Understanding flame structure and NOx formation characteristics of dual lean premixed combustor is critically important in combustor design and NOx emission performance data analysis, but is poorly understood. In recent dissertation, this problem is a...
Understanding flame structure and NOx formation characteristics of dual lean premixed combustor is critically important in combustor design and NOx emission performance data analysis, but is poorly understood. In recent dissertation, this problem is addressed via the study of NOx formation in actual gas turbine combustors operating on dual lean premixed natural gas/air. OH-chemiluminescence(308nm band filtered) methodology, direct flame temperature measurement by C-type thermocouple and two dimensional NOx measurement by gas analyzer was adopted for investigating flame structure and NOx formation characteristics. The parameters, pilot fuel mass fraction (fPF)and pilot air mass fraction(fPA),were developed to analyze the relations of each burner. These experiments focus on the effects of pilot fuel mass fraction(0~0.7), overall equivalence ratio(0.4~0.6), inlet temperature(573~653K) and residence time(0.43~5.22ms).
NOx formation has the lowest value when the pilot fuel mass fraction is equal to pilot air mass fraction. When the pilot fuel mass fraction increases from the point, NOx also increases by increment of the adiabatic pilot flame temperature, the traditional thermal NOx formation effect. On the contrary, when the pilot fuel mass fraction reduces, NOx increases by increment of main flame adiabatic temperature.
Flames in each burner form and progress in the separated area; pilot flame forms in the pilot burner and has strong sharp edge, main flame forms from downstream of main fuel/air mixture jet due to relatively lower reaction rate than pilot flame and spreads out to fill the whole combustor chamber, even outer recirculation zone (ORZ).
This experimental data clearly shows that the amount of NOx formed in a lean, homogeneous combustion system depends on the post-combustion temperature and is rarely affected by residence time.
The NOx prediction model was experimentally achieved by comparing each pilot and main adiabatic flame temperature with NOx measured from combustor exit. This model only bases on thermal NOx formation mechanism, but shows under 5ppmv error with every test result. Through verification of NOx prediction model with another actual gas turbine combustor, VTI’s 50kW class dual premixed type combustor(200K higher inlet temperature than studied combustor), the predicted result shows similar NOx trends, the lowest NOx formation point, and flame extinction point at lower air excess ration conditions.