Experimental Analysis of High-Amplitude Temporal Equivalence Ratio Oscillations in the Mixing Section of a Swirl-Stabilized Burner

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Blümner ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit ◽  
Kilian Oberleithner ◽  
Bernhard Ćosić
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Tunable Diode Laser ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Injection Point ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
Acoustic Forcing

Unsteady temporal fluctuations of the equivalence ratio in lean premixed gas turbine combustors are one of the most important driving mechanisms for thermoacoustic instabilities. In this work, high-amplitude equivalence ratio fluctuations in the mixing section of a swirl-stabilized burner are assessed for the first time. The applied non-intrusive sensor is based on fixed-wavelength modulation spectroscopy of methane at 1653 nm using a near-infrared tunable diode laser. The measurements are performed at isothermal operating conditions without the presence of a flame at 25°C and at atmospheric pressure. The equivalence ratio fluctuations are generated by acoustic forcing of the air flow while the fuel injection flow rate is kept constant. Acoustic forcing amplitudes up to 220% of the mean flow velocity are assessed. Measurements are conducted at different axial distances from the fuel injection point to study the spatio-temporal evolution of the equivalence ratio fluctuations. The results show a frequency-dependent saturation of temporal equivalence ratio fluctuations with increasing forcing amplitude, which can not be described through the available model. These results are in good agreement with preceding studies and indicate the saturation of the flame response due to a saturation of equivalence ratio fluctuations. Furthermore, a decreased attenuation of temporal mixture inhomogeneities for small forcing amplitudes is found.

An Acoustic Time-of-Flight Approach for Unsteady Temperature Measurements: Characterization of Entropy Waves in a Model Gas Turbine Combustor

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Wassmer ◽  
Bruno Schuermans ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit ◽  
Jonas P. Moeck
Keyword(s):  
Temperature Measurement ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Acoustic Pulse ◽  
Time Of Flight ◽  
Tunable Diode Laser ◽  
Phase Lag ◽  
Mean Flow ◽  
Unsteady Temperature ◽  
Flow Velocities

Lean premixed combustion promotes the occurrence of thermoacoustic phenomena in gas turbine combustors. One mechanism that contributes to the flame-acoustic interaction is entropy noise. Fluctuations of the equivalence ratio in the mixing section cause the generation of hot spots in the flame. These so called entropy waves are convectively transported to the first stage of the turbine and generate acoustic waves that travel back to the flame; a thermoacoustic loop is closed. However, due to the lack of experimental tools, a detailed investigation of entropy waves in gas turbine combustion systems has not been possible up to now. This work presents an acoustic time-of-flight based temperature measurement method which allows the detection of temperature fluctuations in the relevant frequency range. A narrow acoustic pulse is generated with an electric spark discharge close to the combustor wall. The acoustic response is measured at the same axial location with an array of microphones circumferentially distributed around the combustion chamber. The delay in the pulse arrival times corresponds to the line-integrated inverse speed of sound. For validation of this new method an experimental setup was developed capable of generating well defined entropy waves. As a reference temperature measurement technique a hot-wire anemometer is employed. For the measurement of entropy waves in an atmospheric combustion test rig, fuel is periodically injected into the mixing tube of a premixed combustor. The subsequently generated entropy waves are detected for different forcing frequencies of the fuel injection and for different mean flow velocities in the combustor. The amplitude decay and phase lag of the entropy waves adheres well to a Strouhal number scaling for different mean flow velocities. In addition, simultaneously to the entropy wave measurement, the equivalence ratio fluctuations in the mixing tube are detected using the Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) technique.

