Self-excited Pressure Oscillations Research Articles

Mode identification and decomposition analysis of self-excited thermodynamic oscillations in hypersonic inlet/isolator of a scramjet

The self-excited pressure and velocity oscillations caused by the downstream back pressure in a hypersonic inlet/isolator directly affect the operational stability of a scramjet. In this work, we conduct the two-dimensional unsteady RANS (Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes) simulation to predict the flow field in the Mach 7 inlet/isolator with 147 times the freestream static pressure. With the model validated, the time evolution process of the instantaneous flow fields in the isolator is analyzed first. It is shown that the structure of the shock train exhibits an up-down asymmetry. The flow oscillations as observed near the upper wall are more complex than those near the lower wall. Furthermore, the dominant frequency of the wall pressure oscillations is approximately 520 Hz. However, the self-excited oscillations in the isolator flow are dominated with approximately 510 Hz mode but coupled with multiple harmonic higher frequencies. To identify and decompose the modes of these oscillations in the unsteady flow of the isolator, different mode decomposition technologies are applied to further examine the mechanism of such oscillations. By conducting Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (POD) analysis on the x-axis velocity and Mach number fields, it is shown that the first two modes consist of more than 77% of the total oscillations’ kinetic energy. Additionally, the oscillations of the quadrilateral separation zone and low-speed zone near the upper wall largely determine the dominant frequency of the overall unsteady flow field. As Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) investigation is conducted on the x-axis velocity and Mach number fields, it is found that the identified first mode is almost the same as that identified by using POD. It is also found that both DMD and POD can well predict the viscous flows such as the separation zone, shear layer, and low-speed zone. Finally, the dominant frequencies predicted by the POD and DMD are revealed to be very close to the dominant frequency of the wall static pressure oscillations. The movements of multiple shock waves near the upper wall are the major incentive for the complicated change in the entropy generation rate. In general, the self-excited thermodynamic oscillations phenomenon as observed in the hypersonic inlet/isolator in a scramjet could be well analyzed by decomposing and identifying the dominant modes, which contribute mostly to the total energy of such oscillations.

Influence of radial fuel staging on combustion instabilities and exhaust emissions from lean-premixed multi-element hydrogen/methane/air flames

The utilization of hydrogen-blended hydrocarbon fuels, or even completely carbon-free fuels like pure hydrogen and ammonia, will be indispensable in the effort to reduce anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions from heavy-duty land-based gas turbines. In order to make this energy transition, however, low emissions, low dynamics fuel-flexible gas turbine combustion systems will be required. To address some of the key technological obstacles in the development of such systems, we explore a prototype multi-element injector assembly devised to prevent flashback in extremely fast premixed hydrogen flames, paying particular attention to the impact of radial dual-fuel staging on the generation of self-induced instabilities and the formation of nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide. In conjunction with phase-averaged OH*/CH* chemiluminescence and OH PLIF flame imaging, we carry out extensive measurements over the full range of 0 to 100% H2/CH4 fuel staging conditions, including even/uneven blends of H2/CH4 fuels between inner and outer nozzle groups, partial/complete fuel split cases, and pure H2 or CH4 fuel for all constituent flames, under a constant thermal power condition of 78 kW. Our measurements demonstrate that whereas carbon monoxide concentrations are largely unaffected by the radial fuel staging conditions except under high and pure hydrogen percentage conditions, there exists a strong correlation between total nitrogen oxides emissions and overall adiabatic flame temperature. Integrated analyses of isocontour instability maps reveal that near XH2,g = 0.50 a discontinuous mode transition takes place, where the intermediate-amplitude lower frequency oscillations associated with relatively low hydrogen concentration conditions give way to stronger, higher frequency instabilities under high hydrogen content conditions. While even-blend (non-staging) conditions are characterized by coherent oscillations of the constituent flames, the responses of clustered flames to radial fuel staging conditions are eccentric and complex, manifested as large-scale asynchronous modulations between inner- and outer-stage heterogeneous reaction zones. This observation suggests that in a multi-element injector environment spatiotemporal incoherence driven by inhomogeneous heat release can be used to neutralize self-excited pressure oscillations, by disrupting pressure-heat release coupling processes.

Flame describing function and combustion instability analysis of non-premixed coaxial jet flames

This study examines the effect of nonlinear flame dynamics on combustion instabilities in coaxial jet flames. The flame describing function (FDF) was used to establish this nonlinearity experimentally. The FDF gain was approximately constant despite velocity oscillation changes. However, the phase difference caused constructive interference to be converted into destructive interference as the velocity oscillations increased. With a closed boundary and external forcing, the initial velocity oscillation is damped from 200 to 240 Hz and amplified from 260 to 340 Hz. In the damping frequency range, the magnitude of the initial velocity oscillation decreases as the combustion chamber length decreases. When the velocity oscillates between 260 and 340 Hz, the combustion length that shows the maximum velocity oscillation varies from 200 to 500 mm and also decreases as the forcing frequency increases. This can be related to the resonant frequency that increases as the combustion chamber length decreases. There is no damping or amplification with other excitation frequencies. The self-excited pressure oscillations also occurred at a similar frequency range, which can amplify the initial velocity oscillation, but only for a combustor length of 350 mm. The second resonant frequency calculated via low-order combustion instability simulation, OSCILOS, is within the pressure oscillation range. The growth rate computed via OSCILOS exhibited a negative value, except for a combustor length of 350 mm. The growth rate also became negative as the velocity oscillations increased from 0.15 to 0.2 m/s. This could be related to a phase difference change in the FDF. The phase difference of the FDF is varied at only 300 Hz, and changes from in-phase to out-of-phase as the velocity oscillation increases from 0.1 to 0.15 m/s. The results of this study emphasize the importance of the FDF for combustion instability analysis.

High-frequency transverse combustion instabilities of lean-premixed multislit hydrogen-air flames

The present experimental investigation is concerned with combustion dynamics of lean-premixed multislit hydrogen-air flames, with the aim of addressing some of the central technical problems associated with the development of low-emission carbon-free gas turbine combustion technology. To mitigate flashback risk in relatively fast premixed hydrogen flames, we use a multislit injector assembly with a slit width of 1.5 mm, of the same order of magnitude as the characteristic thickness of lean-premixed hydrogen flames. This new perspective on the characteristic nozzle dimension makes it possible to scrutinize the dynamics of multisheet hydrogen flames under extreme conditions. We carry out extensive measurements of self-excited pressure oscillations over a broad range of operating conditions between 30 and 100 kW thermal power. The experimental datasets are analyzed using the acoustic wave decomposition method, low-order thermoacoustic network modeling, and FEM-based three-dimensional Helmholtz simulations. We show that lean-premixed multislit hydrogen flames – unlike the multi-element hydrogen-air flame ensembles considered in our earlier investigations – undergo strong high-frequency pressure oscillations between 3.1 and 3.5 kHz in excess of 25 kPa, originating from the triggering of the first tangential mode of the combustion chamber. Whereas the frequency of the first tangential mode is well defined by the square root dependence of adiabatic flame temperature, the magnitude of pressure fluctuations is observed to be intensified exponentially with increasing flame temperature up to 2200 K. We demonstrate that the transverse mode is characterized by high-amplitude spinning modes in the clockwise direction under relatively short combustor length conditions, discontinuously switching to counter-clockwise spinning modes at relatively long combustor length, and eventually transitioning to a moderate standing wave mode at the same resonant frequency. These observations demonstrate the previously unidentified complex modal dynamics induced by lean-premixed multislit hydrogen-air flames of nozzle dimension comparable to the characteristic length scale of the flame.

