Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Combustion dynamics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Combustion Dynamics and Control for Ultra Low Emissions in Aircraft Gas-Turbine Engines

Future aircraft engines must provide ultra-low emissions and high efficiency at low cost while maintaining the reliability and operability of present day engines. The demands for increased performance and decreased emissions have resulted in advanced combustor designs that are critically dependent on efficient fuel/air mixing and lean operation. However, all combustors, but most notably lean-burning low-emissions combustors, are susceptible to combustion instabilities. These instabilities are typically caused by the interaction of the fluctuating heat release of the combustion process with naturally occurring acoustic resonances. These interactions can produce large pressure oscillations within the combustor and can reduce component life and potentially lead to premature mechanical failures. Active Combustion Control which consists of feedback-based control of the fuel-air mixing process can provide an approach to achieving acceptable combustor dynamic behavior while minimizing emissions, and thus can provide flexibility during the combustor design process. The NASA Glenn Active Combustion Control Technology activity aims to demonstrate active control in a realistic environment relevant to aircraft engines by providing experiments tied to aircraft gas turbine combustors. The intent is to allow the technology maturity of active combustion control to advance to eventual demonstration in an engine environment. Work at NASA Glenn has shown that active combustion control, utilizing advanced algorithms working through high frequency fuel actuation, can effectively suppress instabilities in a combustor which emulates the instabilities found in an aircraft gas turbine engine. Current efforts are aimed at extending these active control technologies to advanced ultra-low-emissions combustors such as those employing multi-point lean direct injection.

DeLaat, John C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multidimensional Numerical Modeling of Combustion Dynamics in a Non-Premixed Rotating Detonation Engine With Adaptive Mesh Refinement

In the present work, a novel computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methodology was developed to simulate full-scale non-premixed rotating detonation engines (RDEs). A unique feature of the modeling approach was the incorporation of adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) to achieve a good trade-off between model accuracy and computational expense. Here, unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) simulations were performed for an Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) non-premixed RDE configuration with hydrogen as fuel and air as the oxidizer. The finite-rate chemistry model, along with a ten-species detailed kinetic mechanism, was employed to describe the H 2 -Air combustion chemistry. Three distinct operating conditions were simulated, corresponding to the same global equivalence ratio of unity but different fuel/air mass flowrates. For all conditions, the capability of the model to capture essential detonation wave dynamics was assessed. An exhaustive verification and validation study was performed against experimental data in terms of a number of waves, wave frequency, wave height, reactant fill height, oblique shock angle, axial pressure distribution in the channel, and fuel/air plenum pressure. The CFD model was demonstrated to accurately predict the sensitivity of these wave characteristics to the operating conditions, both qualitatively and quantitatively. A comprehensive heat release analysis was also conducted to quantify detonative versus deflagrative burning for the three simulated cases. The present CFD model offers a potential capability to perform rapid design space exploration and/or performance optimization studies for realistic full-scale RDE configurations.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1989

A planar reacting shear layer system for the study of fluid dynamics-combustion interaction

A versatile planar reacting shear layer facility is constructed at NASA-Lewis. The research objectives, as well as design, instrumentations and the operational procedures developed for the system are described. The fundamental governing equations and the type of quantitative information that are needed from experiments are described. Additionally, a review of earlier work is presented. Whenever appropriate, comparisons are made with similar systems in other facilities and the main differences are described. Finally, the nonintrusive measurement techniques (PLIF, PMS, LDV, and Schlieren photography) and the type of experiments that are planned are described.

Marek, C. J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Computational fluid dynamics combustion analysis evaluation

This study involves the development of numerical modelling in spray combustion. These modelling efforts are mainly motivated to improve the computational efficiency in the stochastic particle tracking method as well as to incorporate the physical submodels of turbulence, combustion, vaporization, and dense spray effects. The present mathematical formulation and numerical methodologies can be casted in any time-marching pressure correction methodologies (PCM) such as FDNS code and MAST code. A sequence of validation cases involving steady burning sprays and transient evaporating sprays will be included.

Kim, Y. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Propulsive Reaction Control System Model

This software models a propulsive reaction control system (RCS) for guidance, navigation, and control simulation purposes. The model includes the drive electronics, the electromechanical valve dynamics, the combustion dynamics, and thrust. This innovation follows the Mars Science Laboratory entry reaction control system design, and has been created to meet the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) entry, descent, and landing simulation needs. It has been built to be plug-and-play on multiple MSL testbeds [analysis, Monte Carlo, flight software development, hardware-in-the-loop, and ATLO (assembly, test and launch operations) testbeds]. This RCS model is a C language program. It contains two main functions: the RCS electronics model function that models the RCS FPGA (field-programmable-gate-array) processing and commanding of the RCS valve, and the RCS dynamic model function that models the valve and combustion dynamics. In addition, this software provides support functions to initialize the model states, set parameters, access model telemetry, and access calculated thruster forces.

