Concentric Combustor Nozzle for Uniform Fuel Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
In combustors, uneven mixing of fuel with compressed working fluid leads to localized hot spots, increasing undesirable emissions and the risk of flame flashback and holding, particularly with high-reactive fuels like hydrogen.
Innovation Solution
A combustor nozzle design featuring concentric fuel and diluent passages that enhance mixing and evaporation of liquid and emulsified fuels before combustion, including a center body with first and second fuel passages, and diluent passages that surround these to ensure uniform fuel distribution and interaction with compressed working fluid.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If fuel is not evenly mixed with compressed working fluid, then fuel can be supplied to combustor, but localized hot spots form increasing emissions and flash back risk
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle divides fuel injection into multiple separate passages (first fuel passage and second fuel passage) with different injection patterns. The first fuel passage provides central injection while the second fuel passage provides peripheral injection, segmenting the fuel delivery to achieve more uniform distribution and prevent localized hot spots.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the nozzle are designed with different fuel injection characteristics. The central region (first fuel passage) and peripheral region (second fuel passage) have tailored injection parameters to optimize mixing in各自 zones, ensuring uniform overall distribution while preventing local accumulation that causes hot spots.
2Power
If higher operating combustor temperatures are used, then power generation efficiency improves, but nitrous oxide production increases
Solution Approach 1:
The nozzle modifies the physical parameters of fuel injection by using different passage configurations to create varied spray patterns and mixing rates. This changes the combustion characteristics to achieve more uniform temperature distribution, allowing high power operation while reducing peak temperatures that generate nitrous oxide.
3Temperature
If emulsified fuel is used to reduce peak flame temperature, then nitrous oxide production decreases, but flame instability occurs if not adequately dispersed
Solution Approach 1:
The emulsified fuel is injected through multiple segmented passages (first and second fuel passages) rather than a single passage. This segmentation ensures adequate dispersion of the emulsified fuel throughout the combustion zone, maintaining flame stability while achieving the temperature reduction benefits of emulsified fuel.
Solution Approach 2:
The nozzle utilizes fluid dynamic principles to enhance mixing of emulsified fuel with compressed working fluid through controlled pressure and flow patterns in the multiple passages. This hydraulic design ensures proper dispersion and atomization of emulsified fuel, preventing flame instability.
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
The design reduces undesirable emissions, prevents flame flashback, and improves combustor efficiency by ensuring uniform mixing and evaporation of fuels, thereby minimizing nitrous oxide production and increasing the durability of combustor components.
Implementation Method 1
the compressed working fluid mixes with fuel and ignites to generate combustion gases
Implementation Method 2
enhance mixing and evaporation of liquid and emulsified fuels before combustion
Implementation Method 3
ignite fuel to produce combustion gases having a high temperature and pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A combustor nozzle includes a first and second liquid fuel passages that terminate at first and second fuel ports. A first diluent passage terminates at a first diluent outlet radially surrounding the second fuel ports. A second diluent passage terminates at a second diluent outlet between the first diluent outlet and the second fuel ports. A third diluent passage surrounds at least a portion of the first and second diluent passages. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a liquid fuel through a first fuel passage and flowing an emulsified liquid fuel through a second fuel passage. The method further includes flowing a first diluent through a shroud surrounding the second fuel passage to a first diluent passage surrounding at least a portion of the second fuel passage and flowing a second diluent through a second diluent passage radially disposed between the first diluent passage and the second fuel passage.