Describing Function Analysis of Limit Cycles in a Multiple Flame Combustor

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Boudy ◽  
Daniel Durox ◽  
Thierry Schuller ◽  
Grunde Jomaas ◽  
Sébastien Candel
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Limit Cycles ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Variable Size ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Flame Describing Function ◽  
Oscillation Frequencies

A recently developed nonlinear flame describing function (FDF) is used to analyze combustion instabilities in a system where the feeding manifold has a variable size and where the flame is confined by quartz tubes of variable length. Self-sustained combustion oscillations are observed when the geometry is changed. The regimes of oscillation are characterized at the limit cycle and also during the onset of oscillations. The theoretical predictions of the oscillation frequencies and levels are obtained using the FDF. This generalizes the concept of flame transfer function by including dependence on the frequency and level of oscillation. Predictions are compared with experimental results for two different lengths of the confinement tube. These results are, in turn, used to predict most of the experimentally observed phenomena and in particular, the correct oscillation levels and frequencies at limit cycles.

Describing Function Analysis of Limit Cycles in a Multiple Flame Combustor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fre´de´ric Boudy ◽  
Daniel Durox ◽  
Thierry Schuller ◽  
Grunde Jomaas ◽  
Se´bastien Candel
Keyword(s):  
Transfer Function ◽  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Limit Cycles ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Variable Size ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Flame Describing Function ◽  
Oscillation Frequencies

A recently developed nonlinear Flame Describing Function (FDF) is used to analyze combustion instabilities in a system where the feeding manifold has a variable size and where the flame is confined by quartz tubes of variable length. Self-sustained combustion oscillations are observed when the geometry is changed. Regimes of oscillation are characterized at the limit cycle and also during the onset of oscillations. Theoretical predictions of the oscillation frequencies and levels are obtained using the FDF. This generalizes the concept of flame transfer function by including a dependence on the frequency and on the level of oscillation. Predictions are compared with experimental results for two different lengths of the confinement tube. These results are in turn used to predict most of the experimentally observed phenomena and in particular the correct oscillation levels and frequencies at limit cycles.

Nonlinear Flame Describing Function Analysis of Galloping Limit Cycles Featuring Chaotic States in Premixed Combustors

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Boudy ◽  
Daniel Durox ◽  
Thierry Schuller ◽  
Sébastien Candel
Keyword(s):  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Limit Cycles ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Perforated Plate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Nonlinear Prediction ◽  
Constant Amplitude ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Flame Describing Function ◽  
Velocity Pressure

Nonlinear prediction of combustion instabilities in premixed systems is undertaken on a generic configuration featuring an adjustable feeding manifold length, a multipoint injector composed of a perforated plate and a flame confinement tube. By changing the feeding manifold or flame tube lengths, the system exhibits different types of combustion regimes for the same flow operating conditions. Velocity, pressure and heat release rate measurements are used to examine oscillations during unstable operation. For many operating conditions, a limit cycle is reached at an essentially fixed oscillation frequency and quasi-constant amplitude. In another set of cases, the system features other types of oscillations characterized by multiple frequencies, amplitude modulation and irregular bursts which can be designated by “galloping” limit cycles or GLC. These situations are explored in this article. Imaging during GLCs indicates that the flame is globally oscillating but that the cycle is irregular. Prediction of these special oscillation states is tackled within the Flame Describing Function (FDF) framework. It is shown that it is possible to predict with a reasonable degree of agreement the ranges where a quasi-constant amplitude limit cycle will be established and ranges where the oscillation will be less regular and take the form of a galloping limit cycle. It is found that the FDF analysis also provides indications on the bounding levels of the oscillation envelope in the latter case.

A unified framework for nonlinear combustion instability analysis based on the flame describing function

2008 ◽  
Vol 615 ◽  
pp. 139-167 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. NOIRAY ◽  
D. DUROX ◽  
T. SCHULLER ◽  
S. CANDEL
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Finite Amplitude ◽  
Nonlinear Element ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Flame Describing Function ◽  
Amplitude Level

