NASA LogoNTRSNTRS - NASA Technical Reports ServerSearchmore_vertCollectionsAboutNewsHelpLogin Back to ResultsMulti-Dimensional Measurements of Combustion Species in Flame Tube and Sector Gas Turbine CombustorsThe higher temperature and pressure cycles of future aviation gas turbine combustors challenge designers to produce combustors that minimize their environmental impact while maintaining high operation efficiency. The development of low emissions combustors includes the reduction of unburned hydrocarbons, smoke, and particulates, as well as the reduction of oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)). In order to better understand and control the mechanisms that produce emissions, tools are needed to aid the development of combustor hardware. Current methods of measuring species within gas turbine combustors use extractive sampling of combustion gases to determine major species concentrations and to infer the bulk flame temperature. These methods cannot be used to measure unstable combustion products and have poor spatial and temporal resolution. The intrusive nature of gas sampling may also disturb the flow structure within a combustor. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) is an optical technique for the measurement of combustion species. In addition to its non-intrusive nature, PLIF offers these advantages over gas sampling: high spatial resolution, high temporal resolution, the ability to measure unstable species, and the potential to measure combustion temperature. This thesis considers PLIF for in-situ visualization of combustion species as a tool for the design and evaluation of gas turbine combustor subcomponents. This work constitutes the first application of PLIF to the severe environment found in liquid-fueled, aviation gas turbine combustors. Technical and applied challenges are discussed. PLIF of OH was used to observe the flame structure within the post flame zone of a flame tube combustor, and within the flame zone of a sector combustor, for a variety of fuel injector configurations. OH was selected for measurement because it is a major combustion intermediate, playing a key role in the chemistry of combustion, and because its presence within the flame zone can serve as a qualitative marker of flame temperature. All images were taken in the environment of actual engines during flight, using actual jet fuel. The results of the PLIF study led directly to the modification of a fuel injector.Document ID19970002901Acquisition SourceLegacy CDMSDocument TypeThesis/DissertationAuthorsHicks, Yolanda Royce*(NASA Lewis Research Center Cleveland,OH United States)*Date AcquiredSeptember 6, 2013Publication DateOctober 1, 1996Subject CategoryAircraft Propulsion And PowerReport/Patent NumberE-10215NAS 1.15:107329NASA-TM-107329Accession Number97N11694Funding Number(s)PROJECT: RTOP 537-02-20Distribution LimitsPublicCopyrightWork of the US Gov. Public Use Permitted.Available DownloadsNameType19970002901.pdfSTIcloud_downloadcontent_copyvisibilityRelated RecordsThere are no records associated with this record.visibility_offNo Preview Available
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