Feasibility of “intermittent” active control of combustion instabilities in liquid fueled combustors using a “smart” fuel injector

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the feasibility of an “intermittent” active control approach for suppressing combustion instabilities in liquid fueled combustors. The developed controller employs a “smart” fuel injector that can modify the spray properties in response to changes in combustor operating conditions. This action weakens or breaks up the coupling between the combustion process and combustor acoustic modes oscillations, thus preventing the excitation of large amplitude instabilities. This approach differs significantly from previously proposed active control methods, both in concept and implementation, as it requires only “intermittent” modification of the combustion process by a single control action as opposed to the continuous action required by most other active control methods. The “smart” fuel injector used in this study consisted of a double-staged, air-assisted atomizer in which counter swirling, primary (inner stage) and secondary (outer stage) air streams were supplied to the injector through separate sets of tangentially oriented orifices. Control of the ratio of air mass flow rates supplied to these two stages, by use of a diverter valve, resulted in significant changes in the spray shape and its axial, tangential, and radial velocity components. This variation in spray properties of the “smart” injector was characterized for different values of the inner to outer air flow rate ratio in cold flow tests with a PDPA system. These results were then correlated with the characteristics of the “intermittently” controlled combustor. Measured quantities included the instability amplitudes, axial dependence of the mean and oscillatory heat release amplitudes, and the characteristics of the recirculation zones, which were all shown to depend on the fuel spray properties. The results of this study demonstrate the feasibility of using “smart” fuel injectors with capabilities for varying the combustion process characteristics to reduce the amplitudes of detrimental combustion instabilities in real engines to acceptable levels.     

Combustion of partially premixed spray jets

Gas turbines, liquid rocket motors, and oil-fired furnaces utilize the spray combustion of continuously injected liquid fuels. In most cases, the liquid spray is mixed with an oxidizer prior to combustion, and further oxidizer is supplied from the outside of the spray to complete diffusion combustion. This rich premixed spray is called “partially premixed spray.” Partially premixed sprays have not been studied systematically although they are of practical importance. In the present study, the burning behavior of partially premixed sprays was experimentally studied with a newly developed spray burner. A fuel spray and an oxidizer, diluted with nitrogen, was injected into the air. The overall equivalence ratio of the spray jet was set larger than unity to establish partially premixed spray combustion. In the present burner, the mean droplet diameter of the atomized liquid fuel could be varied without varying the overall equivalence ratio of the spray jet. Two combustion modes with and without an internal flame were observed. As the mean droplet diameter was increased or the overall equivalence ratio of the spray jet was decreased, the transition from spray combustion only with an external group flame to that with the internal premixed flame occurred. The results suggest that the internal flame was supported by flammable mixture through the vaporization of fine droplets, and the passage of droplet clusters deformed the internal flame and caused internal flame oscillation. The existence of the internal premixed flame enhanced the vaporization of droplets in the post-premixed-flame zone within the external diffusion flame.     

Deformed “commutative” Chern–Simons’ system

Noncommutative Chern–Simons’ system is non-perturbatively investigated at a full deformed level. A deformed “commutative” phase space is found by a non-canonical change between two sets of deformed variables of noncommutative space. It is explored that in the “commutative” phase space all calculations are similar to the case in commutative space. Spectra of its energy and angular momentum of the Chern–Simons’ system are obtained at the full deformed level. The noncommutative–commutative correspondence is clearly showed. Formalism for the general dynamical system is briefly presented. Some subtle points are clarified.     

Modified Kolmogorov wave turbulence in QCD matched onto “Bottom-up” thermalization

We investigate modification of Kolmogorov wave turbulence in QCD calculating gluon spectra as functions of time in the presence of a low energy source which feeds in energy density in the infrared region at a time-dependent rate. Then considering the picture of saturation constraints as has been constructed in the “bottom-up” thermalization approach we revisit that picture for RHIC center-mass energy, W=130 GeV, and also extend it to LHC center-mass energy, W=5500 GeV, thus for two cases having an opportunity to calculate the equilibration time, τ_eq|therm, of the gluon system produced in a central heavy ion collision at mid-rapidity region. Thereby, at RHIC and LHC energies we can match the equilibration time, obtained from the late stage gluon spectrum of the modified Kolmogorov wave turbulence, onto that of the “bottom-up” thermalization and other evolutional approaches as well. In addition, from the revised “bottom-up” approach we find the gluon liberation coefficient to be on the average, ε0.81–1.06 at RHIC and ε0.50–0.56 at LHC. We also present other phenomenological estimates of τ_therm which, at QCD realistic couplings, yield 0.45–0.65 fmτ_therm0.97–2.72 fm at RHIC and 0.31–0.40 fmτ_therm0.86–2.04 fm at LHC. We show that the second upper-bounds of τ_therm in both cases are due to the late stage gluon spectrum of the original Kolmogorov wave turbulence in QCD, previously deduced with a low energy source which feeds in energy density at a constant rate. On the other hand, the lower-bounds and first upper-bounds of τ_therm are due to the late stage gluon spectrum of the modified QCD wave turbulence, deduced here at the specific time-dependent rate. In the latter case, at certain conditions, taking also into account both very small and realistic couplings we give estimates: 0.65 fmτ_therm1.29 fm at RHIC and 0.52 fmτ_therm1.16 fm at LHC, as well as at realistic couplings we find 0.53<τ_therm<0.7 fm at RHIC and 0.41<τ_therm<0.65 fm at LHC.     

