Comparisons of the impact of reformer gas and hydrogen enrichment on flame stability and pollutant emissions for a kerosene/air swirled flame with an aeronautical fuel injector

Abstract

Experimental studies were conducted on an actual aeronautical fuel injector, at conditions close as possible of the idle regime of the aircraft ( P = 0.3 MPa and T = 500 K), to characterize the flame stability and pollutant emissions of two-phase kerosene/air flames. The objective was to investigate the effects of H 2 and reformer gases (RG containing H 2) enrichment of kerosene at constant power for the adaptation to an aircraft engine. Two different gas injection configurations have been tested (partially premixed, PP, and fully premixed, FP) to evaluate the consequences of the fuel injection mode on gas enrichment. We demonstrate the main interest and the benefits of RGs for aeronautical gas turbines. Through chemical mechanisms, they increase the flame stability and strongly reduce CO emissions without dramatically increasing NO x emissions, in comparison with the injection of pure hydrogen. Their overall behavior is independent from the injection configuration.