Reheat Burner Vortex Generator Integration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas turbine burner designs face limitations in achieving high mixing quality and avoiding flashback due to restricted burner exit area, flow velocity, and post-injection residence time, leading to challenges in circumferential mixing and increased NOx emissions.
Innovation Solution
A reheat burner arrangement with a streamlined body featuring integrated vortex generators and fuel injection nozzles, allowing for efficient mixing and potentially omitting flow conditioning elements, which reduces the mixing zone length and maintains efficiency without significant pressure drop.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the burner exit area is limited to maintain sufficient flow velocity to avoid flashback, then flashback is prevented, but the mixing quality deteriorates and circumferential mixing becomes difficult to achieve
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the vortex generator and fuel injection device into a single integrated component. The vortex generator forms part of the body structure that also contains the fuel injection nozzle, merging flow conditioning and fuel injection functions into one element. This integration allows the vortex generator to create rotational flow that enhances mixing while the fuel is injected at the trailing edge, solving the contradiction by achieving both flashback prevention and improved mixing quality through a unified design.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a streamlined body with a specific longitudinal direction perpendicular to the main flow direction, adding a new spatial dimension to the fuel injection system. The vortex generator creates three-dimensional rotational flow patterns that enhance circumferential mixing, while the trailing edge positioning in this new dimension allows optimal fuel injection timing and location, resolving the mixing quality issue without compromising flashback prevention.
2Manufacturing precision
If a minimum length from fuel injection location to burner exit is provided to allow sufficient mixing, then mixing quality improves, but the burner exit area must be increased which reduces flow velocity and may cause flashback
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex generator creates mechanical rotational motion in the flow, generating vortices that intensify mixing processes. This rotational flow pattern accelerates the mixing of fuel and air without requiring a longer mixing zone, thereby maintaining compact burner dimensions while achieving sufficient mixing quality and preventing flashback through enhanced flow control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes fluid dynamic principles through the vortex generator to create rotational flow patterns that enhance mixing efficiency. The streamlined body design and trailing edge nozzle positioning leverage pneumatic principles to optimize fuel-air mixture formation, achieving high mixing quality within a compact length that maintains sufficient flow velocity for flashback prevention.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate vortex generators and fuel injection devices are used, then each component can be optimized independently, but the device complexity increases and the mixing zone length increases
Solution Approach 1:
The vortex generator and fuel injection device are merged into a single integrated body structure. The vortex generator forms the main body with the fuel injection nozzle incorporated at its trailing edge, combining two previously separate components into one unified element. This reduces device complexity while maintaining the ability to optimize both functions through coordinated design of the integrated structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The streamlined body serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as the vortex generator structure, provides the fuel injection nozzle housing, and defines the mixing zone geometry. This multi-functional design eliminates the need for separate components, reducing overall device complexity while achieving both flow conditioning and fuel injection functions through a single universal element.
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
This configuration enables rapid mixing, reduces the length of the mixing zone, and allows for higher burner velocities and lower pressure drops, improving mixing quality and reducing NOx emissions while accommodating larger combustion systems.
Implementation Method 1
at least one vortex generator is located on at least one lateral surface upstream of the at least one nozzle
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
Reheat burner arrangement comprising a center body, an annular duct with a cross-section area, an intermediate fuel injection plane located along the center body and being actively connected to the cross section area of the annular duct, wherein the center body is located upstream of a combustion chamber, wherein the structure of the reheat burner arrangement is defined by various parameters and the structure of the reheat burner arrangement is defined by various dependencies.