Variable Volume Combustor with Aerodynamic Fuel Flanges
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current micro-mixer combustor designs face challenges in achieving efficient combustion at high temperatures while minimizing nitrogen oxide emissions and dynamics-related issues, often requiring complex calibration and operation outside optimal conditions.
Innovation Solution
A variable volume combustor with micro-mixer fuel nozzles and an aerodynamically contoured fuel injection system, featuring support struts and flanges that evenly distribute air, allowing for staged fuel delivery and optimized mixing without significant system complexity or cost increase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high combustion gas stream temperatures are used to increase operational efficiency and output, then productivity increases, but nitrogen oxide emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor divides the fuel injection into multiple separate fuel nozzles positioned at different locations within the combustion chamber. This segmentation allows for distributed combustion that reduces peak temperatures and promotes better mixing, thereby reducing nitrogen oxide emissions while maintaining overall combustion efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the combustion chamber are created with different combustion characteristics by positioning fuel nozzles at specific locations. This creates local zones of optimized combustion that balance temperature control with efficiency, reducing emissions while maintaining productivity.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If micro-mixer fuel nozzles are used to improve mixing and reduce emissions, then nitrogen oxide emissions decrease, but dynamics-related issues and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The fuel nozzles are designed to serve multiple functions: they provide fuel injection, create proper mixing with air, control combustion timing, and reduce dynamics-related issues. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies overall operation while maintaining low emissions performance.
3Stability of the object's composition
If staged fuel delivery is implemented to reduce dynamics fields, then combustion stability improves, but operation at less than optimum levels is required
Solution Approach 1:
The combustor design incorporates dynamic characteristics that allow it to adapt to varying operating conditions. The staged fuel delivery system is configured to maintain combustion stability across a wider range of operating levels, enabling the system to operate at optimum efficiency while maintaining stability by leveraging the inherent dynamic properties of the combustion chamber and fuel injection system.
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 solution enables efficient combustion at higher temperatures with reduced emissions and dynamics, maintaining stable operation across varying load conditions without altering overall system pressure drop, thus optimizing emissions and dynamics mitigation.
Implementation Method 1
aerodynamic fuel flanges connecting the micro-mixer fuel nozzles and the support struts
Implementation Method 2
providing for good mixing of the fuel stream and the air stream prior to combustion
Implementation Method 3
mixes small volumes of the fuel and the air in a number of micro-mixer tubes
Implementation Method 4
combustion of the fuel stream and the air stream
Data Source
AI summary
The present application provides a combustor for use with a gas turbine engine. The combustor may include a number of micro-mixer fuel nozzles and a fuel injection system for providing a flow of fuel to the micro-mixer fuel nozzles. The fuel injection system may include a number of support struts supporting the fuel nozzles and for providing the flow of fuel therethrough. The fuel injection system also may include a number of aerodynamic fuel flanges connecting the micro-mixer fuel nozzles and the support struts.