Conference proceeding
Analyzing the Relative Impact of Spray and Volatile Fuel Properties on Gas Turbine Combustor Ignition in Multiple Rig Geometries
AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum
AIAA Scitech Forum (San Diego, California, 01/07/2019–01/11/2019)
2019
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/120804
Appears in Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT)
Abstract
Implementing alternative fuels into the aviation market involves an extensive certification process due to their novel properties and correspondingly unique combustion performance characteristics. The current certification process is not only costly, but time intensive. As a result, the National Jet Fuels Combustion Program (NJFCP) has made it their mission to streamline the approval process of alternative jet fuels by bounding the combustion performance characteristics of alternative fuels to those of conventional fuels. Historically, the impact of alternative fuels on ignition performance, i.e., altitude relight and cold start, for extreme conditions and fuel properties was only moderately explored.
Previous research from Lefebvre et al. shows fuel spray atomization as having a strong influence on ignition behavior. The fuel properties of density, viscosity, and surface tension control spray atomization characteristics. In contrast to Lefebvre’s findings, recent statistical results reported previously show that the distillate or volatile properties of a fuel largely affect ignition behavior. These differing results present the question: Are the spray or volatile properties of a fuel more important in predicting relative ignitibility?
The aim of this research is to utilize statistical analysis techniques to establish a model and qualitative ranking that accurately conveys the impact that a fuel’s spray property characteristics have on ignition probability for both cold start and altitude relight Figures of Merit. It is anticipated that this work will be applied toward guiding future computational fluid dynamic (CFD) modeling targets, evolving the gas turbine combustion community’s understanding of dominating physics in gas turbine ignition, and finally, defining the properties that are most important for the early screening of alternative jet fuels in the certification process.
The results exhibit that a fuel’s surface tension is a better predictor of fuel ignitability at higher temperatures, in contrast to previous results, while viscosity has a greater impact at lower temperature. Rankings between the Honeywell APU and the Referee Rig are nearly consistent for similar conditions. The implications of this and other work suggests that a generic Referee Rig is capable of screening fuels for a multitude of geometries, and that surface tension may need to be a future specification property for the approval of alternative fuels.
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Details
- Title
- Analyzing the Relative Impact of Spray and Volatile Fuel Properties on Gas Turbine Combustor Ignition in Multiple Rig Geometries
- Creators
- Katherine C. OpacichJoshua S. Heyne - University of DaytonErin Peiffer - University of DaytonScott D. Stouffer - University of Dayton
- Publication Details
- AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum
- Conference
- AIAA Scitech Forum (San Diego, California, 01/07/2019–01/11/2019)
- Academic Unit
- Aviation Sustainability Center (ASCENT); Alternative Jet Fuel
- Grants
- 13-C-AJFE-UD-18, Federal Aviation Administration (United States, Washington) - FAA
- Identifiers
- 99900621893101842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Conference proceeding