Analysis of combustion instabilities relies in most cases on linear analysis but most observations of these processes are carried out in the nonlinear regime where the system oscillates at a limit cycle. The objective of this paper is to deal with these two manifestations of combustion instabilities in a unified framework. The flame is recognized as the main nonlinear element in the system and its response to perturbations is characterized in terms of generalized transfer functions which assume that the gain and phase depend on the amplitude level of the input. This ‘describing function’ framework implies that the fundamental frequency is predominant and that the higher harmonics generated in the nonlinear element are weak because the higher frequencies are filtered out by the other components of the system. Based on this idea, a methodology is proposed to investigate the nonlinear stability of burners by associating the flame describing function with a frequency-domain analysis of the burner acoustics. These elements yield a nonlinear dispersion relation which can be solved, yielding growth rates and eigenfrequencies, which depend on the amplitude level of perturbations impinging on the flame. This method is used to investigate the regimes of oscillation of a well-controlled experiment. The system includes a resonant upstream manifold formed by a duct having a continuously adjustable length and a combustion region comprising a large number of flames stabilized on a multipoint injection system. The growth rates and eigenfrequencies are determined for a wide range of duct lengths. For certain values of this parameter we find a positive growth rate for vanishingly small amplitude levels, indicating that the system is linearly unstable. The growth rate then changes as the amplitude is increased and eventually vanishes for a finite amplitude, indicating the existence of a limit cycle. For other values of the length, the growth rate is initially negative, becomes positive for a finite amplitude and drops to zero for a higher value. This indicates that the system is linearly stable but nonlinearly unstable. Using calculated growth rates it is possible to predict amplitudes of oscillation when the system operates on a limit cycle. Mode switching and instability triggering may also be anticipated by comparing the growth rate curves. Theoretical results are found to be in excellent agreement with measurements, indicating that the flame describing function (FDF) methodology constitutes a suitable framework for nonlinear instability analysis.

Nonlinear self-excited oscillations of a ducted flame

1997 ◽  
Vol 346 ◽  
pp. 271-290 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. DOWLING
Keyword(s):  
Linear Theory ◽  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Limit Cycles ◽  
Acoustic Waves ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Nonlinear Oscillations ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
Finite Amplitude ◽  
Flow Disturbances

Self-excited oscillations of a confined flame, burning in the wake of a bluff-body flame-holder, are considered. These oscillations occur due to interaction between unsteady combustion and acoustic waves. According to linear theory, flow disturbances grow exponentially with time. A theory for nonlinear oscillations is developed, exploiting the fact that the main nonlinearity is in the heat release rate, which essentially ‘saturates’. The amplitudes of the pressure fluctuations are sufficiently small that the acoustic waves remain linear. The time evolution of the oscillations is determined by numerical integration and inclusion of nonlinear effects is found to lead to limit cycles of finite amplitude. The predicted limit cycles are compared with results from experiments and from linear theory. The amplitudes and spectra of the limit-cycle oscillations are in reasonable agreement with experiment. Linear theory is found to predict the frequency and mode shape of the nonlinear oscillations remarkably well. Moreover, we find that, for this type of nonlinearity, describing function analysis enables a good estimate of the limit-cycle amplitude to be obtained from linear theory.Active control has been successfully applied to eliminate these oscillations. We demonstrate the same effect by adding a feedback control system to our nonlinear model. This theory is used to explain why any linear controller capable of stabilizing the linear flow disturbances is also able to stabilize finite-amplitude oscillations in the nonlinear limit cycles.

Analysis of limit cycles sustained by two modes in the flame describing function framework

2013 ◽  
Vol 341 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 181-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Boudy ◽  
Daniel Durox ◽  
Thierry Schuller ◽  
Sébastien Candel
Keyword(s):  
Limit Cycles ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Flame Describing Function

Stability of a Proportional Valve Control System With Backlash and Saturation

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nader Moustafa ◽  
Roger Fales
Keyword(s):  
Limit Cycle ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Linear Part ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Function Technique ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Describing Function ◽  
Nonlinear Part ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Limit Cycle Behavior

In this work, the describing function technique is used to study the stability of a nonlinear system. All of dynamic systems in industrial and fluid power systems are nonlinear and include uncertainties to some degree. Thus, unexpected changes in the stability can be exhibited and can lead these systems to become unstable or exhibit oscillatory behavior. Engineers have developed nonlinear mathematical models to be able to predict whether or not a designed system will be exposed to such an oscillation before considering building and implementing the system. The focus of this study is to predict the existence of nonlinear oscillation behavior in a dynamic system using a simplified approach. A nonlinear model validation of a solenoid operated proportional control valve was performed using open loop testes. The type of two-stage hydraulic valve considered in this research is used to control the velocity of hydraulic cylinders. The pilot valve, which is the focus of this research, is a pressure control 3-way valve. A number of 30 replications of this pilot spool valve were studied and tested experimentally along with a single main stage valve. The model consists of linear and nonlinear parts. The linear part of the model was developed by linearizing the nonlinear governing equations at nominal conditions. The nonlinear part was constructed by analyzing open loop experimental test data. The data showed that two major nonlinearities are found that are key to describing the behavior of the system: saturation of the current input and backlash hysteresis behavior. These nonlinearities were considered to be the cause of limit cycle behavior. Each one of these nonlinearities was represented by its describing function and limit cycles were predicted using the describing function analysis method. In using the describing function method, the complexities of working with the nonlinear physics based model to determine limit cycle behavior were avoided.

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.

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