CFD Predictions of Low NOx Radial Swirlers With Vane Passage Fuel Injection With Comparison With Internal Gas Analysis Flame Composition

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phil T. King ◽  
Nick H. Escott ◽  
Gordon E. Andrews ◽  
Mohammed M. Pourkashanian ◽  
Andrew C. McIntosh
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Shear Layer ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Gas Analysis ◽  
Experimental Results ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Flamelet Model

Radial swirlers with vane passage natural gas injection, similar to those used in some industrial low NOx gas turbines, were investigated for their flame structure both experimentally and using CFD. The radial swirler NOx emissions at 600K and 1 atmosphere pressure were shown to be 3–4 ppm at 15% oxygen at 1800K and 1–2 ppm at 1700K. These levels were similar to the best published low NOx emissions using any flame stabilizer design. A flame at O̸ = 0.5 and 600K air temperature was investigated for its structure using a 10mm OD water cooled gas sample probe with a 1mm gas sample inlet on the upstream side of the probe. This showed that the mixing in the vane passage and outlet duct was very good. The maximum unmixedness at the first traverse location, 10mm downstream of the dump expansion zone, was 20% of the mean and the unmixedness was less than 5% within 30mm from the dump expansion. The flame structure was shown to involve a thick turbulence reaction zone of about 100mm thickness to the 90% heat release point. The CFD predictions were made using the RSM and k-ε turbulence models and the flamelet combustion model with a strain rate library. The isothermal aerodynamics predictions were in good agreement with others for similar geometries. There was an inner and outer recirculation zone with a swirling shear layer between. The peak turbulent kinetic energy was predicted to be on the inside of the shear layer. The experimental results showed that the flame developed in this region of high turbulence and low axial velocities. The flamelet model was less successful at predicting the flame development. The NOx results were predicted to be 2ppm less than the experimental results, due to the shorter predicted heat release region with associated lower prompt NOx.

NOx Emissions Reduction in an Innovative Industrial Gas Turbine Combustor (GE10 Machine): A Numerical Study of the Benefits of a New Pilot-System on Flame Structure and Emissions

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Andreini ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Luca Mangani ◽  
Antonio Asti ◽  
Gianni Ceccherini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Emissions Reduction ◽  
Minimal Amount ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Ambient Temperatures ◽  
Wide Range

One of the driving requirements in gas turbine design is emissions reduction. In the mature markets (especially the North America), permits to install new gas turbines are granted provided emissions meet more and more restrictive requirements, in a wide range of ambient temperatures and loads. To meet such requirements, design techniques have to take advantage also of the most recent CFD tools. As a successful example of this, this paper reports the results of a reactive 3D numerical study of a single-can combustor for the GE10 machine, recently updated by GE-Energy. This work aims to evaluate the benefits on the flame shape and on NOx emissions of a new pilot-system located on the upper part of the liner. The former GE10 combustor is equipped with fuel-injecting-holes realizing purely diffusive pilot-flames. To reduce NOx emissions from the current 25 ppmvd@15%O2 to less than 15 ppmvd@15%O2 (in the ambient temperature range from −28.9°C to +37.8°C and in the load range from 50% and 100%), the new version of the combustor is equipped with 4 swirler-burners realizing lean-premixed pilot flames; these flames in turn are stabilized by a minimal amount of lean-diffusive sub-pilot-fuel. The overall goal of this new configuration is the reduction of the fraction of fuel burnt in diffusive flames, lowering peak temperatures and therefore NOx emissions. To analyse the new flame structure and to check the emissions reduction, a reactive RANS study was performed using STAR-CD™ package. A user-defined combustion model was used, while to estimate NOx emissions a specific scheme was also developed. Three different ambient temperatures (ISO, −28.9°C and 37.8°C) were simulated. Results were then compared with experimental measurements (taken both from the engine and from the rig), resulting in reasonable agreement. Finally, an additional simulation with an advanced combustion model, based on the laminar flamelet approach, was performed. The model is based on the G-Equation scheme but was modified to study partially premixed flames. A geometric procedure to solve G-Equation was implemented as add-on in STAR-CD™.

scholarly journals Flow Inhomogeneities in a Realistic Aeronautical Gas-Turbine Combustor: Formation, Evolution and Indirect Noise

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Giusti ◽  
Luca Magri ◽  
Marco Zedda
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Combustion Noise ◽  
Moment Closure ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Conditional Moment ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Nozzle Guide

