Effect of the Flame Dome Depth and Improvement of the Pressure Loss in the Dump Diffuser

This paper presents the effect of flame dome depth on the total pressure performance and flow behavior in a sudden expansion region of the combustor diffuser without flow entering the dome head. The mean velocity and turbulent Reynolds stress profiles in the sudden expansion region were measured by a Laser Doppler Velocitmetry (LDV) system. The experiments show that total pressure loss is increased, when flame dome depth is increased. Installation of an inclined combuster wall in the sudden expansion region is suggested from the viewpoint of a control of the reattaching flow. The inclined combustor wall is found to be effective in improvement of the diffuser performance. Better characteristics of the flow rate distribution into the branched channels are obtained in the inclined wall configuration, even if the distorted velocity profile is provided at the diffuser inlet.

Measurement of Air-Fuel Ratio Fluctuations Caused by Combustor Driven Oscillations

Lean premixed combustion has emerged as a method of achieving low pollutant emissions from gas turbines. A common problem of lean premixed combustion is combustion instability. As conditions inside lean premixed combustors approach the lean flammability limit, large pressure variations are encountered. As a consequence, certain desirable gas turbine operating regimes are not approachable. In minimizing these regimes, combustor designers must rely upon trial and error because combustion instabilities are not well understood (and thus difficult to model). When they occur, pressure oscillations in the combustor can induce fluctuations in fuel mole fraction that can augment the pressure oscillations (undesirable) or dampen the pressure oscillations (desirable). In this paper, we demonstrate a method for measuring the fuel mole fraction oscillations which occur in the premixing section during combustion instabilities produced in the combustor that is downstream of the premixer. The fuel mole fraction in the premixer is measured with kHz resolution by the absorption of light from a 3.39 μm He-Ne laser. A sudden expansion combustor is constructed to demonstrate this fuel mole fraction measurement technique. Under several operating conditions, we measure significant fuel mole fraction fluctuations that are caused by pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber. Since the fuel mole fraction is sampled continuously, a power spectrum is easily generated. The fuel mole fraction power spectrum clearly indicates fuel mole fraction fluctuation frequencies are the same as the pressure fluctuation frequencies under some operating conditions.

Recuperators in Gas Turbine Systems

The application of recuperators in advanced thermodynamic cycles is growing due to stronger demands of low emissions of pollutants and the necessity of improving the cycle efficiency of power plants to reduce the fuel consumption. This paper covers applications and types of heat exchangers used in gas turbine units. The trends of research and development are brought up and the future need for research and development is discussed. Material aspects are covered to some extent. Attempts to achieve compact heat exchangers for these applications are also discussed. With the increasing pressure ratio in the gas turbine cycle, large pressure differences between the hot and cold sides exist. This has to be accounted for. The applicability of CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) is discussed and a CFD–approach is presented for a specific recuperator. This recuperator has narrow wavy ducts with complex cross-sections and the hydraulic diameter is so small that laminar flow prevails. The thermal-hydraulic performance is of major concern.

A Comprehensive Model to Predict Simplex Atomizer Performance

The performance of liquid fuel atomizer has direct effects on combustion efficiency, pollutant emission and stability. Pressure swirl atomizer, or simplex atomizer, is widely used in liquid fuel combustion devices in aircraft and power generation industry. A computational, experimental, and theoretical study is conducted to predict its performance. The Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian method with finite volume scheme is employed in the CFD model. Internal flow characteristics of the simplex atomizer as well as its performance parameters such as discharge coefficient, spray angle and film thickness are predicted. A temporal linear stability analysis is performed for cylindrical liquid sheets under 3-D disturbance. The model incorporates swirling velocity component, finite film thickness and radius which are essential features of conical liquid sheets emanating from simplex atomizers. It is observed that the relative velocity between liquid and gas phase, density ratio and surface curvature enhance the interfacial aerodynamic instability. As Weber number and density ratio increase, both the wave growth rate and the unstable wave number range increase. Combination of axial and swirling velocity components is more effective than single axial component for disintegration of liquid sheet. A breakup model for conical liquid sheet is proposed. Combining the breakup model with linear stability analysis, mean drop sizes are predicted. The theoretical results are compared with measurement data and agreement is very good.

Fugitive Methane Emission Reduction Using Gas Turbines

Natural gas transmission systems have many sources of fugitive methane emissions that have been difficult to eliminate. This paper discusses an option for dealing with one such source for operations using turbo-compressor units fitted with dry gas seals. Dry seals rely on a small leakage of process gas to maintain the differential pressure of the process against the atmosphere. The seal leakage ultimately results in waste gas that is emitted to the atmosphere through the primary vent. A simple, cost effective, emission disposal mechanism for this application is to vent the seal gas into the gas turbine’s air intake. Explosion hazards are not created by the resultant ultra-lean fuel/air mixture, and once this mixture reaches the combustion chamber, where sufficient fuel is added to create a flammable mixture, significant oxidation of the seal vent gas is realized. Background of the relevant processes is discussed as well as a review of field test data. Similar applications have been reported [1] for the more generalized purpose of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) destruction using specialized gas turbine combustor designs. As described herein, existing production gas turbine combustors are quite effective at fugitive methane destruction without specialized combustor designs.