Nonlinear analysis of self-sustained oscillations in an annular combustor model with electroacoustic feedback

Self-excited pressure oscillations can occur in combustion systems due to the thermoacoustic coupling between the unsteady acoustics and flame heat release fluctuations. Usually, the knowledge of a Flame Transfer Function is used to predict the onset of thermoacoustic instabilities. However, it is also possible to take advantage of it to model a flame response and study experimentally thermoacoustic phenomena without flames. This is exploited in the present study, in which a novel annular setup for the study of thermoacoustics in annular combustors is presented. The thermoacoustic feedback is replaced by electroacoustic feedback. The pressure fluctuations, measured by a microphone, are delayed and filtered and then sent to a loudspeaker, which produces acoustic perturbations, closing the loop. Each flame model parameter can be varied in a flexible way, which allows to choose combinations of parameters that generate modal behaviours of interest in the experiments. For example, this setup can trigger on demand various configurations which exhibit multiple unstable modes, leading to diverse modal competition scenarios. This allows to assess the multi-input Describing Function method, which is used to predict the frequency and amplitude of each mode contributing to thermoacoustic oscillations, when multiple modes are linearly unstable. The experimental validation of predictions from this method, which can be somewhat cumbersome and expensive in the presence of flames, is facilitated by this setup, in which all parameters and boundary conditions are well known and the noise remains negligible. Prediction uncertainties connected to approximations intrinsic of this method when operating in the vicinity of bifurcation points are also discussed.

Large Eddy Simulation of a dual swirl gas turbine combustor: Flame/flow structures and stabilisation under thermoacoustically stable and unstable conditions

A laboratory gas turbine model combustor with dual-swirler configuration is investigated using Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with a flamelet subgrid combustion model. Two partially premixed methane/air flames with different equivalence ratio and thermal power are simulated: one stably burning with an elongated V-shape and another undergoing pronounced thermoacoustic oscillations exhibiting a flat shape. Additionally, both flames feature a hydrodynamic instability in the form of a precessing vortex core (PVC). Detailed comparisons between experimental and LES results show that the different flow and reaction zone structures in these two flames are reproduced well. The various flow dynamics resulting from the PVC and thermoacoustic oscillations are also captured accurately in the simulation. Further analyses on the lifted swirl flame stabilisation using phase averaged statistics at the PVC frequencies reveal that the PVC-induced stagnation points provide an anchoring mechanism for both the stable and unstable flames, although in the latter case large self-excited pressure oscillations are present. It is found that the PVC is significantly influenced by these oscillations, being axially stretched and compressed at high and low pressures, respectively. However, the formation of flame leading edge due to the PVC is robust during these unstable processes and the azimuthal movement of the leading point is found to be strongly correlated with the rotation of the PVC in both flames, further confirming the vital role of the PVC in the stabilisation process of these lifted swirl flames.

Large-eddy simulation and linear acoustic modeling of entropy mode oscillations in a model combustor with coolant injection

Lean-burn combustor is particularly susceptible to combustion instability and the unsteady heat release is usually considered as the excitation of the self-maintained thermo-acoustic oscillations. The transverse coolant injection is widely used to reduce the temperature of burnt gas, but on the other hand, it will introduce temperature fluctuation inside the combustor. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the influence of the coolant injection on combustion instability, and evaluate its dynamic feature. In this paper, Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of the self-excited pressure oscillations in a model combustor with coolant injection is carried out. The analysis of transient flow characteristics and the identification of the pressure modes confirm that one of the low frequency pressure oscillations is related to entropy fluctuations, which is known as rumble combustion instability. The LES results show that transient coolant injection is another excitation of temperature fluctuation other than unsteady combustion. The amplitude of the entropy mode oscillation increases with increasing coolant air mass whereas the change of its frequency is insignificant. According to the major feature of entropy wave oscillation caused by coolant injection, a compact coolant injection model is proposed and applied in the One Dimensional (1D) Acoustic Network Method (ANM). Key correlations used in the model match well with LES data in low frequency range. This means that the coolant injection model is a complex one reflecting the interaction of the fluctuating coolant mass, pressure and temperature. Finally, the combustion instability frequencies and modes predicted by acoustic network method are also in good agreement with LES results.