Experimental study of flame stabilization in low Reynolds and Dean number flows in curved mesoscale ducts

Flame stabilization during non-premixed combustion in curved ducts with a diameter of the order of magnitude of the premixed flame thickness of the reactants was investigated experimentally, since it has been established that this is a configuration with potential advantages in the context of “micro”-combustion. It was shown that, in such “mesoscale” tubes, a stable flame oscillation including extinction/re-ignition phenomena can be established for steady boundary conditions. These oscillations lead, under appropriate conditions, to sound emission in the 50–350 Hz range. This was a mode of stabilization in addition to the “classical” steady flamelet, stabilized through thermal losses to the duct walls at higher values of the Reynolds number. Curvature of the duct was shown to have minimal effect on reactant mixing, which was diffusion-controlled, but significantly affected flame thickness and stabilization. To probe the fuel-oxidizer mixing in the U-shaped, optically accessible tubes, laser induced fluorescence of acetone fuel dopant was used, and the flame structure was studied using OH PLIF. The various stabilization regimes are discussed in terms of the Reynolds and Dean numbers of the tube flow.     

Comparison of microphone and neck-mounted accelerometer monitoring of the performing voice

One method for monitoring individuals in live performances may be the use of vibration sensors, or accelerometers, rather than using microphones that pick up environmental noises as well as the vocal signals of interest. This study was concerned with a comparison of microphone and accelerometer monitoring of the amplitude characteristics of singers' voices. From the results obtained it appears that accelerometers are not applicable for monitoring amplitude characteristics of the voice, but are useful for periodicity measures. In addition, accelerometers may be of use in verifying the kinesthetic patterns sensed by a performer during the process of “singing into a mask” or producing the singer's “ring.”     

Vague concept of “reversible cleavage” in the theory of the surface tension of solids

Numerous derivations of the well-known Shuttleworth equation have been based on the unclear concept of “reversible cleavage” leading to the decisive step in any derivation - equalization of the surface free energy and surface stress. This is the key concept in contemporary surface thermodynamics of solids. But “cleavage” is not a surface process and, in this field, it cannot be a reversible operation. Besides, the “reversible cleavage” has no formal definition in the domain of the surface tension of solids that is an abnormal for any exact science. Consequently, this concept and all its corollaries including the Shuttleworth and generalized Lippmann equations have to be recognized as incorrect.     

An experimental investigation of the propagation mechanism of critical deflagration waves that lead to the onset of detonation

The reflection of a CJ detonation from a perforated plate is used to generate high speed deflagrations downstream in order to investigate the critical conditions that lead to the onset of detonation. Different perforated plates were used to control the turbulence in the downstream deflagration waves. Streak Schlieren photography, ionization probes and pressure transducers are used to monitor the flow field and the transition to detonation. Stoichiometric mixtures of acetylene–oxygen and propane–oxygen were tested at low initial pressures. In some cases, acetylene–oxygen was diluted with 80% argon in order to render the mixture more “stable” (i.e., more regular detonation cell structure). The results show that prior to successful detonation initiation, a deflagration is formed that propagates at about half the CJ detonation velocity of the mixture. This “critical” deflagration (which propagates at a relatively constant velocity for a certain duration prior to the onset of detonation) is comprised of a leading shock wave followed by an extended turbulent reaction zone. The critical deflagration speed is not dependent on the turbulence characteristics of the perforated plate but rather on the energetics of the mixture like a CJ detonation (i.e., the deflagration front is driven by the expansion of the combustion products). Hence, the critical deflagration is identified as a CJ deflagration. The high intensity turbulence that is required to sustain its propagation is maintained via chemical instabilities in the reaction zone due to the coupling of pressure fluctuations with the energy release. Therefore, in “unstable” mixtures, critical deflagrations can be supported for long durations, whereas in “stable” mixtures, deflagrations decay as the initial plate generated turbulence decays. The eventual onset of detonation is postulated to be a result of the amplification of pressure waves (i.e., turbulence) that leads to the formation of local explosion centers via the SWACER mechanism during the pre-detonation period.     

