Characterization of Lean Burn Module Air Blast Pilot Injector With Laser Techniques

2013 ◽  
Vol 135 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Meier ◽  
S. Freitag ◽  
J. Heinze ◽  
L. Lange ◽  
E. Magens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Fuel Ratio ◽  
Optical Test ◽  
Planar Laser

For lean burn combustor development in low emission aero-engines, the pilot stage of the fuel injector plays a key role with respect to stability, operability, NOx emissions, and smoke production. Therefore it is of considerable interest to characterize the pilot module in terms of pilot zone mixing, fuel placement, flow field, and interaction with the main stage. This contribution focuses on the investigation of soot formation during pilot-only operation. Optical test methods were applied in an optically accessible single sector rig at engine idle conditions. Using planar laser-induced incandescence (LII), the distribution of soot and its dependence on air/fuel ratio, as well as geometric injector parameters, was studied. The data shows that below a certain air/fuel ratio, an increase of soot production occurs. This is in agreement with smoke number measurements in a standard single sector flame tube rig without optical access. Reaction zones were identified using chemiluminescence of OH radicals. In addition, the injector flow field was investigated with PIV. A hypothesis regarding the mechanism of pilot smoke formation was made based on these findings. This along with further investigations will form the basis for developing strategies for smoke improvement at elevated pilot-only conditions.

Characterisation of Lean Burn Module Air Blast Pilot Injector With Laser Techniques

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
U. Meier ◽  
S. Freitag ◽  
J. Heinze ◽  
L. Lange ◽  
E. Magens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Test Methods ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Fuel Ratio ◽  
Optical Test ◽  
Planar Laser

For lean burn combustor development in low emission aero-engines, the pilot stage of the fuel injector plays a key role with respect to stability, operability, NOx emissions, and smoke production. Therefore it is of considerable interest to characterize the pilot module in terms of pilot zone mixing, fuel placement, flow field and interaction with the main stage. This contribution focusses on the investigation of soot formation during pilot-only operation. Optical test methods were applied in an optically accessible single sector rig at engine idle conditions. Using planar laser-induced incandescence (LII), the distribution of soot and its dependence on air/fuel ratio, as well as geometric injector parameters, was studied. The data shows that below a certain air/fuel ratio, an increase of soot production occurs. This is in agreement with smoke number measurements in a standard single sector flame tube rig without optical access. Reaction zones were identified using chemiluminescence of OH radicals. In addition, the injector flow field was investigated with PIV. A hypothesis regarding the mechanism of pilot smoke formation was made based on these findings. This along with further investigations will form the basis for developing strategies for smoke improvement at elevated pilot only conditions.

Experimental Investigation of Spray and Combustion Performances of a Fuel-Staged Low Emission Combustor: Part II — Effects of Venturi Angle

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cunxi Liu ◽  
Fuqiang Liu ◽  
Jinhu Yang ◽  
Yong Mu ◽  
Gang Xu
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
High Altitude ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Stability ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Low Emission

In order to reduce NOx emissions, modern gas turbines are often equipped with lean burn combustion systems, where the high-velocity fuel-lean conditions that limit NOx formation in combustors also inhibit the ability of ignition, high altitude relight, and lean combustion stability. To face these issues, an internally staged scheme of fuel injection is proposed. The pilot and main fuel staging enable fuel distribution control and high turn-down ratio, multi-injections of main fuel leads to a fast and efficient fuel/air mixing. A fuel-staged low emission combustor in the framework of lean burn combustion is developed in the present study, the central pilot stage of fuel injector working singly at low power operating conditions is swirl-cup prefilming atomization and main stage is jet-in-crossflow multi-injection atomization, a combination of pilot and main stage injection is provided for higher power operating conditions. A significant amount of the air mass flow utilised for fuel preparation and initiation is adverse to the operability specifications, such as ignition, lean blow-out, and high-altitude relight etc. The spray characteristics of pilot spray and flow field are one of the key factors affecting combustion operability. This work investigates the effects of the venturi angle on combustion operability, the ignition and lean blow-out performances were evaluated in a single dome rectangular combustor. Furthermore, the spray patterns and flow field are characterized by kerosene-planar laser induced fluorescence and particle image velocimetry to provide insight into the correlation between spray, flow field and combustion operability performances.

