Swirl Flame Research Articles

Identification of flame transfer functions during transient operation

Predicting thermoacoustic instabilities requires knowledge of the flame response to acoustic perturbations, which is characterized by the Impulse Response Function. Obtaining stability maps across an extensive parameter space is prohibitively costly with existing methods, both experimentally and numerically, as the data records must be obtained independently for each stationary operating condition. To address this problem, a nonparametric identification technique that enables the characterization of instantaneous Flame Transfer Functions (FTFs) under nonstationary operating conditions, based on a series expansion of the time-varying impulse response function (TV-IRF), is proposed. The technique is a direct extension of the Wiener-Hopf equation to nonstationary signals, yielding the linear minimum mean squared error estimator (LMMSEE) of the TV-IRF. This method is applied to data obtained from a model of a premixed, hydrogen-enriched swirl flame. It's hydrogen power fraction is rapidly varied from 12-43% over 100 milliseconds and the flame response to a band-limited, white-noise signal is computed. From the resulting input-output data, the TV-IRF is accurately estimated and the FTF for all hydrogen power fractions is obtained from a single data record. This method paves the way for cost-effective estimation of a map of FTF's from computational or experimental data, significantly reducing expenses in both cases.

Fuel blend combustion for decarbonization

The utilization of fossil fuels is currently transforming to low-carbon or zero-carbon fuels, which is one of the solutions to global warming. Hydrogen and ammonia are regarded as promising zero-carbon fuels in power supply and transportation scenarios but the availability of hydrogen and their distinctly different chemical activity constrain their large-scale direct utilizations. Fuel blends with physical and chemical complementary are considered as the effective approaches in the utilization of hydrogen and ammonia because no significant modification to the existing end-user infrastructures is needed. This paper reports recent progress in the fundamental combustion behaviors of fuel blends, focusing on hydrogen-hydrocarbon blends and ammonia-hydrocarbon blends. Firstly, laminar flame behaviors, auto- and forced-ignition characteristics, and pollutant emissions of binary fuels containing hydrogen are reviewed, all of which are supplemented with a discussion on the governing hydrogen-enriched combustion chemistry. Subsequently, the hydrogen-enriched flame responses to the flow conditions are discussed, including the turbulent burning velocity and statistical structures, the flashback swirl flames, thermoacoustic instabilities, and the jet ignition characteristics; Furthermore, with the increasing concern over ammonia as a zero carbon fuel and its extremely weak reactivity, recent progress on combustion of fuel blends containing ammonia are also reviewed. The fundamental combustion chemistry studies including laminar burning velocity, the ignition delay times data collection, as well as the attempts for chemical kinetic modeling development for fuel blend with ammonia are presented. The literature reported ammonia containing blends of turbulent flame characteristics are presented. Finally, from an engineering point of view, examples using hydrogen blends in practical internal combustion engines and in gas turbines are introduced, including the topic of engine efficiency performance and pollutant emissions and different combustors for gas turbines. It is suggested that fuel blends with hydrogen or ammonia that potentially monitors the overall reactivity will be one realistic solution to de-carbonization, on the basis of current transportation and power generation systems.

Role of secondary hydrogen injection on flame stabilization of ammonia/air swirling flames

