实验研究不同燃烧工况对燃烧自激振荡及音频特征的影响

以甲烷为燃料,在具有GE燃机6B喷嘴的1/3模拟燃烧室中,研究了燃烧室空气流量和当量比的变化对燃烧自激振荡压力波动的影响以及燃烧发出的音频信号的特征。实验结果显示:在3组不同入口空气流量工况下,随着当量比的增加,燃烧室经历了稳定—自激振荡—稳定的燃烧过程,且3组过程所历时的变化趋势保持一致;在不同的流量下,当量比为0.61工况时产生了最强烈的自激振荡,同时振荡的压力波动幅值和频率随燃烧室入口空气流量的增加而增大;通过FFT(快速傅里叶变换)计算发现,在有明显自激振荡的工况中,动态压力与音频信号的幅值均大幅超过稳定燃烧工况,同时音频信号的一个特征频率与动态压力信号的特征频率重合。     

进气参数对LPP燃烧室振荡燃烧特性和火焰结构的影响

为研究贫预混预蒸发(LPP)燃烧室振荡燃烧规律和LPP火焰结构,利用动态压力传感器测量了LPP燃烧室内不同进气参数下时域及频域上的压力脉动;利用激光诱导荧光(PLIF)测量系统研究了不同进气参数下的LPP火焰结构变化规律。结果表明:随着燃烧室入口流速的增加,激励出的振荡燃烧的当量比区域会减小;在一定的入口流速下,所激励的振荡燃烧主频会随着当量比的增加而增加;随着燃烧室入口空气温度的提高,激励出振荡燃烧的区域会减小,激励出的振荡燃烧的强度会下降,但振荡燃烧的主频均会增加;稳定燃烧时,LPP火焰为V型火焰;振荡燃烧则会将LPP火焰转化为平整型火焰。     

贫预混预蒸发燃烧室振荡燃烧特性的实验研究

针对燃用航空煤油的贫预混预蒸发模型燃烧室的振荡燃烧特性开展了实验研究。实验表明:在相同的燃烧室入口空气燃料混合物流速下,随着当量比的增加,燃烧室振荡燃烧的振荡主频从132 Hz增加到144 Hz,但燃烧室的均方根脉动压力幅值却从1 464 Pa下降到342 Pa。在当量比不变情况下,入流空气燃料混合物流速较低时,容易引发振荡燃烧现象,而当入流空气燃料混合物流速较高时,则燃烧会变得稳定。分析了整个燃烧实验装置的前4阶轴向声学模态频率,发现实验中所激励出的振荡燃烧主频和第二阶轴向声学模态频率吻合的很好。     

燃气轮机燃烧室预混燃烧不稳定性的数值研究

针对燃气轮机燃烧室内预混燃烧不稳定现象,应用湍流燃烧CFD的方法进行了数值研究,并着重对发生自激振荡时的火焰动态特性和燃烧室内的速度、压力和温度的振荡特性进行了分析.计算表明:非稳态雷诺平均Navier Stokes(URANS)方法和基于重整化群的RNG k-ε湍流模型以及有限速率/涡漩耗散(FR/EDM)燃烧模型对于燃烧不稳定性的研究是适用的.将预测结果与实验结果进行比较可以看出,数值计算精确地捕捉到了自激振荡燃烧过程中火焰的动态行为,还给出了燃烧室内速度、压力和温度值波动的幅值和频率.结果表明:燃烧室内低频压力振动主要是轴向的振动,热释放的波动与压力波动的频率是一致的,燃烧室内火焰的频率与燃烧室内压力和温度的波动频率也是一致的.     

轴向分级燃烧室受迫振荡特性的实验研究

为了研究轴向分级燃烧室主燃空气入口扰动对轴向分级燃烧的影响,开展了轴向分级燃烧室受迫振荡实验,获取受迫振荡情况下燃烧室内压力响应以及再燃火焰特性。实验结果表明：在受迫振荡燃烧过程中,轴向分级燃烧室内振荡主频与空气入口扰动频率基本相同,空气入口扰动频率为270 Hz时,燃烧室内压力响应更加明显;与稳定燃烧状态相比,空气入口扰动的加入会使再燃火焰抬升,再燃火焰向火焰中心收缩,再燃火焰质心位置向上方移动,火焰质心波动的带状区域由上下分布转化为左右分布,燃烧振荡会缩小再燃火焰在径向的波动范围,但是会扩大再燃火焰在轴向的波动范围;在无燃烧振荡的情况下,再燃火焰沿轴向和径向均出现了201 Hz的质心波动主频,且轴向振荡主频幅值更高,在振荡情况下,质心沿轴向和径向均产生270 Hz的波动主频,再燃火焰在轴向的波动的幅值增大,在径向无明显变化。     

