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Title: Calculation of two-phase flow in gas turbine combustors

Abstract

A method is presented for computing steady two-phase turbulent combusting flow in a gas turbine combustor. The gas phase equations are solved in an Eulerian frame of reference. The two-phase calculations are performed by using a liquid droplet spray combustion a model and treating the motion of the evaporating fuel droplets in a Lagrangian frame of reference. The numerical algorithm employs nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinates, a multigrid iterative solution procedure, the standard k-{epsilon} turbulence model, and a combustion model comprising an assumed shape probability density function and the conserved scalar formulation. The trajectory computation of the fuel provides the source terms for all the gas phase equations. This two-phase model was applied to a real piece of combustion hardware in the form of a modern GE/SNECMA single annular CFM56 turbofan engine combustor. For the purposes of comparison, calculations were also performed by treating the fuel as a single gaseous phase. The effect on the solution of two extreme situations of the fuel as a gas and initially as a liquid was examined. The distribution of the velocity field and the conserved scalar within the combustor, as well as the distribution of the temperature field in the reaction zone and in themore » exhaust, were all predicted with the combustor operating both at high-power and low-power (ground idle) conditions. The calculated exit gas temperature was compared with test rig measurements. Under both low and high-power conditions, the temperature appeared to show an improved agreement with the measured data when the calculations were performed with the spray model as compared to a single-phase calculation.« less

Authors:
 [1]
  1. General Electric Corporate Research and Development, Schenectady, NY (United States). Fluid Mechanics Program
Publication Date:
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE
OSTI Identifier:
137087
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 117; Journal Issue: 4; Other Information: PBD: Oct 1995
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS; TWO-PHASE FLOW; CALCULATION METHODS; COMBUSTORS; GAS TURBINES; DROPLET MODEL

Citation Formats

Tolpadi, A K. Calculation of two-phase flow in gas turbine combustors. United States: N. p., 1995. Web. doi:10.1115/1.2815455.
Tolpadi, A K. Calculation of two-phase flow in gas turbine combustors. United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2815455
Tolpadi, A K. 1995. "Calculation of two-phase flow in gas turbine combustors". United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2815455.
@article{osti_137087,
title = {Calculation of two-phase flow in gas turbine combustors},
author = {Tolpadi, A K},
abstractNote = {A method is presented for computing steady two-phase turbulent combusting flow in a gas turbine combustor. The gas phase equations are solved in an Eulerian frame of reference. The two-phase calculations are performed by using a liquid droplet spray combustion a model and treating the motion of the evaporating fuel droplets in a Lagrangian frame of reference. The numerical algorithm employs nonorthogonal curvilinear coordinates, a multigrid iterative solution procedure, the standard k-{epsilon} turbulence model, and a combustion model comprising an assumed shape probability density function and the conserved scalar formulation. The trajectory computation of the fuel provides the source terms for all the gas phase equations. This two-phase model was applied to a real piece of combustion hardware in the form of a modern GE/SNECMA single annular CFM56 turbofan engine combustor. For the purposes of comparison, calculations were also performed by treating the fuel as a single gaseous phase. The effect on the solution of two extreme situations of the fuel as a gas and initially as a liquid was examined. The distribution of the velocity field and the conserved scalar within the combustor, as well as the distribution of the temperature field in the reaction zone and in the exhaust, were all predicted with the combustor operating both at high-power and low-power (ground idle) conditions. The calculated exit gas temperature was compared with test rig measurements. Under both low and high-power conditions, the temperature appeared to show an improved agreement with the measured data when the calculations were performed with the spray model as compared to a single-phase calculation.},
doi = {10.1115/1.2815455},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/137087}, journal = {Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power},
number = 4,
volume = 117,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995},
month = {Sun Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1995}
}