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MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY IN
THERMAL ENGINEERING
Submitted by
Mr. SIDHARTH SANKAR DAS (Roll No-153615)
Under the esteemed guidance of
Dr. G. Amba Prasada Rao
1
APPROVAL SHEET
This Dissertation Work entitled
CFD Analysis Of The Combustion Zone , Mixing Process And Emission Of
Partially Premixed Type Of CH4/Air , H2/Air Flames And Hythane With
Swirling Velocity In a Model Gas Turbine Combustor
By
SIDHARTH SANKAR DAS
Is approved for the degree of
Master of Technology
In
Thermal Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Warangal
Examiners
Supervisor
H.O.D
Date:
Place: Warangal
2
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY,
WARANGAL
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that the dissertation work entitled CFD Analysis of the Combustion Zone,
Mixing Process and Emission of Partially Premixed Type of CH4/Air, H2/Air Flames and
Hythane with Swirling Velocity in a Model Gas Turbine Combustor is a bonafide work
done by Mr. SIDHARTH SANKAR DAS (Roll No.153615) carried out under the
guidance of Dr. Amba Prasada Rao during the academic year 2016-2017 in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Technology in
Thermal Engineering.
3
DECLARATION
I declare that this written submission represents my ideas in my own words and where
Others ideas or words have been included. I have adequately cited and referenced the original
sources. I also declare that I have adhered to all principles of academic honesty and integrity and
understand that any violation of the above will be cause for disciplinary action by the Institute and
can also evoke penal action from the sources which have thus not been properly cited or from whom
(Signature)
DATE:
4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I consider it as a great privilege to express my deep gratitude to all respected
personalities who have guided, inspired and helped me in the successful completion of thesis.
First and foremost, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my guide Dr.G.
Amba Prasad Rao, Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, National Institute of
technology, Warangal for his constant supervision, guidance, suggestions and invaluable
encouragement during the thesis.
I would like to thank Dr. A. Veeresh Babu, Course Coordinator, Thermal Engineering,
National Institute of Technology Warangal, for his mentorship.
I am thankful to all my friends who have given valuable suggestions and help in all
stages of the development of the thesis. I also wish to thank all the staff members in the
department, non-teaching staff in the workshop.
Finally, I would like to dedicate this work to my guides and parents who have provided
support and encouragement.
N.I.T WARANGAL
5
ABSTRACT
6
Contents
APPROVAL SHEET 2
DECLARATION. 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT. 5
ABSTRACT 6
LIST OF FIGURES9-10
LIST OF TABLES 11
NOMENCLATURE 12
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1BACKGROUND 13
1.2 OBJECTIVES 15
2.2 FUNDAMENTALS 16
Chapter 3 GEOMETRY 27
7
Chapter 4 ANALYSIS
4.1 MOLE FRACTION CALCULATION 30-31
6.3 CONCLUSIONS74
REFERENCES77-78
8
List of Figures
Figure 1: Schematics of a gas combustor 17
Figure 24.profiles of turbulent flame speed of single and dual fuel mode premix combustion47
Figure 25-Graph of Effect of adding increasing excess air () on combustion chamber turbulent
flame speed to single (CNG,H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion.48
Fig 26, 27, 28- NOX at air () 1.2 CNG, CNG-H2, H2..50-51
Fig 29, 30, 31- NOX at air () 1.4 CNG, CNG-H2, H2.51-52
Fig 32, 33, 34- NOX at air () 1.6 CNG, CNG-H2, H2.53-54
Fig 35, 36, 37- NOX at air () 1.8 CNG, CNG-H2, H2.54-55
Figure 41-Graph of Effect of adding increasing excess air () on mass fraction of pollutant NO
generated to single (CNG,H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion57
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Figure 48, 49- CO2 at 1.8 HYTHANE AND CNG60
Figure 52-Graph of Effect of adding increasing excess air () on mass fraction of pollutant CO2
generated to single (CNG, H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion.61
Figure.63. Graph of Effect of adding increasing excess air () on mass fraction of pollutant CO
generated to single (CNG, H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion .65
10
List of Tables
Table 1: Table for mole fraction of CNG-O2 AND N2..32
11
Nomenclature
CNG Compressed natural gas
HYTHANE Mixture of methane and hydrogen (50%-50%)
C3H8 propane
Excess air (%)
NOX Nitrous oxide
m1 Mass flux of fuel in mixture
m2 Mass flux of oxidizer in mixture
YF,u mass fraction of fuel in the mixture
n Number of moles
Ut turbulent flame speed (m/s)
A Model constant
Thermal diffusivity(m2/s)
Ul laminar flame speed (m/s)
Kinematic viscosity
dissipation rate of turbulence kinetic energy
P perimeter
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Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1 Background
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gas combustor has been researched for many years for its excellent flammability capability and
reduced emission then gasoline. Even though methane combustion has been researched over the
years no satisfactory answer was offered in terms of emission reduction and increase in power
output. It has been found out that because of high carbon deposition in combustor it creates high
hot spot points and high turbulent flame speed.
In recent years fuel blending and the use of dual and trifuel operation mode
gained popularity in area of interest of research due to high heat generation capability then
conventional fuels and also the ability to check certain emission products. Similar type of use is
the use of Hydrogen in gas combustor. The use of hydrogen as an additive to methane gas is a
gradual transition of hydrogen as an energy carrier.Adittion of hydrogen to natural gas
significantly affects the combustion zone properties such as maximum power output, emission
levels and also fuel efficiency. Due to high flame propagation velocity and broader range of
flammability limits, it allows the lean burn combustion to take place which maintains emission
of nitrogen oxides,CO and hydrocarbons at much lower level than that of natural gas. Due to
high flame propagation speed of hydrogen, in the burner with or without the premixing of fuel
and air it is hard to extinguish due to flame lifting. The combustion process is also accompanied
by the generation of noX whose amount can be reduced by the premixing process, but it also
increases the danger of backfiring of flame.so its a tradeoff situation called a dilemma in
hydrogen combustion using burners.
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1.2 Objectives
The primary focus of this thesis work is directed towards finding a better option in terms of
fuel efficiency, power output in the combustion process and also increasing the output in terms
of profit by saving the fuel not altering the minimum requirements of the unit. This is
accomplished by analyzing and comparing the output datas of 2D simulation of the usual
primary fuel (CH4) and the blended fuel (CNG-H2) with the progressive addition of excess air.
2. 2D analysis and comparison of different combustion properties and emission analysis of usual
fuel (CNG) and propane (C3H8) in a modeled gas combustor.
Chapter 2 is the literature review, where working process of a gas combustor has been
discussed briefly and also the different parts of a gas combustor have been reviewed and
emission characteristics have been discussed briefly.
