Combustor Fuel Injector Vortex Mixing to Prevent Flashback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine engines face challenges in efficiently mixing fuel and air to prevent flashback and flame-holding while maintaining optimal combustion conditions, which can lead to inefficiencies and increased emissions.
Innovation Solution
The use of vortex generators and swirler configurations within the fuel injector design to enhance fuel-air mixing, combined with controlled air flow paths and fuel supply arrangements, to achieve faster velocities and stable combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional fuel-air mixing methods are used in the combustor, then the combustion process is simple to implement, but flashback and flame-holding occur reducing combustion efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injector is divided into multiple independent components: a body, a center body with internal fuel supply path, and multiple vortex generators positioned at different locations. This segmentation allows each component to perform a specific function (fuel delivery, flow control, mixing enhancement) while working together to achieve superior combustion efficiency and prevent flashback
Solution Approach 2:
Vortex generators are introduced as intermediary elements within the air flow path. These vortex generators create rotational flow patterns that enhance fuel-air mixing without requiring direct mechanical contact between fuel and air streams, thereby improving mixing efficiency while preventing flashback and flame-holding
2Productivity
If high velocity air flow is used to prevent flashback, then flashback is reduced, but fuel-air mixing becomes insufficient leading to poor combustion efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
Vortex generators create controlled rotational motion and turbulence within the air flow path. This mechanical motion enhances the mixing between fuel and air by creating eddies and vortices that increase contact between the two streams, achieving effective mixing even at reduced air flow velocities and preventing both flashback and poor combustion
Solution Approach 2:
The design utilizes fluid dynamic principles by introducing vortex generators that manipulate air flow patterns through pressure and velocity variations. The vortex generators create regions of high and low pressure that enhance fuel atomization and air-fuel mixing, achieving superior combustion efficiency without requiring excessively high air flow velocities
3Productivity
If extensive fuel-air mixing is implemented to improve combustion efficiency, then combustion efficiency improves, but emissions such as NOx increase
Solution Approach 1:
Vortex generators are strategically positioned at specific locations within the air flow path where they create localized regions of enhanced mixing. This localized approach ensures thorough fuel-air mixing in critical combustion zones while maintaining more moderate conditions in other areas, thereby achieving high combustion efficiency while controlling peak temperatures that lead to NOx formation
Solution Approach 2:
The vortex generators modify flow parameters (velocity distribution, pressure gradients, turbulence intensity) within the combustor. By changing these parameters locally rather than uniformly throughout the entire flow path, the design achieves improved mixing and combustion efficiency while avoiding the uniform high-temperature conditions that promote NOx emissions
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design reduces flashback and flame-holding, improves combustion efficiency, and minimizes emissions such as NOx, while maintaining optimal fuel efficiency and flame stabilization.
Implementation Method 1
The multiple vortex generators are configured to direct the axial flow of compressed air provided to the inlet such that the compressed air forms a vortex within the air flow path
Implementation Method 2
at least one fuel supply passage having a fuel outlet on an exterior of the center body and emitting fuel into the air flow path for mixing the fuel with air in the air flow path
Implementation Method 3
air and fuel are mixed, and then the fuel is burned in the presence of the air to produce hot gas
Data Source
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AI summary
A turbine engine (10) having a compressor section (12), a combustion section (14) having a combustor (36), and a turbine section (14) in serial flow arrangement. The combustor (36) includes a combustion chamber (48), at least one fuel injector (34, 234, 434, 634), and a center body (52, 252, 453, 652) located within an air flow path (86, 286, 486, 686) of the fuel injector (34, 234, 434, 634), where the center body (52, 252, 453, 652) has an internal fuel supply path (108, 308). A vortex generator (104, 304, 504, 704, 705) is provided on the center body (52, 252, 453, 652) and at least one fuel supply passage (106, 306, 506) includes outlets (112, 312, 512, 712) that emit fuel into the air flow path (86, 286, 486, 686) for mixing the fuel with air in the air flow path (86, 286, 486, 686).