The Combustion of Droplets Within Gas Turbine Combustors: Some Recent Observations on Combustion Efficiency

1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 522-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Odgers ◽  
D. Kretschmer ◽  
G. F. Pearce

For many years investigators studying the combustion behavior within gas turbines have presumed droplet size to play a very important role in defining combustion efficiency. Recently a very large number of experiments have been conducted jointly by Laval University and the Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Melbourne. In the course of these investigations, over a wide range of operating conditions, a single combustor has been investigated using three different Simplex atomizers at each of the conditions for three fuels. In addition, the same combustor has been used to investigate a very wide range of fuels (87) at ambient inlet conditions. The measured combustion efficiencies show no measurable effects due to droplet size, although volatility effects have been noted (measured as TAV). It is thought that these effects are reflected in terms of a transfer number and related to diffusional phenomena, rather than evaporative phenomena. A great number of experimental data are reviewed, and in addition to showing the absence of effects of droplets, a small section deals with the precision of experimental values of combustion efficiency and how it might influence models predicting combustion efficiency, especially with respect to possible future pollution requirements.

Author(s):  
J. Odgers ◽  
D. Kretschmer ◽  
G. F. Pearce

For many years investigators studying the combustion behaviour within gas turbines have presumed droplet size to play a very important role in defining combustion efficiency. Recently a very large number of experiments have been conducted jointly by Laval University and the Aeronautical Research Laboratory in Melbourne. In the course of these investigations, over a wide range of operating conditions, a single combustor has been investigated using three different Simplex atomisers at each of the conditions for three fuels. In addition, the same combustor has been used to investigate a very wide range of fuels (87) at ambient inlet conditions. The measured combustion efficiencies show no measurable effects due to droplet size, although volatility effects have been noted (measured as TAV). It is thought that these effects are reflected in terms of a Transfer Number and related to diffusional phenomena, rather than evaporative phenomena. A great number of experimental data are reviewed, and in addition to showing the absence of effects of droplets, a small section deals with the precision of experimental values of combustion efficiency and how it might influence models predicting combustion efficiency, especially with respect to possible future pollution requirements.


Author(s):  
J. Michael Owen ◽  
Oliver Pountney ◽  
Gary Lock

In Part1 of this two-part paper, the orifice equations were solved for the case of externally-induced ingress, where the effects of rotational speed are negligible. In Part 2, the equations are solved, analytically and numerically, for combined ingress (CI) where the effects of both rotational speed and external flow are significant. For the CI case, the orifice model requires the calculation of three empirical constants, including Cd,e,RI and Cd,e,EI, the discharge coefficients for rotationally-induced (RI) and externally-induced (EI) ingress. For the analytical solutions, the external distribution of pressure is approximated by a linear saw-tooth model; for the numerical solutions, a fit to the measured pressures is used. It is shown that, although the values of the empirical constants depend on the shape of the pressure distribution used in the model, the theoretical variation of Cw,min (the minimum nondimensional sealing flow rate needed to prevent ingress) depends principally on the magnitude of the peak-to-trough pressure difference in the external annulus. The solutions of the orifice model for Cw,min are compared with published measurements, which were made over a wide range of rotational speeds and external flow rates. As predicted by the model, the experimental values of Cw,min could be collapsed onto a single curve, which connects the asymptotes for RI and EI ingress at the respective smaller and larger external flow rates. At the smaller flow rates, the experimental data exhibit a minimum value of Cw,min, which undershoots the RI asymptote. Using an empirical correlation for Cd,e, the model is able to predict this undershoot, albeit smaller in magnitude than the one exhibited by the experimental data. The limit of the EI asymptote is quantified, and it is suggested how the orifice model could be used to extrapolate effectiveness data obtained from an experimental rig to engine-operating conditions.


2011 ◽  
Vol 134 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Owen ◽  
Oliver Pountney ◽  
Gary Lock

In Part I of this two-part paper, the orifice equations were solved for the case of externally induced (EI) ingress, where the effects of rotational speed are negligible. In Part II, the equations are solved, analytically and numerically, for combined ingress (CI), where the effects of both rotational speed and external flow are significant. For the CI case, the orifice model requires the calculation of three empirical constants, including Cd,e,RI and Cd,e,EI, the discharge coefficients for rotationally induced (RI) and EI ingress. For the analytical solutions, the external distribution of pressure is approximated by a linear saw-tooth model; for the numerical solutions, a fit to the measured pressures is used. It is shown that although the values of the empirical constants depend on the shape of the pressure distribution used in the model, the theoretical variation of Cw,min (the minimum nondimensional sealing flow rate needed to prevent ingress) depends principally on the magnitude of the peak-to-trough pressure difference in the external annulus. The solutions of the orifice model for Cw,min are compared with published measurements, which were made over a wide range of rotational speeds and external flow rates. As predicted by the model, the experimental values of Cw,min could be collapsed onto a single curve, which connects the asymptotes for RI and EI ingress at the respective smaller and larger external flow rates. At the smaller flow rates, the experimental data exhibit a minimum value of Cw,min, which undershoots the RI asymptote. Using an empirical correlation for Cd,e, the model is able to predict this undershoot, albeit smaller in magnitude than the one exhibited by the experimental data. The limit of the EI asymptote is quantified, and it is suggested how the orifice model could be used to extrapolate the effectiveness data obtained from an experimental rig to engine-operating conditions.


Author(s):  
Carlo Cravero ◽  
Mario La Rocca ◽  
Andrea Ottonello

The use of twin scroll volutes in radial turbine for turbocharging applications has several advantages over single passage volute related to the engine matching and to the overall compactness. Twin scroll volutes are of increasing interest in power unit development but the open scientific literature on their performance and modelling is still quite limited. In the present work the performance of a twin scroll volute for a turbocharger radial turbine are investigated in some detail in a wide range of operating conditions at both full and partial admission. A CFD model for the volute have been developed and preliminary validated against experimental data available for the radial turbine. Then the numerical model has been used to generate the database of solutions that have been investigated and used to extract the performance. Different parameters and indices are introduced to describe the volute aerodynamic performance in the wide range of operating conditions chosen. The above parameters can be used for volute development or matching with a given rotor or efficiently implemented in automatic design optimization strategies.


Author(s):  
R. Friso ◽  
N. Casari ◽  
M. Pinelli ◽  
A. Suman ◽  
F. Montomoli

Abstract Gas turbines (GT) are often forced to operate in harsh environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of particles in their flow-path is expected. With this regard, deposition is a problem that severely affects gas turbine operation. Components’ lifetime and performance can dramatically vary as a consequence of this phenomenon. Unfortunately, the operating conditions of the machine can vary in a wide range, and they cannot be treated as deterministic. Their stochastic variations greatly affect the forecasting of life and performance of the components. In this work, the main parameters considered affected by the uncertainty are the circumferential hot core location and the turbulence level at the inlet of the domain. A stochastic analysis is used to predict the degradation of a high-pressure-turbine (HPT) nozzle due to particulate ingestion. The GT’s component analyzed as a reference is the HPT nozzle of the Energy-Efficient Engine (E3). The uncertainty quantification technique used is the probabilistic collocation method (PCM). This work shows the impact of the operating conditions uncertainties on the performance and lifetime reduction due to deposition. Sobol indices are used to identify the most important parameter and its contribution to life. The present analysis enables to build confidence intervals on the deposit profile and on the residual creep-life of the vane.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kiran Kumar ◽  
Vasudev Chaudhari ◽  
Srikrishna Sahu ◽  
Ravindra G. Devi