Chapter 3,4 and 5 contains the geometry considered, meshing ,calculation, results and
discussions for the numerical analysis of the gas combustor.
Chapter 6 is a comparison study between CNG and propane (C3H8) regarding different
combustion properties and emission characteristics.
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Chapter 2
Literature Review
2.2 Fundamentals
The objective of a gas combustor in a gas turbine is to add energy to the incoming high
pressurized gas and produce high velocity gas for expansion in turbine. Accomplishing this
process requires many design consideration.
- The most important design requirement of a combustor is to have such geometry that it
can accommodate enough oxidizer for complete combustion of fuel; if there is an
incomplete combustion then there is less energy production and unwanted emissions such
as un burnt hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (CO) and soot.
- The flame must be contained inside the combustion chamber and combustion flame
should not be at the far end of the combustion chamber because it will overheat the
combustion wall and also the turbine blades, it also serves the primary cause for in
complete flame development and subsequently incomplete combustion.
- The pressure loss across the combustor should be low so that maximum energy
conversion can be possible.
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- The thermal profile of the gas across the combustion chamber and also at the outlet
should be uniform because if hot spots are developed inside the chamber then the
chamber may be under severe thermal stress which can cause damage.
- Small size and reduced weight give maximum efficiency.so different types of light
weight alloys are researched day after day for weight reduction and also boost in
performance index.
- From the emission point of view carbon monoxide (CO), soot and nitrogen oxides (Nox)
should be low.
2.3 Component
1. Case
The case is the outer shell of the combustor. The case is protected from thermal loads resulting
from the combustion process in the combustor. Instead it is heavily affected by the difference in
pressure between the outside and inside of the combustor, so instead of thermal load mechanical
loading is the prime factor in its design.
2. Diffuser
The purpose of diffuser is to slow down the high velocity and high pressure air from
compressor to limit its velocity to an optimal level suitable for complete combustion in
combustion chamber. Also the primary challenge in designing a diffuser is to limit the
unavoidable pressure loss resulting from friction due to high velocity of the compressed air flow
along the length of the diffuser .also one of the design consideration is to avoid the flow
separation in the diffuser. The diffuser should be as light and as short as possible for better
efficiency.
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3. Liner
Liner is that part of the combustor which contains the combustion process and also introduces
various air flows in to the combustion chamber. The liner material should have a high thermal
stress value. Generally super alloy such as hastealloy x is used for manufacturing of liner. Even
though super alloys are used for liner there must be a cooling process so that there wont be any
damage to the liner wall because of heavy thermal stress development for prolonged period of
time. Generally cool airflow is used for cooling the loner material. There are two types of
cooling process available, film cooling and transpiration cooling. In film cooling generally the
cool air from outside is allowed to flow over the liner for film cooling.in transpiration cooling
the liner material is made porous in nature which serves the purpose of cool air entrapment,
which provides the same cooling function as film cooling only difference is less cool air is
required for cooling and the efficiency of cooling is better.
4. Snout
Snout is an extension of dome which separates the primary air to secondary air.
5. Swirler
The swirler is a part of combustor whose purpose is to add swirling velocity to the incoming
high pressurized air from the compressor. Because of the addition of the swirling velocity to the
oxidizer (air) better combustion can be enhanced. Due to swirling it creates a local low pressure
zone in the incoming air which enhances the combustion product mixing mainly due to
recirculation. But due to high swirl and high turbulence pressure loss can take place which can
be avoided by carefully designed swirler.
6. Fuel injector
Fuel injector is responsible for injection of fuel and sometimes oxidizer along with the swirler
to the combustion zone. Generally four types of fuel injection process are used in a combustor;
pressure atomizing, air blast, vaporizing and premix injectors. In pressure injectors as the name
suggests high pressure is used for atomizing and then injection. In air blast injectors a sheet of
fuel is blasted in to the combustion zone along with the air. The air that is used for injection
along with the fuel is the primary air that is diverted from the swirler.In premix injectors the fuel
and oxidizer is premixed in a defined ratio then injected along with the primary air in to the
combustor.in these type of combustor the premixing process is done before the fuel hits the
injector.
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Fig .2. Enlarged section of fuel injector
7. Igniter
Most igniters in gas turbine applications are electrical spark igniters, similar to automotive
spark plugs. The igniter needs to be in the combustion zone where the fuel and air are already
mixed, but it needs to be far enough upstream so that it is not damaged by the combustion
itself. Once the combustion is initially started by the igniter, it is self-sustaining and the
igniter is no longer used. In can-annular and annular combustors, the flame can propagate
from one combustion zone to another, so igniters are not needed at each one. In some
systems ignition-assist techniques are used. One such method is oxygen injection, where
oxygen is fed to the ignition area, helping the fuel easily combust. This is particularly useful
in some aircraft applications where the engine may have to restart at high altitude.
2. Intermediate air
Intermediate air is the air injected into the combustion zone through the second set of
liner holes (primary air goes through the first set). This air completes the reaction
processes, cooling the air down and diluting the high concentrations of carbon monoxide
(CO) and hydrogen (H2).
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3. Dilution air
Dilution air is airflow injected through holes in the liner at the end of the combustion
chamber to help cool the air to before it reaches the turbine stages. The air is carefully
used to produce the uniform temperature profile desired in the combustor. However, as
turbine blade technology improves, allowing them to withstand higher temperatures,
dilution air is used less, allowing the use of more combustion air.
4 Cooling air
Cooling air is airflow that is injected through small holes in the liner to generate a layer
(film) of cool air to protect the liner from the combustion temperatures. The
implementation of cooling air has to be carefully designed so it does not directly interact
with the combustion air and process. In some cases, as much as 50% of the inlet air is
used as cooling air. There are several different methods of injecting this cooling air, and
the method can influence the temperature profile that the liner is exposed to.
2.5. Emissions
One of the driving factors in modern gas turbine design is reducing emissions, and the
combustor is the primary contributor to a gas turbine's emissions. Generally speaking, there are
five major types of emissions from gas turbine engines: smoke, carbon dioxide (CO2), carbon
monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbons (UHC), and nitrogen oxides (NOx).
Smoke is primarily mitigated by more evenly mixing the fuel with air. As discussed in the
fuel injector section above, modern fuel injectors (such as airblast fuel injectors) evenly atomize
the fuel and eliminate local pockets of high fuel concentration. Most modern engines use these
types of fuel injectors and are essentially smokeless. Carbon dioxide is a product of the
combustion process, and it is primarily mitigated by reducing fuel usage. On average, 1 kg of jet
fuel burned produces 3.2 kg of CO2. Carbon dioxide emissions will continue to drop as
manufacturers make gas turbine engines more efficient.
Unburned hydrocarbon (UHC) and carbon monoxide (CO) emissions are highly related.
