Nonlinear dynamics of combustor azimuthal modes: Experiments and modeling

Journal Article · 25 December 2021 · Combustion and Flame

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2021.111931 · OSTI ID:1976992

Kim, Jeongwon  ^[1]; John, Tony ^[2]; Adhikari, Subodh  ^[2]; Wu, David  ^[2]; Emerson, Benjamin ^[2]; Acharya, Vishal ^[2]; Isono, Mitsunori  ^[3]; Saito, Toshihiko ^[3]; Lieuwen, Timothy ^[2]

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1. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); OSTI
2. Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
3. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd, Takasago, Hyogo (Japan)

This paper provides an experimental and theoretical investigation of azimuthal instabilities in a lean, premixed combustor. It presents data from a high Reynolds number, industrial-scale facility with multiple fuel stages that enable variation of radial and azimuthal symmetries. The combustor exhibits a variety of behaviors – including standing, spinning, mixed waves, and intermittent behaviors, as well as periodic limit cycles and quasi-periodic oscillations – depending upon varying power and azimuthal symmetry. A second key objective of this paper is to present a weakly nonlinear framework that is used to understand and interpret these results, showing the influence of eigenmode degeneracy, background noise, and azimuthal non-uniformities in mean quantities such as temperature and flame-acoustic coupling. In particular, this analysis shows the importance of the linear instability growth/damping rate and azimuthal non-uniformities in controlling the relative prominence of standing, spinning, or mixed waves at the limit cycle, as well as the preference in the spinning direction. It also shows the conditions under which single frequency or quasi-periodic oscillations are dominant, and how these are more fundamentally influenced by azimuthal non-uniformities and background noise.

• Research Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States); Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta, GA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• Grant/Contract Number: FE0031285
• OSTI ID: 1976992
• Report Number(s): DOE-GTRC-0013; PII: S001021802100674X
• Journal Information: Combustion and Flame, Journal Name: Combustion and Flame Journal Issue: C Vol. 238; ISSN 0010-2180
• Publisher: ElsevierCopyright Statement
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English