Electrically charged small soot particles in the exhaust of an aircraft gas-turbine engine combustor: comparison of model and experiment

Abstract

Abstract The emission of electrically charged soot particles by an aircraft gas-turbine combustor is investigated using a theoretical model. Particular emphasis is placed on the influence of the fuel sulfur content (FSC). The model considers the production of primary “combustion” electrons and ions in the flame zone and their following interaction with molecular oxygen, sulfur-bearing molecules (e.g. O 2 , SO 2 , SO 3 , etc.) and soot particles. The soot particle size distribution is approximated by two different populations of mono-dispersed large and small soot particles with diameters of 20–30 and 5–7 nm, respectively. The effect of thermal ionization of soot and its interaction with electrons and positive and negative ions is included in the model. The computed positive and negative chemiion (CI) concentrations at the combustor exit and relative fractions of small neutral and charged soot particles were found to be in satisfactory agreement with experimental data. The results show that the FSC indeed may influence the concentration of negative CI at low fuel flow into combustor. Importantly the simulation indicates a very efficient mutual interaction of electrons and ions with soot particles with a large effect on both ion and charged soot particle concentrations. This result may be interpreted as a possible indirect effect of FSC on the growth and size distribution of soot particles.