UHCs are essentially fuel that was not completely combusted, and UHCs are mostly produced at
low power levels (where the engine is not burning all the fuel). Much of the UHC content reacts
and forms CO within the combustor, which is why the two types of emissions are heavily related.
As a result of this close relation, a combustor that is well optimized for CO emissions is
inherently well optimized for UHC emissions, so most design work focuses on CO emissions.
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quickly), high temperatures, and high pressures. This fact means that a low CO combustor has a
long residence time (essentially the amount of time the gases are in the combustion chamber).
Like CO, Nitrogen oxides (NOx) are produced in the combustion zone. However, unlike CO,
it is most produced during the conditions that CO is most consumed (high temperature, high
pressure, long residence time). This means that, in general, reducing CO emissions results in an
increase in NOx and vice versa. This fact means that most successful emission reductions require
the combination of several methods. The nitrogen oxides are derived from the nitrogen in the
ambient air as well as from any nitrogen-containing compounds in the fossil fuel. The sulfur
dioxide is derived from any sulfur-containing compounds in the fuels. The particulate matter is
composed of very small particles of solid materials and very small liquid droplets which give
flue gases their smoky appearance. The steam generators in large power plants and the process
furnaces in large refineries, petrochemical and chemical plants, and incinerators burn
considerable amounts of fossil fuels and therefore emit large amounts of flue gas to the ambient
atmosphere. It is notable that the total amount of flue gas generated by coal combustion is only
10 percent higher than the flue gas generated by natural-gas combustion.
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The basic principle of the airplane turbine engine is identical to any and all engines that extract
energy from chemical fuel. The turbine has engine sections called:
The turbine section of the gas turbine engine has the task of producing usable output shaft power
to drive the propeller. In addition, it must also provide power to drive the compressor and all
engine accessories. It does this by expanding the high temperature, pressure, and velocity gas
and converting the gaseous energy to mechanical energy in the form of shaft power. A large
mass of air must be supplied to the turbine in order to produce the necessary power. This mass of
air is supplied by the compressor, which draws the air into the engine and squeezes it to provide
high-pressure air to the turbine. The compressor does this by converting mechanical energy from
the turbine to gaseous energy in the form of pressure and temperature.
If the compressor and the turbine were 100% efficient, the compressor would supply all the air
needed by the turbine. At the same time, the turbine would supply the necessary power to drive
the compressor. In this case, a perpetual motion machine would exist. However, frictional losses
and mechanical system inefficiencies do not allow a perpetual motion machine to operate.
Additional energy must be added to the air to accommodate for these losses. Power output is also
desired from the engine (beyond simply driving the compressor); thus, even more energy must
be added to the air to produce this excess power. Energy addition to the system is accomplished
in the combustor. Chemical energy from fuel as it is burned is converted to gaseous energy in the
form of high temperatures and high velocity as the air passes through the combustor. The
gaseous energy is converted back to mechanical energy in the turbine, providing power to drive
the compressor and the output shaft.
As air passes through a gas turbine engine, aerodynamic and energy requirements demand
changes in the airs velocity and pressure. During compression, a rise in the air pressure is
required, but not an increase in its velocity. After compression and combustion have heated the
air, an increase in the velocity of gases is necessary in order for the turbine rotors to develop
power. The size and shape of the ducts through which the air flows affect these various changes.
Where a conversion from velocity to pressure is required, the passages are divergent.
Conversely, if a conversion from pressure to velocity is needed, a convergent duct is used. The
difference between static, impact, and total pressures is as follows. Static pressure is the force per
unit area exerted on the walls of a container by a stationary fluid. An example is the air pressure
within a car tire. Impact pressure, on the other hand, is the force per unit area exerted by fluids in
motion. Impact pressure is a function of the velocity of the fluid.
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1. Inlet section
The air inlet duct must provide clean and unrestricted airflow to the engine. Clean and
undisturbed inlet airflow extends engine life by preventing erosion, corrosion, and foreign object
damage (FOD). Consideration of atmospheric conditions such as dust, salt, industrial pollution,
foreign objects (birds, nuts and bolts), and temperature (icing conditions) must be made when
designing the inlet system. Fairings should be installed between the engine air inlet housing and
the inlet duct to ensure minimum airflow losses to the engine at all airflow conditions. The inlet
duct assembly is usually designed and produced as a separate system rather than as part of the
design and production of the engine.
2. Compressor
The compressor is responsible for providing the turbine with all the air it needs in an efficient
manner. In addition, it must supply this air at high static pressures. The example of a large
turboprop axial flow compressor will be used. The compressor is assumed to contain fourteen
stages of rotor blades and stator vanes. The overall pressure ratio (pressure at the back of the
compressor compared to pressure at the front of the compressor) is approximately 9.5:1. At
100% (>13,000) RPM, the engine compresses approximately 433 cubic feet of air per second. At
standard day air conditions, this equals approximately 33 pounds of air per second.
The compressor also raises the temperature of the air by about 5500F as the air is compressed
and moved rearward. The power required to drive a compressor of this size at maximum rated
power is approximately 7000 horsepower. In an axial flow compressor, each stage incrementally
boosts the pressure from the previous stage. A single stage of compression consists of a set of
rotor blades attached to a rotating disk, followed by stator vanes attached to a stationary ring.
The flow area between the compressor blades is slightly divergent. Flow area between
compressor vanes is also divergent, but more so than for the blades. In general terms, the
compressor rotor blades convert mechanical energy into gaseous energy. This energy conversion
greatly increases total pressure (Pt). Most of the increase is in the form of velocity (Pi), with a
small increase in static pressure (Ps) due to the divergence of the blade flow paths.
The efficiency of a compressor is primarily determined by the smoothness of the airflow. During
design, every effort is made to keep the air flowing smoothly through the compressor to
minimize airflow losses due to friction and turbulence. This task is a difficult one, since the air is
forced to flow into ever-higher pressure zones. Air has the natural tendency to flow toward low-
pressure zones. If air were allowed to flow "backward" into the lower pressure zones, the
efficiency of the compressor would decrease tremendously as the energy used to increase the
pressure of the air was wasted. To prevent this from occurring, seals are incorporated at the base
of each row of vanes to prevent air leakage. In addition, the tip clearances of the rotating blades
are also kept at a minimum by the use of coating on the inner surface of the compressor case. All
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components used in the flow path of the compressor are shaped in the form of airfoils to
maintain the smoothest airflow possible. Just as is the case for the wings of an airplane, the angle
at which the air flows across the airfoils is critical to performance. The blades and vanes of the
compressor are positioned at the optimum angles to achieve the most efficient airflow at the
compressors maximum rated speed. Any deviation from the maximum rated speed changes the
characteristics of the airflow within the compressor. The blades and vanes are no longer
positioned at their optimum angles. Many engines use bleed valves to unload the force of excess
air in the compressor when it operates at less than optimum speed. The example engine
incorporates four bleed valves at each of the fifth and tenth compressor stages. They are open
until 13,000 RPM (~94% maximum) is reached, and allow some of the compressed air to flow
out to the atmosphere. This results in higher air velocities over the blade and vane airfoils,
improving the airfoil angles. The potential for airfoil stalling is reduced, and compressor
acceleration can be accomplished without surge.
3. Diffuser
Air leaves the compressor through exit guide vanes, which convert the radial component of the
air flow out of the compressor to straight-line flow. The air then enters the diffuser section of the
engine, which is a very divergent duct. The primary function of the diffuser structure is
aerodynamic. The divergent duct shape converts most of the airs velocity (Vi) into static
pressure (PS). As a result, the highest static pressure and lowest velocity in the entire engine is at
the point of diffuser discharge and combustor inlet. Other aerodynamic design considerations
that are important in the diffuser section arise from the need for a short flow path, uniform flow
distribution, and low drag loss. In addition to critical aerodynamic functions, the diffuser also
provides:
4. Combustor
Once the air flows through the diffuser, it enters the combustion section, also called the
combustor. The combustion section has the difficult task of controlling the burning of large
amounts of fuel and air. It must release the heat in a manner that the air is expanded and
accelerated to give a smooth and stable stream of uniformly-heated gas at all starting and
operating conditions.
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5. Turbine
The turbine converts the gaseous energy of the air/burned fuel mixture out of the combustor
into mechanical energy to drive the compressor, driven accessories, and, through a reduction
gear, the propeller. The turbine converts gaseous energy into mechanical energy by expanding
the hot, high-pressure gases to a lower temperature and pressure. Each stage of the turbine
consists of a row of stationary vanes followed by a row of rotating blades. This is the reverse of
the order in the compressor. In the compressor, energy is added to the gas by the rotor blades,
and then converted to static pressure by the stator vanes. In the turbine, the stator vanes increase
gas velocity, and then the rotor blades extract energy. The vanes and blades are airfoils that
provide for a smooth flow of the gases. As the airstream enters the turbine section from the
combustion section, it is accelerated through the first stage stator vanes. The stator vanes (also
called nozzles) form convergent ducts that convert the gaseous heat and pressure energy into
higher velocity gas flow (vi). In addition to accelerating the gas, the vanes "turn" the flow to
direct it into the rotor blades at the optimum angle.
As the mass of the high velocity gas flows across the turbine blades, the gaseous energy is
converted to mechanical energy. Velocity, temperature, and pressure of the gas are sacrificed in
order to rotate the turbine to generate shaft power. One stage of the turbine and the
characteristics of the gases as it flow through the stage.
The efficiency of the turbine is determined by how well it extracts mechanical energy from the
hot, high-velocity gasses. Since air flows from a high-pressure zone to a low-pressure zone, this
task is accomplished fairly easily. The use of properly positioned airfoils allows a smooth flow
and expansion of gases through the blades and vanes of the turbine. All the air must flow across
the airfoils to achieve maximum efficiency in the turbine. In order to ensure this, seals are used
at the base of the vanes to minimize gas flow around the vanes instead of through the intended
gas path. In addition, the first three stages of the turbine blades have tip shrouds to minimize gas
flow around the blade tips.
6. Exhaust
After the gas has passed through the turbine, it is discharged through the exhaust. Though most
of the gaseous energy is converted to mechanical energy by the turbine, a significant amount of
power remains in the exhaust gas. This gas energy is accelerated through the convergent duct
shape of the exhaust to make it more useful.
25
Fig.4.Gas combustor
26
Chapter 3
This study uses a combustor (101.6 mm x 647.7mm) for analysis of partially premixed
combustion which has both premixed (fuel inflow) and non-premixed (fuel and air mixed)
conditions
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3.1 Physical setup
In this study the partially premixed combustion case is analyzed on FLUENT. The
equivalence ratio for fuel and air mixture is taken as 0.8.The fuel is injected at 300k at an axial
direction and also provided with swirling velocity by the swirler.The oxidizer (air) is injected
into the combustion chamber at velocity of 10m/s and at a temperature of 650k [10].The
combustion chamber is assumed to be cylindrical, rotated about the axis of the symmetry. The
outflow is assumed to be pressure (atmospheric) outlet; generally taken as 1.013 bar or 101325
Pascal. The combustor was operated with single fuel (Methane-air, Hydrogen-air) and dual fuel
(Methane-Hydrogen-air) with different values of excess air with a progressive magnitude of 1.2,
1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2, denoted by the symbol .Due to high flame propagation speed of hydrogen to
avoid backfiring and flame lifting which is the primary cause for reduction in power output and
unusual hot spots development near the wall of combustor the hydrogen quantity is limited to
50%[18].The input conditions and parameters are kept same for single and dual fuel operation.
Premix injectors are used for injection of premixed fuel in both single and dual fuel operation
and simple port/manifold injection is used as a mode for oxidizer injection.
Air flow
Pressure outlet
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3.2Meshing
The solid part of simplified simulation 2D model is prepared in Ansys workbench. The
meshing of the model is done in the meshing module of the Ansys workbench.CFD preference
meshing is done in the meshing module of the workbench. The meshing is done without
considering any advanced size functions. Since very fine meshing is required for analysis of
complex turbulent combustion in the combustor edge sizing tool is used to specify required
element size for corresponding edges. Growth rate of this mesh is chosen to be the default type
and also the bias factor is set to zero to make the mesh bias free. The minimum orthogonal
skewness is limited from 6.98805e-01 to 3.01195e-01. Maximum aspect ratio is assumed to be
2.28049e+00. Mesh element sizes are done by doing grid independent test.Two types of meshing
is created for grid independence study namely as coarse and fine meshing.
29
Chapter 4
Analysis
If inert gases such as nitrogen is taken into consideration that the main fuel stream contains
nitrogen then, the mass fraction of fuel in the mixture is directly proportional to the mass fraction
of fuel in the original stream,
YF,u=YF,1 *Z.(2)
30
Similarly if the oxidizer is assumed to be mostly contains oxygen, neglecting the other gases
which are present in very small amount whose presence do not affect largely the combustion
zone characteristics ,then the mass fraction of oxidizer is defined by,
YO2,u=YO2,2 *(1-Z)..(3)
Next taking the stoichiometric model in to consideration and assuming the fuel air mixture is a
stoichiometric mixture the fuel and oxidizer is assumed to be entirely consumed when combust
to CO2 and H2O .Generally defining the stoichiometric equation in terms of coefficient ,
Q= m+ (n/4)
L= m
M= n/2
According to the FDS model the ratio of number of moles of fuel and oxidizer in the unburnt
mixture is same in magnitude that of ration of stoichiometric coefficients in stoichiometric
equation .
31
For a stoichiometric mixture YF = YO2, so for stoichiometric reaction,
4.2 Tables for mole fraction of CNG-air, H2-air and Hythane- air
4.2.1 CNG-AIR
Table.. (1)
4.2.2 H2-AIR
Table (2)
32
4.2.3.CNG-H2-AIR
Table . (3)
Ut = AU (t / c)1/4.(1)
A=model constant
33
Ul = laminar flame speed (m/s)
lt= CD (U)3/(2)
As in this simulation process the eddy dissipation rate is assumed to be much lower than the
flame spreading rate or simply putting the smallest turbulent eddy, which is measured in terms
of Kolmogorov scale) is smaller than the flame thickness ,so,zimont turbulent flame speed model
can be applicable in this simulation procedure[516].This model basically signifies or enhances
the analysis of thin combustion zone reaction ,which can be solved and analyzed in quantitative
approach by Karlovitz numbers,[15]Ka,whose value is greater than unity ,Ka is defined as
Ka = tl / t= 2 / Ul2
For zimont turbulence flame speed model the stretch factor coefficient is set to 0.26 and wall
damping coefficient is set to unity. In material selection section the predefined pdf mixture is
selected as the material for combustion analysys.For turbulent flame analysis the standard k-
model is used with standard wall fuction.The standard k- model contains many unknown and
immeasurable variables so for simplification the turbulent model is subjected to Launder and
Spalding [3] model, which gives us the advantage of minimizing the number of unknowns. The
primary purpose of this model is to improve the mixing length, which upon simplification can
measure two transport variables,
2. Second transport variable is known as dissipation rate of turbulence kinetic energy ().
34
4.4 Boundary conditions
As this is the case of premixed type combustion, both air and fuel-air inlet conditions are
needed to be defined at the beginning of simulation process or before entering the combustion
chamber. In case of air inlet the axial velocity is taken as 10m/s and the turbulent intensity and
hydraulic diameter is calculated as 10% and 0.0254[10].Turbulent intensity is the fluctuation
from calculated air speed. A flow which is ideal in nature, which means absolutely no
fluctuations from intended flow speed, has a turbulent intensity of 0%.
P=perimeter
The air-fuel which is made to enter the chamber through an premixed injector which then
subjected to a swirling velocity for better combustion, has an axial or inlet velocity of the
magnitude of 50m/s with swirling velocity of 30m/s.The air is compressed before it enters the
combustion chamber, so the temperature of air is being raised from atmospheric condition which
can be assumed as 303k to a higher temperature of 650k approximately. But for the air-fuel
which is injected in to the chamber trough a premix injector is at atmospheric temperature of
303k. For the calculation purpose the mixture fraction is taken as unity, so that the fuel and
oxidizer quantities in the mixture can be expressed in terms of mixture fraction. The outlet is
assumed to pressure (atmospheric, i-e at 101325 pa) outlet, whose gauge pressure magnitude is
taken as zero. The backflow turbulent intensity is taken as 100% and the back flow turbulent
viscosity is taken as 0.13.There is always a chance of backflow of combustion products which
can largely affect the combustion zone properties so to solve this problem the backflow progress
variable is taken as unity. The combustor wall is taken as the stationary type of wall with a
roughness constant of value 0.5.
35
Chapter 5
In this section the premixed turbulent combustion characteristics of CNG, H2 and blended
fuel (CNG-H2) as primary fuel are discussed. Also the emission characteristics of the single fuel
(CNG, H2) and dual fuel mode (CNG-H2) are discussed and plotted against the increasing air
supply.
5.1 Temperature
The temperature profile and values of the maximum temperature inside the combustion
chamber at various quantities of excess air () is calculated and plotted .from the figure it is
observed that the temperature generated inside the combustion chamber decreases at a relative
linear rate with the progressive addition of excess air. As from the figures we can see that in case
of CNG-air premixed type combustion the high temperature regions are gradually pushed
towards the edge or wall of the combustion chamber with an increase in the quantity of excess
air. The peak temperatures generated inside the combustion chambers are 1483k, 1267.23k,
1085.51k, 1011.27k and 985k with the addition of excess air () at 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2
respectively. When we use the dual fuel premixed combustion process (CNG-H2-air) then the
low flame propagation speed of CNG is hugely affected by the presence of hydrogen in the fuel.
Due to addition of hydrogen to the fuel (CNG), it enhances the burning rate of methane (CH4)
and also increases the diffusivity of the fuel. We can see from the plotted graph that at an excess
air () of 20% the single fuel (CNG) premixed type combustion generates the peak chamber
temperature of 1483k while this value of peak temperature increases monotonically to 1973.26k
in case of a dual fuel (CNG-H2 air) premixed type of combustion .It is observed from the
temperature profile of dual fuel premix combustion (CNG-H2) that the hot spot regions or
36
maximum temperature regions are more central at the beginning of supercharging. With the
increase of excess air (), typically at 80% the central hot spot regions disappear and move very
near to the wall .at 100% excess air the peak temperature region move to the farthest point of the
combustion chamber.
1. CNG
Figure.8. =1.2
37
Figure.9, =1.4
Figure.10, =1.6
38
Figure.11, =1.8
Figure.12, =2
39
2.HYDROGEN
Figure.13, =1.2
Figure.14 =1.4
40
Figure.15 , =1.6
Figure.16 ,=1.8
41
Figure.17 ,=2
3. CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.18 ,=1.2
42
Figure.19 , =1.4
Figure.20 ,=1.6
43
Figure.21 , =1.8
Figure.22 , =2
44
The duration of combustion is less and also due to the advancement of flame at lower excess air
() the in chamber peak temperature is higher than at high excess air. Due to addition of
hydrogen to CNG the flame propagation speed increases significantly ,flammability range
widens up usually giving the dual fuel a relatively higher flammability range than CNG,enthalpy
of combustion increases resulting in increasing the in combustion chamber peak temperature.
Generally the peak incylinder temperature requirement in case of a typical jet engine and a gas
turbine power plant is of the order of 2000k and 1200k 1300k respectively. The increase in
chamber temperature is mostly due to two primary reasons; first due to burning of premixed
mixture and secondly due to diffusion phase burning [2].