Indirect noise generated by the acceleration of combustion inhomogeneities is an important aspect in the design of aeroengines because of its impact on the overall noise emitted by an aircraft and the possible contribution to combustion instabilities. In this study, a realistic rich-quench-lean combustor is numerically investigated, with the objective of quantitatively analyzing the formation and evolution of flow inhomogeneities and determine the level of indirect combustion noise in the nozzle guide vane (NGV). Both entropy and compositional noise are calculated in this work. A high-fidelity numerical simulation of the combustion chamber, based on the Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) approach with the Conditional Moment Closure (CMC) combustion model, is performed. The contributions of the different air streams to the formation of flow inhomogeneities are pinned down and separated with seven dedicated passive scalars. LES-CMC results are then used to determine the acoustic sources to feed an NGV aeroacoustic model, which outputs the noise generated by entropy and compositional inhomogeneities. Results show that non-negligible fluctuations of temperature and composition reach the combustor’s exit. Combustion inhomogeneities originate both from finite-rate chemistry effects and incomplete mixing. In particular, the role of mixing with dilution and liner air flows on the level of combustion inhomogeneities at the combustor’s exit is highlighted. The species that most contribute to indirect noise are identified and the transfer functions of a realistic NGV are computed. The noise level indicates that indirect noise generated by temperature fluctuations is larger that the indirect noise generated by compositional inhomogeneities, although the latter is not negligible and is expected to become louder in supersonic nozzles. It is also shown that relatively small fluctuations of the local flame structure can lead to significant variations of the nozzle transfer function, whose gain increases with the Mach number. This highlights the necessity of an on-line solution of the local flame structure, which is performed in this paper by CMC, for an accurate prediction of the level of compositional noise. This study opens new possibilities for the identification, separation and calculation of the sources of indirect combustion noise in realistic aeronautical gas turbines.

scholarly journals Reduced NOx Emissions Using Low Radial Swirler Vane Angles

1991 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. S. Alkabie ◽  
G. E. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Combustion Efficiency ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Primary Zone ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbines ◽  
Curved Blade ◽  
Swirl Vane ◽  
Vane Angle

The influence of vane angle and hence swirl number of a radial swirler on the weak extinction, combustion inefficiency and NOx emissions was investigated at lean gas turbine combustor primary zone conditions. A 140mm diameter atmospheric pressure low NOx combustor primary zone was developed with a Mach number simulation of 30% and 43% of the combustor air flow into the primary zone through a curved blade radial swirler. The range of radial swirler vane angles was 0–60 degrees and central radially outward fuel injection was used throughout with a 600K inlet temperature. For zero vane angle radially inward jets were formed that impinged and generated a strong outer recirculation. This was found to have much lower NOx characteristics compared with a 45 degree swirler at the same pressure loss. However, the lean stability and combustion efficiency in the near weak extinction region was not as good. With swirl the central recirculation zone enhanced the combustion efficiency. For all the swirl vane angles there was little difference in combustion inefficiency between the swirlers. However, the NOx emissions were reduced at the lowest swirl angles and vane angles in the range 20–30 degrees were considered to be the optimum for central injection. NOx emissions for central injection as low as 5ppm at 15% oxygen and 1 bar were demonstrated for zero swirl and 20 degree swirler vane angle. This would scale to well under 25 ppm at pressure for all current industrial gas turbines.

Active Control of Combustion Instabilities in a Matrix Burner Using Primary and Pilot Fuel and Acoustic Forcing

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dieter Bohn ◽  
Nils Ohlendorf ◽  
Frank Weidner ◽  
James F. Willie
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Mass Flow ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Open Loop ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Loop Control ◽  
First Case ◽  
Pilot Fuel ◽  
Acoustic Forcing

Lean premixed flames applied in modern gas turbines leads to reduce NOx emissions, but at the same time they are more susceptible to combustion instabilities than diffusion flames. These oscillations cause pressure fluctuations with high amplitudes and unacceptable noise as well as the risk of component or even engine failure. They can lead to pockets of fuel being formed in the mixing chamber and to bad mixing, which leads to increase in emissions. This paper reports the successful decoupling of the pressure and heat release inside the combustion chamber of a matrix burner using two actuation techniques. This led to the successful attenuation of the dominant instability modes occurring inside the combustor of the matrix burner. In the first case, acoustic forcing was used to decouple the pressure and the heat release inside the combustor. This was achieved by using a loudspeaker to modulate the primary air mass flow. This was followed by using acoustic forcing in CFD to decouple the pressure and heat release inside the combustor. For the action of the loudspeaker, sinusoidal forcing was used to mimic the modulation action of the diaphragm of the loudspeaker. In the second case, a fast gaseous “on-off” injector was used to modulate the primary fuel mass flow. After this, pilot fuel modulation was used to stabilize the flame. The control law governing the primary and pilot fuel modulation is discussed in details. The effect of open loop control on NOx emissions in the burner is also reported and discussed.

