Hydrogen Fuel Nozzle Vanes for Flashback-Resistant Mixing
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines using hydrocarbon fuels produce environmentally unwanted byproducts such as NOx, CO, UHC, and oxides of sulfur, and the use of hydrogen fuel poses challenges like flashback and flameholding due to its faster burning velocity and wider flammable range.
Innovation Solution
A fuel nozzle assembly with vanes angled to control flame spread, including inward and outer radial sections with varying axial and tangential velocity components, and a conical intermediate wall to accelerate flow and improve mixing, allowing for hydrogen fuel use without diluents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If hydrogen fuel is used in the combustor, then flame temperature increases and burning velocity increases, but flashback and flameholding risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamically adjustable fuel nozzle assemblies with movable vanes that can change their angular position to control fuel spray patterns and mixing characteristics. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt to varying operating conditions, optimizing combustion stability while preventing flashback and flameholding even at high flame temperatures characteristic of hydrogen combustion.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes key combustion parameters by controlling fuel-air mixing ratios, spray angles, and flow velocities through adjustable nozzle components. By varying these parameters in real-time, the system maintains reliable combustion of hydrogen fuel without allowing flashback or excessive flameholding, thus resolving the contradiction between high flame temperature and combustion safety.
2Adaptability or versatility
If hydrogen fuel is used in the combustor, then wider flammable range is achieved, but flashback and flameholding occur more easily
Solution Approach 1:
The adjustable vane mechanism enables dynamic control of fuel spray trajectories and mixing zone characteristics, allowing the combustor to adapt to the wider flammable range of hydrogen while maintaining combustion stability boundaries that prevent flashback and flameholding across varying operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
By changing mixing parameters, spray angles, and flow distribution through the adjustable nozzle assembly, the system exploits hydrogen's wide flammable range for improved adaptability while simultaneously controlling combustion parameters to prevent flashback and flameholding, thus resolving the contradiction between versatility and reliability.
3Ease of operation
If traditional hydrocarbon fuels are used in the combustor, then easier combustion is achieved, but environmentally unwanted byproducts are produced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the fundamental combustion parameter from hydrocarbon fuel to hydrogen fuel, which eliminates carbon-containing emissions such as CO, UHC, and sulfur oxides. The adjustable fuel nozzle assembly compensates for hydrogen's different combustion characteristics, maintaining ease of combustion operation while achieving clean emission profiles free of traditional hydrocarbon pollutants.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention converts hydrogen's typically problematic fast burning velocity and wide flammable range (which cause flashback and flameholding) into benefits through precise control mechanisms. By using adjustable vanes to control mixing and spray patterns, the system harnesses hydrogen's high flame temperature and reactivity for efficient combustion while preventing harmful flashback and flameholding, thus turning potential harms into benefits.
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
Reduces NOx emissions and minimizes flashback and flameholding, enabling efficient combustion of hydrogen fuel with improved mixing and control of flame spread.
Implementation Method 1
a conical intermediate wall to accelerate flow and improve mixing
Implementation Method 2
vanes angled to control flame spread, including inward and outer radial sections with varying axial and tangential velocity components
Implementation Method 3
Hydrogen or hydrogen mixed with another element has a higher flame temperature than traditional hydrocarbon fuels
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
A gas turbine engine (10), comprising: a compressor section (12), a combustion section (14), and a turbine section (16) in serial flow arrangement, with the combustion section (14) comprising: a combustor (30) liner that at least partially defines a combustion chamber (50); and a gaseous fuel nozzle assembly (48) fluidly coupled with the combustion chamber (50), the gaseous fuel nozzle assembly (48) comprising a fuel-air mixer (100, 200), a gaseous fuel passage (110, 210) fluidly coupled with the fuel-air mixer (100, 200), and an air passage (112, 212) fluidly coupled with the fuel-air mixer (100, 200); wherein the fuel-air mixer (100, 200) includes a plurality of vanes (130, 230, 231); wherein at least one vane of the plurality of vanes (130, 230, 231) is disposed at least partially at an angle (160) relative to an axial direction; and wherein the angle (160) varies in a radial direction.