Characterization of a Novel Am Micromix Nozzle Burning Methane to Hydrogen

Abstract

Abstract As the energy landscape transitions to low/zero-carbon fuels, gas turbine manufacturers are targeting fuel flexible operation with natural gas, syngas, and hydrogen-enriched mixtures. Having a single geometry that can support different fuel blends can accelerate the transition to cleaner energy generation. Toward this goal, micromix combustion technology has received significant interest, and when coupled with additive manufacturing, novel injector geometries with unique configurations may be capable of stabilizing premixed, partially-premixed, and diffusion flames using fuel mixtures ranging from pure methane to pure hydrogen. In this work, a preliminary investigation of this micromix concept is performed in the Atmospheric Combustion Rig at the National Research Council Canada. Flame stability maps are obtained for fuel lean mixtures of H2/CH4 ranging from 0/100, 70/30, 90/10, to 100/0%, by volume. Multiple flame shapes are observed depending on the fuel mixture and combustion mode selected. PIV, OH, and acetone planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF), and acoustic measurements provide insights into the combustion process of these novel burners. The quality of the fuel-air mixing is assessed using acetone as a tracer for the fuel, while simultaneous OH-PLIF measurements provide an indication of the post-flame regions in the flow. Acoustic measurements complete the current dataset and provide combustion dynamics maps and the dominant acoustic frequencies. The preliminary characterization of this AM micromix nozzle shows promising fuel flexibility with wide stability margins and low combustion dynamics for this single nozzle burner.