scholarly journals Flow Inhomogeneities in a Realistic Aeronautical Gas-Turbine Combustor: Formation, Evolution, and Indirect Noise

2018 ◽  
Vol 141 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Giusti ◽  
Luca Magri ◽  
Marco Zedda
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Guide Vane ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Combustion Noise ◽  
Moment Closure ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Conditional Moment ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Aero Engines

Indirect noise generated by the acceleration of combustion inhomogeneities is an important aspect in the design of aero-engines because of its impact on the overall noise emitted by an aircraft and the possible contribution to combustion instabilities. In this study, a realistic rich-quench-lean (RQL) combustor is numerically investigated, with the objective of quantitatively analyzing the formation and evolution of flow inhomogeneities and determining the level of indirect combustion noise in the nozzle guide vane (NGV). Both entropy and compositional noise are calculated in this work. A high-fidelity numerical simulation of the combustion chamber, based on the large-eddy simulation (LES) approach with the conditional moment closure (CMC) combustion model, is performed. The contributions of the different air streams to the formation of flow inhomogeneities are pinned down and separated with seven dedicated passive scalars. LES-CMC results are then used to determine the acoustic sources to feed an NGV aeroacoustic model, which outputs the noise generated by entropy and compositional inhomogeneities. Results show that non-negligible fluctuations of temperature and composition reach the combustor's exit. Combustion inhomogeneities originate both from finite-rate chemistry effects and incomplete mixing. In particular, the role of mixing with dilution and liner air flows on the level of combustion inhomogeneities at the combustor's exit is highlighted. The species that most contribute to indirect noise are identified and the transfer functions of a realistic NGV are computed. The noise level indicates that indirect noise generated by temperature fluctuations is larger than the indirect noise generated by compositional inhomogeneities, although the latter is not negligible and is expected to become louder in supersonic nozzles. It is also shown that relatively small fluctuations of the local flame structure can lead to significant variations of the nozzle transfer function, whose gain increases with the Mach number. This highlights the necessity of an on-line solution of the local flame structure, which is performed in this paper by CMC, for an accurate prediction of the level of compositional noise. This study opens new possibilities for the identification, separation, and calculation of the sources of indirect combustion noise in realistic aeronautical gas turbines.

Test Validation of Flamelet Model Predictions of NOx

1999 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu. Buriko ◽  
V. Zakharov ◽  
A. Belokon ◽  
G. Opdyke
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Prediction Method ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Load Curve ◽  
Flamelet Model ◽  
Numerical Predictions ◽  
Air Supply ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
The Relationship

Calculations of NOx emissions were made for the original high pressure combustor and for the original and a modified design of the low pressure combustor used in a Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) plant. All were typical diffusion flame combustors. Since a CAES plant has an independent air supply, the relationship between combustor inlet temperature and pressure is not typical for gas turbines, and the pressure level for the HP combustor is unusually high (up to 4.5 MPa). Vitiated air from HP combustor exhaust is used as combustion air in the LP combustor. The NOx emissions prediction method, which was used, for calculations is based on a flamelet model which takes detailed kinetic schemes for fuel oxidation, NOx generation and turbulence/chemistry interaction into account. Site measurements over the entire load curve confirmed the numerical predictions for both the original combustors and the newly developed LP combustor design.

Numerical Investigations of NOx Emissions of a Partially Premixed Burner for Natural Gas Operations in Industrial Gas Turbine

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Innocenti ◽  
Antonio Andreini ◽  
Andrea Giusti ◽  
Bruno Facchini ◽  
Matteo Cerutti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Turbulent Combustion ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Formation Rate ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Air Concentration ◽  
Partially Premixed ◽  
Industrial Gas Turbine

In the present paper a numerical analysis of a low NOx partially premixed burner for industrial gas turbine applications is presented. The first part of the work is focused on the study of the premixing process inside the burner. Standard RANS CFD approach was used: k–ε turbulence model was modified and calibrated in order to find a configuration able to fit available experimental profiles of fuel/air concentration at the exit of the burner. The resulting profiles at different test points have been used to perform reactive simulations of an experimental test rig, where exhaust NOx emissions were measured. An assessment of the turbulent combustion model was carried out with a critical investigation of the expected turbulent combustion regimes in the system and taking into account the partially premixed nature of the flame due to the presence of diffusion type pilot flames. A reliable numerical setup was discovered by comparing predicted and measured NOx emissions at different operating conditions and at different split ratio between main and pilot fuel. In the investigated range, the influence of the premixer in the NOx formation rate was found to be marginal if compared with the pilot flame one. The calibrated numerical setup was then employed to explore possible modifications to fuel injection criteria and fuel split, with the aim of minimizing exhaust NOx emissions. This preliminary numerical screening of alternative fuel injection strategies allowed to define a set of advanced configurations to be investigated in future experimental tests.