2500
2000
TEMPERATURE(KELVIN)
1500
HYDROGEN
CNG-H2
1000
CNG
500
0
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
EXCESS AIR()
45
5.2. Turbulent flame speed
The turbulent burning velocity is defined as the average rate of propagation of the flame
through the turbulent premixed gas mixture. In the turbulent case it is not clear that a turbulent
speed is indeed a well-defined notion. The assumption that it exists could be supported by the
observations that turbulent flames propagate a well-defined distance, and if in steady turbulent
flows they possess a measurable inclination angle. The Turbulent flame profile and values of the
maximum flame speed inside the combustion chamber at various quantities of excess air () is
calculated and plotted .From the figure it is observed that the turbulent flame speed generated
inside the combustion chamber decreases at a relative linear rate with the progressive addition of
excess air. As from the figures we can see that in case of CNG-air premixed type combustion the
high flame speed regions are centrally located and near wall regions are subjected to low flame
speed when low excess air is injected into the combustor. With an increase in the quantity of
excess air the flame speed gets diminished to a very low value reaching a magnitude of almost
zero near the combustor wall region. The primary reason for this gradual decline in flame speed
is due to the decrease in turbulence due to increase quantity of excess air (). The maximum
flame speed generated inside the combustion chambers are 3.54 m/s, 2.36 m/s,1.37m/s,0.563 m/s
and 0.374 m/s with the addition of excess air () at 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2 respectively.
When we use the dual fuel premixed combustion process (CNG-H2-air) then the low flame
propagation speed of CNG is hugely affected by the presence of hydrogen in the fuel. Due to
addition of hydrogen to the fuel (CNG), it enhances the burning rate of methane (CH4) and also
increases the diffusivity of the fuel. We can see from the plotted graph that at an excess air () of
20% the single fuel (CNG) premixed type combustion generates the maximum turbulent flame
speed of 3.54 m/s while this value of flame speed increases monotonically to 5.4 in case of a dual
fuel (CNG-H2 air) premixed type of combustion. As the flame speed increases gradually from
CNG to HYTHANE to HYDROGEN, both the laminar and turbulent flame speed increases
inside the combustion chamber. For the increase in turbulent flame speed the flame first begins
to wrinkle, and then it will corrugate and finally breaks. This broken flame front enhances the
transport a property due to turbulent eddies, resulting in a higher mixing of combustion
properties. Because of higher turbulent flame speed in Hydrogen rather than CNG the resulting
peak temperatures in combustion chamber increases significantly. Due to durability reasons this
high temperature needs to be lessened down to a optimum and operatable level.so blending is
done to reduce its turbulent flame speed resulting in less temperature, which makes it usable in
regular circumstances.
46
=1.2 =1.4 =1.6 =1.8
CNG-AIR
H2-AIR
CNG-H2-
AIR
Figure 24.profiles of turbulent flame speed of single and dual fuel mode premix combustion
47
.It is observed from the turbulent flame speed profile of dual fuel premix combustion
(CNG-H2) that the regions which are subjected to high flame speed are more central at the
beginning of supercharging. With the increase of excess air (), the high flame speed propagation
regions get shorter in volume and contained to only central combustion zone at high values of
excess air (). In case of dual fuel premixed combustion mode the maximum turbulent flame
speed generated inside the combustion chambers are 5.4 m/s, 4.39 m/s,3.48m/s,2.67 m/s and 1.94
m/s with the addition of excess air () at 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2 respectively. Similarly if we use
hydrogen as single fuel(H2-air) in the premixed combustion process it is seen from the turbulent
flame speed profiles that higher flame speeds are generated almost at every value of excess
air() compared to that of CNG and blended fuel (50% CNG-50%H2) premix type of
combustion. For excess air of 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 and 2 the peak temperatures generated inside that
of the combustion chamber are 13.5 m/s, 11.4 m/s, 9.47 m/s, 7.83 m/s, 6.44 m/.This is basically
due to high flame propagation speed and high flammability compared to that of CNG which are
the major factors for increase in combustion zone turbulence assuming both substances having
combustion inside same geometric constraints.
16
14
TURBULENT FLAME SPEED(m/s)
12
10
8 CNG
CNG-HYDROGEN
6
HYDROGEN
0
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
EXCESS AIR()
Figure 25-Effect of adding increasing excess air () on combustion chamber turbulent flame
speed to single (CNG,H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion
48
5.3. NOX emissions
In this study single fuel (CNG-air and Hydrogen-air) and dual fuel (CNG-H2-air) premixed
mode combustion emissions are analyzed and plotted in graph. The effect of increasing hydrogen
content in fuel and its relation to NO emission was investigated for CNG ,H2 and blended fuel of
50% CNG and 50%H2.It is seen from the graph that with an increase in hydrogen content from
CNG to blended fuel of CNG-H2 and finally to H2 the NO emission gradually increases. For the
same quantity of excess air () the amount of NO emission is more in H 2 compared to blended
fuel and CNG .It is seen from the emission contours that are being generated by simulation of a
premixed type combustion with swirling velocity that mass fraction of pollutant NO generated in
case of CNG is of the magnitude 7.86e-18, which is very close to zero, so the quantity of NO
emission from CNG combustion can be assumed to be NO free. But it can be seen that with
increasing hydrogen content in the fuel, the peak values of mass fraction of NO emission
increases significantly. At the dual fuel premixed combustion mode (CNG-H2-air) with swirling
velocity, the peak values of pollutant NO mass fractions are 2.99e-6, 2.36e-8, 3.86e-9, 2.13e-10,
and 5.51e-12 at excess air () of values 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown in contours.
Keeping all the physical parameters same, in case of hydrogen-air premixed combustion the
mass fraction of pollutant NO increases monotonically for the same value of excess air ()
compared to dual fuel premixed combustion. The peak values of mass fraction of pollutant NO in
case of hydrogen-air premixed combustion are 7.05e-5, 5.2e-6, 2.45e-7, 1.74e-8 and 9.98e-9 at
excess air () of values 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown in figure 5.Because of the
increase in hydrogen content in the fuel the burning rate increases rapidly due to high flame
propagation speed and high flammability of hydrogen. In case of CNG (which contains mainly
methane as its primary component) combustion the low flame propagation speed of methane
flame considerably reduce the combustion chamber temperature.Bacause of this reduction in
temperature, formation of NO is reduced to much lower value compared to hydrogen fuel
combustion.
As the quantity of excess air () is increased, the mass fraction of pollutant NO generated is
decreased linearly due to less temperature generated inside the combustion chamber. However if
the mass fraction of hydrogen rises in the fuel then it leads to a higher combustion inchamber
temperature, which in turn leads to formation of pollutant NO at a higher rate at the same value
of excess air ().so the addition of hydrogen to CNG generate higher value of combustion
chamber temperature due to increase in flame propagation speed but it also increases the
emission of pollutant NO to a larger quantity.