Abstract Fouling in compressor blades due to dirt deposition is a major issue in land-based gas turbines as it impedes the compressor performance and degrades the overall engine efficiency. The online water washing approach is an effective alternate for early-stage compressor blade cleaning and to optimize the time span between offline washing and peak availability. In such case, typically a series of flat-fan nozzles are used at the engine bell mouth to inject water sprays into the inflowing air. However, optimizing the injector operating conditions is not a straightforward task mainly due to the tradeoff between blade cleaning effectiveness and material erosion. In this context, the knowledge on spray characteristics prior to blade impingement play a vital role, and the experimental spray characterization is crucial not only to understand the basic process but also to validate numerical models and simulations. The present paper investigates spray characteristics in a single flat-fan nozzle operated in the presence of a coflowing air within a wind-tunnel. A parametric investigation is carried out using different air flow velocity in the tunnel and inlet water temperature, while the liquid flow rate was maintained constant. The spray cone angle and liquid breakup length are measured using back-lit photography. The high-speed shadowgraphy technique is used for capturing the droplet images downstream of the injector exit. The images are processed following depth-of-filed correction to measure droplet size distribution. Droplet velocity is measured by the particle tracking velocimetry (PTV) technique. As both droplet size and velocity are known, the cross-stream evolution of local droplet mass and momentum flux are obtained at different axial locations which form the basis for studying the effectiveness of the blade cleaning process due to droplet impingement on a coupon coated with foulant of known mass.


Author(s):  
Andrew Moffat ◽  
Richard Green ◽  
Calum Ferguson ◽  
Brent Scaletta

Abstract There is a drive towards a broader range of fuels in industrial gas turbines, with higher levels of sulphur and potentially hydrogen. Due to these harsher environments, there is also a drive for corrosion resistant alloys and coatings. A number of key corrosion resistant superalloys, which are being employed to cope with these evolving conditions, exhibit primary creep. It is therefore imperative that fundamental material models, such as those for creep deformation, are developed to ensure they can accurately predict the material response to evolving operating conditions. The requirements for a creep model are complex. The model must be able to: predict forward creep deformation in regions dominated by primary loads (such as pressure); predict stress relaxation in regions dominated by secondary loads (such as differential thermal expansion); predict the effects of different creep hardening mechanisms. It is also clear that there is an interaction between fatigue and creep. With flexible operation, this interaction can be significant and should be catered for in lifing methods. A model that has the potential to account for the effect of plasticity on creep, and creep on plasticity is therefore desirable. In previous work the authors presented the concept for a backstress model to predict creep strain rates in superalloys. This model was fitted to a limited dataset at a single temperature. The approach was validated using simple creep-dwell tests at the same temperature. This paper expands on the previous work in several ways: 1) The creep model has been fitted over a wide range of temperatures. Including the effect of temperature in complex creep models presents a number of difficulties in model fitting and these are explored. 2) The model was fitted to constant load (forward creep) and constant strain (stress relaxation) tests since any creep model should be able to predict both forms of creep deformation. However, these are often considered separately due to the difficulty of fitting models to two different datasets. 3) The creep deformation model was validated on stress change tests to ensure the creep deformation response can cope with changes in response variables. 4) The approach was validated using creep-fatigue tests to show that the creep deformation model, in addition to our established fatigue models, can predict damage in materials under complex loading.


Author(s):  
Lorenzo Cozzi ◽  
Filippo Rubechini ◽  
Andrea Arnone ◽  
Savino Depalo ◽  
Pio Astrua ◽  
...  

