Characterization of Lean, Turbulent Flames at Gas Turbine Operating Conditions Using Highspeed Laser-Diagnostic Techniques

Abstract

Highspeed laser imaging diagnostics have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of turbulent flame dynamics in gas turbine engines. Already, these diagnostics have proven invaluable in identifying and characterizing dynamic flow-flame interactions responsible for flame stabilization, thermo-acoustic pulsation, blow-out and flashback in atmospheric-pressure swirl flames. A number of major technical challenges, however, make the viability of applying such diagnostics at the extreme conditions found in a gas turbine engine questionable. The goal of the proposed work is to explore the viability of applying simultaneous, kHz-rate stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (stereo-PIV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence of hydroxyl (OH-PLIF) in a lean, turbulent swirl-stabilized flame at pressures ranging from 5 bars up to those found in a modern gas turbine combustor (30 bars). An additional goal of the project is to apply these diagnostics to study flow-flame interactions leading to combustion instability and thermo-acoustic pulsation in the DLR Dual-Swirl Burner at elevated pressure conditions. These measurements will serve as the basis for a standard test case for the validation of numerical simulations of swirl flames in this well-characterized flow geometry.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Mar 23, 2016
Source ID
FA95501610044

Entities

People

  • Isaac Boxx

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • German Aerospace Center
  • United States Air Force

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy