Hydrogen Fuel Injector Swirl Layout for Flashback Resistance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaseous fuels like hydrogen exhibit faster flame speeds, higher reactivity, and greater flammability, leading to issues such as flashback, autoignition, and flame holding in turbine engine injectors, which can impact durability and increase emissions.
Innovation Solution
An injector design that incorporates specific geometries and flow patterns for hydrogen fuels, including counter-rotating swirls and controlled mixing regions, to mitigate flashback and autoignition, while allowing for low-emission hydrogen combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen fuel is used in the turbine engine, then carbon emissions are reduced, but flashback and autoignition occur more frequently
Solution Approach 1:
The injector is divided into multiple independent nozzles (first nozzle, second nozzle, third nozzle) that separately control different fuel streams. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each nozzle's characteristics to prevent flashback and autoignition while maintaining low emissions
Solution Approach 2:
A pilot fuel stream is introduced as an intermediary element to stabilize the main hydrogen fuel combustion. The pilot stream creates a controlled flame front that prevents uncontrolled autoignition and flashback of the highly reactive hydrogen fuel
2Productivity
If injector geometry is optimized for hydrogen combustion, then combustion efficiency is improved, but flashback and flame holding increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different nozzles within the injector have different geometric characteristics optimized for specific functions. The first nozzle has geometry optimized for pilot fuel delivery to prevent flashback, while the second and third nozzles are optimized for main fuel delivery to maximize combustion efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The injector dynamically adjusts the ratio and timing of different fuel streams (pilot fuel vs. main fuel) based on operating conditions. This dynamic control allows the system to maintain efficient combustion while adapting to prevent flashback and flame holding across different load conditions
3Object-generated harmful factors
If fuel flow rate is increased to improve combustion efficiency, then emissions are reduced, but autoignition risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The pilot fuel stream is introduced in advance to establish a controlled flame front before the main hydrogen fuel arrives. This preliminary action prevents autoignition of the high-velocity fuel stream while maintaining the high flow rates needed for low emissions
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 injector design effectively reduces the occurrence of autoignition, flame holding, and flashback, enabling the use of hydrogen fuels with reduced carbon emissions and improved combustion efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
An injector design that incorporates specific geometries and flow patterns for hydrogen fuels, including counter-rotating swirls and controlled mixing regions
Implementation Method 2
controlled mixing regions
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine engine comprising a compression section, combustion section, and turbine section is serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section including an injector for providing a mixture of fuel and air for combustion. The injector includes a body, an inner nozzle provided within the body and defining an injector axis, and an outer nozzle in annular arrangement about the inner nozzle. A first fuel passage fluidly couples to the inner nozzle and a second fuel passage fluidly couples to the outer nozzle. A first set of air conduits are in annular arrangement about the body interior of the outer nozzle and a second set of air conduits are in annular arrangement about the body exterior of the outer nozzle.