Fuel spray characteristics investigation in LPP combustor

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to get an in-depth understanding of the fuel spray characteristics to further improve the emission performance of a lean premixed prevaporized (LPP) combustor with staged lean combustion.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the fuel spray characteristics in the LPP combustor are experimentally studied by using particle image velocimetry (PIV), and raw data are processed by image-processing technologies for different inlet conditions. The effects of the fuel allocation and pilot atomizer position on fuel spray characteristics are investigated.

Findings

Experiment results show that when only the pilot atomizer is operated, the fuel spray characteristics is worsened by increasing fuel flow rate. The fuel spray fields generated by the pilot atomizer are better at the throat than that at the pilot swirler outlet; when the pilot atomizer and primary injector are operated at the same time with the same inlet fuel air ratio, the spray characteristics are improved by increasing the primary fuel flow rate and decreasing the pilot fuel flow rate. Meanwhile, fuel spray fields generated by the pilot atomizer are better at the throat than that at the pilot swirler outlet.

Practical implications

The present results are useful for further development of the LPP combustor.

Originality/value

An LPP combustor with staged lean combustion technology was proposed; to obtain fuel spray characteristics, image-processing program was compiled; the fuel spray characteristics in the LPP combustor were investigated, especially the effects of the fuel allocation and pilot atomizer position.

Citation

Yan, Y., Wang, Y., Deng, Y. and Li, J. (2016), "Fuel spray characteristics investigation in LPP combustor", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 88 No. 4, pp. 498-507. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-10-2014-0157