Electric Field Flame Actuation for Thermoacoustic Instability Suppression
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Solution Overview
Problem
Thermoacoustic instabilities in combustion processes, particularly in lean combustion conditions, pose a significant challenge in optimizing combustor design and reducing harmful emissions.
Innovation Solution
The application of an electric field to the flame using conductive elements and a power source, which generates modified flame characteristics and suppresses thermoacoustic instabilities through the modulation of heat-release and flame geometry.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If lean combustion conditions are used to reduce NOX emissions, then harmful emissions are reduced, but thermoacoustic instabilities occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical actuation systems (loudspeakers, pulsed fuel injection) with an electric field-based system. Electrodes generate high-voltage electric signals that directly interact with the flame plasma to suppress thermoacoustic instabilities, eliminating the need for complex mechanical components while maintaining combustion stability under lean conditions
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical state and parameters of the combustion system by applying high-voltage electric fields to the flame. This modifies the electrical conductivity, temperature distribution, and reaction rates within the flame, allowing stable combustion at lean conditions without triggering thermoacoustic instabilities
2Stability of the object's composition
If traditional actuation methods (loudspeaker forcing, pulsed fuel injection) are used to suppress thermoacoustic instabilities, then combustion stability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical actuation systems with a simplified electric field-based system. Instead of using loudspeakers requiring diaphragms and acoustic chambers, or pulsed fuel injection requiring additional injectors and control valves, the system uses electrodes that generate high-voltage signals to directly interact with the flame plasma, dramatically reducing mechanical complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and eliminates the mechanical components from traditional actuation systems. By removing the need for loudspeaker diaphragms, acoustic chambers, additional fuel injectors, and complex valve mechanisms, the system achieves combustion stability control through a purely electrical field-based approach, simplifying the overall device architecture
3Stability of the object's composition
If traditional actuation methods are used to suppress thermoacoustic instabilities, then combustion stability is improved, but scalability from laboratory to large scale thermal power is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal electric field-based actuation system that can be scaled from laboratory to large-scale thermal power applications. The same fundamental principle of using high-voltage electric fields to interact with flame plasma applies across different scales, making the system adaptable and versatile for various combustion configurations including gas turbines, industrial furnaces, and power generation systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from scale-dependent mechanical actuation to a dimensionally independent electric field approach. By utilizing the electrical properties of plasma that are inherent across all combustion scales, the system achieves scalability by applying the same physical principle (electric field interaction with charged particles in flame) regardless of the size of the combustion system
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 approach effectively suppresses thermoacoustic instabilities, improves combustion efficiency, and reduces harmful emissions, while being cost-effective and scalable for large thermal power applications.
Implementation Method 1
thermoacoustic instabilities are a common combustion problem studied since the 1850's
Implementation Method 2
applying electrical potentials to the combustion reaction to improve efficiency and reduce harmful emissions
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods of operating a combustion burner to affect a flame output from the combustion burner are described. The combustion burner is configured to output the flame from a face of the burner defining a gas flow path in a direction away from the burner, with a positive electrode positioned within or adjacent to the flame, and a negative electrode positioned within or adjacent to the flame. The method includes generating a flame from the burner, generating a first electric field between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, thereby generating a modified flame, and combining a second electric field with the first electric field to affect the modified flame.