Reduction of NO{sub x} formation by water sprays in strained two-stage flames

Journal Article · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1997 · Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2817062· OSTI ID:566202

Li, S C; Ilincic, N; Williams, F A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA (United States)

Staged combustion can be employed to reduce the formation of CO and NO{sub x}, stabilize the flame, decrease the flame temperature, and create better working conditions in gas turbine combustors. To help understand influences of partial premixing and addition of water on NO{sub x} formation, the authors study two-stage flames in a counterflow spray burner. This paper reports experimental and theoretical results concerning two-stage combustion in which one feed stream is composed of a fuel-rich mixture of methane and air and the other is air. Water sprays are added to the air stream. This two-phase laminar counterflow configuration exhibits a green premixed flame, a blue diffusion flame, and a vaporization plane. All three are flat and parallel. The separation distances between them decrease with increasing equivalence ratio and strain rate. Flow visualization is provided through illumination by an argon ion laser sheet, velocity fields and spray structure are measured by a phase-doppler particle analyzer, concentration fields of major stable species are measured by gas chromatography of samples withdrawn from the flame, and temperature fields are measured by a thermocouple. Numerical integrations that employ a recent chemical-kinetic data base are performed to model the flame structure and NO{sub x} formation. Comparisons of experimental results with numerical predictions are made to test agreement. This work provides information on hydrocarbon combustion in both premixed flames and diffusion flames, indicates how NO{sub x} is formed in fuel-rich flames, and suggests how the pollutants can be reduced.

• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG03-87ER13685
• OSTI ID: 566202
• Report Number(s): CONF-960608--
• Journal Information: Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, Journal Name: Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 119; ISSN JETPEZ; ISSN 0742-4795
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

03 NATURAL GAS
AIR POLLUTION ABATEMENT
CARBON MONOXIDE
COMBUSTION KINETICS
METHANE
NITROGEN OXIDES
SPRAYS
STAGED COMBUSTION
SYNTHESIS
WATER