On the question of solid-propellant rocket engine design preventing unstable operation in the combustion chamber

The paper presents results of a numerical investigation concerning the effect that the flow duct shape and combustion rate equation have on the gas dynamic vortex flow pattern and self-excited pressure oscillations in the combustion chamber of a solid-propellant rocket engine. We provide guidelines on upgrading solid-propellant rocket engines in order to decrease the magnitude of pressure pulses in the case of pulsating combustion.

Finite element analysis of self-excited instabilities in a lean premixed gas turbine combustor

The present study numerically simulates self-excited instabilities of hydrogen-blended natural gas flames in a lean premixed gas turbine combustor with variable chamber length. In order to effectively predict the thermoacoustic instability within the detailed geometry of the combustor, the Helmholtz equation is discretized with a Galerkin finite element method on a three-dimensional hybrid unstructured mesh. The unsteady heat release rate is modeled with an experimentally measured flame transfer function. The nonlinearity associated with the flame response term is handled with an iterative method, and the large-scale eigenvalue problem is solved by means of the shift-invert method of the ARPACK (ARnoldi PACKage) software. The present Helmholtz solver reproduces the experimentally observed instabilities in terms of the mode frequency and the chamber length range of self-excited pressure oscillations which are significantly affected by the hydrogen enrichment of natural gas fuel. The effects of the acoustic boundary condition and the flame response model on the predictive accuracy are also discussed.

Experimental study of equivalence ratio and fuel flow rate effects on nonlinear thermoacoustic instability in a swirl combustor

Industrial combustion systems such as power generation gas turbines, rocket motors, furnaces and boilers often face the problem of large-amplitude self-excited pressure oscillations that occur due to the onset of thermoacoustic instability. To prevent the onset of such instability, understanding the effects of fuel–air equivalence ratio ϕ, and fuel flow rate Vf on self-excited nonlinear thermoacoustic oscillations is of fundamental and practical importance. Experimental investigation of the roles of these parameters on triggering thermoacoustic instability in a swirl combustor has received very little attention. In this work, we design a swirling thermocoustic combustor and conduct a series of experimental tests. Autocorrelation and recurrence analysis of phase space trajectories reconstructed from the acoustic pressure time trace are performed. These experimental tests allow us to study the effect of the fuel–air equivalence ratio ϕ on the onset of thermoacoustic instability by varying the fuel volume flow rate Vf. We demonstrate that the fuel volume flow rate and the equivalence ratio play different but critical roles on generating thermoacoustic instability at different frequencies and amplitudes. Maximum sound pressure level can be as high as 135 dB. In addition, mode switching, (i.e. frequency swap) is found to occur between approximately ω3≈510 Hz and ω1≈170 Hz, depending on the equivalence ratio ϕ. Furthermore, the dominant frequency corresponding to the maximum amplitude is shown to be shifted by approximately 20%, as the fuel flow rate Vf is increased and the combustion condition is changed from lean to rich. These findings are quite useful for designing a feedback control strategy to stabilize an unstable combustor. The present work opens up an applicable means to design a stable swirling combustor.

Numerical investigation of the air injection effect on the cavitating flow in Francis hydro turbine

At full and over load operating points, some Francis turbines experience strong self-excited pressure and power oscillations. These oscillations are occuring due to the hydrodynamic instability of the cavitating fluid flow. In many cases, the amplitude of such pulsations may be reduced substantially during the turbine operation by the air injection/ admission below the runner. Such an effect is investigated numerically in the present work. To this end, the hybrid one-three-dimensional model of the flow of the mixture “liquid−vapor” in the duct of a hydroelectric power station, which was proposed previously by the present authors, is augmented by the second gaseous component — the noncondensable air. The boundary conditions and the numerical method for solving the equations of the model are described. To check the accuracy of computing the interface “liquid−gas”, the numerical method was applied at first for solving the dam break problem. The algorithm was then used for modeling the flow in a hydraulic turbine with air injection below the runner. It is shown that with increasing flow rate of the injected air, the amplitude of pressure pulsations decreases. The mechanism of the flow structure alteration in the draft tube cone has been elucidated, which leads to flow stabilization at air injection.

