Investigations of the effect of the primary hole on ignition performance of a three-dome model combustor with RP-3 liquid aviation fuel

Abstract

The primary hole exerts a substantial influence on the ignition performance of gas turbine combustors. The current investigation delves into the effect of primary hole jets on the ignition performance of a three-dome model combustor utilizing RP – 3 liquid aviation fuel, providing a comprehensive understanding of the ignition performance. The number of primary holes in the identical dome is considered as two, four, and six, involved in creating different primary hole jets. The limitations in the effectiveness of ignition and propagation have been brought to light by the combustion experiment that was performed under ambient temperature and pressure at a reference velocity ranging from 3 – 8 m/s. Moreover, a validated numerical simulation methodology was employed to investigate the flow field characteristics in the model combustor at a reference velocity of 5.4 m/s. Both experiment and numerical simulation results indicate that the model combustor with four primary holes attains the weakest mutual support between adjacent domes, the highest average radial velocity, and the lowest restrictive effect on the center toroidal recirculation zone.