Ammonia is widely recognized as one of the most advanced hydrogen carriers and can be utilized as a fuel in gas turbines. Premixing hydrogen into the ammonia carbon free fuel system can substantially enhance stable limits, but it significantly promotes cross-reactions, leading to increased NO production. Recent findings related to other fuels suggest that the alternative approach for mitigating combustion instabilities involves introducing minimal pure hydrogen at the chamber inlet in a non-premixed mode. This may introduce a novel approach to stabilize ammonia/air swirl flames by extending the stability through a minimal hydrogen via secondary injection, with minimal impact on increasing nitrogen oxide emissions. In the present study, the flame stabilization mechanism and nitrogen oxide emission behaviors of swirl ammonia/air flames by a secondary hydrogen injection were compared with the premixed ammonia/ hydrogen/air flames. OH-/NO-PLIF and PIV techniques were applied to reveal the lean blow-off characteristics and the reacting flow features. The NOx emissions were measured by the FTIR gas analyzer. The large eddy simulation method with a developed dynamic thickened flame model was employed to further reveal the experimental findings. Experimental results show that the flame stabilization limits are largely depended on the way in which hydrogen is introduced. The secondary hydrogen injection exhibits the stronger enhancement ability for the lean/rich blow-off limits, primarily due to the local diffusion hydrogen flame at the flame root providing more active radicals and higher temperature gases. The NO emission shows an increase with the addition of premixed hydrogen, while in the secondary hydrogen injection, NO emission deteriorates due to higher temperatures, with the NO emission increasing by less than 10% compared with the ammonia flame. In the large eddy simulation analyses, the physical effects of the secondary hydrogen injection enhance the flame stability by increasing the resistance of the flame root to extinction. The heat release rate and the mass fractions of NH and H near the flame root are significantly increased by 2% secondary hydrogen injection. The enhancement of the ammonia decomposition process is stronger with secondary hydrogen injection than with fully premixed hydrogen addition. For 2% secondary hydrogen injection case, the local hydrogen injection to form a non-premixed combustion mode can provide much higher capability to increase the local heat release rate compared to the fully premixed mode.Novelty and significance statement: Introducing small amount of hydrogen to ammonia flame can effectively improving the flame stabilization in a swirl combustor. In this study, it is found that the flame stabilization limits are largely depended on the way in which hydrogen is introduced. Comparing the way of premixing hydrogen in the unburned mixture, a larger effect on blow-off limits extension was found when introducing a separate non-premixed hydrogen at the chamber inlet, which is mentioned as the secondary hydrogen injection. The lean blow-off limits can be extended from about 0.67 to 0.59 when only introducing 2% secondary hydrogen injection by heat value. The NO emission shows in the secondary hydrogen injection, NO emission deteriorates by less than 10% compared with the ammonia flame. A thickened flame model for non-premixed combustion was established and verified adequate with velocity field and flame structure. The mechanisms of enhancing flame stabilization by hydrogen introduction including physical and chemical effects for premixing and injection cases were revealed. Furthermore, the difference in the mechanisms of the two cases was emphasized.

Fuel Temperature Effects on Combustion Stability of a High-Pressure Liquid-Fueled Swirl Flame

The influence of fuel temperature on combustion instabilities is investigated in a liquid-fueled, piloted swirl flame at 1.0 MPa. Fuels used for this study include Jet A and a Fischer–Tropsch-based synthetic paraffinic fuel (Shell GTL GS190). Simultaneous OH* chemiluminescence, particle image velocimetry, and Mie scattering measurements are performed in an optically accessible combustion chamber at 10 kHz for fuel temperatures ranging from 294 to 525 K. At ambient fuel temperature, a self-excited longitudinal instability is observed at 825 Hz. A higher instability amplitude is observed for Jet A compared to GS190 at all fuel temperatures. Analysis of the chemiluminescence images shows axial flame fluctuations at the instability frequency that are coupled to oscillations in fuel droplet consumption. Lower fuel temperatures lead to unburnt fuel accumulation in low-velocity regions of the flame, and consumption during the acoustic compression wave arrival results in high heat release magnitude that amplifies acoustic perturbations. Spatial correlations of the axial velocity and heat release fluctuation highlight the flame shear layers as predominant regions driving the global dynamics. Increased fuel temperature results in higher droplet evaporation rates in these regions, which promotes more uniform fuel deposition and subsequent burning over the thermoacoustic cycle, attenuating the instability.

Quantitative comparison of the benefits of cracking and nanosecond repetitive pulsed discharges on the lean blow-off, emissions, and topology of ammonia premixed swirl flames

