Hydrogen Gas Turbine Injector Ring for Flashback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas turbine engines face challenges in handling and efficiently combusting hydrogen fuel due to its different properties compared to liquid hydrocarbon fuels, requiring new injector nozzles and combustors designed for hydrogen.
Innovation Solution
A combustion system for gas turbine engines is designed to utilize gaseous hydrogen, featuring an injector ring with a hydrogen manifold cavity, tangentially and radially sloped conduits, and open-cell metallic foam to facilitate mixing and prevent flashback, along with pilot and main injector sections for controlled combustion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If liquid hydrocarbon fuels are used with liquid injectors, then efficient burning is achieved, but the system cannot efficiently handle gaseous hydrogen fuel
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of hydrogen from gaseous to liquid form by cooling it to cryogenic temperatures, enabling the use of existing liquid fuel injection systems. This phase change allows hydrogen to be handled and injected similarly to liquid hydrocarbon fuels, resolving the contradiction between fuel type adaptability and combustion efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of hydrogen from gas to liquid state through cryogenic cooling. This phase transition enables the hydrogen to be stored and injected using conventional liquid fuel infrastructure, while maintaining efficient combustion characteristics when vaporized in the combustor.
2Ease of operation
If hydrogen is injected as gas, then handling is simplified, but flashback and unstable combustion occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies cryogenic cooling to transition hydrogen from gaseous to liquid state, improving combustion stability and preventing flashback. The liquid hydrogen is then vaporized in the combustor for efficient combustion, combining the handling simplicity of gaseous hydrogen with the stability benefits of liquid injection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary cooling of hydrogen to liquid state before injection, preparing it in advance for stable combustion. This preliminary phase transition ensures that when the hydrogen is introduced to the combustor, it vaporizes and burns steadily, preventing flashback and ensuring reliable operation.
3Reliability
If liquid hydrogen is used, then combustion stability improves, but storage and handling complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes reversible phase transition of hydrogen between liquid and gas states. Liquid hydrogen is stored and transported, then vaporized in the combustor for combustion. This approach maintains combustion stability while allowing the use of existing gas handling infrastructure for the vaporization and combustion processes.
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 system ensures efficient mixing and combustion of hydrogen, preventing flashback and providing control over flame stability and power output, enabling stable operation with hydrogen fuel.
Implementation Method 1
an open-cell metallic foam 58 disposed in the hydrogen manifold cavity 52
Implementation Method 2
hydrogen feed passages 54 that extend off of the hydrogen manifold cavity 52 and open into a mixing region 56
Implementation Method 3
The hydrogen feed passages 54 are tangentially-sloped with respect to the engine axis A
Implementation Method 4
The open-cell metallic foam 58 serves as a flame arrestor, allowing feed flow of hydrogen but facilitating the prevention of flame propagation back
Implementation Method 5
combustion with fuel
Implementation Method 6
combustion chamber 40 for introducing hydrogen and combustion gas
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~5
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A gas turbine engine (20) includes an annular combustion chamber (40) and an injector ring (42) that is configured to introduce a hydrogen and gas mixture into the combustion chamber (40). The injector ring (42) may include a hydrogen manifold cavity (52), hydrogen feed conduits (54) that extend off of the hydrogen manifold cavity (52) and open into a mixing region (56) at an axial end of the injector ring (42), and gas feed conduits (60) that also open into the mixing region (56) to supply gas that mixes with the hydrogen. The hydrogen feed conduits (54) may be tangentially-sloped, and the gas feed conduits (60) may be radially and tangentially sloped.