49
At excess air () =1.2
1. CNG
Figure.26
2. CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.27
50
3. HYDROGEN
Figure.28
At excess air () =1.4
1. CNG
Figure.29
51
2. CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.30
3. HYDROGEN
Figure.31
52
At excess air () =1.6
1. CNG
Figure.32
2. CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.33
53
3. HYDROGEN
Figure.34
At excess air () =1.8
1. CNG
Figure.35
54
2. CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.36
3.HYDROGEN
Figure.37
55
At excess air()=2
1. CNG
Figure.38
2.CNG-HYDROGEN
Figure.39
56
3. HYDROGEN
Figure.40
8.00E-05
7.00E-05
MASS FRACTION OF POLLUTANT NO
6.00E-05
5.00E-05
4.00E-05 CNG-AIR
HYDROGEN-AIR
3.00E-05
HYTHANE-AIR
2.00E-05
1.00E-05
0.00E+00
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
EXCESS AIR()
Figure 41-Effect of adding increasing excess air () on mass fraction of pollutant NO generated
to single (CNG,H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion
57
5.4. CO2 emission
CO2 emission of single fuel mode (CNG, H2) and dual fuel mode (CNG-H2) combustion are
analyzed and plotted in figure 6. It is seen from the graph that with a decrease in carbon content
from CNG to blended fuel of CNG-H2 and finally to H2 the CO2 emission gradually decreases.
For the same quantity of excess air () the amount of CO2 emission is more in CNG compared to
blended fuel and H2 .It is seen from the CO2 emission contours that are being generated by
simulation of a premixed type combustion with swirling velocity that mass fraction of pollutant
CO2 generated in case of H2 is of very negligible magnitude, which is close to zero, so the
emissions from H2 combustion can be assumed to be CO2 free. But it can be seen that with
increasing carbon content in the fuel, the peak values of mass fraction of CO2 emission increases
significantly. At the dual fuel premixed combustion mode (CNG-H2-air) with swirling velocity,
the peak values of pollutant CO2 mass fractions are 0.0726, 0.0576, 0.0432, 0.0376, 0.0313 at
excess air () of values 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown in respective contours. Keeping
all the physical parameters same, in case of CNG-air premixed combustion the mass fraction of
pollutant CO2 increases monotonically for the same value of excess air () compared to dual fuel
premixed combustion. The peak values of mass fraction of pollutant CO2 in case of CNG-air
premixed combustion are 0.096, 0.0731, 0.0485, 0.046 and 0.0345 at excess air () of values 1.2,
1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown in figure 6. Because of the increase in carbon content in the
fuel rate of production of carbon dioxide is enhanced in presence of oxidizer in air (oxygen). In
case of CNG (which contains mainly methane as its primary component) combustion the low
flame propagation speed of methane flame considerably reduce the combustion chamber
temperature.Bacause of this reduction in temperature, formation of CO2 is increased to much
higher value compared to hydrogen fuel combustion, where lack of carbon atoms decreases the
rate of production of CO2.
As the quantity of excess air () is increased, the mass fraction of pollutant CO2 generated is
decreased linearly due to less temperature and turbulence generated inside the combustion
chamber. However if the mass fraction of hydrogen rises in the fuel then it leads to a higher
combustion inchamber temperature, which in turn leads to lower rate of formation of pollutant
CO2 at the same value of excess air ().so the addition of hydrogen to CNG generate higher
value of combustion chamber temperature due to increase in flame propagation speed but it also
decreases the emission of pollutant CO2 to a larger quantity.
58
At excess air()=1.2
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.42 Figure.43
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.44 Figure.45
59
At excess air()=1.6
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.46 Figure.47
At excess air () =1.8
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.48 Figure.49
60
At excess air () =2
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.50 Figure.51
0.12
0.1
0.08
CO2 MASS FRACTION
0.06 CNG
CNG-HYDROGEN
0.04 HYDROGEN
0.02
0
1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8 2
EXCESS AIR()
Figure 52-Effect of adding increasing excess air () on mass fraction of pollutant CO2 generated
to single (CNG, H2) and dual (CNG-H2) fuel premix combustion
61
5.5. CO emission
CO emission of single fuel mode (CNG, H2) and dual fuel mode (CNG-H2) combustion are
analyzed and plotted in graph.CO emission is mainly influenced by the fuel air equivalence ratio.
It is seen from the graph that with a decrease in carbon content from CNG to blended fuel of
CNG-H2 and finally to H2 the CO emission gradually decreases. For the same quantity of excess
air () the amount of CO emission is more in CNG compared to blended fuel and H2 .It is seen
from the CO emission contours that are being generated by simulation of a premixed type
combustion with swirling velocity that mass fraction of pollutant CO generated in case of H2 is
of very negligible magnitude, which is close to zero, so the emissions from H2 combustion can
be assumed to be CO free. But it can be seen that with increasing carbon content in the fuel, the
peak values of mass fraction of CO emission increases significantly. At the dual fuel premixed
combustion mode (CNG-H2-air) with swirling velocity, the peak values of pollutant CO mass
fractions are1.52e-6,1.07e-6,1.01e-6,0.524e-6 and 0.0954e-6 at excess air () of values 1.2, 1.4,
1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown in figure 7.Keeping all the physical parameters same, in case of
CNG-air premixed combustion the mass fraction of pollutant CO increases monotonically for the
same value of excess air () compared to dual fuel premixed combustion. The peak values of
mass fraction of pollutant CO in case of CNG-air premixed combustion are 3.08e-6, 2.71e-6,
2.48e-6, 1.66e-6 and 0.763e-6 at excess air () of values 1.2, 1.4, 1.6, 1.8,2 respectively as shown
in figure 7. Because of the increase in carbon content in the fuel rate of production of carbon
monoxide is enhanced in presence of oxidizer in air (oxygen). In case of CNG (which contains
mainly methane as its primary component) combustion the low flame propagation speed of
methane flame considerably reduce the combustion chamber temperature.Bacause of this
reduction in temperature, incomplete combustion take place inside the combustion chamber
considering the time each particle of fuel is subjected to combustion. If both time and
temperature required for complete combustion is not fulfilled then due to incomplete combustion
unburned CO emission takes place. By adding hydrogen to CNG because of the presence of OH,
H and O radicals, it enhances the reaction rates, thus promoting complete combustion of CNG
which in turn reduces the mass fraction of pollutant CO generated.
As the quantity of excess air () is increased, the mass fraction of pollutant CO generated is
decreased linearly due to less temperature and turbulence generated inside the combustion
chamber. However if the mass fraction of hydrogen rises in the fuel then it leads to a higher
combustion inchamber temperature, which in turn leads to lower rate of formation of pollutant
CO at the same value of excess air ().so the addition of hydrogen to CNG generate higher value
of combustion chamber temperature due to increase in flame propagation speed but it also
decreases the emission of pollutant CO to a larger quantity.