Transient Thermoacoustic Responses of Methane/Hydrogen Flames in a Pressurized Annular Combustor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byeonguk Ahn ◽  
Thomas Indlekofer ◽  
James Dawson ◽  
Nicholas Worth
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Time History ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Transient Growth ◽  
Local Minima ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
Annular Combustor ◽  
History Of ◽  
Harmonic Components ◽  
Hysteresis Behaviour

Abstract The present article experimentally investigates the triggering and transient growth of azimuthal instabilities in a pressurized laboratory-scale annular combustor featuring twelve methane/hydrogen flames, as the equivalence ratio is ramped up and down. The ramping rate of equivalence ratio is varied to examine its effect on the transient thermoacoustic response and the driving mechanisms, highlighting a number of previously unseen features. As the equivalence ratio is dynamically increased, all cases were observed to feature a distinct modal trajectory, during the onset of high amplitude instabilities. Strongly spinning counter-clockwise modes are first excited before a dynamic transition to strongly spinning clockwise modes occurs. Furthermore, the strength of the spinning mode (quantified through the spin ratio or nature angle) was shown to feature a local minima before the spinning mode stabilized in the system, which corresponds to an almost pure spinning state. Hysteresis behaviour was observed in both the amplitude and nature of the mode, resulting in different thresholds for the onset and decay of the instability, depending on the time history of the combustor. Increasing the ramping rate was found to reduce the amount of hysteresis in the system. Furthermore, the high amplitude of the instability resulted in significant harmonic components. The behaviour of the harmonics generally resembles the fundamental component, albeit with some notable exceptions.

CH*/OH* Chemiluminescence Response of an Atmospheric Premixed Flame Under Varying Operating Conditions

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Guyot ◽  
Felix Guethe ◽  
Bruno Schuermans ◽  
Arnaud Lacarelle ◽  
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Wave Length ◽  
Optical Filters ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Chemiluminescence Intensity ◽  
Ratio Distribution ◽  
Iccd Camera ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
Co2 Intensity

In this work the relationship between the ratio of the global CH* and OH* flame chemiluminescece and the global equivalence ratio of a technically premixed swirl-stabilized flame is investigated. The burner allows for a modification of the premix fuel injection pattern. The global flame chemiluminescence is monitored by a high-sensitivity light spectrometer and multiple photo-multipliers. The photo-multipliers were equipped with narrow optical band-pass filters and recorded the flame’s OH*, CH* and CO2* chemiluminescence intensity. To ensure an approximately uniform equivalence ratio distribution in the combustion zone, the spatial OH* and CH* flame chemiluminescence was recorded simultaneously with one ICCD camera using a special optical setup, which incorporated among other things one fully reflective and one semi-reflective mirror and appropriate optical filters. The flame chemiluminescence intensity was mapped for a range of equivalence ratios and air mass flows. The mapping shows that (as stated for perfectly premixed flames in the literature) the OH*, CH* and CO2* intensity of the investigated flame depends linearly on the air mass flow and exponentially on the equivalence ratio (i.e., I = km * φβ). Hence for the investigated operating conditions (i.e., quasi premix conditions) the global CH*/OH* intensity can be employed as a measure of the global equivalence ratio for the operating conditions investigated in this work. However, the contribution of broadband CO2* chemiluminescence in the wave length range of CH* chemiluminescence has to be accounted for.

An Investigation of the Effects of Fuel Staging on Flame Structure in a Gas Turbine Model Combustor

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. D. Gounder ◽  
I. Boxx ◽  
P. Kutne ◽  
F. Biagioli ◽  
H. Luebcke
Keyword(s):  
Gas Turbine ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Laser Diagnostics ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Flame Structure ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Fuel Staging ◽  
Turbine Model

