Thermoacoustic Dynamics in an Annular Model Gas-turbine Combustor under Transverse Stochastic Forcing

Abstract

Thermoacoustic combustion instabilities arising from the interaction between the unsteady heat release rate and the combustor acoustic mode continue to hamper the development and operation of continuous combustion systems. In this study, we analyze the thermoacoustic dynamics in an annular model gas-turbine combustor, specifically focusing on the bifurcation behavior and the noise-induced dynamics. For this purpose, we transversely excite the combustor with stochastic signals of varying intensity. We find that a supercritical bifurcation occurs for a transverse thermoacoustic mode, and investigate the dynamics of that mode using the noise-induced dynamics of the flame. The devices and the framework used in this study can potentially serve as a platform for investigating the wide variety of noise-induced behavior in an annular combustor.