Three-step approach for prediction of limit cycle pressure oscillations in combustion chambers of gas turbines

Currently, gas turbine manufacturers frequently face the problem of strong acoustic combustion driven oscillations inside combustion chambers. These combustion instabilities can cause extensive wear and sometimes even catastrophic damages to combustion hardware. This requires prevention of combustion instabilities, which, in turn, requires reliable and fast predictive tools. This work presents a three-step method to find stability margins within which gas turbines can be operated without going into self-excited pressure oscillations. As a first step, a set of unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulations with the Flame Speed Closure (FSC) model implemented in the OpenFOAM® environment are performed to obtain the flame describing function of the combustor set-up. The standard FSC model is extended in this work to take into account the combined effect of strain and heat losses on the flame. As a second step, a linear three-time-lag-distributed model for a perfectly premixed swirl-stabilized flame is extended to the nonlinear regime. The factors causing changes in the model parameters when applying high-amplitude velocity perturbations are analysed. As a third step, time-domain simulations employing a low-order network model implemented in Simulink® are performed. In this work, the proposed method is applied to a laboratory test rig. The proposed method permits not only the unsteady frequencies of acoustic oscillations to be computed, but the amplitudes of such oscillations as well. Knowing the amplitudes of unstable pressure oscillations, it is possible to determine how these oscillations are harmful to the combustor equipment. The proposed method has a low cost because it does not require any license for computational fluid dynamics software.

Two-step approach for pressure oscillations prediction in gas turbine combustion chambers

Currently, gas turbine manufacturers frequently face the problem of strong acoustic combustion-driven oscillations inside combustion chambers. These combustion instabilities can cause extensive wear and sometimes even catastrophic damage of combustion hardware. This requires prevention of combustion instabilities, which, in turn, requires reliable and fast predictive tools. We have developed a two-step method to find a set of operating parameters under which gas turbines can be operated without going into self-excited pressure oscillations. As the first step, an unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes simulation with the flame speed closure model implemented in the OpenFOAM® environment is performed to obtain the flame transfer function of the combustion set-up. As the second step time-domain simulations employing low-order network model implemented in Simulink® are executed. In this work, we apply the proposed method to the Beschaufelter RingSpalt test rig developed at the Technische Universität München. The sensitivity of thermoacoustic stability to the length of a combustion chamber, flame position, gain and phase of flame transfer function and outlet reflection coefficient are studied.

Fluid–structure interaction mechanisms leading to dangerous power swings in Francis turbines at full load

Hydropower plants play an important regulatory role in the large scale integration of volatile renewable energy sources into the existing power grid. This duty however requires a continuous extension of their operating range, provoking the emergence of complex flow patterns featuring cavitation inside the turbine runner and the draft tube. When the power output is maximized at full load, self-excited pressure oscillations in the hydraulic system may occur, which translate into significant electrical power swings and thus pose a serious threat to the grid stability as well as to the operational safety of the machine. Today's understanding of the underlying fluid–structure interaction mechanisms is incomplete, yet crucial to the development of reliable numerical flow models for stability analysis, and for the design of potential countermeasures. This study therefore reveals how the unsteady flow inside the machine forces periodic mechanical loads onto the runner shaft. For this purpose, the two-phase flow field at the runner exit is investigated by Laser Doppler Velocimetry and high-speed visualizations, which are then compared to the simultaneously measured wall pressure oscillations in the draft tube cone and the mechanical torque on the runner shaft. The results are presented in the form of a comprehensive, mean phase averaged evolution of the relevant hydro-mechanical data over one period of the instability. They show that the flow in the runner, and thus the resulting torque applied to the shaft, is critically altered by a cyclic growth, shedding and complete collapse of cavitation on the suction side of the runner blades. This is accompanied by a significant flow swirl variation in the draft tube cone, governing the characteristic breathing motion of the cavitation vortex rope.