Gas turbine (GT) flames at lean operating conditions are susceptible to instabilities that can lead to unsteady operation, flame extinction, and thermoacoustic oscillations. High speed (10 kHz) laser and optical diagnostic techniques have been used to investigate the effect of fuel staging on the mechanisms involved in such instabilities and the overall performance of a gas turbine model combustor. The GT burner used in this study consists of coaxial swirlers which allow for fuel staging capability, where the fuel is varied from 100% to 20% fuel injection in the inner swirler. The burner is equipped with a combustion chamber with large quartz windows, allowing for the application of optical and laser diagnostics. Simultaneous high speed OH Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and OH* chemiluminescence (CL) imaging, exhaust gas sampling and acoustic measurements were applied to characterize the flames and determine the operability limits of the combustor. Methane air flames at atmospheric pressure have been investigated at a constant thermal power of 58 kW. The global equivalence ratio was kept constant, while the fuel staging was varied. The bulk flow velocity at the exit plane was kept constant at 20 m/s. Simultaneous high speed particle image velocity (PIV) and OH PLIF measurements were performed at a repetition rate of 10 kHz on specifically chosen flames with a fixed staging and equivalence ratio. This paper will present the flame and the flow field structure resolved using the kHz measurement technique. The interaction between the velocity field and the flame front marked by the OH LIF will be presented. The mean PIV image provides the location of the inner and outer recirculation zones. The flame structure presented in this paper will also show the effectiveness of fuel mixing as the staging is varied. The changes in flame shape with variation in fuel staging is determined using the OH* chemiluminescence images. As the fuel flow in the inner swirler is reduced, the NOx and CO emissions also reduce and reach a minimum at a staging of 45% fuel being injected in the inner swirler. As fuel injection in the outer swirler increases beyond 60% the NOx and CO emissions start also increasing.

scholarly journals Injector-coupled transverse instabilities in a multi-element premixed combustor

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175682772093283
Author(s):  
John J Philo ◽  
Rohan M Gejji ◽  
Carson D Slabaugh
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Pressure Fluctuations ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Combustion Instabilities ◽  
Combustion Dynamics ◽  
Thermoacoustic Instabilities ◽  
Transverse Modes ◽  
Additional Mode ◽  
The Relationship

Combustion instabilities in a high-pressure, multi-element combustor are studied in order to understand the relationship between the chamber and injector dynamics. A linear array of seven injectors supplies premixed natural gas and air into a rectangular combustion chamber designed to promote high-frequency, transverse thermoacoustic instabilities. The effect of equivalence ratio on the combustion dynamics was investigated for two injector lengths, 62.5 and 125 mm. For all operating conditions, the 125 mm injectors promote high-amplitude instabilities of the fundamental transverse (1T) mode, which has a frequency of 1750–1850 Hz. Reducing the injector length significantly lowers the instability amplitudes for all operating conditions and, for lower equivalence ratio cases, excites an additional mode near 1550 Hz. The delineating feature controlling the growth of the instabilities in each injector configuration is the coupling with axial pressure fluctuations in the injectors that occur in response to the transverse modes in the chamber.

scholarly journals Transient Thermoacoustic Responses of Methane/Hydrogen Flames in a Pressurized Annular Combustor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Byeonguk Ahn ◽  
Thomas Indlekofer ◽  
James Dawson ◽  
Nicholas Worth
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Time History ◽  
High Amplitude ◽  
Transient Growth ◽  
Local Minima ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
Annular Combustor ◽  
History Of ◽  
Harmonic Components ◽  
Hysteresis Behaviour

Abstract The present article experimentally investigates the triggering and transient growth of azimuthal instabilities in a pressurized laboratory-scale annular combustor featuring twelve methane/hydrogen flames, as the equivalence ratio is ramped up and down. The ramping rate of equivalence ratio is varied to examine its effect on the transient thermoacoustic response and the driving mechanisms, highlighting a number of previously unseen features. As the equivalence ratio is dynamically increased, all cases were observed to feature a distinct modal trajectory, during the onset of high amplitude instabilities. Strongly spinning counter-clockwise modes are first excited before a dynamic transition to strongly spinning clockwise modes occurs. Furthermore, the strength of the spinning mode (quantified through the spin ratio or nature angle) was shown to feature a local minima before the spinning mode stabilized in the system, which corresponds to an almost pure spinning state. Hysteresis behaviour was observed in both the amplitude and nature of the mode, resulting in different thresholds for the onset and decay of the instability, depending on the time history of the combustor. Increasing the ramping rate was found to reduce the amount of hysteresis in the system. Furthermore, the high amplitude of the instability resulted in significant harmonic components. The behaviour of the harmonics generally resembles the fundamental component, albeit with some notable exceptions.

