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A numerical study of combustion and NOX emission characteristics of a lean premixed model gas turbine combustor

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Abstract

The combustion characteristics of a model gas-turbine combustor are investigated by performing 3-D Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations (RANS) simulations of swril-stabilized lean-premixed flames of methane/air for different equivalence ratio and swirler type. Their NOX emission characteristics and thermal fatigue life are also elucidated with chemical reactor network (CRN) analysis and finite element analysis (FEA). To validate numerical models, the RANS simulations results are compared to experimental data, which shows reasonable agreement between them. The CRN analysis reveals that the amount of NOX can be reduced by low temperature and short residence time. The FEA identifies areas vulnerable to thermal fatigue. The largest strain amplitude is observed at a single nozzle exit because of large temperature variation and complicated structure. The cycles to failure at the vulnerable regions are estimated using the ε-N curve of AISI type 304 stainless steel.

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Abbreviations

E :

Young’s modulus

k :

Thermal conductivity

ṁk*:

Inlet mass flow rate of species k

ṁk :

Outlet mass flow rate of species k

N:

Cycles to failure

S :

Swirl number

Sct :

Turbulent Schmidt number

V :

Velocity

α :

Coefficient of thermal expansion

ε :

Strain amplitude

θ :

Swirl vane angle

ν :

Poisson ratio

ρ :

Density

σ y :

Yield stress

ϕ :

Equivalence ratio

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT (NRF-2018R1A2A2A05018901) and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Grant number: R19XO01-25).

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Author notes

  1. These authors equally contributed to this work as first author.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Power Generation Lab, Korea Electric Power Corporation Research Institute, Daejeon, 34056, Korea

    Sung Ho Chang

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, 44919, Korea

    Hyun Su Bak & Chun Sang Yoo

  3. Department of Mechanical System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju, 54896, Korea

    Hyosun Yu

Authors
  1. Sung Ho Chang
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  2. Hyun Su Bak
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  4. Chun Sang Yoo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chun Sang Yoo.

Additional information

Recommended by Editor Yong Tae Kang

Sung Ho Chang is a Principle Researcher of Korea Electric Power Corporation Research Institute, Daejeon, Korea. His research interests include gas-turbine combustion and supercritical CO2 oxyfuel combustion.

Hyun Su Bak is a Ph.D. student of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea. His research interests include combustion instability, flame radiation, NOx emission from gasturbine combustion and supercritical CO2 oxy-fuel combustion.

Hyo Sun Yu is a Professor of the Department of Mechanical System Engineering, Jeonbuk National University, Korea. His research interests include material strength evaluation for steel weldment of power plant, automobile and solder joint of electronic parts. Also, small punch test methods (SP-Creep, SP-SCC, SP-Fatigue, etc.).

Chun Sang Yoo is a Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, Korea. His research interests include laminar/turbulent flames, combustion instability, and IC engine/ gas-turbine combustion.

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Chang, S.H., Bak, H.S., Yu, H. et al. A numerical study of combustion and NOX emission characteristics of a lean premixed model gas turbine combustor. J Mech Sci Technol 34, 1795–1803 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-0341-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-020-0341-y

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