Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Experimental investigation of low-frequency instabilities of dual-swirl pressure-atomization spray flames

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study is concerned with the low-frequency self-excited instabilities frequently occurring in aero-engine combustors operated with Jet A-1 fuel under pilot-mode non-premixed conditions. Here we perform extensive measurements of pressure oscillations and high-speed flame visualization to investigate several key aspects of non-premixed spray combustion dynamics associated with a dual-swirl pressure atomization nozzle. Our measurements show that the low-frequency instabilities in non-premixed combustion are intense at near-stoichiometric mixture ratios, with a strong negative correlation with inlet air temperature. The development of low-frequency instabilities is attributable to the interaction between several distinctive reaction regions with different characteristic timescales, involving periodically emerging partially-premixed flames near the injector face and downstream propagating non-premixed reaction regions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. H. C. Mongia, T. J. Held, G. C. Hsiao and R. P. Pandalai, Challenges and progress in controlling dynamics in gas turbine combustors, J. Propul. Power, 19 (2003) 822–829.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. T. Poinsot, Prediction and control of combustion instabilities in real engines, Proc. Combust. Inst., 36 (2017) 1–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. S. Tachibana, K. Saito, T. Yamamoto, M. Makida, T. Kitano and R. Kurose, Experimental and numerical investigation of thermo-acoustic instability in a liquid fuel aero-engine combustor at elevated pressure: validity of large-eddy simulation of spray combustion, Combust. Flame, 162 (2015) 2621–2637.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J. O’Connor, V. Acharya and T. Lieuwen, Transverse combustion instabilities: acoustic, fluid mechanic, and flame processes, Prog. Energy Combust. Sci., 49 (2015) 1–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. J. R. Dawson and N. A. Worth, Flame dynamics and unsteady heat release rate of self-excited azimuthal modes in an annular combustor, Combust. Flame, 161 (2014) 2565–2578.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. G. Staffelbach, L. Y. M. Gicquel, G. Boudier and T. Poinsot, Large Eddy simulation of self-excited azimuthal modes in annular combustors, Proc. Combust. Inst., 32 (2009) 2909–2916.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. G. Ghirardo and M. P. Juniper, Azimuthal instabilities in annular combustors: standing and spinning modes, Proc. R. Soc. A, 469 (2013) 20130232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. J. Eckstein, E. Freitag, C. Hirsch, T. Sattelmayer, R. von der Bank and T. Schilling, Forced low-frequency spray characteristics of a generic airblast swirl diffusion burner, J. Eng. Gas Turb. Power, 127 (2005) 301–306.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. J. Eckstein, E. Freitag, C. Hirsch and T. Sattelmayer, Experimental study on the role of entropy waves in low-frequency oscillations in a RQL combustor, J. Eng. Gas Turb. Power, 128 (2004) 264–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. J. E. Temme, P. M. Allison and J. F. Driscoll, Combustion instability of a lean premixed prevaporized gas turbine combustor studied using phase-averaged PIV, Combust. Flame, 161 (2014) 958–970.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. S. K. Dhanuka, J. E. Temme and J. F. Driscoll, Lean-limit combustion instabilities of a lean premixed prevaporized gas turbine combustor, Proc. Combust. Inst., 33 (2011) 2961–2966.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. G. Vignat, D. Durox, K. Prieur and S. Candel, An experimental study into the effect of injector pressure loss on self-sustained combustion instabilities in a swirled spray burner, Proc. Combust. Inst., 37 (2019) 5205–5213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. A. Renaud, S. Ducruix, P. Scouflaire and L. Zimmer, Flame shape transition in a swirl stabilised liquid fueled burner, Proc. Combust. Inst., 35 (2015) 3365–3372.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. A. Renaud, S. Ducruix and L. Zimmer, Bistable behaviour and thermo-acoustic instability triggering in a gas turbine model combustor, Proc. Combust. Inst., 36 (2017) 3899–3906.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. A. Renaud, S. Tachibana, S. Arase and T. Yokomori, Experimental study of thermo-acoustic instability triggering in a staged liquid fuel combustor using high speed OH-PLIF, J. Eng. Gas Turb. Power, 140 (2018) 081505.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. B. Ahn, J. Lee, S. Jung and K. T. Kim, Low-frequency combustion instabilities of an airblast swirl injector in a liquid-fuel combustor, Combust. Flame, 196 (2018) 424–438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. B. Ahn, J. Lee, S. Jung and K. T. Kim, Nonlinear mode transition mechanisms of a self-excited Jet A-1 spray flame, Combust. Flame, 203 (2019) 170–179.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Y. Guan, L. K. B. Li, B. Ahn and K. T. Kim, Chaos, synchronization, and desynchronization in a liquid-fueled diffusion-flame combustor with an intrinsic hydrodynamic mode, Chaos, 29 (2019) 053124.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S. Kheirkhah, J. D. M. Cirtwill, P. Saini, K. Venkatesan and A. M. Steinberg, Dynamics and mechanisms of pressure, heat release rate, and fuel spray coupling during intermittent thermoacoustic oscillations in a model aeronautical combustor at elevated pressure, Combust. Flame, 185 (2017) 319–334.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. S. Kheirkhah, B. D. Geraedts, P. Saini, K. Venkatesan and A. M. Steinberg, Non-stationary local thermoacoustic phase relationships in a gas turbine combustor, Proc. Combust. Inst., 36 (2017) 3873–3880.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. D. Galley, S. Ducruix, F. Lacas and D. Veynante, Mixing and stabilization study of a partially premixed swirling flame using laser induced fluorescence, Combust. Flame, 158 (2011) 155–171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. J. W. Strutt, The explanation of certain acoustical phenomena, Nature, 18 (1878) 319–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. F. E. C. Culick, A note on Rayleigh’s criterion, Combust. Sci. Technol., 56 (1987) 159–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. K. T. Kim, Combustion instability feedback mechanisms in a lean-premixed swirl-stabilized combustor, Combust. Flame, 171 (2016) 137–151.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 291 Daehak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 34141, Korea

    Myungho Kim & Kyu Tae Kim

  2. Aerospace Technology Research Institute, Agency for Defense Development, Daejeon, 34186, Korea

    Myungho Kim

Authors
  1. Myungho Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kyu Tae Kim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kyu Tae Kim.

Additional information

Myungho Kim is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Aerospace Engineering Department at KAIST and a Senior Researcher of Aerospace Technology Research Institute at ADD. His research interests include combustion instabilities in liquid-fueled aero-engine combustors and turbine aerodynamic design and analysis.

Kyutae Kim is an Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at KAIST. His research interests include experimental and theoretical investigations of combustion instabilities in aero-engine and heavy-duty gas turbine combustors — bulk, longitudinal, and transverse mode thermoacoustic phenomena in liquid- and gaseous fueled combustion systems.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kim, M., Kim, K.T. Experimental investigation of low-frequency instabilities of dual-swirl pressure-atomization spray flames. J Mech Sci Technol 36, 3501–3508 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0627-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-022-0627-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation