A Combustion Study of Gas Turbines Using Multi-Species/Reacting Computational Fluid Dynamic

Abstract

A multi-species/reacting combustion study was performed. The focus of the study was to quantify the effects of variation in air extraction and power rates on flame/outlet temperatures of a General Electric (GE), Frame 5 gas turbine. The environmental contamination level due to generation of carbon monoxide was also reported. GE, Frame 5 gas turbine has been widely used around the world for power generation, and as mechanical drives. The combustion products were examined throughout a range of air extraction rates, upon which it was determined that the combustion liners were susceptible to damage at air extraction rates above 10%, and the environmental contamination level due to carbon monoxide was increased. Furthermore, the gas flow exiting the combustion liner became non-homogeneous (i.e. a pocket of relatively hot gas formed in the middle of the flow path), which would cause damage to the downstream components. In conclusion, the short-term monetary gains from using compressed air from a gas turbine do not justify the costs of down time for repairs and the replacement of expensive hot-gas-path components.

Lean Blow-out Studies in a Swirl Stabilized Annular Gas Turbine Combustor

“…Jet A-1 (C 12 H 23 ) fuel was injected as a discrete phase using cone injection model on the exit face of the atomizer. In this analysis, eddy-dissipation combustion model [13,14] was selected with the assumptions that chemical reaction rate is much faster than the flow diffusion rate, reactants are consumed immediately after mixing, reaction rate depends on the mixing time and mixing time is defined by the turbulent kinetic energy k and dissipation rate ε [15].…”