62
At excess air()=1.2
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.53 Figure.54
At excess air ()=1.4
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.55 Figure.56
At excess air ()=1.6
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.57 Figure.58
63
At excess air () =1.8
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.59 Figure.60
At excess air()=2
CNG-H2 CNG
Figure.61 Figure.62
64
3.5
2.5
MASS FRACTION OF CO
2
CNG
1.5 CNG-HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN
1
0.5
0
1 2 3 4 5
EXCESS AIR()
65
Chapter 6
Laminar flamelet model, eddy dissipation concept and eddy dissipation model are the basic
three model which are used for calculation of reaction rate (r).In case of premixed combustion
both fuel and oxidizer are mixed beforehand, so turbulence mix cold oxidizer and hot reaction
products slowly in the combustion zone. This type of combustion can be assumed to be mixing
limited, so one can ignore complex chemical kinetics. This type of modeling also present a
special disadvantage in terms of premixed type of combustion. According to eddy dissipation
concept the species as soon as it enters the computation model, it starts the burning process
which can alter the result of combustion due to time factor not taken into consideration because
of instantaneous burning.so Spalding comes with the idea of treating the turbulence mixing as a
cascade process which can be integrated down to molecular scale. This model was called the
Eddy-Break-Up model (EBU). The turbulent mean reaction rate of products was expressed as
p = *CEBU* /k * (YP2)1/2.....................(1)
This model has been modified by Magnusson and Hjertager who replaced (YP2)1/2 simply by
the mean mass fraction of the deficient species (fuel for lean or oxygen for rich mixtures) calling
it the Eddy Dissipation Model (EDM).
66
Mean fuel mass fraction of fuel used:
F = * A */k *(YF/k)(2)
Eddy dissipation model (EDM) has been proved a greater significance in case of premixed and
diffusion type of combustion process where the chemical kinetics is much faster than the
turbulence mixing. Because in this type of modeling on does not need to change the constants to
a greater variety for premix and diffusion, where chemical kinetics has much more influence
than structural mixing this model gives outputs regarding to the combustion zone very near to
exact values.
The peak temperature is predicted using a constant heat capacity of 1000 J/kg K.It is being
observed from the temperature profile of propane and CNG that at same magnitude of physical
and geometric constraints the peak inchamber temperature in case of propane combustion is
1994.6k while in CNG combustion it is of the order of 2057.23k.This is basically due to higher
octane number of CNG compared to propane.CNG,whose bulk constituent is methane(CH4) have
the octane number of the order 120,while propane (C3H8) have the octane number of the order
102-112.Because of higher octane number CNG is less susceptible to premature burning which
gives it a higher value of combustion temperature than propane. Also CNG has a higher value of
heating value of magnitude 55.5 MJ/kg while propane has a higher heating value of 50.35 MJ/kg
which causes a flame temperature difference in the combustion zone.
PROPANE
Figure-64
67
CNG
Figure-65
PROPANE
Figure-66
68
CNG
Figure -67
As it can be seen from the contours that turbulent flame speed in CNG is more than propane
which is primarily responsible for higher inchamber temperature. At same physical and
geometric constraints the turbulent flame speed of propane combustion is 6.26 m/s whereas in
CNG the turbulent flame speed slightly increases to 6.28 m/s yielding higher the combustion
chamber temperature.
PROPANE
Figure-68
69
CNG
Figure-69
4. TURBULENT INTENSITY
Turbulent intensity is a parameter which expresses the percentage deviation of flow of air or
fuel (gaseous) from the intended path. An ideal flow has zero turbulent intensity. As from the
contour we can see that CNG and propane have maximum turbulent intensity of 1287% and
1290% respectively, because of higher turbulent intensity in propane the peak temperature
generated in combustion chamber is less than CNG, where disorderness is more, which leads to
higher concentration of fuel at central zone.
CNG
Figure-70
70
PROPANE
Figure-71
PROPANE
Figure-72
71
CNG
Figure-73
PROPANE
Figure-74
72
CNG
Figure-75
7.NOX EMISSION
From the figure it can be seen that mass fraction of NOX generated in CNG combustion is
1.45e-5while in case of propane it is 6.19e-6.This is basically due to high temperature generated
in the combustion chamber in CNG combustion compared to propane combustion, which leads
to complete combustion resulting in NO emission.
PROPANE
Figure-76
73
CNG
Figure-77
CONCLUSIONS
1. There is possibility for using propane as fuel for furnaces and reduce the emission of NOx
with gotten the desired temperature.
2. The use of a constant Cp results in a significant over prediction of the peak temperature. In
case of using constant Cp the peak temperature generated in the combustor is more in case of
CNG. The variable Cp solution produces same result,that is more temperature is generated in
CNG combustion than propane combustion with a variation in magnitude of peak temperature
generated in the combustor.
74
Chapter 7
Conclusion and scope for future work
7.1 The major conclusions are summarized as follows
Turbulent flame speed is the primary reason for better mixing of combustion products
leading to complete combustion enhancing clean combustion and also increasing the
incylinder peak temperature. In single fuel premix type of combustion (CNG-air) the
turbulent flame speed at 20% excess air is 3.54 m/where as in dual fuel mode(CNG-H2)
the flame speed is found to be of 5.4 m/s.This value of turbulent flame speed increases
significantly to 13.5 m/s at the same value of excess air, almost an increase of staggering
281.356%.This high value of flame speed for hydrogen combustion is very dangerous to
material durability of combustion chamber leading to accidents. So for commercial use of
hydrogen as fuel in gas turbine plants, its flame speed can be suppressed by adding CNG
to it at required proportion.
75
CNG and dual fuel(CNG-H2) have similar effect on CO2 emission ,but with hydrogen
there is a significant reduction in CO2 emission compared to CNG .In case of carbon
monoxide emission (CO) ,with the increase of hydrogen content in fuel the mass fraction
of pollutant CO decreases significantly. So for reduction of pollutant carbon monoxide
(CO2) and carbon monoxide (CO) the hydrogen content in CNG can be increased with
the advantage of production of higher in chamber temperature. But because of higher
chamber temperature than CNG,in H2 combustion the NO emission increases
significantly.so to reduce the flame propagation speed in hydrogen combustion which
ultimately leads to NO emission,CNG can be added to it to suppress its flame speed and
subsequently the NO emission.
There is possibility for using propane as fuel for furnaces and reduce the emission of
NOx with gotten the desired temperature. The use of a constant Cp results in a
significant over prediction of the peak temperature. In case of using constant Cp the peak
temperature generated in the combustor is more in case of CNG. The variable Cp solution
produces same result,that is more temperature is generated in CNG combustion than
propane combustion with a variation in magnitude of peak temperature in the combustor.
This work is done for partially premixed and swirl induced combustion case in a combustor.
Different modes of combustion such as premixed and non-premixed cases can be analyzed .Also
swirl velocity can be altered or different mechanism can be induced for better mixing of fuel
particles.
76
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