In the last decade, ammonia has gained interest as an alternative fuel for the energy sector. The main advantages include its carbon neutrality and ease of storage at industrial scale. However, to consider ammonia as an alternative carbon-free fuel it is necessary to solve two main issues, namely flame stability and pollutant emission. In this work we compared two promising technologies used to enhance ammonia combustion, specifically partial cracking and plasma assisted combustion (PAC). The experiments were carried out for different blends of ammonia–hydrogen–nitrogen–air that reproduce the conditions of cracking as well as for pure ammonia assisted by nanosecond repetitive pulsed (NRP) discharges for the PAC. The cracking and PAC were compared for the same added power ratio at atmospheric conditions. Different added power ratios, from 0.1% to 4% of the flame’s total thermal power, were tested. The lean blow-off limits were measured for a range of bulk flow velocities between of 4 and 12 m/s. For the pollutant emissions, NOx, NH3, and N2O were considered. The effect of both strategies on the Laminar burning velocity (LBV) was explored by numerical simulations. For the same added power ratio, partial cracking extended the lean blow-off limits further than NRP discharges, even with a high pulse repetition frequency of 30 kHz. This result indicated that cracking was more effective in stabilizing the flame than PAC. Regarding NOx emissions, NRP discharges induced only a third of the increase observed with cracking. However, the reduction in N2O associated with cracking was twice as much as that for NRP discharges. Finally, cracking proved more efficient in reducing the flame height, which was supported by the simulations of LBV. These results suggest that PAC strategies optimized for hydrocarbon flames are less efficient on ammonia combustion, and that more work is needed to develop plasma actuators for NH3 combustion.Novelty and Significance statement This work marks the first one-to-one quantitative comparison between plasma actuation and thermal cracking on ammonia swirl flames. It serves as a pivotal exploration to assess and understand the economic aspects of these strategies, providing valuable insights into their efficiency and potential for practical implementation.

Experimental testing and geometric optimization of a domestic cooker burning 80%Natural-Gas+20%Hydrogen

In urban pipelines, blending hydrogen into natural gas has been considered as an effective way of hydrogen usage to reduce carbon emission on household appliances. However, few studies, especially experimental ones are dedicated to address the characteristics of a typical domestic cooker due to the transition from natural gas to 20%hydrogen-enriched natural gas. This study experimentally investigated the changes in terms of the gas flow rate, flame temperature, heat transfer and emission characteristics of a domestic cooker as a result of such transition.Using a self-developed gas blending system, the flow rates of the both the mixed fuel and its components are obtained. The data shows that after blending hydrogen, the mixed gas flow rate becomes higher. Compared to the original cooker burning natural gas, hydrogen blending results in a decreased natural gas flow rate, leading to lower carbon emission. In addition, the thermal input to the cooker is lowered and hydrogen blending leads both the inner and outer combustion zones of the flame to shorten while the flame temperature to increase.As an attempt to optimize the performance of the cooker, the effects of wok stand height on heat transfer efficiency and NO/NOx/CO emissions are examined. It is found that the cooker fueled by 20%hydrogen-enriched natural gas exhibits lower heat transfer efficiency, higher NO/NOx emissions and lower CO emission. According to the fact that the heat transfer efficiency increases at lower wok stand height, the wok stand height is lowered from its original 7 cm–6 cm and 5 cm. The finding indicates that when the wok stand height is moderately decreased to 6 cm, NO/NOx emissions decrease and CO emission is only marginally increased. This study proposes that when natural gas is replaced by 20%hydrogen-enriched natural gas on a swirl flame cooker, the wok stand height can be slightly lowered to exploit the advantages of blended hydrogen combustion.

Learning-Based Super-Resolution Imaging of Turbulent Flames in Both Time and 3D Space Using Double GAN Architectures

This article presents a spatiotemporal super-resolution (SR) reconstruction model for two common flame types, a swirling and then a jet flame, using double generative adversarial network (GAN) architectures. The approach develops two sets of generator and discriminator networks to learn topographic and temporal features and infer high spatiotemporal resolution turbulent flame structure from supplied low-resolution counterparts at two time points. In this work, numerically simulated 3D turbulent swirling and jet flame structures were used as training data to update the model parameters of the GAN networks. The effectiveness of our model was then thoroughly evaluated in comparison to other traditional interpolation methods. An upscaling factor of 2 in space, which corresponded to an 8-fold increase in the total voxel number and a double time frame acceleration, was used to verify the model’s ability on a swirling flame. The results demonstrate that the assessment metrics, peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), overall error (ER), and structural similarity index (SSIM), with average values of 35.27 dB, 1.7%, and 0.985, respectively, in the spatiotemporal SR results, can reach acceptable accuracy. As a second verification to highlight the present model’s potential universal applicability to flame data of diverse types and shapes, we applied the model to a turbulent jet flame and had equal success. This work provides a different method for acquiring high-resolution 3D structure and further boosting repeat rate, demonstrating the potential of deep learning technology for combustion diagnosis.

