Hydrogen Combustion
LEAF-concept combustor
The development of low-NOx hydrogen burners is crucial for the sustainability target of the power/propulsion sector. The concept of LEan Azimuthal Flame (LEAF) has demonstrated promising results for low-NOx kerosene/hydrogen combustion by rapidly diluting the reactants with burnt gas and fresh oxidizer. However, there is a lack of understanding of the flame dynamics and the NOx formation routes for H2 LEAF. Therefore, a joint experimental and numerical study of the LEAF combustor fueled with hydrogen has been performed. Experiments were based on OH-planar laser-induced fluorescence and exhaust gas analysis, performed with the expertise of Khushboo Pandey. Numerical results were based on massively parallel Large Eddy Simulation (LES) with an accurate description of the combustion and NOx chemical kinetics. This study explained the effects of the air distribution on the flame structure and the NOx formation. An optimum aspect ratio (AR) has been identified to minimize NOx emissions, attributed to the enhancement of the azimuthal whirling flow by the air injected from the bottom. More details in this journal publication.
Figure LES-H2-LEAF: Diagram of the LEAF combustor. Simulation results are used to illustrate the fuel/air injection and the flame. More details in this journal publication.