LPP燃烧室振荡燃烧特性、火焰结构和NOx排放的实验研究

利用动态压力传感器、平面激光诱导荧光（Planer Laser Induced Fluorescence,PLIF）测量系统和气体分析仪针对不同入口气流旋流数和空气含湿量条件下,贫预混预蒸发（Lean Premixed Prevaporized,LPP）燃烧室中振荡燃烧特性、火焰结构变化规律和NOx排放特性开展了实验研究。研究表明：在一定条件下,随着燃烧室入口气流旋流数增加,激励出振荡燃烧的当量比区域扩大,所激励的振荡燃烧强度不断增加,但振荡燃烧的主频则不断下降,火焰变得更加紧凑且不断向燃烧室中心和上游壁面发展;随着燃烧室入口空气含湿量的增加,振荡燃烧强度会下降甚至消失,振荡燃烧的主频增加,火焰结构由振荡燃烧时的平整型火焰向稳定燃烧时的V型火焰转变,火焰的位置也向燃烧室侧壁面和下游方向移动;LPP燃烧室中NOx排放会随着燃烧室入口空气含湿量和入口气流旋流数的增加而下降。     

富氢燃料贫预混旋流燃烧热声振荡特性的实验研究

贫预混燃烧是实现富氢燃料燃气轮机低NO_x燃烧的有效途径之一,但是贫预混燃烧极易产生热声振荡,热声振荡会干扰燃烧过程,对燃烧室的结构造成破坏。本文通过实验分析了当量比、燃料组分以及空气质量流量对热声振荡特性的影响。结果表明:在动态压力功率谱上有两个明显的峰值,其频率均随当量比的增加而增加,同时当量比也会影响振荡强度;氢含量越高,越容易发生热声振荡,提高氢含量会影响热声振荡的特性,当氢含量达到一定值之后再提高氢含量对热声振荡特性的影响变得不明显;空气质量流量越大,振荡强度增大,稳定燃烧的范围变小。     

燃烧室内自激励振荡燃烧的数值研究

采用数值方法研究了Langhorne型燃烧室内自激励燃烧驱动振荡的不稳定现象．应用非稳态雷诺平均法、雷诺应力紊流模型和涡团耗散燃烧模型,捕获了该类型燃烧室内两种当量比条件下的不稳定燃烧特性．数值模拟结果给出振荡燃烧发生时燃烧室内的压力振荡频率和幅值,并同实验结果进行了比较．证明了在两种当量比下分别存在着“强振荡”和“弱振荡”,并给出了两种当量比条件下不稳定燃烧时火焰的周期影像,详细分析了振荡发生时燃烧室内的火焰发展情况．     

燃料热值对燃气轮机燃烧特性的仿真分析

针对燃气轮机运行过程中出现的燃烧不稳定和NO_x排放高的问题,开展了不同负荷下燃料热值对燃气轮机燃烧特性(燃烧稳定性和NO_x排放影响规律)的仿真研究。以某燃气轮机分管型燃烧室为研究对象,在不同负荷下,保持燃料流量、空气流量、大气温度等参数不变,仅改变燃料热值,采用数值仿真方法对燃气轮机设计压力监测点的压力、燃烧室出口温度及NO_x排放数据进行分析。结果表明：负荷区间相同,热值增加,高频段所对应的压力脉动幅值减小,热释放率脉动的高频频率增加,NO_x排放增加;热值相同,负荷增加,高频段所对应的压力脉动频率增加,高频段压力脉动幅值减小,热释放率脉动频率增加,NO_x排放增加。     

不同长高比RQL燃烧室燃烧和排放特性研究

针对3种长高比富油/焠熄/贫油(RQL)燃烧室,保持头部旋流器入口空气和燃料体积流量不变,通过改变焠熄空气体积流量,研究了不同长高比燃烧室冷态流场、掺混不均匀度、轴向温度分布及排气温度分布均匀性和污染物排放变化。结果表明:相同工况下长高比越小,射流深度越大,上下射流相互干涉作用越强;长高比为3.75的燃烧室掺混不均匀度最小,掺混效果最好;随着长高比的增加,焠熄区最低温度降低;长高比为3.75时,排气温度不均匀度较好,长高比大于3.75时,排气温度不均匀度迅速增加;随着长高比增加,燃烧室NO_x排放质量浓度升高,随着焠熄空气体积流量减小,不同长高比燃烧室NO_x排放质量浓度均先升高后降低,且在高焠熄空气体积流量工况下,低长高比燃烧室的燃烧效率下降。     

