EP0103159B1 - Turbine combustor having more uniform mixing of fuel and air for improved downstream combustion - Google Patents

Turbine combustor having more uniform mixing of fuel and air for improved downstream combustion Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0103159B1
EP0103159B1 EP19830107832 EP83107832A EP0103159B1 EP 0103159 B1 EP0103159 B1 EP 0103159B1 EP 19830107832 EP19830107832 EP 19830107832 EP 83107832 A EP83107832 A EP 83107832A EP 0103159 B1 EP0103159 B1 EP 0103159B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
fuel
air
combustor
sidewall
mixing
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired
Application number
EP19830107832
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0103159A1 (en
Inventor
Joel L. Toof
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Original Assignee
Westinghouse Electric Corp
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Westinghouse Electric Corp filed Critical Westinghouse Electric Corp
Publication of EP0103159A1 publication Critical patent/EP0103159A1/en
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0103159B1 publication Critical patent/EP0103159B1/en
Expired legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
    • F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
    • F23R3/40—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the use of catalytic means
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
    • F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
    • F23R3/02—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the air-flow or gas-flow configuration
    • F23R3/04—Air inlet arrangements
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F23—COMBUSTION APPARATUS; COMBUSTION PROCESSES
    • F23R—GENERATING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS OF HIGH PRESSURE OR HIGH VELOCITY, e.g. GAS-TURBINE COMBUSTION CHAMBERS
    • F23R3/00—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel
    • F23R3/28—Continuous combustion chambers using liquid or gaseous fuel characterised by the fuel supply
    • F23R3/34—Feeding into different combustion zones
    • F23R3/346—Feeding into different combustion zones for staged combustion

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to combustors employed in land based combustion turbines and more particularly to catalytic combustors in which substantially uniform mixing of fuel and air across the combustor mixing zone is needed prior to entry of the mix into the catalytic combustion zone.
  • a combustor according to the preamble of claim 1, as already known from GB-A-1 575 427.
  • premix combustors Premixing of fuel and air in premix combustors is needed to provide long combustor life, high combustor efficiency and low emissions through proper combustion operating temperatures and proper reaction.
  • Catalytic combustors provide a practical commercial alternative for low pollutant, and especially low NOx, combustion turbine operation for electric power plants and other land based applications; proper catalytic combustion especially requires substantial uniformity in the premixing of fuel and air within the combustor mixing zone.
  • a catalytic combustor may be provided with a generally tubular envelope having a primary combustion zone followed in sequence first by a secondary fuel injection and mixing zone and finally by a catalyst zone.
  • the primary combustion zone operates for example during startup when operating temperatures do not adequately support catalytic combustion.
  • secondary fuel is injected into the mixing zone where it mixes with air for delivery to the flow channels through the catalyst zone.
  • the secondary fuel injectors are disposed circumferentially about the mixing zone and they may inject fuel radially inwardly at a right angle or other preferred angle (as shown in US-A-3 937 008, Figs. 9, 10) into the combustor mixing zone.
  • the fuel must be preferably completely vaporized before entering the catalyst which requires that the fuel nozzle produce very small droplets which can evaporate rapidly. Small droplets can be obtained by using a very high fuel nozzle pressure drop (prsesure atomization), by using a small amount of high energy atomizing air (air assist), or by using a relatively large amount of low energy atomizing air (air blast).
  • the momentum of the resulting fuel spray is quite high.
  • the momentum of the fuel spray with respect to the momentum of the cross flowing air inside the combustor is high enough that the fuel tends to penetrate to the center (axis) of the combustor.
  • This action produces a fuel rich core, i.e. the fuel/air ratio profile has a single center peak shape across a reference diameter of a cross section of the combustor mixing zone.
  • the fuel/air ratio is highest at the axis in the fuel injection plane or region, and it decreases in the radially outward direction. As the mix flows downstream through the mixing zone, additional mixing action causes the fuel/air ratio profile to flatten somewhat. In general, however, the fuel penetration in the injection region is such that there is too much axial fuel concentration to permit available downstream mixing to produce a substantially uniform fuel/air ratio distribution at the catalyst entry plane.
  • improved operation is obtained in combustors and especially catalytic combustors through structure which assists deflection of injected fuel in the axial direction to produce more uniform mixing of fuel and air in a mixing zone located immediately upstream from the zone where combustion occurs.
  • the structure includes circumferentially distributed holes in the combustor wall upstream from the fuel injectors such that entering air streams are angled downstream. The entering air streams have high velocity due to the pressure drop across the combustor wall and accordingly greatly assist the internal gas flow in axially deflecting the injected fuel and producing a substantially uniform fuel/air ratio profile at the catalyst entry plane.
  • a catalytic combustor 10 is shown in Figure 1 for a land based combustion turbine which is typically used in electric power and other industrial plants.
  • the combustor 10 includes a generally tubular sidewall 12 having successive circumferential rows of holes 14, 16 for entry of air used in the combustion process.
  • a primary fuel nozzle 20 admits fuel for burning in a primary zone 22 to generate the energy needed for startup until operating conditions support catalytic combustion.
  • the primary nozzle 20 supplies some fuel for primary combustion during catalytic operation to provide any preheating needed to keep the gas temperature at a catalyst entry plane 24 at the value needed (i.e. approximately 982-106rC (1800-1950°F)) for efficient catalytic combustion.
  • the overall combustor operation involves amounts of primary fuel combustion such that NOx production is well below prescribed environmental limits.
  • An outlet end 26 of the combustor wall 12 is outwardly flared and coupled to a conventional catalyst element 28 having a honeycomb structure.
  • the catalyst region outlet 30 is coupled to a transition duct (not shown) which directs the hot gases to the turbine (not shown).
  • Secondary fuel is injected into the combustor 10 during the catalytic combustion phase of operation by a set of circumferentially spaced nozzles 32 at the downstream end of the primary combustor zone 22. Air may or may not enter the combustor 10 at the nozzle locations.
  • a combustor mixing region 34 between the primary zone and the catalyst element 28 provides for mixing of the secondary fuel and air prior to its entry into the catalyst region 28.
  • the region 34 is referred to as a mixing zone, and combustion is avoided and does not occur in this zone since flashback can damage the combustor and/or catalyst 28.
  • a circumferential row of air holes 36 immediately upstream of the secondary fuel injections in the combustor sidewall are angled to admit air in the downstream direction to produce uniform mixing of the secondary fuel and air in the mixing zone 34.
  • internal angular scoops 37 are provided for producing an angled air stream flow 39 through the holes 36 so as to assist in deflecting the secondary fuel to produce a substantially uniform fuel/air mixture for the catalyst 28.
  • the angled air stream 39 significantly assists internal crossflow air 41 in deflecting the fuel spray produced by the secondary fuel nozzles 32.
  • external scoops 33 produce similar fuel-air mixing action.
  • the fuel/air distribution is controlled and the center peaked fuel/air mix situation is avoided by taking advantage of the pressure drop across the combustor wall or liner 12.
  • This pressure drop is typically high enough that the velocity of the air entering the combustor 10 through holes is much higher than that of the air already flowing inside the combustor 10. Therefore, the momentum flux (momentum per unit area per unit time) of the entering air is much higher.
  • plunged holes or scopps located just upstream of the fuel spray and angled downstream, the high velocity of the air admitted through the holes provides a basis for avoiding the nonuniform center peaked fuel/air mix situation. In fact, the angle of the holes can be varied to control the fuel/air mix profile entering the catalyst region 28.
  • sidewall injection of fuel for catalytic combustors is capable of giving the needed even fuel/air mixture approaching the catalyst.
  • the catalyst outlet temperature which reflects the catalyst entry fuel/air ratio profile, shows a relatively even distribution 44 (i.e. a generally flattened shape) for an embodiment of the invention as compared to the center peaked distribution for the prior art.
  • Figure 5 shows the configuration used for the prior art in the test while Figure 1 shows the invention configuration used in the test.
  • the provision of angled air streams in the invention configuration is the principal reason for the improvement. The improved mixing is believed to occur as a result of deflection of the fuel spray by the angled air stream to a more advantageous mix location. and/or possibly as a result of air boosted turbulent kinetic energy in the region where the secondary fuel spray enters the combustor.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • Turbine Rotor Nozzle Sealing (AREA)
  • Control Of Turbines (AREA)
  • Combustion Of Fluid Fuel (AREA)
EP19830107832 1982-08-19 1983-08-09 Turbine combustor having more uniform mixing of fuel and air for improved downstream combustion Expired EP0103159B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US40968282A 1982-08-19 1982-08-19
US409682 1982-08-19