A novel subgrid-scale stress model considering the influence of combustion on turbulence: A priori and a posteriori assessment

Most classical turbulence models were proposed and developed based on non-reacting flows without considering the effects of combustion on turbulence. The flow structure in turbulent combustion is more complex, creating challenges to the applicability of traditional turbulence models. Given this, a novel flame surface and k-equation-based gradient model (FKGM) considering combustion effects is proposed for the modeling of the subgrid-scale (SGS) stress in large eddy simulation (LES). The SGS stress is calculated based on the SGS kinetic energy (kSGS) and normalized velocity gradient. The velocity gradient incorporates first-order gradients at multiple stencil locations and considers the anisotropy of the stress near the flame surface. The FKGM model is first validated by the a priori analysis based on the direct numerical simulation (DNS) database of a premixed swirling flame. The closure terms of the kSGS equation are well validated, and the predicted SGS stress using the FKGM model achieves good agreement with the filtered DNS results. In the a posteriori LES study, the FKGM model demonstrates better performance compared with the traditional dynamic Smagorinsky model and velocity gradient model, providing more accurate predictions for mean and fluctuation velocities. The error analysis for SGS kinetic energy is further conducted by comparing the LES results with the DNS data, and the results indicate that the underestimation of the generation term of the kSGS equation is the main source of error.

Characterizing lean blowout dynamics of DME/air premixed swirl flames in a gas turbine model combustor with and without confinement

This work investigates lean blowout (LBO) dynamics of dimethyl ether (DME)/air premixed swirl flames in a gas turbine model combustor with and without confinement. CH* chemiluminescence imaging and 2 kHz high-speed OH* chemiluminescence imaging are performed to capture the swirl flame macrostructures. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) are used to visualize the flow fields and reaction zones, respectively. Compared to the unconfined flame, the addition of confinement results in the appearance of an outer recirculation zone (ORZ), variation in flame topology, enhanced overall heat release (HR) rate, increased turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), and extended LBO limits. Far from LBO, all flames are stabilized in the shear layer. Approaching LBO, the confinement enhances the flow vortex structures along the shear layers, which is associated with extinction at the flame base and shear layer. However, the unconfined flame is still stabilized in the shear layer due to the weaker flow vortex structures. Different extinction mechanisms during the LBO process are also discussed between the unconfined and confined flames. The unconfined flame suddenly leaves the inner shear layer (ISL) and recedes to the inner recirculation zone (IRZ) within about 100 ms before LBO. Abundant CH2O is transported into IRZ mainly by recirculation, which reduces the HR region area and give rise to LBO. For the confined flame, more and more cold reactants gather near the base plate and then are gradually brought into IRZ by ISL vortices, which makes the flame lift from the base plate and decrease the HR region area until LBO happens.

A novel method for stable thermoacoustic system design based on exceptional points - Part I: Conceptualization

In this conceptual study, we introduce the novel EPTD (Exceptional Point-based Thermoacoustic Design)-method for the design of stable thermoacoustic systems: dampen the entire thermoacoustic spectrum by shifting the EP towards smaller growth rates. For this, we first study a generic, linear parametric eigenvalue problem (LPEP) of a non-hermitian matrix featuring an EP. We derive analytical solutions for the eigenvalues and the EP as a function of arbitrary system parameters in the LPEP. Subsequently, we formulate a method for shifting the eigenvalue spectrum by relocating the EP in the complex plane. For this method, we show that not only the location of the EP in the complex plane is of relevance, but also the exceptional parameters, as they enforce the relations of the EP and the eigenvalues in the spectrum. When fixing these while shifting the EP, we demonstrate that the entire eigenvalue spectrum preserves its original shape, such that all eigenvalues only shift with the exact amount the EP was shifted. The derivation and the analysis of the relation between EP and spectrum generally holds for arbitrary system parameter combinations. Additionally, we showcase results for an exemplary configuration, i.e., a configuration with arbitrarily chosen and fixed parameters. We subsequently introduce a generic, thermoacoustic system, a Rijke tube, and study it by means of (semi-) analytical methods to confirm that the findings from the analysis of the LPEP also transfer to thermoacoustic systems. The configuration is modeled as a thermoacoustic network that allows to trace back the full system modes to their respective origins, which are either of acoustic or intrinsic thermoacoustic (ITA) nature. After identifying an EP that is formed by acoustic and ITA driven mode branches, we study its impact on the eigenfrequency spectrum and how this shift impacts the EP’s relation to the mode origins and the remaining eigenvalues. Similar to the analysis of the LPEP, the results show that not only the EP’s location in the CP is of relevance, but also its exceptional parameters: shifting the EP without consideration of the exceptional parameters leads to unsatisfactory shifts of the associated spectrum that becomes distorted. With this, we formulate the EPTD-method: shift the EP towards smaller growth rates while enforcing a well-defined relation between the mode origins and the EP by keeping the exceptional parameters constant. We show that this constraint preserves the relation between EP and mode origins when shifting the EP and finally demonstrate the practicality of the proposed method. For this, we shift the EP of the reference Rijke tube configuration towards smaller growth rates and simultaneously show that the resulting spectrum preserves its overall shape. While this paper covers the derivation and demonstration of the proposed EPTD-method based on a generic configuration, we consider a more complex combustion test rig, featuring a turbulent confined swirl flame, in part II of this study (M. Casel & A. Ghani, Combust. Flame, 2024), where we elaborate on consequences regarding the larger system parameter dimension as well as the existence of two EPs in the spectrum.Novelty and Significance statement:Thermoacoustic instabilities are actively researched for more than half a century. Despite this effort, scientifically sound strategies to design thermoacoustically stable combustors do not exist today. We present a novel method on a conceptual level that takes into account the latest discoveries in our field (e.g. ITA modes between 2014/2015 and Exceptional Points in 2018), connects them into one fast and robust numerical framework and opens the path to design the thermoacoustic stability map. This framework does not require tuning parameters or the like, which translates to an interpretable, parsimonious and computationally cheap design strategy. We demonstrate the Exceptional Point-based Thermoacoustic Design method (called EPTD-method) on two well-known experimental setups with increasing complexity and carefully perform parametric tests to unveil the key aspects of this novel design strategy. Finally, we turn the initially unstable setups into stable ones and explain why and how this was achieved.