Brugarolas, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1982

Dynamic effects of combustion

The dynamic effects of combustion are due to the evolution of exothermic energy and its deposition in the compressible medium where the process takes place. The paper examines the dynamics of combustion phenomena, including ignition, turbulent flame propagation (inflammation), explosion, and detonation, with emphasis on their exothermic characteristics. Ignition and explosion are treated as problems of nonlinear mechanics, and their dynamic behavior is described in terms of phase space models and cinematographic laser shear interferograms. The results of a numerical random vortex model of turbulent flame propagation are confirmed in a combustion tunnel experiment, where it was observed that a fresh mixture of burnt and unburnt gases can sustain combustion with a relatively small expenditure of overall mass flow, due to the increasing specific volume of burnt gases inside the flame front. An isentropic pressure wave is found to precede the accelerating flame in the process of detonation, and components of this presssure wave are shown to propagate at local sonic velocities.

Oppenheim, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Dynamic features of combustion

The dynamic features of combustion are discussed for four important cases: ignition, inflammation, explosion, and detonation. Ignition, the initiation of a self-sustained exothermic process, is considered in the simplest case of a closed thermodynamic system and its stochastic distribution. Inflammation, the initiation and propagation of self-sustained flames, is presented for turbulent flow. Explosion, the dynamic effects caused by the deposition of exothermic energy in a compressible medium, is illustrated by self-similar blast waves with energy deposition at the front and the adiabatic non-self-similar wave. Detonation, the most comprehensive illustration of all the dynamic effects of combustion, is discussed with a phenomenological account of the development and structure of the wave.

Oppenheim, A. K.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Fundamentals of Gas Turbine combustion

Combustion problems and research recommendations are discussed in the areas of atomization and vaporization, combustion chemistry, combustion dynamics, and combustion modelling. The recommendations considered of highest priority in these areas are presented.

Gerstein, M.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Diode laser absorption sensors for gas-dynamic and combustion flows

Recent advances in room-temperature, near-IR and visible diode laser sources for tele-communication, high-speed computer networks, and optical data storage applications are enabling a new generation of gas-dynamic and combustion-flow sensors based on laser absorption spectroscopy. In addition to conventional species concentration and density measurements, spectroscopic techniques for temperature, velocity, pressure and mass flux have been demonstrated in laboratory, industrial and technical flows. Combined with fibreoptic distribution networks and ultrasensitive detection strategies, compact and portable sensors are now appearing for a variety of applications. In many cases, the superior spectroscopic quality of the new laser sources compared with earlier cryogenic, mid-IR devices is allowing increased sensitivity of trace species measurements, high-precision spectroscopy of major gas constituents, and stable, autonomous measurement systems. The purpose of this article is to review recent progress in this field and suggest likely directions for future research and development. The various laser-source technologies are briefly reviewed as they relate to sensor applications. Basic theory for laser absorption measurements of gas-dynamic properties is reviewed and special detection strategies for the weak near-IR and visible absorption spectra are described. Typical sensor configurations are described and compared for various application scenarios, ranging from laboratory research to automated field and airborne packages. Recent applications of gas-dynamic sensors for air flows and fluxes of trace atmospheric species are presented. Applications of gas-dynamic and combustion sensors to research and development of high-speed flows aeropropulsion engines, and combustion emissions monitoring are presented in detail, along with emerging flow control systems based on these new sensors. Finally, technology in nonlinear frequency conversion, UV laser materials, room-temperature mid-IR materials and broadly tunable multisection devices is reviewed to suggest new sensor possibilities.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2015

Combustion Stability Verification for the Thrust Chamber Assembly of J-2X Developmental Engines 10001, 10002, and 10003

The J-2X engine, a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen propellant rocket engine available for future use on the upper stage of the Space Launch System vehicle, has completed testing of three developmental engines at NASA Stennis Space Center. Twenty-one tests of engine E10001 were conducted from June 2011 through September 2012, thirteen tests of the engine E10002 were conducted from February 2013 through September 2013, and twelve tests of engine E10003 were conducted from November 2013 to April 2014. Verification of combustion stability of the thrust chamber assembly was conducted by perturbing each of the three developmental engines. The primary mechanism for combustion stability verification was examining the response caused by an artificial perturbation (bomb) in the main combustion chamber, i.e., dynamic combustion stability rating. No dynamic instabilities were observed in the TCA, although a few conditions were not bombed. Additional requirements, included to guard against spontaneous instability or rough combustion, were also investigated. Under certain conditions, discrete responses were observed in the dynamic pressure data. The discrete responses were of low amplitude and posed minimal risk to safe engine operability. Rough combustion analyses showed that all three engines met requirements for broad-banded frequency oscillations. Start and shutdown transient chug oscillations were also examined to assess the overall stability characteristics, with no major issues observed.

