Planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging of OH distribution in lean premixed swirling flames

Conference · Wed Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:20013563

Birouk, M; Gupta, A K; Lewis, M J

The spatial distribution of OH specie in lean premixed methane-air swirling flames at atmospheric pressure conditions has been investigated using a Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) technique. Tests were conducted in a burner with a central nozzle surrounded by two concentric annuli, through which the methane-air mixture could be injected with variable equivalence ratio, swirl and momentum. The geometry was chosen to simulate a single burner in a typical gas turbine combustor. Experiments were carried out across a range of three independently-varied parameters: the swirl distribution in the outer annulus, the axial momentum in the inner annulus, and the premixed equivalence ratio ({phi} = 0.75, 0.68, and 0.61). Instantaneous and ensemble-averaged OH images were obtained at vertical cross-sections of the flame (referenced through the centerline) under different flame conditions. These images provide information on the flame reaction zone which is of interest for understanding the complex structure and dynamics of a swirling premixed combustion system. These images also assist in understanding why lean premixed gas turbine combustion systems may experience combustion instability, particularly under leaner conditions.

• Research Organization: Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: Office of Naval Research
• OSTI ID: 20013563
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
COMBUSTION KINETICS
FLAMES
GAS TURBINE ENGINES
HYDROXYL RADICALS
NATURAL GAS
NITROGEN OXIDES
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
VORTEX FLOW