The Impact of Compressor Exit Conditions on Fuel Injector Flows

2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (11) ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Ford ◽  
J. F. Carrotte ◽  
A. D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Main Reaction ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Inlet Conditions ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the effect of compressor generated inlet conditions on the air flow uniformity through lean burn fuel injectors. Any resulting nonuniformity in the injector flow field can impact on local fuel air ratios and hence emissions performance. The geometry considered is typical of the lean burn systems currently being proposed for future, low emission aero engines. Initially, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) predictions were used to examine the flow field development between compressor exit and the inlet to the fuel injector. This enabled the main flow field features in this region to be characterized along with identification of the various stream-tubes captured by the fuel injector passages. The predictions indicate the resulting flow fields entering the injector passages are not uniform. This is particularly evident in the annular passages furthest away from the injector centerline which pass the majority of the flow which subsequently forms the main reaction zone within the flame tube. Detailed experimental measurements were also undertaken on a fully annular facility incorporating an axial compressor and lean burn combustion system. The measurements were obtained at near atmospheric pressure/temperatures and under nonreacting conditions. Time-resolved and time-averaged data were obtained at various locations and included measurements of the flow field issuing from the various fuel injector passages. In this way any nonuniformity in these flow fields could be quantified. In conjunction with the numerical data, the sources of nonuniformities in the injector exit plane were identified. For example, a large scale bulk variation (+/−10%) of the injector flow field was attributed to the development of the flow field upstream of the injector, compared with localized variations (+/−5%) that were generated by the injector swirl vane wakes. Using this data the potential effects on fuel injector emissions performance can be assessed.

The Impact of Compressor Exit Conditions on Fuel Injector Flows

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. L. Ford ◽  
J. F. Carrotte ◽  
A. D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Numerical Data ◽  
Flow Fields ◽  
Main Reaction ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Field Development ◽  
Inlet Conditions ◽  
The Impact

This paper examines the effect of compressor generated inlet conditions on the air flow uniformity through lean burn fuel injectors. Any resulting non-uniformity in the injector flow field can impact on local fuel air ratios and hence emissions performance. The geometry considered is typical of the lean burn systems currently being proposed for future, low emission aero engines. Initially, RANS CFD predictions were used to examine the flow field development between compressor exit and the inlet to the fuel injector. This enabled the main flow field features in this region to be characterized along with identification of the various stream-tubes captured by the fuel injector passages. The predictions indicate the resulting flow fields entering the injector passages are not uniform. This is particularly evident in the annular passages furthest away from the injector center-line which pass the majority of the flow which subsequently forms the main reaction zone within the flame tube. Detailed experimental measurements were also undertaken on a fully annular facility incorporating an axial compressor and lean burn combustion system. The measurements were obtained at near atmospheric pressure/temperatures and under non-reacting conditions. Time-resolved and time-averaged data were obtained at various locations and included measurements of the flow field issuing from the various fuel injector passages. In this way any non-uniformity in these flow fields could be quantified. In conjunction with the numerical data, the sources of non-uniformities in the injector exit plane were identified. For example, a large scale bulk variation (+/−10%) of the injector flow field was attributed to the development of the flow field upstream of the injector, compared with localized variations (+/−5%) that were generated by the injector swirl vane wakes. Using this data the potential effects on fuel injector emissions performance can be assessed.

Investigation of the Reacting Flow Field of a Lean Burn Injector With Varying Degree of Swirl at Elevated Pressure Condition

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Hassa ◽  
Ulrich Meier ◽  
Johannes Heinze ◽  
Eggert Magens ◽  
Michael Schroll ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Liquid Phase ◽  
Flow Field ◽  
Soot Formation ◽  
Combustion Process ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Elevated Pressure ◽  
Mie Scattering ◽  
Reacting Flow ◽  
Soot Emission ◽  
Lean Burn

Two RR Lean Direct Injection (LDI) injector versions with different amounts of pilot swirl were investigated. Experiments, performed at elevated pressure and temperature, corresponding to engine conditions at idle include Mie scattering. LII and absorption measurements are used for soot concentration within the primary zone. The soot emission at the outlet is measured by an SMPS instrument. These experimental studies are complemented with PIV measurements. The acquired data allows evaluation of the combustion process from the liquid phase, followed by evaporation, reaction and finally soot production with high spatial resolution. The change of swirl produced rather moderate changes in the flow field, nevertheless qualitative changes in the fuel placement were observed. Starting from there, differences in heat release and soot formation can be explained, which lead to larger changes of soot emission. These observations show that a good knowledge of the interaction of gas and liquid phase is necessary to predict the occurrence of behavioral changes in the operating regime.

Characterization of a Multi-Swirler Fuel Injector Using Simultaneous Laser Based Planar Measurements of Reaction Zone, Flow Field, and Fuel Distribution

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Iudiciani ◽  
S. M. Hosseini ◽  
R. Zoltan-Szasz ◽  
C. Duwig ◽  
L. Fuchs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Oh Radicals ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Flow Conditions ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Fuel Distribution ◽  
Flame Dynamics ◽  
Wide Range