Novel comprehension of “common path” principle

The idea of “common path” has been widely applied in optical instrument design for 30 years and even today. But the meaning of “common path” has not yet been explained clearly and sometimes confusion has been created. In this paper an “adaptive principle” is proposed and recommended on optical instrument system. It suggests that the designer not only arranges the measurement system to obtain measurement signal but also sets a channel to give prediction of noise or disturbance in real time or short term. Such a recommendation is based on the recent studies on nonlinear dynamics and atmospheric disturbance by means of experiments as well as theoretical analysis.     

An experimental realization of an unstrained, planar diffusion flame

A unique burner was constructed to experimentally realize a one-dimensional unstrained planar non-premixed flame, previously considered only in idealized theoretical models. One reactant, the fuel mixture in the current experiments, is supplied through a porous plug at the bottom of the combustion chamber and flows vertically up towards the horizontal flame. The crux of the design is the introduction of the oxidizer from above in such a way that its diffusion against the upward product flow is essentially one-dimensional, i.e., uniform over the burner cross-section. This feature was implemented by introducing the oxidizer into the burner chamber from the top through an array of 625 closely spaced hypodermic needles, and allowing the hot products to escape vertically up through the space between the needles. Due to the injection of oxidizer through discrete tubes, a three-dimensional “injection layer” exists below the exit plane of the oxidizer supply tubes. Experimental evidence suggests that this layer is thin and that oxidizer is supplied to the flame by 1-D counterdiffusion, producing a nearly unstrained flame. To characterize the burner, flame position measurements were conducted for different compositions and flowrates of H₂–CO₂ and O₂–CO₂ mixtures. The measured flame locations are compared to an idealized one-dimensional model in which only diffusion of oxidizer against the product flow is considered. The potential of the new burner is demonstrated by a study of cellular structures forming near the extinction limit. Consistent with previous investigations, cellular instabilities are shown to become more prevalent as the initial mixture strength and/or the Damköhler number are decreased. As the extinction limit is approached, the number of cells was observed to decrease progressively.     

Behaviour of a confined fire located in an unventilated zone

The behaviour of a fire in an enclosure is studied for a configuration where the fuel source is located in the upper hot unventilated zone trapped by a soffit. The experimental study, undertaken in a laboratory-scale compartment with a fuel source above the level of a soffit, included the determination of the parameters (ventilation factor, rate of fuel supply) controlling the combustion or leading to extinction. Measurements (PIV, thermocouples, gas sampling and analysis) were performed to propose a hypothesis on the structure of the flame (flame stabilisation mechanisms, premixed or diffusion types). Video photography is used to determine the area covered by the flames. This information is used as a criterion to identify the combustion regimes. The results show that the gaseous fuel is diluted in the combustion products (CP) in the upper layer and that a recirculatory motion is formed, driven by buoyancy forces, which enhances the mixing of fuel and CP. These then travel horizontally towards the vent along the interface between the lower fresh air and upper zones, and are premixed with the convected air in the enclosure, before entering the reaction zone and being burnt. The flame stabilises at the interface between the upper hot and lower ventilated layers in the compartment. The observed “ghosting flame” is stabilised by a triple flame if the flame speed of the premixed flame is higher than the natural convection velocity induced in the compartment. The flame stability is quantified by a criterion based on the area of the horizontal flame. It has been observed that the combustion is controlled by the available mass fuel flux at the reaction zone if the ventilation is sufficient. This information is essential for the modelling of the phenomena involved in fires with such an underventilated fuel source.     

K–K excitations on as “primary” superfields

We show that the K–K spectrum of IIB string on is described by “twisted chiral” superfields, naturally described in “harmonic superspace”, obtained by taking suitable gauge singlets polynomials of the D3-brane boundary superconformal field theory.To each p-order polynomial is associated a massive K–K short representation with states. The quadratic polynomial corresponds to the “supercurrent multiplet” describing the “massless” bulk graviton multiplet.     

