Plasma-Assisted Micro-Injector for Flexible Turbine Fuel Combustion
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing turbine engine combustion systems face challenges in efficiently and safely burning diverse fuels and fuel mixtures, particularly low-carbon or carbon-free fuels like ammonia and hydrogen, requiring substantial system modifications and increased emissions.
Innovation Solution
A plasma-assisted micro-injector with a high voltage electrode and ground electrode configuration, generating a non-equilibrium plasma across the fuel or fuel mixture, allowing for efficient combustion with reduced system modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional combustion systems are used for diverse fuels like ammonia and hydrogen, then system modifications are required, but this increases device complexity and implementation costs
Solution Approach 1:
The combustion system is designed with a plasma generator that can handle multiple fuel types (hydrogen, ammonia, SAFs, and their mixtures) through a single unified platform. The plasma-assisted combustion approach provides universal applicability across different fuel chemistries without requiring fuel-specific combustion chamber designs, thereby achieving fuel flexibility while minimizing system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system utilizes plasma parameters (voltage, current, frequency) that can be adjusted to optimize combustion for different fuel types. By changing plasma generation parameters rather than physical system architecture, the system adapts to various fuels including low-carbon and carbon-free options without substantial modifications to the combustion hardware
2Object-generated harmful factors
If conventional combustion systems burn low-carbon fuels like ammonia and hydrogen, then emissions may increase, but the plasma-assisted approach reduces harmful factors
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma generator creates a highly reactive environment that accelerates oxidation processes, ensuring complete combustion of low-carbon fuels like ammonia and hydrogen. This accelerated oxidation minimizes incomplete combustion products and harmful emissions while the plasma's high energy density ensures efficient energy utilization
3Adaptability or versatility
If substantial system modifications are made to burn diverse fuels, then fuel flexibility improves, but implementation costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The plasma generator is designed as a modular component that can be integrated into existing combustion systems with minimal modifications. The segmented approach allows the plasma-assisted combustion technology to be implemented as an add-on module rather than requiring complete system redesign, thereby reducing manufacturing and implementation costs while maintaining fuel flexibility
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
Enables flexible combustion of various fuels and fuel mixtures with lower emissions and reduced implementation costs, maintaining efficient operation without significant system alterations.
Implementation Method 1
forms a non-equilibrium plasma across the selected combustible fuel or combustible fuel mixture
Implementation Method 2
plasma-assisted micro-injector comprising a high voltage electrode providing a voltage of less than 10 kV, a ground electrode within the high voltage electrode
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus directed at a plasma-assisted micro-injector suitable for turbine engines that allows for the use of different fuels and different fuel mixtures. The plasma-assisted micro-injector generates a non-equilibrium type plasma across the fuel or fuel mixture that improves combustion performance.