FLOX® Combustion at High Power Density and High Flame Temperatures

Abstract

In this contribution, an overview of the progress in the design of an enhanced FLOX® burner is given. A fuel flexible burner concept was developed to fulfill the requirements of modern gas turbines: high specific power density, high turbine inlet temperature, and low NOx emissions. The basis for the research work is numerical simulation. With the focus on pollutant emissions a detailed chemical kinetic mechanism is used in the calculations. A novel mixing control concept, called HiPerMix®, and its application in the FLOX® burner is presented. In view of the desired operational conditions in a gas turbine combustor this enhanced FLOX® burner was manufactured and experimentally investigated at the DLR test facility. In the present work experimental and computational results are presented for natural gas and natural gas + hydrogen combustion at gas turbine relevant conditions and high adiabatic flame temperatures (up to Tad = 2000 K). The respective power densities are PA = 13.3 MW/m2/bar (NG) and PA = 14.8 MW/m2/bar (NG + H2) satisfying the demands of a gas turbine combustor. It is demonstrated that the combustion is complete and stable and that the pollutant emissions are very low.

Coupled interactions of a helical precessing vortex core and the central recirculation bubble in a swirl flame at elevated power density

“…Experimental studies on the role of a PVC in relation to combustion dynamics are far fewer at elevated pressure and temperatures conditions where industrial engines operate. This is attributed to the increased infrastructure requirements as only a few research labs in the world have capabilities to operate combustors at the megawatt level [15][16][17][18]. Combined with the requirements of optical access for laser diagnostics, the sparsity of such investigations in the literature is perhaps unsurprising.…”

Thermal field investigation under distributed combustion conditions

“…To ensure this mandated environmentally friendly performance, future combustion systems shall achieve even lower pollutants (including NO x , CO, unburned hydrocarbons and soot) while minimizing CO 2 emissions. To this end, distributed combustion (Colorless Distributed Combustion, CDC [1][2][3][4]), among other technologies (i.e., FLOX, MILD) [5][6][7], has been shown to provide significant benefits of reducing the emissions of NO and CO along with stable combustion, reduced noise, no flame fluctuations and combustion instability. CDC combustors have also demonstrated fuel flexibility, handling a variety of liquid and gaseous fuels with no modification to the combustor [8].…”

Frontiers in combustion techniques and burner designs for emissions control and CO2capture: A review

“…Such conditions result in no visible flame while keeping emissions at very low levels. In another study, Lammel et al 184 were able to achieve low CO and NO x emissions using a combustor with high power density. [179][180][181] A number of studies were performed considering MILD combustion for gas turbine applications.…”