider the onset and decay of self-excited instabilities, resulting from transients in fuel/air ratio, in both single-nozzle and multi-nozzle combustors. In particular, we examine the differences in the instability onset and decay processes between these two flame configurations, as most gas turbine combustors have multiple nozzles, but most gas turbine combustor experiments utilize a single-nozzle. A nonlinear logistic regression analysis is applied to study the timescales of the decay and onset transients. Variations in the equivalence ratio change the heat release rate distribution inside the combustor, which is captured using chemiluminescence imaging. The normalized Rayleigh index, which shows the spatial distribution of the instability driving, is calculated to analyze the driving strength in different regions of the flame. Comparisons between the single- and multi-nozzle flame transients, including both center and outer flames for the multi-nozzle combustor, suggest that both confinement from the wall and flame-flame interaction are crucial to determining flame dynamics as the equivalence ratio transient changes the heat release rate distribution near corner recirculation zone and flame shear layers.

scholarly journals Characteristics of fire in high-speed train carriages

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-95
Author(s):  
Haiquan Bi ◽  
Yuanlong Zhou ◽  
Honglin Wang ◽  
Qilin Gou ◽  
Xiaoxia Liu
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Simulation ◽  
Heat Release ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Ignition Temperature ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Longitudinal Direction ◽  
High Speed Train ◽  
Fire Source

With the rapid development of high-speed railways, safety hazards presented by train fires cannot be ignored. An effective design for protection against fire in high-speed trains is essential to ensure passenger safety. In this study, the cone calorimeter and ignition temperature tester were used to carry out combustion experiments on materials constituting the main components of the train. The heat release rate, smoke yield, CO yield, and ignition temperature of combustible materials were tested. Based on the experimental data of material combustion, a numerical model of the high-speed train carriage fire was simulated. The accuracy of the numerical simulation was verified by drawing a comparison with the full-scale train fire experiment in existing literature. The numerical simulation results revealed that when the fire source is present at the corner of the carriage end door, the fire develops to the maximum possible extent in approximately 25 min, with a peak heat release rate of approximately 38.4 MW. Increase in the carriage fire heat release rate and breakage of windows occur almost simultaneously. Improvement of the fireproof performance of windows can inhibit and delay the carriage fire development. For the flashover of carriage fire, the spread speed of the flashover area in the longitudinal direction inside the carriage is approximately 1.9 m/s. The end door area furthest from the fire source in the carriage has strong flashover, while the flashover in other areas is weak.

A Weakly Nonlinear Approach Based on a Distributed Flame Describing Function to Study the Combustion Dynamics of a Full-Scale Lean-Premixed Swirled Burner

2017 ◽  
Vol 139 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davide Laera ◽  
Sergio M. Camporeale
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Weakly Nonlinear ◽  
Lean Premixed ◽  
Flame Describing Function

Modern combustion chambers of gas turbines for power generation and aero-engines suffer of thermo-acoustic combustion instabilities generated by the coupling of heat release rate fluctuations with pressure oscillations. The present article reports a numerical analysis of limit cycles arising in a longitudinal combustor. This corresponds to experiments carried out on the longitudinal rig for instability analysis (LRIA) test facility equipped with a full-scale lean-premixed burner. Heat release rate fluctuations are modeled considering a distributed flame describing function (DFDF), since the flame under analysis is not compact with respect to the wavelengths of the unstable modes recorded experimentally. For each point of the flame, a saturation model is assumed for the gain and the phase of the DFDF with increasing amplitude of velocity fluctuations. A weakly nonlinear stability analysis is performed by combining the DFDF with a Helmholtz solver to determine the limit cycle condition. The numerical approach is used to study two configurations of the rig characterized by different lengths of the combustion chamber. In each configuration, a good match has been found between numerical predictions and experiments in terms of frequency and wave shape of the unstable mode. Time-resolved pressure fluctuations in the system plenum and chamber are reconstructed and compared with measurements. A suitable estimate of the limit cycle oscillation is found.

scholarly journals An experimental study of the dual-fuel performance of a small compression ignition diesel engine operating with three gaseous fuels

2007 ◽  
Vol 221 (8) ◽  
pp. 943-956 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Stewart ◽  
A Clarke ◽  
R Chen
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Heat Release Rate ◽  
Release Rate ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Direct Injection ◽  
Specific Energy Consumption ◽  
Dual Fuel ◽  
Compression Ignition ◽  
Gaseous Fuels ◽  
Ci Engine

A dual-fuel engine is a compression ignition (CI) engine where the primary gaseous fuel source is premixed with air as it enters the combustion chamber. This homogenous mixture is ignited by a small quantity of diesel, the ‘pilot’, that is injected towards the end of the compression stroke. In the present study, a direct-injection CI engine, was fuelled with three different gaseous fuels: methane, propane, and butane. The engine performance at various gaseous concentrations was recorded at 1500 r/min and quarter, half, and three-quarters relative to full a load of 18.7 kW. In order to investigate the combustion performance, a novel three-zone heat release rate analysis was applied to the data. The resulting heat release rate data are used to aid understanding of the performance characteristics of the engine in dual-fuel mode. Data are presented for the heat release rates, effects of engine load and speed, brake specific energy consumption of the engine, and combustion phasing of the three different primary gaseous fuels. Methane permitted the maximum energy substitution, relative to diesel, and yielded the most significant reductions in CO2. However, propane also had significant reductions in CO2 but had an increased diffusional combustion stage which may lend itself to the modern high-speed direct-injection engine.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document