Author: Ashwini KarmarkarPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
This primary focus of this dissertation is to investigate the coupling mechanisms by which flow field fluctuations can interact with heat release oscillations and how the coupling mechanisms are impacted by the addition of turbulent fluctuations. This work is particularly motivated by the problem of combustion instability in gas turbine engines. Combustion instability is a type of thermoacoustic instability that occurs due to coupling between the coherent oscillations in heat release rate and the acoustic modes of the combustor. The modulation of heat release rate due to the interaction of the flame front with coherent structures in the flow can be a driver of combustion instability. While there have multiple studies analysing the interaction between flames and coherent structures, many of the experimental studies focus on the low-turbulence regime, which is not representative of realistic engine conditions. More recent studies have analysed flame response and limiting phenomena at high turbulence intensities, although the interaction between competing phenomena of turbulent and coherent oscillations have not been comprehensively studied so far and is therefore a focus contribution of this work. In this dissertation, two configurations are studied -- the canonical rod-stabilized V-flame and a more realistic partially-premixed swirl flame. The canonical configuration allows for more control over individual flow parameters so that the coherent and turbulent fluctuations can be independently controlled and systematically varied. High-speed stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (sPIV) is the primary diagnostic used in this configuration. The coherent oscillations in the flow field are excited by longitudinal acoustic excitation and different configurations of perforated plates in the burner provide varying turbulence intensities. The results from this work conclusively show that the magnitude of turbulence intensity in the flow can significantly impact the flow dynamics, the symmetry of the flow response to external excitation, and the coupling between the flow field and flame fluctuations. The realistic swirling flame configuration is used to characterize the interaction between the precessing vortex core (PVC), which is the consequence of a global hydrodynamic instability, and thermoacoustic instabilities, which are the result of a coupling between combustor acoustics and the unsteady heat release rate of combustion. This study is performed using experimental data obtained from a model gas turbine combustor system to simulate realistic conditions. High-speed stereoscopic particle image velocimetry, OH planar laser-induced fluorescence, and acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence are used to obtain information about the velocity fields, flame, and fuel flow behavior, respectively. The results from this work show that in the cases where the frequency of the PVC overlaps with the frequency of a thermoacoustic mode, the thermoacoustic mode is subsequently suppressed. Further, the thermoacoustic coupling process is driven by both velocity and mixture variations, but the PVC oscillations do not significantly drive variations in the mixture, only the velocity field. Put together, the findings from both configurations provide important insight into the coupling mechanisms that govern the interactions between the various flow field fluctuations and their impact on the unsteady heat release from the flame.