Modern gas turbine spray combustors feature multiple swirlers with distributed fuel injection system for rapid fuel/air mixing and flame stabilization ensuring low NOx operations. In the present paper, we investigate the effects of different swirler designs on flame characteristics, stabilization, and behavior at lean blow out using a Triple Annular Research Swirler (TARS) burner. Simultaneous planar measurements using laser diagnostics, namely, Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) of OH radicals indicating the reacting zone, LIF Acetone indicating unburnt fuel distribution and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) for flow field mapping, were applied to study the flow dynamics, fuel distribution and flame dynamics for different swirler geometries, air flow rates, and equivalence ratios. Both axial and nearly perpendicular to axis cross-sectional planes were investigated. The three swirler configurations allowed getting stable and repeatable flames over a wide range of different flow and fuel equivalence ratio conditions, confirming the good flexibility and operability of the TARS burner. Averaged fields are presented to compare the effect of different flow conditions using the same swirler configuration, and the effect of different swirler configurations at the same flow conditions. LIF and PIV instantaneous samples are also shown, both in axial and cross sectional planes, with structures captured in detail. Perfect matching is found between unburnt and burnt field, as well as agreement between axial and cross-sectional measurements. Particular attention has been placed on unstable flames and a highly unsteady flame near the lean blow out (LBO) is shown. Local extinctions are occasionally seen on instantaneous snapshots. Unsteadiness of such flame is suitable to exemplify the use of Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) analysis that identifies the most “energetic” large scale structures or modes of the flame. In particular, rotational and helical modes are observed which can contribute to the swirling flame instability. The results show the effect of the strength and rotation direction of the swirlers can lead to strong flame stratification or to a more homogenous flames. Analysis of the flame dynamics, indicates that the flame can be stabilized dynamically without the presence of a Central Recirculation Zone (CRZ) through flame quenching and flame propagation.

The Influence of Geometric and Aerodynamic Boundary Conditions on Fuel Injector Feed and External Aerodynamics for Lean Burn Combustors

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Li ◽  
P. A. Denman ◽  
A. D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Combustion System ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Flow Uniformity ◽  
Lean Burn ◽  
Fuel Injectors ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Flame Tube ◽  
External Combustion

Abstract Lean burn combustion is currently a preferred technology to meet the future low emission requirements faced by aero gas turbines. Previous work has shown that the increased air mass flow and size of lean burn fuel injector alters the necessary redistribution of the airflow leaving the high-pressure compressor. This can lead to flow field non-uniformities in the feed to combustor annuli and the fuel injectors which have the potential to impact the overall performance of the combustion system. This paper presents a systematic assessment of the effect of several aerodynamic parameters on the air flow feed to the fuel injectors and the external combustion system aerodynamics for a generic lean burn system. This includes the effect of changes to the flow splits between various combustor cooling features and annulus flows and the effect of a biased compressor exit profile. Flow field data are generated using an isothermal RANS CFD model which is validated against test rig data. The data show that changes in the flow split between the annuli modified the flow uniformity and loss to both the combustor annuli and the fuel injector feed. Changes in the compressor exit profile have a larger effect introducing more notable variations in both flow uniformity and loss. Changes to the angle of the flame tube did not greatly affect the pre-diffuser but did modify annulus loss. Further analysis showed that changes to the combustor annulus flow split, compressor exit profile and flame tube angle modified the location, at compressor exit, of the flow captured by the annuli or each fuel injector passage. The loss to each of these depends on the flow quality (total pressure and uniformity) and from the source more than the flow uniformity delivered.

Influence of Main Swirler Vane Angle on the Ignition Performance of TeLESS-II Combustor

2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Wang ◽  
Chi Zhang ◽  
Yuzhen Lin ◽  
Xin Hui ◽  
Jibao Li
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Main Stage ◽  
Ignition Process ◽  
High Speed Camera ◽  
Fuel Distribution ◽  
Fuel Droplets ◽  
Planar Laser ◽  
Cfd Method ◽  
Vane Angle

In order to balance the low emission and wide stabilization for lean premixed prevaporized (LPP) combustion, the centrally staged layout is preferred in advanced aero-engine combustors. However, compared with the conventional combustor, it is more difficult for the centrally staged combustor to light up as the main stage air layer will prevent the pilot fuel droplets arriving at igniter tip. The goal of the present paper is to study the effect of the main stage air on the ignition of the centrally staged combustor. Two cases of the main swirler vane angle of the TeLESS-II combustor, 20 deg and 30 deg are researched. The ignition results at room inlet temperature and pressure show that the ignition performance of the 30 deg vane angle case is better than that of the 20 deg vane angle case. High-speed camera, planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF), and computational fluids dynamics (CFD) are used to better understand the ignition results. The high-speed camera has recorded the ignition process, indicated that an initial kernel forms just adjacent the liner wall after the igniter is turned on, the kernel propagates along the radial direction to the combustor center and begins to grow into a big flame, and then it spreads to the exit of the pilot stage, and eventually stabilizes the flame. CFD of the cold flow field coupled with spray field is conducted. A verification of the CFD method has been applied with PLIF measurement, and the simulation results can qualitatively represent the experimental data in terms of fuel distribution. The CFD results show that the radial dimensions of the primary recirculation zone of the two cases are very similar, and the dominant cause of the different ignition results is the vapor distribution of the fuel. The concentration of kerosene vapor of the 30 deg vane angle case is much larger than that of the 20 deg vane angle case close to the igniter tip and along the propagation route of the kernel, therefore, the 30 deg vane angle case has a better ignition performance. For the consideration of the ignition performance, a larger main swirler vane angle of 30 deg is suggested for the better fuel distribution when designing a centrally staged combustor.

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