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0103159A1 EP0103159A1 (en) 1984-03-21
EP0103159B1 true EP0103159B1 (en) 1987-01-07

Family

ID=23621546

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP19830107832 Expired EP0103159B1 (en) 1982-08-19 1983-08-09 Turbine combustor having more uniform mixing of fuel and air for improved downstream combustion

Country Status (7)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0103159B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
JP (1) JPS5944524A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
AR (1) AR229741A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
CA (1) CA1209813A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
DE (1) DE3368974D1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
IE (1) IE54394B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)
MX (1) MX156751A (enrdf_load_stackoverflow)

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6223537B1 (en) * 1997-11-24 2001-05-01 Alliedsignal Power Systems Catalytic combustor for gas turbines
US6908232B2 (en) 2003-03-21 2005-06-21 Agilent Technologies, Inc. Fiber optic connectors and methods of making the same
CN105121962B (zh) * 2013-04-25 2018-06-22 安萨尔多能源瑞士股份公司 具有稀释气体的连续燃烧
CN115445130A (zh) * 2022-08-23 2022-12-09 国网安徽省电力有限公司电力科学研究院 一种消防炮用的管流机构

Family Cites Families (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US2579614A (en) * 1944-06-23 1951-12-25 Allis Chalmers Mfg Co Combustion chamber with rotating fuel and air stream surrounding a flame core
FR2221621B1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1973-03-13 1976-09-10 Snecma
US3937008A (en) * 1974-12-18 1976-02-10 United Technologies Corporation Low emission combustion chamber
US4118171A (en) * 1976-12-22 1978-10-03 Engelhard Minerals & Chemicals Corporation Method for effecting sustained combustion of carbonaceous fuel

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
IE54394B1 (en) 1989-09-13
CA1209813A (en) 1986-08-19
DE3368974D1 (en) 1987-02-12
JPS622216B2 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 1987-01-19
MX156751A (es) 1988-09-29
AR229741A1 (es) 1983-10-31
IE831719L (en) 1984-02-19
JPS5944524A (ja) 1984-03-13
EP0103159A1 (en) 1984-03-21

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