Mitigation of self-excited oscillations at full load: CFD analysis of air admission and effects of runner design

In full and over load operating points some Francis turbines experience strong selfexcited pressure and power oscillations, which restrict the range of operation and maximum output of the turbine. Previously the authors proposed a 1D-3D two-phase model and numerical method for investigation of this phenomenon. In the present paper this model is further extended and applied to investigation of countermeasures, used for prevention of high load oscillations. First, the third phase - non-condensable air - is introduced into the model in order to investigate the effect of air admission. Then, several modifications of runner cone are examined, showing negligible effect on the amplitude and frequency of full load oscillations. Next, different modifications of runner blade shape are considered, giving different axial and circumferential velocity profiles downstream the runner. It is shown that variation of blade shape significantly affects the onset and intensity of self-excited oscillations. The obtained results indicate that proper runner design is able to eliminate high load instability without the need of air admission and reduction in turbine efficiency.

Analysis of pressure oscillations and safety relief valve vibrations in the main steam system of a Boiling Water Reactor

Steam flow inside the main steam lines of a Boiling Water Reactor can generate high-amplitude pressure oscillations due to coupling between the separated shear layer at the mouth of the safety relief valves (SRVs) and the acoustic modes of the side branches where the SRVs are mounted. It is known that certain combinations of flow velocities and main steam line geometries are capable of generating self-excited pressure oscillations with very high amplitudes, which can endanger the structural integrity of main steam system components, such as safety valves, or reactor internals such as steam dryers. However, main steam systems may also experience lower amplitude pressure oscillations due, for example, to coupling of higher order hydrodynamic modes with acoustic cavity modes, or to incipient resonances where the free stream velocity is slightly lower than the critical flow velocity required to develop a stable locked-on acoustic resonance. The amplitude of these pressure oscillations is typically insufficient to cause readily observable structural damage to main steam system components, but may still have subtle effects on safety relief valves. The investigation presented in this article focuses on the characterization of the response of SRVs under the effects of pressure oscillations associated with acoustic excitations that are insufficient to cause structural damage to the valves or associated equipment. It is shown that valve internals exhibit non-periodic impulsive vibratory behavior when submitted to a continuous sinusoidal pressure oscillation caused by acoustic resonances inside the SRV standpipes. These acceleration peaks are caused by small impacts between the valve disc and nozzle surface.

Optical Methods for Studies of Self-Excited Oscillations and the Effect of Dampers in a High Pressure Single Sector Combustor

Self-excited periodic instabilities in a staged lean burn injector could be forced by operating the combustor at off-design conditions. These pressure oscillations were studied in a high pressure single sector combustor with optical access. Two damper configurations were installed and tested with respect to their damping efficiency in relation to the configuration without dampers. For a variety of test conditions, derived from a part load case, time traces of pressure in the combustor were measured, and amplitudes were derived from their Fourier transformation. These measurements were performed for several combinations of the operating parameters, i.e., injector pressure drop, air/fuel ratio (AFR), pilot/main fuel split, and preheat temperature. These tests “ranked” the respective damper configurations and their individual efficiency with respect to the configuration without dampers. Although a general trend could be observed, the ranking was not strictly consistent for all operating conditions. For several test cases, preferably with pronounced self-excited pressure oscillations, phase-resolved planar optical measurement techniques were applied to investigate the change of spatial structures of fuel, reaction zones, and temperature distributions over a period of an oscillation. A pulsating motion was detected for both pilot and main flame, driven by a pulsating transport of the liquid fuel. This pulsation, in turn, is caused by a fluctuating air velocity, in connection with a prefilming airblast type atomizer. A phase shift between pilot and main injector heat release was observed, corresponding to a shift of fuel penetration. Local Rayleigh indices were calculated qualitatively, based on phase-resolved OH chemiluminescence used as marker for heat release, and corresponding pressure values. This identified regions, where a local amplification of pressure oscillations occurred. These regions were largely identical to the reaction regions of pilot and main injector, whereas the recirculation zone between the injector flows was found to exhibit a damping effect.

