Gas Turbine Fuel Nozzle Mixing Tubes for Hydrogen NOx Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines using hydrocarbon fuels produce environmentally unwanted byproducts such as NOx, CO, UHC, and sulfur oxides, and transitioning to hydrogen fuel requires improved combustion efficiency to reduce these emissions.
Innovation Solution
A fuel nozzle assembly with mixing tubes featuring turbulators and varying mixing lengths to enhance fuel-air mixing, controlling flame stability and temperature, and incorporating a controller to manage fuel supply, reducing NOx emissions and improving engine operability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If hydrogen fuel is used in the combustor, then flame temperature and burning velocity increase, but NOx emissions and environmental harmful byproducts increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel nozzle assembly divides the fuel injection into multiple streams through multiple orifices arranged in different patterns (annular, radial, axial), creating segmented fuel-air mixing zones that allow better control of combustion temperature and reduce peak temperatures that generate NOx
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the combustor receive different fuel-air mixture qualities through the patterned orifice arrangement, with some regions optimized for complete combustion and others for temperature control, allowing local optimization of both combustion efficiency and emissions reduction
2Speed
If hydrogen fuel is used in the combustor, then burning velocity increases, but flame stability control becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel nozzle assembly incorporates adjustable components including a movable annular plate with orifices that can be positioned at different axial locations, allowing dynamic adjustment of fuel injection characteristics to maintain flame stability across varying operating conditions while utilizing hydrogen's high burning velocity
Solution Approach 2:
The design includes a controller that monitors combustion parameters and adjusts fuel injection accordingly, using feedback from combustion chamber conditions to maintain optimal flame stability while leveraging hydrogen's rapid combustion characteristics
3Ease of operation
If traditional hydrocarbon fuels are used, then combustion is easier to manage, but environmentally unwanted byproducts such as CO, UHC, and sulfur oxides are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical fuel injection systems with a sophisticated multi-orifice nozzle assembly that uses fluid dynamics and precision engineering to control fuel-air mixing, enabling complete combustion of hydrogen that eliminates CO and UHC emissions while maintaining ease of operation through automated control
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 solution achieves reduced NOx emissions and improved flame stability by optimizing fuel-air mixing, enhancing combustion efficiency with hydrogen fuel in turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
a turbulator disposed at least partially upstream of the gaseous fuel orifice
Implementation Method 2
an air flow passage extending from a first end of the gaseous fuel nozzle assembly toward a second end, a gaseous fuel orifice fluidly coupled to the air flow passage
Implementation Method 3
the fuel is burned in the presence of the air to produce hot gas
Data Source
AI summary
A gas turbine engine, comprising a compressor section, combustion section, and turbine section in serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section comprising: a combustion liner at least partially defining a combustion chamber; and a gaseous fuel nozzle assembly comprising a plurality of mixing tubes. The plurality of mixing tubes can have an air flow passage terminating in a mixing tube outlet fluidly coupled to the combustion chamber, a gaseous fuel orifice fluidly coupled to the air flow passage, and a turbulator disposed at least partially upstream of the gaseous fuel orifice.