Morgan, C. J.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Design and Modeling of an 80 bar Oxy-Combustor for Direct Fired Supercritical CO2 Applications

As supercritical CO2 power cycles for fossil energy power generation continue to generate interest, there are significant issues and unanswered questions regarding injector design, flame stabilization, wall heat transfer, CO emissions, combustion dynamics and other combustion phenomenon. For natural gas, direct-fired cycles with carbon capture it is believed that Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling will play an essential role in the combustor design process. To accurately model turbulent reacting flows at these unique conditions, experimental data is needed to validate CFD codes and sub-models and is currently lacking at conditions relevant for these cycles. This paper presents the conceptual design and CFD simulations of an experimental 80 bar oxy-combustion facility and test article currently under construction at NETL. The facility is targeted towards the testing of a single injector, direct-fired sCO2 combustor at the 100 kW thermal output level. While these conditions do not reflect the actual Allam cycle operating conditions (300 bar) they are viewed as a stepping stone in the model validation process at supercritical conditions. Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes as well as Large Eddy Simulation are used to model the turbulent combustion process and aid in the design of the combustor and injector. Process parameters including oxidizer preheat temperature and combustor flowrate are investigated.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1990

Critical evaluation of Jet-A spray combustion using propane chemical kinetics in gas turbine combustion simulated by KIVA-2

Jet-A spray combustion has been evaluated in gas turbine combustion with the use of propane chemical kinetics as the first approximation for the chemical reactions. Here, the numerical solutions are obtained by using the KIVA-2 computer code. The KIVA-2 code is the most developed of the available multidimensional combustion computer programs for application of the in-cylinder combustion dynamics of internal combustion engines. The released version of KIVA-2 assumes that 12 chemical species are present; the code uses an Arrhenius kinetic-controlled combustion model governed by a four-step global chemical reaction and six equilibrium reactions. Researchers efforts involve the addition of Jet-A thermophysical properties and the implementation of detailed reaction mechanisms for propane oxidation. Three different detailed reaction mechanism models are considered. The first model consists of 131 reactions and 45 species. This is considered as the full mechanism which is developed through the study of chemical kinetics of propane combustion in an enclosed chamber. The full mechanism is evaluated by comparing calculated ignition delay times with available shock tube data. However, these detailed reactions occupy too much computer memory and CPU time for the computation. Therefore, it only serves as a benchmark case by which to evaluate other simplified models. Two possible simplified models were tested in the existing computer code KIVA-2 for the same conditions as used with the full mechanism. One model is obtained through a sensitivity analysis using LSENS, the general kinetics and sensitivity analysis program code of D. A. Bittker and K. Radhakrishnan. This model consists of 45 chemical reactions and 27 species. The other model is based on the work published by C. K. Westbrook and F. L. Dryer.

Nguyen, H. L.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Design Guidelines for Swirl-Venturi Fuel-Air Mixers for Lean Direct Injection Combustors

Design guidelines for aircraft gas turbine combustors are provided based on the swirl-venturi lean direction injection (SVLDI) scheme. The guidelines are developed through a combination of literature review and internal research at NASA GRC that sought to develop an understanding of how LDI geometry affects NOx emissions, minimum stable f/a, and combustion dynamics. Key objectives are to improve low power operability by reducing the fuel/air ratio achievable with the SV-LDI concept and to reduce NOx emissions for both the subsonic landing-takeoff cycle and supersonic cruise conditions. The design of any combustion system will be a set of compromises between flame stability and decreasing combustion emissions. This document is to serve as a guide for selecting the best options given the overall mission. This document is organized as follows. In section 1, we introduce and describe the SV-LDI concept as a way to reduce NOx emissions. Section 2 provides descriptions of the individual components that make up a single swirl-venturi LDI element — the venturi, swirler, and fuel injector and their primary purposes. Considerable focus is applied to how changes on the air side components affect the flow field. Section 3 examines variations within a single SV-LDI element swirler: blade thickness, presence of a diffuser section, position of fuel nozzle, et cetera. We include examples from the literature to emphasize key aspects of these changes. In Section 4 we consider the interaction of a single element with the combustion chamber and with neighboring elements. In Section 5, we look at fuel staging effects on emissions, combustion efficiency, and combustion dynamics. Throughout these sections, we will highlight any findings we consider universal, and in Section 6 we consolidate those findings to provide guidelines for use in SV-LDI designs.

gas turbine combustion↗
NASA NTRS2000

Longitudinal-Mode Combustion Instabilities: Modeling and Experiments

Combustion instabilities can lead to increased development time and cost for aeroengine gas turbines. This problem has been evident in the development of very-low emissions stationary gas turbines, and will likely be encountered in the newer, more aggressive aeroengine designs. In order to minimize development time and cost, it is imperative that potential combustion dynamics issues be resolved using analyses and smaller-scale experimentation. This paper discusses a methodology through which a problem in a full-scale engine was replicated in a single-nozzle laboratory combustor. Specifically, this approach is valid for longitudinal and "bulk" mode combustion instabilities. An explanation and partial validation of the acoustic analyses that were used to achieve this replication are also included. This approach yields a testbed for the diagnosis of combustion dynamics problems and for their solution through passive and active control techniques.

Cohen, J. M.↗