Analysis of combustion instability via constant volume combustion in a LOX/RP-1 bipropellant liquid rocket engine

Turbulent two-phase reacting flow in the chamber of LOX/RP-1 bipropellant liquid rocket engine is numerically investigated in this paper. The predicted pressure and mean axial velocity are qualitatively consistent with the experimental measurements. The self-excited pressure oscillations are obtained without any disturbance introduced through the initial and boundary conditions. It is found that amount of abrupt pressure peaks appear frequently and stochastically in the head regions of the chamber, which are the important sources to drive and strengthen combustion instability. Such abrupt pressures are induced by local constant volume combustion, because local combustible gas mixtures with high temperature are formed and burnt out suddenly due to some fuel droplets reaching their critical state in a rich oxygen surrounding. A third Damkohler number is defined as the ratio of the characteristic time of a chemical reaction to the characteristic time of a pressure wave expansion to measure the relative intensity of acoustic propagation and combustion process in thrusters. The analysis of the third Damkohler number distributions in the whole thrust chamber shows that local constant volume combustion happens in the head regions, while constant pressure combustion presents in the downstream regions. It is found that the combustion instability occurs in the head regions within about 30 mm from the thruster head.

Depression of Self-Excited Pressure Oscillations and Noise in the Pilot Stage of a Hydraulic Jet-Pipe Servo-Valve Using Magnetic Fluids

Magnetic fluid (MF) shows an increased saturation magnetization when exposed to a magnetic field. In order to improve the quality of servo-valve products by depressing and overcoming the self-excited high-frequency pressure oscillations and noise appearing in pilot stage of a hydraulic servo-valve, application of magnetic fluid in a hydraulic servo-valve is developed in this paper. Large damping can be introduced by the magnetic fluids into the servo-valve if magnetic fluids are filled into the working gaps of the hydraulic servo-valve torque motor. After the construction and working principle of a hydraulic servo-valve with magnetic fluids are introduced, the high-frequency pressure oscillation signals are tested and recorded when magnetic fluids are applied or not in the servo-valve. Experimental results are compared and analyzed by using FFT analysis method. It is shown that pressure oscillations of the servo-valve are depressed when magnetic fluids are applied.

Effects of Unmixedness on Combustion Instabilities in a Lean-Premixed Gas Turbine Combustor

The present experimental study focuses on the effects of the degree of premixing and swirl strength on combustion instabilities occurring in a lean premixed gas turbine combustor burning natural gas and air. The combustor operated at pressurized conditions with heated air. Major measurements for the investigation of premixed combustion dynamics include pressure fluctuations, flame emissions in reacting flow, and acetone fluorescence in non-reacting flow to assess the degree of premixing between fuel and air. The acetone PLIF results revealed that the degree of premixing improves as mixing time increases. The first and second longitudinal acoustic modes were the dominant excited modes for most cases of interest. Combustion at a lean premixed condition becomes more susceptible to instabilities as the degree of premixing becomes poor, and self-excited pressure oscillations are obviously present under a fully premixed condition, even without equivalence ratio fluctuations in space. For incomplete premixing cases, local equivalence ratio fluctuations caused by poor premixing may initiate instabilities since reaction rate is sensitive to equivalence ratio fluctuations at lean conditions. Phase resolved chemiluminescence measurements show that pressure oscillations are strongly coupled with variations in flame structures.