Combustion characteristics and hydrogen addition effects on the performance of a can combustor for a micro gas turbine

Hsin Yi Shih*, Chi Rong Liu

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

To better understand the combustion performance by using hydrogen/methane blended fuels for an innovative micro gas turbine which is designed originally as a natural gas fired engine, the combustion characteristics of a can type combustor has been modeled and the effects of hydrogen amount were investigated. The simulations were performed using the commercial code STAR-CD, in which the three-dimension compressible k-ε turbuent fow mode and presumed probability density function for chemical reaction between methane/hydrogen/air mixtures were used. The results showed the detailed flame structures including the flow fields, distributions of flame temperature, major species and gas emissions. A variable volumetric fraction of hydrogen from 0% to 80% and the fuel injection velocities of this blended fuel ranging from 20 m/s to 60 m/s were studied. When hydrogen amount is higher, the flame temperature and exit gas temperature increase; high temperature region becomes wider and shifts to the intermediate zone. As fuel inlet velocity decreases from 60 m/s to 20 m/s, the high temperature region shifts to the side of the combustor due to the high diffusivity of hydrogen. Compared to the combustion using pure methane, NO x emissions increase with blended fuel, but the increase of hydrogen amount does not produce any significant effect over emission level of NO x. However, CO emission reduction is more remarkable at low hydrogen fraction, but the level of CO emission increases drastically when the fuel injection velocity is lower. Further modifications of the combustor designs including the fuel injection and cooling strategies are needed to improve the combustion performance for the micro gas turbine engine with hydrogen blended fuel as an alternative.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationASME Turbo Expo 2010
Subtitle of host publicationPower for Land, Sea, and Air, GT 2010
Pages271-280
Number of pages10
DOIs
StatePublished - 2010
EventASME Turbo Expo 2010: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, GT 2010 - Glasgow, United Kingdom
Duration: 14 06 201018 06 2010

Publication series

NameProceedings of the ASME Turbo Expo
Volume5

Conference

ConferenceASME Turbo Expo 2010: Power for Land, Sea, and Air, GT 2010
Country/TerritoryUnited Kingdom
CityGlasgow
Period14/06/1018/06/10

Keywords

  • Gas turbine combustion
  • Hydrogen enrichment
  • Micro gas turbine

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