A novel method for stable thermoacoustic system design based on exceptional points - Part II: Application to laminar and turbulent flame configurations

In this paper, we apply the novel EPTD (Exceptional Point-based Thermoacoustic Design)-method derived in part I of this study (M. Casel & A. Ghani, Combust. Flame, 2024) to two lab-scale combostor test rigs that exhbit thermoacoustic instabilities and demonstrate the method’s capability and practicality for stabilizing the originally unstable systems. Furthermore, we study, and refine, certain characteristics of the proposed EPTD method when applied to realistic combustor configurations. While the first configuration is laminar and unconfined, the second features a confined turbulent swirl flame. Both combustor test rigs are modeled by thermoacoustic networks incorporating measured flame responses. The models allow to trace back full system modes to their respective mode origins, which are either of intrinsic thermoacoustic (ITA) or acoustic nature, and are validated by means of experimental data. In both configurations, we identify exceptional points (EPs) that are formed by these respective mode branches. The unconfined, laminar configuration features only one EP, that we first investigate with respect to the system parameter sensitivity, and subsequently analyze its relation to the configuration’s spectrum, confirming the characteristics that were previously identified in part I of this study by means of generic (thermoacoustic) systems: not only the EP’s position in the complex plane, but also the exceptional parameters have a significant impact on the resulting thermoacoustic spectrum as they incorporate a relation between the respective mode origins and the full system modes. In contrast to the first configuration of this paper, the confined turbulent combustor allows for some further analysis of the EPTD application to realistic combustors as it features a significantly larger system parameter space as well as two EPs. Besides, it exhibits two EPs, for which we show how their respective sensitivities with respect to system parameter variations may already be utilized to identify which system parameters impact on which mode origins in the spectrum. In addition to this, we describe which of the two EPs may be chosen when applying the EPTD method. Finally, in both cases, we adopt the EPTD method derived in part I of this study for stabilizing thermoacoustic systems: Shift the EP towards smaller growth rates while constraining the exceptional parameters, i.e., shift the entire spectrum towards smaller growth rates while enforcing specific relations between the respective mode origins. Subsequently we showcase that this method in fact successfully dampens the entire spectrum of both combustion experiments and that the entire thermoacoustic spectrum shifts in growth rate with the same magnitude of the prescribed shift in EP growth rate. While the relatively small system parameter dimension of the unconfined laminar configuration does not allow for multiple system parameter combinations that realize the same EP, we identify multiple system parameter combinations that feature the same EP in the confined turbulent case. For this, we subsequently show that, as already shown for the generic configurations in part I of this study, different system parameter combinations, realizing the same EP, in fact result in the same thermoacoustic spectrum. This finally demonstrates that our proposed method is especially suited for the design of thermoacoustic systems that feature a large number of system parameters.Novelty and Significance statement:Thermoacoustic instabilities are actively researched for more than half a century. Despite this effort, scientifically sound strategies to design thermoacoustically stable combustors do not exist today. We present a novel method on a conceptual level that takes into account the latest discoveries in our field (e.g. ITA modes between 2014/2015 and Exceptional Points in 2018), connects them into one fast and robust numerical framework and opens the path to design the thermoacoustic stability map. This framework does not require tuning parameters or the like, which translates to an interpretable, parsimonious and computationally cheap design strategy. We demonstrate the Exceptional Point-based Thermoacoustic Design method (called EPTD-method) on two well-known experimental setups with increasing complexity and carefully perform parametric tests to unveil the key aspects of this novel design strategy. Finally, we turn the initially unstable setups into stable ones and explain why and how this was achieved.