Flame–vortex interaction driven combustion dynamics in a backward-facing step combustor

The combustion dynamics of propane–hydrogen mixtures are investigated in an atmospheric pressure, lean, premixed backward-facing step combustor. We systematically vary the equivalence ratio, inlet temperature and fuel composition to determine the stability map of the combustor. Simultaneous pressure, velocity, heat release rate and equivalence ratio measurements and high-speed video from the experiments are used to identify and characterize several distinct operating modes. When fuel is injected far upstream from the step, the equivalence ratio entering the flame is temporally and spatially uniform, and the combustion dynamics are governed only by flame–vortex interactions. Four distinct dynamic regimes are observed depending on the operating parameters. At high but lean equivalence ratios, the flame is unstable and oscillates strongly as it is wrapped around the large unsteady wake vortex. At intermediate equivalence ratios, weakly oscillating quasi-stable flames are observed. Near the lean blowout limit, long stable flames extending from the corner of the step are formed. At atmospheric inlet temperature, the unstable mode resonates at the 1/4 wavemode of the combustor. As the inlet temperature is increased, the 5/4 wavemode of the combustor is excited at high but lean equivalence ratios, forming the high-frequency unstable flames. Higher hydrogen concentration in the fuel and higher inlet temperatures reduce the equivalence ratios at which the transitions between regimes are observed. We plot combustion dynamics maps or the response curves, that is the overall sound pressure level as a function of the equivalence ratio, for different operating conditions. We demonstrate that numerical results of strained premixed flames can be used to collapse the response curves describing the transitions among the dynamic modes onto a function of the heat release rate parameter alone, rather than a function dependent on the equivalence ratio, inlet temperature and fuel composition separately. We formulate a theory for predicting the critical values of the heat release parameter at which quasi-stable to unstable and unstable to high-frequency unstable modes take place.     

Investigations on the self-excited oscillations in a kerosene spray flame

A laboratory scale gas turbine type burner at atmospheric pressure and with air preheat was operated with aviation kerosene Jet-A1 injected from a pressure atomiser. Self-excited oscillations were observed and analysed to understand better the relationship between the spray and thermo-acoustic oscillations. The fluctuations of CH^∗ chemiluminescence measured simultaneously with the pressure were used to determine the flame transfer function. The Mie scattering technique was used to record spray fluctuations in reacting conditions with a high speed camera. Integrating the Mie intensity over the imaged region gave a temporal signal acquired simultaneously with pressure fluctuations and the transfer function between the light scattered from the spray and the velocity fluctuations in the plenum was evaluated. Phase Doppler anemometry was used for axial velocity and drop size measurements at different positions downstream the injection plane and for various operating conditions. Pressure spectra showed peaks at a frequency that changed with air mass flow rate. The peak for low air mass flow rate operation was at 220 Hz and was associated with a resonance of the supply plenum. At the same global equivalence ratio but at high air mass flow rates, the pressure spectrum peak was at 323 Hz, a combustion chamber resonant frequency. At low air flow rates, the spray fluctuation motion was pronounced and followed the frequency of the pressure oscillation. At high air flow rates, more effective evaporation resulted in a complete disappearance of droplets at an axial distance of about 1/3 burner diameters from the injection plane, leading to a different flame transfer function and frequency of the self-excited oscillation. The results highlight the sensitivity of the self-excited oscillation to the degree of mixing achieved before the main recirculation zone.     

An experimental study of fuel–air mixing section on unstable combustion in a dump combustor

The main objective of this study is effect of the various fuel–air mixing section geometries on the unstable combustion. For the purpose of observing the combustion pressure oscillation and phase difference at each of the dynamic pressure results, the multi-channel dynamic pressure transducers were located on the combustor and inlet mixing section. By using an optically accessible quartz-type combustor, we were able to OH* measurements to characterize the flame structure and heat release oscillation with the use of a high-speed ICCD camera. In this study, we observed two dominant instability frequencies. Lower frequencies were measured around 240–380 Hz, which were associated with a fundamental longitudinal mode of combustor length. Higher frequencies were measured around 410–830 Hz. These were related to the secondary longitudinal mode in the combustion chamber and the secondary quarter-wave mode in the inlet mixing section. These second instability mode characteristics are coupled with the conditions of the combustor and inlet mixing section acoustic geometry. Also, these higher combustion instability characteristics include dynamic pressure oscillation of the inlet mixing section part, which was larger than the combustor section. As a result, combustion instability was strongly affected by the acoustically coupling of the combustor and inlet mixing section geometry.     

