Turbine Steam Injection for Flame Stability
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Solution Overview
Problem
Turbine engines face challenges in maintaining flame stability and dynamics during combustion, especially when operating in moisture-laden atmospheric conditions, due to excessive steam injection which can lead to flame instability issues, particularly with highly reactive fuels like diatomic hydrogen.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a steam system that injects steam into the core air flow path at multiple locations, allowing a portion of the steam to flow through the primary combustion zone, thereby maintaining a low water-to-air ratio for stable flame performance. The steam system also includes a controller to adjust the amount of steam injected based on the water content of the incoming core air.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If steam is injected into the core air flow path to improve mass flow and efficiency, then productivity increases, but flame stability deteriorates due to excessive water content in the combustion zone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating steam injection locations into multiple zones: a first steam injection location upstream of the combustor for mass flow enhancement, and a second steam injection location downstream of the combustor to prevent flame instability. This spatial differentiation allows each location to serve its specific function without compromising the other.
Solution Approach 2:
The steam injection system is segmented into multiple independent injection points along the core air flow path. This segmentation enables selective control of steam addition at different locations, allowing optimization of both mass flow and flame stability by controlling steam input at each segment independently.
2Productivity
If steam is injected to increase mass flow through the core air flow path, then productivity improves, but flame dynamics become unstable due to high water-to-air ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The steam injection system divides the single injection point into multiple segmented locations along the flow path. The first injection location adds steam early to boost mass flow, while the second location provides controlled steam addition after combustion is established, preventing disruption to flame dynamics through segmented, controlled input.
Solution Approach 2:
The first steam injection location is positioned upstream of the combustor to pre-condition the air flow with appropriate moisture levels before combustion occurs. This preliminary action ensures that when steam is introduced, it does not disrupt established flame patterns, thereby maintaining flame dynamics stability while still achieving the desired mass flow increase.
3Productivity
If steam is injected into the combustor to enhance mass flow, then productivity increases, but combustion efficiency decreases due to excessive water content affecting fuel combustion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the first steam injection location upstream of the combustor rather than within it. This ensures steam is added to the air flow before combustion, allowing proper mixing and preventing excessive water content in the combustion zone that would reduce combustion efficiency and increase energy loss.
Solution Approach 2:
Steam is introduced preliminarily into the core air flow path before the combustor to pre-condition the air-fuel mixture. This preliminary steam addition, controlled by the first steam injection location, ensures optimal moisture levels for combustion efficiency while still achieving the desired mass flow increase, preventing energy loss from excessive water content during combustion.
4Productivity
If steam injection is increased to improve mass flow, then productivity increases, but the system complexity increases due to need for multiple injection locations and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The steam system is designed with multi-functionality where the same steam generation and injection infrastructure serves multiple purposes: the first steam injection location provides mass flow enhancement, while the second steam injection location prevents flame instability. This universal design achieves multiple objectives without proportionally increasing system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
While multiple injection locations are required to balance mass flow and flame stability, the segmentation is implemented in a modular fashion that maintains manageable complexity. Each injection location can be independently controlled and optimized, allowing the system to achieve high productivity while keeping the overall structural complexity manageable through standardized modular components.
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 approach maintains stable flame performance and desirable flame dynamics during combustion, even in moisture-laden conditions, by controlling the steam injection to ensure a suitable water-to-air ratio, thereby enhancing the overall efficiency and reliability of the turbine engine.
Implementation Method 1
The steam system extracts water from the combustion gases and vaporizes the water to generate steam
Implementation Method 2
maintaining a low water-to-air ratio for stable flame performance
Data Source
AI summary
A turbine engine for an aircraft includes a turbo-engine with a core air flow path, a fan having a fan shaft coupled to the turbo-engine to rotate the fan shaft, and a steam system. A combustor is located in the core air flow path to combust fuel and to generate combustion gases. The steam system extracts water from the combustion gases and vaporizes the water to generate steam. The steam system is fluidly coupled to the core air flow path to inject the steam into the core air flow path. The steam system includes a controller configured to determine a water content of the core air upstream of the steam injection location and to change a position of a steam flow control valve to control the flow of the steam into the core air flow path.