Effects of wall confinement on flame topologies and lean blowout characteristics of partially premixed DME/air flames in a gas turbine model combustor

Dimethyl ether (DME) is a promising alternative fuel for gas turbines, considering its renewable nature and potential for large-scale synthesis from CO2 feedstock. However, there are limited studies on the swirl combustion characteristics of DME, particularly regarding the stability performance. This work investigates the effects of wall confinement on flow, mixing, and lean blowout (LBO) characteristics of partially premixed DME/air swirl flames in a gas turbine model combustor. Flow and flame macrostructures are captured using particle image velocimetry and planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements, respectively. The results show remarkable differences in flame topologies between unconfined and confined flames, especially the formation of inner recirculation zone and outer recirculation zone. The LBO limits are measured over various Reynolds numbers and flame dynamics approaching LBO are captured using 10 kHz OH* chemiluminescence imaging. Unconfined flames have unexpectively lower LBO limits (∼0.4) than the LBO limits of confined flames (over 0.5). Approaching LBO, unconfined flames display a quiet blowout mode featuring swirling spiral blow-off behaviors. In contrast, confined flames exhibit a violent blowout mode featuring large-scale quasi-instability behaviors, including periodic events of local extinction, flame lift-off, and re-ignition. Based on the numerical simulations and simultaneous OH- and CH2O-PLIF measurements, the large discrepancy in the measured LBO limits between the two configurations is found to result from different re-ignition processes related to the low-temperature ignition before the final blowout. These findings highlight the crucial roles of wall confinement in determining the stable flame topologies, LBO characteristics, and mechanisms driving the LBO physics for partially premixed DME/air swirl flames.

Combustion characteristics of premixed ammonia-hydrogen/air swirl flames at elevated pressure

Ammonia (NH3)-hydrogen (H2) blends which are obtainable by NH3 cracking can be an eminent carbon-free fuel. To provide a valuable database for the practical application of cracking-based NH3-H2 fuel, the effects of pressure on the combustion characteristics of premixed NH3-H2(-nitrogen (N2))/air swirl flames are investigated in terms of H2 mole fraction in the NH3-H2 blend and fuel-equivalence ratio. Extinction mechanisms at fuel-lean and rich flames are the same for both normal and elevated pressures, though only the blowoff is observed for elevated pressure. With increasing pressure, fuel-rich limits are generally extended but fuel-lean limits are reduced, NOx emissions decrease and the condition of the maximum NOx emissions moves towards fuel-richer condition. Flame visualization exhibits the shifted main reaction zone upstream, the increased flame wrinkling and the reduced OH and NO intensities with increasing pressure. Dilution effects of N2 at elevated pressure become remarkable compared with those at normal pressure.

Investigation of differential diffusion in lean, premixed, hydrogen-enriched swirl flames

