Non-Premixed and Premixed Colorless Distributed Combustion for Gas Turbine Application

Author(s):  
Vaibhav Arghode ◽  
Ashwani K. Gupta

Non-premixed and premixed modes of Colorless Distributed Combustion (CDC) are investigated for application to gas turbine combustors. The CDC provides significant improvement in pattern factor, reduced NOx emission uniform thermal field in the entire combustion zone for it to be called as a isothermal reactor, and lower sound levels. Basic requirement for CDC is mixture preparation through good mixing between the combustion air and product gases so that the reactants are at much higher temperature to result in hot and diluted oxidant stream at temperatures that are high enough to auto-ignite the fuel and oxidant mixture. With desirable conditions one can achieve spontaneous ignition of the fuel with distributed combustion reactions. Distributed reactions can also be achieved in premixed mode of operation with sufficient entrainment of burned gases and faster turbulent mixing between the reactants. In the present investigation two non-premixed combustion modes and one premixed combustion mode that provide potential for CDC is examined. In all the configurations the air injection port is positioned at the opposite end of the combustor exit, whereas the location of fuel injection ports is changed to give different configurations. The results are compared for global flame signatures, exhaust emissions, acoustic signatures, and radical emissions using experiments and flow field, gas recirculation and mixing using numerical simulations. Ultra low NOx emissions are observed for both the premixed and non-premixed combustion modes, and almost colorless flames (no visible flame color) have been observed for the premixed combustion mode. The non-premixed mode was also provided near colorless distributed combustion. The reaction zone is observed to be significantly different in the two non-premixed modes.

Author(s):  
Vaibhav K. Arghode ◽  
Ashwani K. Gupta

Colorless Distributed Combustion (CDC) has been investigated here for high efficiency and ultra low pollution gas turbine combustors applications. In this paper forward flow configurations have been examined. Basic requirement for CDC is carefully tailored mixture preparation prior to ignition through a combination of product gas recirculation, controlled mixing between the fresh combustion air and recirculated gases to form hot and diluted oxidizer. Rapid mixing between the injected fuel and hot oxidizer is desirable prior to spontaneous ignition of the mixture in the entire combustion zone to achieve distributed combustion reactions. Distributed reactions can also be achieved in premixed mode of operation with sufficient entrainment of burned gases and faster turbulent mixing between the reactants. In the present investigation forward flow modes are considered in which three non-premixed and one premixed combustion mode have been examined that showed favorable CDC combustion conditions. In the forward flow configurations the air injection port is positioned at a location opposite to the combustor exit. The location of fuel injection ports is changed to give different configurations. The thermal intensity for the present investigation is 28MW/m3-atm simulating gas turbine conditions. Increase in thermal intensity (lower combustion volume) presents many challenges, such as, lower residence time, lower recirculation of gases and confinement effects on the jet characteristics. The results are presented on the global flame signatures, exhaust emissions, and emission of radical species using experiments and flowfield dynamics using numerical simulations. Ultra low NOx emissions are found for both the premixed and non-premixed combustion modes investigated here. The reaction zone is observed to be significantly different in different combustion modes.


Author(s):  
Ahmed E. E. Khalil ◽  
Vaibhav K. Arghode ◽  
Ashwani K. Gupta

Previous investigations of Colorless Distributed Combustion (CDC) demonstrated significant improvement in combustor’s performance. CDC is characterized by high recirculation of product gases, fast mixing, spontaneous ignition and distributed reaction, leading to avoidance of hotspots and much lower NOx emissions. In this investigation, CDC is sought with focus on tailored mixture preparation before ignition using swirl and achieving distributed combustion for developing near zero emission combustion under gas turbine combustion conditions. Numerical and experimental investigations have been performed on a cylindrical combustor. Different fuel injection and hot gases exit arrangements have been considered. Air was injected tangentially to produce vortical structure in the flow and produce high swirl intensity. Results obtained show ultra low NO emissions (∼3 PPM) at high heat release intensity of 36 MW/m3-atm at an equivalence ratio (Φ) of 0.6. The role of premixed and diffusion combustion is also examined.