Measurement Uncertainties Encountered During Gas Turbine Driven Compressor Field Testing

Field testing of gas turbine compressor packages requires the accurate determination of efficiency, capacity, head, power and fuel flow in sometimes less than ideal working environments. Nonetheless, field test results have significant implication for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers and their customers. Economic considerations demand that the performance and efficiency of an installation are verified to assure a project’s return on investment. Thus, for the compressor and gas turbine manufacturers, as well as for the end-user, an accurate determination of the field performance is of vital interest. This paper describes an analytic method to predict the measurement uncertainty and, thus, the accuracy, of field test results for gas turbine driven compressors. Namely, a method is presented which can be employed to verify the validity of field test performance results. The equations governing the compressor and gas turbine performance uncertainties are rigorously derived and results are numerically compared to actual field test data. Typical field test measurement uncertainties are presented for different sets of instrumentation. Test parameters that correlate to the most significant influence on the performance uncertainties are identified and suggestions are provided on how to minimize their measurement errors. The effect of different equations of state on the calculated performance is also discussed. Results show that compressor efficiency uncertainties can be unacceptably high when some basic rules for accurate testing are violated. However, by following some simple measurement rules and maintaining commonality of the gas equations of state, the overall compressor package performance measurement uncertainty can be limited and meaningful results can be achieved.

A Small Scale Biomass Fueled Gas Turbine Engine

A new generation of small scale (less than 20 MWe) biomass fueled, power plants are being developed based on a gas turbine (Brayton cycle) prime mover. These power plants are expected to increase the efficiency and lower the cost of generating power from fuels such as wood. The new power plants are also expected to economically utilize annual plant growth materials (such as rice hulls, cotton gin trash, nut shells, and various straws, grasses, and animal manures) that are not normally considered as fuel for power plants. This paper summarizes the new power generation concept with emphasis on the engineering challenges presented by the gas turbine component.

Combustion Oscillation Analysis of Premixed Flames at Elevated Pressures

A new analytical time lag flame model based on Bloxidge’s flame model was introduced for calculating combustion oscillation of premixed flame to take into account the distribution of heat release rate and flame speed which was calculated by analytical formulas dependent on pressure, temperature, fuel-to-air ratio and velocity. The transfer matrix technique using the new flame model was applied to the calculation of acoustic resonance. To verify the model, combustion oscillation experiments were performed for methane-air premixed flames stabilized by a swirl burner at elevated pressures between 0.6–0.9MPa. Fluctuating pressure had the maximum peak at the specific value of fτf. Here f is the frequency of resonance and τf is the passing time of premixed gas through flame length. The analysis could simulate the dependency of fuel-to-air ratio and static pressure for dynamic pressure local peak.

An Empirical Approach to the Preliminary Design of a Closed Cycle Gas Turbine

This paper investigates the layout and achievable efficiencies of rotating components of a Helium gas turbine. This is done by making a preliminary design of the compressor and turbine needed for the power conversion in a combined heat and power plant with a 40 MWth nuclear high temperature reactor as a heat source. State of the art efficiency values of air breathing gas turbines are used for the first calculations. The efficiency level is corrected by comparing various dimensionless data of the Helium turbomachine with an air gas turbine of similar dimensions. A single shaft configuration with a high speed axial turbine will give highest performance and simple construction. If a generator has to be driven at a conventional speed, a free power turbine configuration must be chosen. The choice of the configuration depends among others on the cost and availability of the asynchrone generator and frequency convertor.

Feedstock Blending Studies With Laboratory Indirectly Heated Gasifiers

To support the further development of indirectly heated gasifiers, intended to provide fuels for advanced gas turbines, several laboratory indirectly heated gasifiers were constructed. During many comparative tests advantages and problems with each system were observed. The most useful systems make use of laboratory tube furnaces in conjunction with temperature, time and pressure or volume yield measuring systems and a gas chromatograph with a thermal conductivity detector. In this paper high temperature pyrolysis results obtained with the latest system are presented. Contrasting feedstocks suitable for commercial systems separately or in blends are used. Yield vs. time measurements are used to determine relevant rate constants and outputs. Since the rate constants are mainly reflective of heat transfer effects, cylindrical dowel sticks of varying radii were volatilized. The data set leads to an analytic heat transfer model that considers the hemicellulose, cellulose, and lignin components of the dowels. Also developed from the dowel experiments is an approximate procedure for estimating the proportionate releases of CO, CO2, CH4 and H2 for any type of biomass whose component proportions are known.