An experimental study of syngas combustion in a bidirectional swirling flow

The paper reports on the results of an experimental study of methane and syngas combustion as well as their co-firing in a bidirectional swirling flow. The results confirmed that the bidirectional flow structure provides a significant decrease in the lean blow-off equivalence ratio as well as that of emissions of main pollutants. The combustion intensification becomes more evident when using syngas is as fuel. The composition of the used syngas is as follows (by volume): H₂ - 29.42%; CO - 14.32%; CH₄ - 3.8%; N₂ - 49.11%; H₂O - 3.35%. In this case, the lean blow-off is achieved at ? < 0.1, NOx emission is halved, while CxHy and CO emissions become 20 times less compared to pure methane combustion. However, according to experimental results, the co-combustion of syngas (volume fraction V_syn = 15%) and methane is the most appropriate fuel utilization mode. It provides blow-off and emission properties similar to those for combustion of pure syngas, whereas energy consumption for its production is much lower. Moreover, unlike hydrocarbon fuel combustion, that of syngas in a bidirectional swirling flow is characterized by the presence of density stratification. This is accompanied by the flame formation at significantly different locations in the combustion chamber at lean and “ultra-lean” modes of operation. Hydrogen combustion most likely to occur in the core region at near-blow-off modes ? < 0.1, whereas normal ‘operating modes in the range 0.2 = ? ≤ 0.4 result in the formation of a conical flame surface where CH₄ and CO combustion occurs. These new results with respect to the flame structure as well as blow-off and emission properties make it possible to consider bidirectional vortex combustors for application in modern gas turbine power plants in order to meet the strict environmental and energy requirements.