Abstract The overall fraction of the power produced by renewable sources in the energy market has significantly increased in recent years. The power output of most of these clean sources is intrinsically variable. At present day and most likely in the upcoming future, due to the lack of inexpensive and reliable large energy storage systems, conventional power plants burning fossil fuels will still be part of the energy horizon. In particular, power generators able to promptly support the grid stability, such as gas turbines, will retain a strategic role. This new energy scenario is pushing gas turbine producers to improve the flexibility of their turbomachines, increasing the need for reliable numerical tools adopted to design and validate the new products also in operating conditions far from the nominal one. Especially when dealing with axial compressors, i.e. machines experiencing intense adverse pressure gradients, complex flow structures and severe secondary flows, CFD modelling of offdesign operation can be a real challenge. In this work, a state-of-the art CFD framework for RANS analysis of axial compressors is presented. The various aspects involved in the whole setup are discussed, including boundary conditions, meshing strategies, mixing planes modelling, tip clearance treatment, shroud leakages and turbulence modelling. Some experiences about the choice of these aspects are provided, derived from a long-date practice on this kind of turbomachines. Numerical results are reported for different full-scale compressors of the Ansaldo Energia fleet, covering a wide range of operating conditions. Furthermore, details about the capability of the setup to predict compressor performance and surge-margin have been added to the work. In particular, the setup surge-margin prediction has been evaluated in an operating condition in which the turbomachine experiences experimental stall. Finally, thanks to several on-field data available at different corrected speeds for operating conditions ranging from minimum to full load, a comprehensive validation of the presented numerical framework is also included in the paper.


Author(s):  
A. Vasilyev ◽  
V. Zakharov ◽  
O. Chelebyan ◽  
O. Zubkova

Abstract At the ASME Turbo Expo 2018 conference held in Oslo (Norway) on the 11th-15th of June 2018, the paper GT2018-75419 «Experience of Low-Emission Combustion of Aviation and Bio Fuels in Individual Flames after Front Mini-Modules of a Combustion Chamber» was published. This paper continues the studies devoted to the low-emission combustion of liquid fuels in GTE combustors. The paper presents a description of more detailed studies of the front module with a staged pneumatic fuel spray. The aerodynamic computations of the front module were conducted, and the disperse characteristics of the fuel-air spray were measured. The experimental research was carried out in two directions: 1) probing of the 3-burner sector flame tube at the distance of one third of its length (temperature field and gas sampling); 2) numerical study of the model combustor with actual arrangement of the modules in the dome within a wide range of fuel-air ratio. The calculated and experimental data of velocity field behind the front module were compared. And new data about the flame structure inside the test sector were obtained. Experimental data confirm the results of preliminary studies of the 3-burner sector: combustion efficiency is higher than 99.8%, EiNOx is at the level of 2–3 g/fuel kg at the combustor inlet air temperature of 680K and fuel-air ratio of 0.0225. The conducted research allowed to receive additional information on the influence of some design units on the pollutant emission and to estimate the different elements of computational methods for simulation of a low-emission combustor with a multi-atomizer dome.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oguzhan Murat ◽  
Budimir Rosic ◽  
Koichi Tanimoto ◽  
Ryo Egami

Abstract Due to increase in the power generation from renewable sources, steam and gas turbines will be required to adapt for more flexible operations with frequent start-ups and shut-downs to provide load levelling capacity. During shut-down regimes, mixed convection takes place with natural convection dominance depending on the operating conditions in turbine cavities. Buoyant flows inside the turbine that are responsible for non-uniform cooling leading to thermal stresses and compromise clearances directly limits the operational flexibility. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools are required to predict the flow field during these regimes since direct measurements are extremely difficult to conduct due to the harsh operating conditions. Natural convection with the presence of cross-flow -mixed convection has not been extensively studied to provide detailed measurements. Since the literature lacks of research on such flows with real engine representative operating conditions for CFD validation, the confidence in numerical predictions is rather inadequate. This paper presents a novel experimental facility that has been designed and commissioned to perform very accurate unsteady temperature and flow field measurements in a simplified turbine casing geometry. The facility is capable of reproducing a wide range of Richardson, Grashof and Reynolds numbers which are representative of engine realistic operating conditions. In addition, high fidelity, wall resolved LES with dynamic Smagorinsky subgrid scale model has been performed. The flow field as well as heat transfer characteristics have been accurately captured with LES. Lastly, inadequacy of RANS for mixed type of flows has been highlighted.


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