Author(s):  
Y. Wang ◽  
L. Reh ◽  
D. Pennell ◽  
D. Winkler ◽  
K. Döbbeling

Stationary gas turbines for power generation are increasingly being equipped with low emission burners. By applying lean premixed combustion techniques for gaseous fuels both NOx and CO emissions can be reduced to extremely low levels (NOx emissions <25vppm, CO emissions <10vppm). Likewise, if analogous premix techniques can be applied to liquid fuels (diesel oil, Oil No.2, etc.) in gas-fired burners, similar low level emissions when burning oils are possible. For gas turbines which operate with liquid fuel or in dual fuel operation, VPL (Vaporised Premixed Lean)-combustion is essential for obtaining minimal NOx-emissions. An option is to vaporise the liquid fuel in a separate fuel vaporiser and subsequently supply the fuel vapour to the natural gas fuel injection system; this has not been investigated for gas turbine combustion in the past. This paper presents experimental results of atmospheric and high-pressure combustion tests using research premix burners running on vaporised liquid fuel. The following processes were investigated: • evaporation and partial decomposition of the liquid fuel (Oil No.2); • utilisation of low pressure exhaust gases to externally heat the high pressure fuel vaporiser; • operation of ABB premix-burners (EV burners) with vaporised Oil No.2; • combustion characteristics at pressures up to 25bar. Atmospheric VPL-combustion tests using Oil No.2 in ABB EV-burners under simulated gas turbine conditions have successfully produced emissions of NOx below 20vppm and of CO below 10vppm (corrected to 15% O2). 5vppm of these NOx values result from fuel bound nitrogen. Little dependence of these emissions on combustion pressure bas been observed. The techniques employed also ensured combustion with a stable non luminous (blue) flame during transition from gaseous to vaporised fuel. Additionally, no soot accumulation was detectable during combustion.


1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (2) ◽  
pp. 265-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Nalim

Combustion within the channels of a wave rotor is examined as a means of obtaining pressure gain during heat addition in a gas turbine engine. Three modes of combustion are assessed: premixed autoignition (detonation), premixed deflagration, and non-premixed autoignition. The last two will require strong turbulence for completion of combustion in a reasonable time in the wave rotor. The autoignition modes will require inlet temperatures in excess of 800 K for reliable ignition with most hydrocarbon fuels. Examples of combustion mode selection are presented for two engine applications.


1996 ◽  
Vol 118 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Do¨bbeling ◽  
H. P. Kno¨pfel ◽  
W. Polifke ◽  
D. Winkler ◽  
C. Steinbach ◽  
...  

A novel combustion technique, based on the Double Cone Burner, has been developed and tested. NOx emissions down to very low levels are reached without the usual strong dilution of the fuel for MBtu syngases from oxygen-blown gasification of coal or residual oil. A limited amount of dilution is necessary in order to prevent ignition during the mixing of fuel and combustion air. The relevant properties of the fuel are reviewed in relation to the goal of achieving premixed combustion. The basic considerations lead to a fuel injection strategy completely different from that for natural gas. A high-speed premixing system is necessary due to the very short chemical reaction times of MBtu fuel. Fuel must be prevented from forming ignitable mixtures inside the burner for reliability reasons. A suitable fuel injection method, which can be easily added to the ABB double cone burner, is described. In common with the design of the standard EV burner, the MBtu EV burner with this fuel injection method is inherently safe against flashback. Three-dimensional flow field and combustion modeling is used to investigate the mixing patterns and the location of the reaction front. Two burner test facilities, one operating at ambient and the other at full gas turbine pressure, have been used for the evaluation of different burner designs. The full-pressure tests were carried out with the original gas turbine burner size and geometry. Combining the presented numerical predictive capabilities and the experimental test facilities, burner performance can be reliably assessed for a wide range of MBtu and LBtu fuels (residue oil gasification, waste gasification, coal gasification, etc.). The atmospheric tests of the burner show NOx values below 2 ppm at an equivalence ratio equal to full-load gas turbine operation. The NOx increase with pressure was found to be very high. Nevertheless, NOx levels of 25 vppmd (@ 15 percent O2) have been measured at full gas turbine pressure. Implemented into ABB’s recently introduced gas turbine GT13E2, the new combustion technique will allow a more straightforward IGCC plant configuration without air extraction from the gas turbine to be used.


