Design and performance analysis of hydrogen-fueled micro combustion chamber with focus on back pressure minimization

Abstract

The combustion chamber is a crucial component in power generation within a micro gas turbine. This paper prioritizes practical over theoretical considerations in designing an efficient, small-scale combustion chamber for micro gas turbine applications. The investigation covers the temperature profile within the combustion chamber, employing 19 reversible reactions and considering 9 different chemical species in reactive flow calculations. Preliminary experiments demonstrate hydrogen as a feasible fuel in a micro combustion chamber, generating approximately 1 kW of thermal power. Turbulence physics are assessed using the accurate k-Ɛ model. Findings indicate a reactant inlet temperature of 300 K and a primary zone temperature of 1750 K. This research suggests that minimizing the back pressure effect in a steady-state micro combustion chamber can improve turbine performance.