Thomas Doerr

Modelling of the atomization of a plain liquid fuel jet in crossflow at gas turbine conditions

Abstract The penetration and atomization of a plain jet of kerosene fuel in air crossflow were modelled and compared with the experiment at test conditions relevant to lean premixed prevaporized combustion in gas turbines. Tests were conducted at an air velocity of 100 and 75 m/s and an air pressure of 6 and 9 bar at ambient temperature. The fuel nozzle diameter was 0.45 mm and the liquid-to-air momentum flux ratio was between 2 and 18. Measurement techniques employed include time-resolved shadowgraphs, Mie-scattering laser light sheets, and Phase-Doppler-Anemometry. Hence qualitative information on jet disintegration as well as quantitative data regarding jet penetration, fuel placement and dropsize distribution were obtained. The numerical model predicts the jet penetration by treating the liquid fuel jet conceptually as a cylinder deflected by the airflow. Fracture of the liquid column is modelled by a characteristic time criterion. Shear breakup of the liquid column and its fragments is modelled as liquid boundary layer stripping. The engineering model has been implemented as an extension into a 3d CFD-code with Lagrangian particle tracking. Within its application limits, the model fills the gap of lacking droplet initial conditions in numerical spray simulation, while at the same time requiring low computational effort.

Optically Accessible Multisector Combustor: Application and Challenges of Laser Techniques at Realistic Operating Conditions

For their application in a multisector combustor, several laser-based measurement techniques underwent further development to generate useful results in the demanding environment of highly luminous flames under elevated pressures. The techniques were applied to two burner configurations and the results were used to explain their respective behavior.Multisector combustors at elevated pressure present formidable difficulties to the operation of laser based techniques, as the optical path length is longer than for a single sector while the optical density of the flowing medium can be quite high. Hence, the techniques have to be set up to perform under low signal to noise levels. Nevertheless for a validation exercise geared at multidimensional simulation, quantitative results are requested. Here the modification of standard Laser Induced Incandescence as a means to measure soot concentrations with higher dynamic range is described. For situations where the optical density is too high for the application of imaging techniques, laser absorption was used and its application in the multisector combustor is presented.Since combustion and soot formation is closely coupled to flowfield and mixing, velocity measurements are highly desired for comparison with computed flowfields. Although with Laser-Doppler Anemometry a well-established technique is at hand, the high operating costs of a multisector combustor cannot be supported for the needed time of operation. Therefore an effort was made to make the Particle Imaging Velocimetry technique operable in highly luminous flames by using a second camera. The two-camera system and its operation are described in the paper.Finally the application on two different burner configurations is reported together with chemiluminescence as a tracer for heat release, and differences in soot production are related to the measured flow field.Copyright