Investigation of the Roles of Flame Propagation, Turbulent Mixing, and Volumetric Heat Release in Conventional and Low Temperature Diesel Combustion

2011 ◽  
Vol 133 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sage L. Kokjohn ◽  
Rolf D. Reitz
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperature ◽  
Heat Release ◽  
Oxygen Concentration ◽  
Reaction Zone ◽  
Flame Propagation ◽  
Ignition Delay ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Combustion Model ◽  
Combustion Mode ◽  
Flame Structures

In this work, a multimode combustion model that combines a comprehensive kinetics scheme for volumetric heat release and a level-set-based model for turbulent flame propagation is applied over the range of engine combustion regimes from non-premixed to premixed conditions. The model predictions of the ignition processes and flame structures are compared with the measurements from the literature of naturally occurring luminous emission and OH planar laser induced fluorescence. Comparisons are performed over a range of conditions from a conventional diesel operation (i.e., short ignition delay, high oxygen concentration) to a low temperature combustion mode (i.e., long ignition delay, low oxygen concentration). The multimode combustion model shows an excellent prediction of the bulk thermodynamic properties (e.g., rate of heat release), as well as local phenomena (i.e., ignition location, fuel and combustion intermediate species distributions, and flame structure). The results of this study show that, even in the limit of mixing controlled combustion, the flame structure is captured extremely well without considering subgrid scale turbulence-chemistry interactions. The combustion process is dominated by volumetric heat release in a thin zone around the periphery of the jet. The rate of combustion is controlled by the transport of a reactive mixture to the reaction zone, and the dominant mixing processes are well described by the large scale mixing and diffusion. As the ignition delay is increased past the end of injection (i.e., positive ignition dwell), both the simulations and optical engine experiments show that the reaction zone spans the entire jet cross section. In this combustion mode, the combustion rate is no longer limited by the transport to the reaction zone, but rather by the kinetic time scales. Although comparisons of results with and without consideration of flame propagation show very similar flame structures and combustion characteristics, the addition of the flame propagation model reveals details of the edge or triple-flame structure in the region surrounding the diffusion flame at the lift-off location. These details are not captured by the purely kinetics based combustion model, but are well represented by the present multimode model.

scholarly journals Conversion of Liquid to Gaseous Fuel for Prevaporised Premixed Combustion in Gas Turbines

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Wang ◽  
L. Reh ◽  
D. Pennell ◽  
D. Winkler ◽  
K. Döbbeling
Keyword(s):  
High Pressure ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Liquid Fuel ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Premixed Combustion ◽  
Fuel Oil ◽  
Injection System ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Combustion Tests

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.

Jet Shear Layer Size and Number Influences on Grid Plate Direct Fuel Injection Shear Layer Mixing Low NOx Gas Turbine Combustion With Fuel Staging for Power Turn Down

2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon E. Andrews ◽  
S. A. R. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Shear Layer ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Scale Up ◽  
Shear Layers ◽  
Inlet Temperature ◽  
Nox Emissions ◽  
Round Jet ◽  
Fuel Staging ◽  
Four Levels

The scale up of jet shear layer low NOx concepts for compact gas turbine applications is considered using natural gas as the fuel with all experiments at one atmosphere pressure and 600K air inlet temperature. A 76mm diameter cylindrical combustor with 4 round jet shear layers was compared with a near double scale combustor with 140mm diameter and 4 round jet shear layers with the same total blockage as for the smaller combustor. This is compared with 16 round jet shear layers of the same diameter as for the smaller combustor. The shear layer air holes were fuelled by eight radial inward fuel injection holes in each shear layer jet. All three designs had acceptable combustion efficiencies, but the NOx emissions were considerably higher for the 4 shear layer design in the larger combustion. When the same shear layer hole size was used and the number increased in the larger combustor the NOx emissions were identical. Changing the shape of the hole from circulat to slot for the same area, considerably reduced the NOx in the four hole 76mm combustor, but had little effect on the 16 hole 140mm combustor. Fuel staging within the array of shear layers was successfully demonstrated for four levels of fuel staging. There was some intermixing of air from the unfuelled jets, but this had only a small effect on the combustion efficiency and flame stability. A practical range of simulated power turndown was demonstrated with little NOx penalty. This was achieved with no wall between the staged shear layer regions and hence leads to very compact combustor designs.

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