Large eddy simulation of non-premixed flame behavior and NOx emission characteristics in a staged combustor with multi-swirling flows

Abstract

This study utilizes Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to investigate flame characteristics and NOx emission generation in a concentric staged combustor with three distinct pilot swirler arrangements. We examine the effects of multi-swirling flow on the instantaneous flow field and flame characteristics using the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) method, and assess how variations in swirler structures influence thermoacoustic instability. Furthermore, a comparison of NOx emissions between two pilot swirler configurations, with similar mean flow field and flame characteristics, highlights the precessing vortex core's role in NOx emissions. Compared to a single-swirler setup, a double-swirler configuration produces a more distinct single precessing vortex core, thereby amplifying thermoacoustic instability. The extended venturi structure in the double-swirler setup mitigates the development of the swirl-induced vortex core, reducing thermoacoustic instability. However, the expansion section in this setup impedes initial fuel and air mixing, leading to an extended flame length, which in turn results in higher NOx emissions due to a more concentrated temperature distribution. With similar mean flow field and flame structure, the double-swirler combustor proves more effective in reducing NO emissions than the triple-swirler combustor.