2021 ◽  
pp. 146808742110264
Author(s):  
Kazuki Inaba ◽  
Yanhe Zhang ◽  
Yoshimitsu Kobashi ◽  
Gen Shibata ◽  
Hideyuki Ogawa

Improvements of the thermal efficiency in twin shaped semi-premixed diesel combustion mode with premixed combustion in the primary stage and spray diffusive combustion in the secondary stage with multi-stage fuel injection were investigated with experiments and 3D-CFD analysis. For a better understanding of the advantages of this combustion mode, the results were compared with conventional diesel combustion modes, mainly consisting of diffusive combustion. The semi-premixed mode has a higher thermal efficiency than the conventional mode at both the low and medium load conditions examined here. The heat release in the semi-premixed mode is more concentrated at the top dead center, resulting in a significant reduction in the exhaust loss. The increase in the cooling loss is suppressed to a level similar to the conventional mode. In the conventional mode the rate of heat release becomes more rapid and the combustion noise increases with advances in the combustion phase as the premixed combustion with pilot and pre injections and the diffusive combustion with the main combustion occurs simultaneously. In the semi-premixed mode, the premixed combustion with pilot and primary injections and the diffusive combustion with the secondary injection occurs separately in different phases, maintaining a gentler heat release with advances in the combustion phase. The mechanism of the cooling loss suppression with the semi-premixed mode at low load was investigated with 3D-CFD. In the semi-premixed mode, there is a reduction in the gas flow and quantity of the combustion gas near the piston wall due to the suppression of spray penetration and splitting of the injection, resulting in a smaller heat flux.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmed E. E. Khalil ◽  
Ashwani K. Gupta ◽  
Kenneth M. Bryden ◽  
Sang C. Lee

Distributed combustion is now known to provide significantly improved performance of gas turbine combustors. Key features of distributed combustion include uniform thermal field in the entire combustion chamber for significantly improved pattern factor and avoidance of hot-spot regions that promote thermal NOx emissions, negligible emissions of hydrocarbons and soot, low noise, and reduced air cooling requirements for turbine blades. Distributed combustion requires controlled mixing between the injected air, fuel, and hot reactive gasses from within the combustor prior to mixture ignition. The mixing process impacts spontaneous ignition of the mixture to result in improved distributed combustion reactions. Distributed reactions can be achieved in premixed, partially premixed, or nonpremixed modes of combustor operation with sufficient entrainment of hot and active species present in the combustion zone and their rapid turbulent mixing with the reactants. Distributed combustion with swirl is investigated here to further explore the beneficial aspects of such combustion under relevant gas turbine combustion conditions. The near term goal is to develop a high intensity combustor with ultralow emissions of NOx and CO, and a much improved pattern factor and eventual goal of near zero emission combustor. Experimental results are reported for a cylindrical geometry combustor for different modes of fuel injection with emphasis on the resulting pollutants emission. In all the cases, air was injected tangentially to impart swirl to the flow inside the combustor. Ultra low NOx emissions were found for both the premixed and nonpremixed combustion modes for the geometries investigated here. Results showed very low levels of NO (∼10 ppm) and CO (∼21 ppm) emissions under nonpremixed mode of combustion with air preheats at an equivalence ratio of 0.6 and a moderate heat release intensity of 27 MW/m3-atm. Results are also reported on lean stability limits and OH* chemiluminescence under different fuel injection scenarios for determining the extent of distribution combustion conditions. Numerical simulations have also been performed to help develop an understanding of the mixing process for better understanding of ignition and combustion.