The impact of equivalence ratio oscillations on combustion dynamics in a backward-facing step combustor

The combustion dynamics of propane-air flames are investigated in an atmospheric pressure, atmospheric inlet temperature, lean, premixed backward-facing step combustor. We modify the location of the fuel injector to examine the impact of equivalence ratio oscillations arriving at the flame on the combustion dynamics. Simultaneous pressure, velocity, heat-release rate and equivalence ratio measurements and high-speed video from the experiments are used to identify and characterize several distinct operating modes. When the fuel is injected far upstream from the step, the equivalence ratio arriving at the flame is steady and the combustion dynamics are controlled only by flame-vortex interactions. In this case, different dynamic regimes are observed depending on the operating parameters. When the fuel is injected close to the step, the equivalence ratio arriving at the flame exhibits oscillations. In the presence of equivalence ratio oscillations, the measured sound pressure level is significant across the entire range of lean mean equivalence ratios even if the equivalence ratio oscillations arriving at the flame are out-of-phase with the pressure oscillations. The combustion dynamics are governed primarily by the flame-vortex interactions, while the equivalence ratio oscillations have secondary effects. The equivalence ratio oscillations could generate variations in the combustion dynamics in each cycle under some operating conditions, destabilize the flame at the entire range of the lean equivalence ratios, and increase the value of the mean equivalence ratio at the lean blowout limit.     

Numerical study of methane and air combustion inside a small tube with an axial temperature gradient at the wall

A numerical study on CH₄ and air premixed combustion inside a small tube with a temperature gradient at the wall was undertaken to investigate the effects of inlet velocity, equivalence ratio and combustor size on combustion characteristics. The simulation results show that the inlet velocity has a significant influence on the reaction zone, and the flame front shifts downstream as the inlet velocity increases. The results also show that, the inlet velocity has no obvious effects on the flame temperature. The highest flame temperature is obtained if the equivalence ratio is set to 1. It is disclosed that the combustor size strongly influences the combustion characteristics. The smaller the combustor size is, the more difficult it is to maintain the steady combustion. The smallest combustor size that the stable flame can be sustained is determined mainly by the wall temperature of the micro-combustor under the given conditions. The higher the wall temperature is, the smaller the smallest combustor size. Therefore increasing wall temperature is an effective way to realize flame stabilization for a given combustor size.     

Nonlinear interaction between a precessing vortex core and acoustic oscillations in a turbulent swirling flame

The interaction of a helical mode with acoustic oscillations is studied experimentally in a turbulent swirl-stabilized premixed flame. In addition to a precessing vortex core (PVC), the helical mode features perturbations in the outer shear layer of the burner flow. Measurements of the acoustic pressure, unsteady velocity field and flame emission are made in different regimes including self-sustained combustion oscillations and stable regimes with and without acoustic forcing. The acoustic oscillation and the helical mode create a pronounced rotating heat release rate perturbation at a frequency corresponding to the difference of the frequencies of the two individual mechanisms. Measurements over a wide range of operating conditions for different flow rates and equivalence ratios show that while the helical mode is always present, with a constant Strouhal number, self-excited thermoacoustic oscillations exist only in a narrow region. The interaction can be observed also in cases of thermoacoustically stable conditions when external acoustic modulation is applied to the system. The evolution of the helical mode with the forcing amplitude is examined. High-speed imaging from the downstream side of the combustor demonstrates that the heat release rate perturbation associated with the nonlinear interaction of the helical mode and the acoustic oscillations produces a ”yin and yang” -type pattern rotating with the interaction frequency in the direction of the mean swirl. At unstable conditions, the oscillation amplitude associated with the interaction is found to be significantly stronger in the heat release rate than in the velocity signal, indicating that the nonlinear interaction primarily occurs in the flame response and not in the aerodynamic field. The latter is, however, generally possible as is demonstrated under non-reacting conditions with acoustic forcing. Based on a second-order analysis of the G-equation, it is shown that the nonlinear flame dynamics necessarily generate the observed interaction component if the flame is simultaneously perturbed by a helical mode and acoustic oscillations.