Determination of Equivalence Ratio and Oscillatory Heat Release Distributions in Non-Premixed Bluff Body-Stabilized Flames Using Chemiluminescence Imaging

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caleb Cross ◽  
Eugene Lubarsky ◽  
Dmitriy Shcherbik ◽  
Keary Bonner ◽  
Alex Klusmeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Release ◽  
Vortex Shedding ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Bluff Body ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Flame Stabilization ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Flame Holder ◽  
Air Stream ◽  
Local Equivalence

In an effort to elucidate the fundamental processes controlling bluff body flame stabilization, the dependence of the spatial distribution of the local equivalence ratio and the heat release dynamics upon the mode of fuel injection was studied. Experiments were performed in a single flame holder combustion channel which was supplied with a high-temperature air stream. Jet-A fuel was injected across the incoming air stream from one of two locations: a cylindrical fuel bar installed 0.25 m upstream of the bluff body, or from fuel injectors integrated within the bluff body 2.5 cm upstream of the trailing edge (i.e., close-coupled injection). The time-averaged spatial distributions of the combustion heat release were characterized by CH* and C2* chemiluminescence imaging of the flame, and ratios of the C2* to CH* light emission were used to characterize the local equivalence ratio. The spatial average of the C2*/CH* value in the flame was found to increase linearly with increasing global equivalence ratio for fuel injection upstream of the bluff body, whereas this value was relatively constant for close-coupled injection. This constant value equaled the same average C2*/CH* value obtained for upstream fuel injection at globally stoichiometric conditions, suggesting that combustion resulting from close-coupled fuel injection took place, on average, in stoichiometric flamelets throughout the combustor. The heat release dynamics due to asymmetric (von Ka´rma´n) vortex shedding were also investigated for each operating condition by recording high-speed movies of the flame at 24 kHz. Upon processing of these movies, the amplitudes of heat release fluctuations due to von Ka´rma´n vortex shedding were found to be significantly higher for close-coupled injection than for injection well upstream of the flame holder for all operating conditions. This is attributed to an increase in span-wise fuel-air mixing and near-wake heat release for upstream fuel injection, resulting in a hotter recirculation zone which suppressed the von Ka´rma´n instability more than the close-coupled case.

An Experimental Study on the Coupling of Combustion Instability Mechanisms in a Lean Premixed Gas Turbine Combustor

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyung Ju Lee ◽  
Kyu Tae Kim ◽  
Jong Guen Lee ◽  
Bryan D. Quay ◽  
Domenic A. Santavicca
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Study ◽  
Gas Turbine ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Acoustic Pressure ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
Gas Turbine Combustor ◽  
Lean Premixed ◽  
Injection Location

An experimental study was conducted to characterize the combined effects of flame-vortex interactions and equivalence ratio fluctuations on self-excited combustion instabilities in a swirl-stabilized lean premixed gas turbine combustor. The combustor was designed so that the fuel injector location and the combustion chamber length could be independently varied. In addition, the fuel and air could be mixed upstream of the choked inlet to the combustor, thereby eliminating the possibility of equivalence ratio fluctuations. Experiments were performed over a broad range of operating conditions and at each condition both the combustor length and the fuel injection location were varied. Dynamic pressure in the combustor, acoustic pressure and velocity in the mixing section, and the overall rate of heat release were simultaneously measured at all operating conditions. Two distinct instability regimes were observed; one near 220 Hz and the other near 345 Hz. It was also found that the strength of the instability changed significantly as the fuel injection location was varied, while the phase of the acoustic pressure and velocity fluctuations in the mixing section did not change. A time series of pressure and CH* chemiluminescence signals confirmed constructive or destructive coupling of the two instability mechanisms; the flame-vortex interaction and the equivalence ratio fluctuation interact each other and determine the instability characteristics in partially premixed conditions.

