Hydrogen Injection Combustion Stability Gas Turbine
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Solution Overview
Problem
Lean combustion in gas turbine systems leads to instability issues, causing combustor pressure oscillations and mechanical damage due to insufficient uniformity in continuous burn.
Innovation Solution
Injecting hydrogen into a specific region of the combustion chamber, where it interacts with the swirled air-fuel mixture, forming secondary wakes that enhance combustion stability by facilitating improved mixing and heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If lean combustion is used to reduce NOx emissions, then environmental performance is improved, but combustion stability deteriorates causing pressure oscillations and mechanical damage
Solution Approach 1:
Hydrogen is introduced as an intermediary substance to mediate between the lean combustion requirement and stability maintenance. The hydrogen forms a stable pilot flame that acts as a continuous ignition source, enabling the main lean combustion to proceed stably without causing pressure oscillations or mechanical damage.
Solution Approach 2:
The combustion chamber is divided into different zones with different combustion characteristics. The pilot burner region maintains a richer, more stable combustion zone, while the main combustion region operates in lean conditions for low NOx emissions. This local differentiation allows simultaneous achievement of stability and environmental performance.
2Reliability
If hydrogen is injected into the combustion chamber to improve combustion stability, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional injection systems
Solution Approach 1:
The hydrogen injection system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides a stable pilot flame for combustion initiation, acts as an ignition source for the main fuel, and contributes to overall combustion stability. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated pilot burning systems, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
3Productivity
If hydrogen is injected at high velocity to form secondary wakes and improve mixing, then combustion efficiency is improved, but energy loss increases due to kinetic energy dissipation
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than injecting hydrogen at extremely high velocities that would create excessive kinetic energy loss, the system uses a moderate, optimized injection velocity that provides sufficient momentum to form the necessary secondary wakes and achieve good mixing. This partial action approach balances mixing efficiency with energy conservation.
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 injection of hydrogen improves combustion stability, reduces NOx emissions, and prolongs the life of gas turbine system components by stabilizing the flame and enhancing mixing within the combustion chamber.
Implementation Method 1
The combustion of the hydrogen can initiate a flame-stabilizing chain reaction that can subdue combustion driven oscillations
Implementation Method 2
The injection of the hydrogen can form at least one second wake in the combustion chamber via combustion of the injected hydrogen. The one or more second wakes can be formed between the hydrogen injector and the first wake region
Implementation Method 3
The interaction can include, for example, activated gas in the one or more first wakes from combustion of fuel communicating heat and active chemical species with the one or more second wakes
Data Source
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AI summary
A hydrogen injection arrangement (1) includes an injector assembly that includes an outer conduit (5) configured to feed a flow of a mixture of air and fuel( 3a) to a combustion chamber (2a) of a combustor. At least a swirler (3) can be positioned in the outer conduit (5) to facilitate a swirling flow of the air-fuel mixture (3) a to be output into the combustion chamber (2a) so that the output mixture of fuel and air includes a swirling output flow (12). A flow of hydrogen can be passed through an inner hydrogen injection conduit (7) for output into the combustion chamber (2a) for injection therein as a hydrogen injection flow.