Hydrogen combustion is a promising alternative to fossil fuel combustion in an effort to reduce our carbon footprint. However, hydrogen combustion is prone to thermodiffusive instabilities largely dependent on differential diffusion, a phenomenon that can lead to higher probabilities of flashback in industrial burners, given hydrogen’s high reactivity and diffusivity. This paper evaluates low-swirl flames of methane and air enriched with hydrogen to highlight the onset of differential diffusion. Testing was conducted in a fully controllable swirl burner, where bulk velocity Uav = 13 m/s and swirl number S = 0.6 were kept constant for each hydrogen–methane blend to isolate increases in flame surface area from increases in turbulence intensity. Furthermore, each fuel blend of hydrogen and methane is evaluated at the same laminar flame speed of SLo = 0.267 m/s to isolate flame stretch effects on the turbulent burning rate. Combined hydroxyl (OH) PLIF and stereoscopic PIV at the National Research Council of Canada were used to analyze the OH fluorescence in a 2D-3C velocity field for each flame condition. High-speed PIV at McGill University was used to resolve local flame phenomena, such as local flame displacement velocity and flame stretch rate. Using these techniques, it can be observed that the flame displaces axially in response to turbulent flame speed while exhibiting increases in flamefront wrinkling. This increased corrugation due to flame stretch is highlighted in the PDFs of local curvature and κSf and is further evidenced by a shift towards positive curvatures (κ> 0) for increasing H2 volume fraction. This trend suggests that there is a strong correlation with increases in turbulent burning rate and positive curvature as a result of differential diffusion, but it is not necessarily a control mechanism of the most forward propagating points proposed by the theory of leading points.

Experimental investigation of the effect of air/fuel ratio change on JP8 swirl flame characteristics with image processing methods

In this study, the stable combustion ranges and emission values of JP8 fuel, which is used in military aviation, were tested and optimum conditions were determined. The AFR (Air/Fuel Ratio) of the JP8 flame was increased experimentally at constant thermal power in a gas turbine combustion chamber. In the study, AFR were tested as 30/1, 33/1, 36/1, 39/1 and 42/1. A generator with 0.4 swirl number is placed at the burner outlet. Under these conditions, the effect of external acoustic enforcement frequencies on dynamic instabilities at different AFR was investigated. Flame length and thickness data were extracted from the images obtained from the image processing technique. The effect of AFR change on the combustion chamber temperature was examined and pollutant emissions were measured. The results showed that the most stable flame appeared in AFR 33/1 case at 155 and 300 Hz resonance frequencies under acoustic enforcements. Additionally, when the AFR was increased to 42/1, flame instability increased at all frequency values. Moreover, it has been determined that the most optimum mixture in terms of combustion chamber exit temperature and CO emissions is AFR 33/1. There was an increase in NOX emissions by up to 39/1 with the increase in AFR.

Adaptive detached eddy simulation of turbulent combustion with the subgrid dissipation concept

Detached eddy simulation has become a widely used method in eddy simulations due to its balance between cost and accuracy. The recently developed subgrid dissipation concept (SDC) combustion model [Liu et al., “On the subgrid dissipation concept for large eddy simulation of turbulent combustion,” Combust. Flame 258, 113099 (2023)] is found to be more reasonable and accurate than the conventional eddy dissipation concept model in large eddy simulation (LES). In this paper, the SDC model is adapted to the ℓ2-ω adaptive detached eddy simulation framework, named DES-SDC. The required key quantities, including the fine structure mass fraction and dissipation rate, are appropriately blended across Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes and LES regions. The DES-SDC approach is validated using premixed bluff body stabilized flame, non-premixed swirl flame, and premixed swirl flame with complex geometry. It is much more tolerant to coarse mesh resolution than pure LES, yet it preserves the capability of resolving the key unsteady feature critical for the combustion process, as it is designed to be. The DES-SDC approach is relatively insensitive to the grid resolution. The present research provides a promising approach for accurately simulating practical unsteady turbulent combustion problems at an affordable computational cost.

Three-dimensional diagnosis of lean premixed turbulent swirl flames using tomographic background oriented Schlieren

The necessity of minimizing NOx emissions drives the pursuit of ultra-lean premixed combustion in aeroengines and gas turbines, characterized by susceptibility to combustion instabilities. To tackle this issue, swirling flow design is widely incorporated into lean premixed combustor design, enhancing flame stability, and shortening flame length. This study utilizes the tomographic background-oriented Schlieren (TBOS) to reconstruct the spatial distribution of the refractive index gradient of lean premixed turbulent swirl flames with an aeroengine combustor configuration. A parametric study of the TBOS reconstruction quality is conducted, and the results reveal that view sparseness primarily degrades the reconstruction quality compared to the specific iterative algorithm used. The classic visual hull approach is explored to address this challenge, highlighting the significance of visual hull size. Furthermore, to improve the reconstruction quality, a posterior support constraint method is proposed, involving the removal of voxels of nearly constant refractive index within the central volume surrounded by flames. Results demonstrate that implementing this posterior support constraint further improves the reconstruction quality of lean premixed turbulent swirl flames. Finally, the robustness of this posterior support constraint method is validated by introducing high-level noise to the light deflection data, showcasing the potential of combining the dedicated designed visual hull and proposed posterior support constraint in addressing the view sparseness challenge for TBOS measurements.

