Hydrogen Premixing Fuel Nozzle for Flashback and NOx Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines using hydrogen fuel face challenges with flashback and increased NOx emissions due to the formation of fuel pockets and non-homogeneous mixtures, which are not effectively addressed by traditional fuel nozzles.
Innovation Solution
The fuel nozzle incorporates a premixer body with vortex generators and fuel injection channels to create a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen fuel and air, ensuring adequate velocity and preventing flashback, while reducing NOx emissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional fuel nozzles are used with hydrogen fuel, then the fuel can be injected into the combustion chamber, but fuel pockets and non-homogeneous mixtures form causing flashback and increased NOx emissions
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel injection system is divided into multiple injection channels (primary and secondary) that inject fuel at different locations and rates. This segmentation ensures more uniform distribution of hydrogen fuel throughout the combustion chamber, preventing fuel pocket formation and achieving homogeneous mixtures that reduce both flashback risk and NOx emissions
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the combustion chamber are targeted with localized fuel injection strategies. The primary injection channel delivers fuel to specific zones while the secondary channel supplements injection in other areas, creating locally optimized mixing conditions that prevent both flashback and excessive NOx formation throughout the entire combustion chamber
2Reliability
If hydrogen fuel is combusted with higher velocity to prevent flashback, then flashback risk decreases, but NOx emissions increase due to higher temperatures
Solution Approach 1:
Fuel is injected and mixed with air in advance before reaching the combustion zone. The multiple injection channels create pre-mixed homogeneous fuel-air mixtures that burn more cleanly at controlled velocities, preventing flashback while avoiding the temperature spikes that cause NOx formation
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the fuel injection parameters by using multiple channels with different injection rates and positions. This creates a distribution of mixture concentrations and velocities that optimizes combustion to prevent both flashback (through adequate velocity) and NOx (through controlled temperature and homogeneous mixing)
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 ensures a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen fuel and air, minimizing flashback risk and reducing NOx emissions, making it suitable for hydrogen fuel combustion in turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
a vortex generator configured to redirect a flow of compressed air to define a flow path of compressed air
Implementation Method 2
The fuel nozzle ensures a homogeneous mixture of hydrogen fuel and compressed air
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
A fuel nozzle (106) for a turbine engine. The fuel nozzle (106) has a premixer body (108), vortex generator (118), air injection orifice (146), and fuel injection orifice (134). The premixer body (108) defines a primary flow path (110). The air injection orifice (146) is provided in the premixer body (108) and located downstream of the vortex generator (118). The fuel injection orifice (134) is provided in the premixer body (108) and opens into the primary flow path (110).