scholarly journals Interaction of equivalence ratio fluctuations and flow fluctuations in acoustically forced swirl flames

2021 ◽  
pp. 175682772110155
Author(s):  
Vincent Kather ◽  
Finn Lückoff ◽  
Christian O. Paschereit ◽  
Kilian Oberleithner
Keyword(s):  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Transfer Functions ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Mode Conversion ◽  
Fuel Injector ◽  
One Dimensional ◽  
Flow Fluctuations ◽  
Non Linear ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Acoustic Forcing

The generation and turbulent transport of temporal equivalence ratio fluctuations in a swirl combustor are experimentally investigated and compared to a one-dimensional transport model. These fluctuations are generated by acoustic perturbations at the fuel injector and play a crucial role in the feedback loop leading to thermoacoustic instabilities. The focus of this investigation lies on the interplay between fuel fluctuations and coherent vortical structures that are both affected by the acoustic forcing. To this end, optical diagnostics are applied inside the mixing duct and in the combustion chamber, housing a turbulent swirl flame. The flame was acoustically perturbed to obtain phase-averaged spatially resolved flow and equivalence ratio fluctuations, which allow the determination of flux-based local and global mixing transfer functions. Measurements show that the mode-conversion model that predicts the generation of equivalence ratio fluctuations at the injector holds for linear acoustic forcing amplitudes, but it fails for non-linear amplitudes. The global (radially integrated) transport of fuel fluctuations from the injector to the flame is reasonably well approximated by a one-dimensional transport model with an effective diffusivity that accounts for turbulent diffusion and dispersion. This approach however, fails to recover critical details of the mixing transfer function, which is caused by non-local interaction of flow and fuel fluctuations. This effect becomes even more pronounced for non-linear forcing amplitudes where strong coherent fluctuations induce a non-trivial frequency dependence of the mixing process. The mechanisms resolved in this study suggest that non-local interference of fuel fluctuations and coherent flow fluctuations is significant for the transport of global equivalence ratio fluctuations at linear acoustic amplitudes and crucial for non-linear amplitudes. To improve future predictions and facilitate a satisfactory modelling, a non-local, two-dimensional approach is necessary.

scholarly journals Numerical investigation of injection parameters and piston bowl geometries on emission and thermal performance of DI diesel engine

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ikhtedar Husain Rizvi ◽  
Rajesh Gupta
Keyword(s):  
Diesel Engine ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Equivalence Ratio ◽  
Fuel Injection ◽  
Injection Pressure ◽  
Injection Nozzle ◽  
Piston Bowl ◽  
Injection Parameters ◽  
Nozzle Size ◽  
Engine Emission

AbstractTightening noose on engine emission norms compelled manufacturers globally to design engines with low emission specially NOx and soot without compromising their performance. Amongst various parameters, shape of piston bowls, injection pressure and nozzle diameter are known to have significant influence over the thermal performance and emission emanating from the engine. This paper investigates the combined effect of fuel injection parameters such as pressure at which fuel is injected and the injection nozzle size along with shape of piston bowl on engine emission and performance. Numerical simulation is carried out using one cylinder naturally aspirated diesel engine using AVL FIRE commercial code. Three geometries of piston bowls with different tumble and swirl characteristics are considered while maintaining the volume of piston bowl, compression ratio, engine speed and fuel injected mass constant along with equal number of variations for injection nozzle size and pressures for this analysis. The investigation corroborates that high swirl and large turbulence kinetic energy (TKE) are crucial for better combustion. TKE and equivalence ratio also increased as the injection pressure increases during the injection period, hence, enhances combustion and reduces soot formation. Increase in nozzle diameter produces higher TKE and equivalence ratio, while CO and soot emission are found to be decreasing and NOx formation to be increasing. Further, optimization is carried out for twenty-seven cases created by combining fuel injection parameters and piston bowl geometries. The case D2H1P1 (H1 = 0.2 mm, P1 = 200 bar) found to be an optimum case because of its lowest emission level with slightly better performance.

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