Effect of flue gas recirculation on combustion instability and emission characteristics of premixed CH4/NH3/air flame

The hydrogen carrier ammonia is considered a prominent carbon-free alternative fuel. This paper examines the impact of flue gas recirculation (FR) on combustion instability and emission behavior of premixed CH4/NH3/air swirl flame at different equivalence ratios (Φ) and ammonia mole fractions (χNH3). Experimental results show that FR is beneficial to suppressing the self-excited pulsating pressure and pulsating heat release rate of CH4/NH3/air flame, and the pulsating frequency decreases monotonically with the increase of FR. Under fuel-lean and stoichiometric conditions, FR is beneficial to suppressing NOx formation but will increase CO and NH3 emissions. Under fuel-rich conditions, FR reduces CO emissions but increases NOx emissions. The NO emissions obtained from the chemical reactor network simulation are in qualitative agreement with the experimental results. The results show that the elementary reactions related to HNO and NHi radicals play a crucial role in the influence of FR on NO formation.

Unraveling the impact of CO2 exhaust gas recirculation on flame characteristics and NOx emissions of premixed NH3/DME swirl flames

The low combustion intensity and high NOx emissions of ammonia (NH3) pose challenges to its applications in energy and power devices. Co-firing strategies with reactive fuels, such as hydrogen, methane, syngas, and dimethyl ether (DME), have been proposed to enhance the combustion stability of NH3 in gas turbine, while exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) has the potential to reduce NOx emissions of combustion systems. This work explores the impact of CO2 EGR on the flame characteristics and NOx emissions of premixed NH3/DME swirl flames. CO2 EGR is observed to have a profound impact on both flame morphology and chemiluminescence intensity. With increasing CO2 EGR rate, which is described by the CO2 content in the oxidizer (χCO2), the chemiluminescence intensity becomes much weaker, the flame height rises, and the lean blowout (LBO) limit grows, indicating a reduced flame stability. Moreover, CO2 EGR affects the distribution of OH radical and weakens the OH fluorescence intensity. These impacts on flame characteristics mean that practical energy and power devices should be better designed to stabilize the flame. To unravel the underlying mechanism, kinetic analysis on premixed NH3/DME/air flame under non-EGR and CO2 EGR conditions is performed. Simulation results show that CO2 EGR substantially reduces the laminar burning velocity, maximum OH mole fraction, and NO mole fraction. The reduction of NO mole fraction is mainly attributed to the thermal effect of CO2 EGR. The chemical effect plays a positive role in reducing NO formation under lean conditions but enhances NO formation under rich conditions.

Experimental and numerical study of combustion characteristics of ammonia–hydrogen–air swirling flame with/without secondary air injection

Ammonia (NH3) is currently considered to be a potential carbon-free alternative fuel, and its large-scale use as such would certainly decrease greenhouse gas emissions and meet increasingly stringent emission requirements. Although the low flame propagation speed and high NO production of NH3 hinder its direct application as a renewable fuel, co-combustion of NH3–H2 is an effective way to overcome these challenges. In this study, the combustion characteristics of NH3–H2 swirling flames under different equivalence ratios and H2 blending ratios conditions are both numerically and experimentally investigated. Numerically, the One-Dimensional (1D) laminar flame computation presents a comparison base and the Three-Dimensional (3D) numerical simulation yields detailed flame property distributions. Experimentally, the high-speed camera takes instantaneous swirl flame images and the gas analyzer measures the NO emission at the exit plane of the flame chamber. Qualitative and quantitative analysis is performed on the flame structure and NO emission for a series of NH3–H2 swirl flames. The variation trends of the NO emission calculated using different techniques agree very well. The quantitative results show that the NO emissions are much higher at lean equivalence ratios than those at rich equivalence ratios, and such difference is closely related to the combustion flame structure. Moreover, it is shown that the utilization of secondary air injection can achieve a significant reduction in NO emissions at the exit of the combustion chamber at equivalence ratios less than or equal to 0.9.