Turbine Combustor Fuel-Steam Injection to Reduce Hydrogen Flashback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for recovering and utilizing steam from combustion products in gas turbine engines are not optimized for improving combustion efficiency and reducing emissions, particularly when using non-hydrocarbon fuels like hydrogen.
Innovation Solution
A fuel-steam mixture is injected into the combustion chamber using a fuel injector nozzle, where steam is mixed with non-hydrocarbon fuels such as hydrogen to increase fuel mass and momentum, enhancing penetration and mixing with air, thereby reducing flame flashback and NOx production.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If hydrogen fuel is used to reduce greenhouse emissions, then emissions are reduced, but flame flashback risk increases due to high flame speed
Solution Approach 1:
Steam is introduced as an intermediary substance mixed with hydrogen fuel in the fuel injector nozzle. The steam acts as a mediator that reduces the flame speed of the hydrogen-air mixture while maintaining combustion efficiency, thereby preventing flame flashback without compromising the emission reduction benefits of hydrogen fuel
Solution Approach 2:
The composition parameters of the fuel mixture are changed by adding steam to hydrogen. This alters the flame propagation characteristics, specifically reducing flame speed to prevent flashback while maintaining sufficient energy release for efficient combustion. The steam-to-fuel ratio is controlled to optimize these parameters
2Productivity
If steam is mixed with fuel to increase mass and momentum, then penetration and mixing with air are enhanced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel delivery system and steam delivery system are merged into a single fuel injector nozzle assembly. Both hydrogen fuel and steam are delivered through the same nozzle, where they mix and are injected together into the combustion chamber. This integration reduces the number of separate components and simplifies the overall system while achieving improved combustion efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The fuel injector nozzle is designed to perform multiple functions: delivering hydrogen fuel, delivering steam, mixing them together, and injecting the mixture into the combustion chamber. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated components for each function, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining combustion efficiency
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 fuel-steam mixture increases combustion efficiency and reduces emissions by mitigating flame flashback and lowering flame temperature, improving the operation of gas turbine engines.
Implementation Method 1
steam is mixed with non-hydrocarbon fuels such as hydrogen to increase fuel mass and momentum, enhancing penetration and mixing with air
Implementation Method 2
combusting the fuel from the fuel-steam mixture within the combustion chamber
Data Source
AI summary
An assembly is provided for a turbine engine. This assembly includes a combustor, a fuel injector nozzle and a fuel system. The combustor includes a combustion chamber. The fuel injector nozzle is configured to inject a fuel-steam mixture into the combustion chamber for combustion. The fuel system includes a fuel source, a steam source and a manifold. The manifold is configured to mix fuel received from the fuel source with steam received from the steam source to provide the fuel-steam mixture. The fuel system is configured to deliver the fuel-steam mixture to the fuel injector nozzle.