Author(s):  
K. Döbbeling ◽  
H. P. Knöpfel ◽  
W. Polifke ◽  
D. Winkler ◽  
C. Steinbach ◽  
...  

A novel combustion technique, based on the Double Cone Burner, has been developed and tested. NOx emissions down to very low levels are reached without the usual strong dilution of the fuel for MBtu syngases from oxygen blown gasification of coal or residual oil. A limited amount of dilution is necessary in order to prevent ignition during the mixing of fuel and combustion air. The relevant properties of the fuel are reviewed in relation to the goal of achieving premixed combustion. The basic considerations lead to a fuel injection strategy which is completely different from that for natural gas. A high speed premixing system is necessary due to the very short chemical reaction times of MBtu fuel. Fuel must be prevented from forming ignitable mixtures inside the burner for reliability reasons. A suitable fuel injection method, which can be easily added to the ABB double cone burner, is described. In common with the design of the standard EV burner, the MBtu EV burner with this fuel injection method is inherently safe against flashback. Three dimensional flow field and combustion modelling is used to investigate the mixing patterns and the location of the reaction front. Two burner test facilities, one operating at ambient and the other at full gas turbine pressure, have been used for the evaluation of different burner designs. The full pressure tests were carried out with the original gas turbine burner size and geometry. Combing the presented numerical predictive capabilities and the experimental test facilities, burner performance can be reliably assessed for a wide range of MBtu and LBtu fuels (residue oil gasification, waste gasification, coal gasification etc.). The atmospheric tests of the burner show NOx values below 2 ppm at an equivalence ratio equal to full load gas turbine operation. The NOx increase with pressure was found to be very high. Nevertheless, NOx levels of 25 vppmd (@ 15% O2) have been measured at full gas turbine pressure. Implemented into ABB’s recently introduced gas turbine GT13E2 the new combustion technique will allow a more straightforward IGCC plant configuration without air extraction from the gas turbine to be used.


Author(s):  
Jeffrey Armstrong ◽  
Douglas Hamrin ◽  
Steve Lampe

Dry, low NOx emissions developments in the industrial gas turbine industry have focused on lean-premixed combustion to reduce NOx to single digit parts-per-million (ppmV) emissions. The reduction of thermal NOx is limited by the lowest lean-premix combustion temperatures. To overcome this limit, a thermal oxidizer is applied which can oxidize hydrocarbon fuels at temperatures below those of lean-premixed combustion in a Brayton cycle. This oxidation technique is explained in a combustion taxonomy model. This paper presents the historical development and demonstration of technology with two different recuperated gas turbines operating on landfill gas. A unique fuel-injection strategy was used to introduce the fuel into the inlet of the gas turbine’s air compressor. The technology demonstrated an order-of-magnitude reduction in the emissions of NOx to the parts-per-billion range.


Author(s):  
Ahmed E. E. Khalil ◽  
Vaibhav K. Arghode ◽  
Ashwani K. Gupta

Colorless Distributed Combustion (CDC) can provide significant improvement in gas turbine combustor performance. CDC is characterized by uniform thermal field in the entire combustion chamber, thus avoiding hot-spot regions for low NOx emissions (thermal NOx) and significantly improved pattern factor. In this paper, colorless distributed combustion with swirl is investigated in detail to seek the beneficial aspects of CDC and swirl flows with focus on developing ultra low emissions of NO and CO, and much improved pattern factor. Experimental investigations have been performed using a cylindrical combustor with different modes of fuel injection, swirling air injection and gas exit stream location of the combustor. Air was injected tangentially to impart swirl to the flow inside the combustor. Results showed very low levels of NO (∼3PPM) and CO (∼70PPM) emissions at equivalence ratio of 0.7 at a high heat release intensity of 36MW/m3atm with non-premixed mode of combustion. Results have also been obtained on lean stability limit and OH* chemiluminescence under both premixed and non-premixed conditions.


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