Lean Premixed Combustion/Active Control

An experimental comparison between two contrasting fuel-air swirlers for industrial gas turbine applications was undertaken at the United Technologies Research Center. The first, termed an Aerodynamic nozzle, relied on the prevailing aerodynamic forces to stabilize the downstream combustion zone. The second configuration relied on a conventional bluff plate for combustion stability and was hence named a Bluff-Body nozzle. Performance mapping over the power curve revealed the acoustic superiority of the Bluff-Body nozzle. Two dimensional Rayleigh indices calculated from CCD images identified larger acoustic driving zones associated with the Aerodynamic nozzle relative to its bluff counterpart. The Bluff-Body's success is due to increased flame stabilization (superior anchoring ability) which reduced flame motion and thermal/acoustic coupling