Topological transitions of Jet A-1 lean azimuthal flames (LEAF)

Prior studies about liquid fuel combustion in a vitiated air environment have shown increased combustion efficiency with reduced NOx, CO, and soot emissions. The concept of lean azimuthal flame (LEAF), which can be associated to the latter combustion mode, is based on opposed injections of air and liquid fuel sprays in an axisymmetric chamber with a central outlet, which can result in a highly turbulent toroidal reaction zone. The mixture of fresh air and hot combustion products of each spray provides a vitiated cross-flow configuration to the next spray distributed along the chamber circumference, leading to ignition and sequential combustion of the sprays by the others. The present paper deals with a LEAF combustor with air-assisted spray atomization, which has not been investigated so far. The combustor is fueled with Jet A-1 and operated from 15 to 25 kW with variations in the atomization-air to liquid mass flow ratio (ALR). This study focuses on the flame topology transitions as a function of atomizer ALR. Experimental results based on flame chemiluminescence and OH planar laser-induced fluorescence show two flame topologies: tubular and LEAF topology for ratio of 2 and 4, respectively (denoted ALR2 and ALR4). The spray Mie scattering indicates a significant presence of unburnt droplets for ALR2, whereas quick evaporation is observed for ALR4 cases. In this paper, we propose and validate a basic model based on the spray droplet size distribution, and the evaporation and convection timescales, which are the prominent factors governing the flame topology. Indeed, for ALR2, the evaporation timescale is longer than the convective timescale, which causes incomplete spray evaporation and insufficient vitiated environment, leading to a tubular flame topology and preventing a LEAF to develop. In contrast, for ALR4, the spray evaporation timescales are smaller than the convective timescales, which aids the LEAF topology.     

Experimental investigation of ethylene/air combustion instability in a model scramjet combustor using image-based methods

The combustion instabilities of supersonic combustion were investigated experimentally in a laboratory-scale scramjet combustor with a cavity flame holder. Ethylene was injected transversely from an orifice to the supersonic flow of Mach 2 with a stagnation temperature of 1900 K and a total pressure of 0.37 MPa. The dynamic pressure, CH* chemiluminescence and shadowgraph images were measured with a pressure sensor and a high-speed video camera. Dynamic pressure was analyzed by fast Fourier transform, and time-resolved CH* chemiluminescence images were modally decomposed by the sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition (SP-DMD). The results indicated that two combustion instabilities were observed for cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion and the oscillation between jet-wake stabilized and cavity shear-layer ram combustions for the power spectral density (PSD) of pressure. In the case of the combustion instability of cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion, a dominant peak of approximately 128 Hz was observed for the PSD of pressure. This instability corresponded to an entire flame oscillation of the cavity shear-layer stabilized combustion, which was validated by the SP-DMD and a low rank reproduction with 10 modes. This was driven by a fuel injection oscillation in the injection orifice. In the case of oscillation between the jet-wake stabilized and the cavity shear-layer ram combustions, peaks around 1600 Hz were observed for the PSD of pressure. This mechanism was also explained by the SP-DMD modes and a low rank reproduction using within 10 modes. The DMD and shadowgraph images indicated that the vortex formed by a separation of the boundary layer induced a strong jet-wake flame, resulting in the temporal thermal choke followed by cavity shear-layer stabilized ram combustion. The data-driven approach with SP-DMD clarified the combustion instability mechanisms of the supersonic combustion in detail.     

LES-CMC of high-altitude relight in an RQL aeronautical combustor

Large-Eddy Simulations with the Conditional Moment Closure sub-grid combustion model and detailed chemistry for kerosene were performed for the ignition process in an Rich-Quench-Lean aviation gas turbine combustor at high-altitude conditions. The simulations used realistic boundary conditions for the flow inlet and spray droplet size distributions and velocity. Due to the large droplets, the Central Recirculation Zone (CRZ) is filled with fuel, mostly in liquid form. The first phase of the ignition process is critical and the results show that the spark kernel must provide enough energy to evaporate the spray and pyrolyse the fuel for the flame to grow and establish in the corner of the combustor. The second phase is characterised by the flame burning the mixture in the scorner and propagating around the Inner Shear Layer. This phase is also critical, as the flame needs the prevaporised fuel and smaller droplets in the corner to sufficiently increase the temperature and be able to propagate inside the CRZ, filled with liquid fuel and cold air. If this propagation inside the CRZ is achieved, phase three is accomplished and the burner is fully ignited. The simulations demonstrate the particular importance of detailed chemistry and proper boundary conditions for flame ignition simulations in high-altitude relight conditions.     

“Alternative medical therapy” use among singers: Prevalence and implications for the medical care of the singer

Singers are extremely conscious of health problems that affect their voices and well-being and often take an active role in seeking care for these problems. They frequently seek treatment from providers or with modalities considered “alternative” to traditional medical care. A survey of singers was completed to elucidate their attitudes and practices regarding “alternative modalities” of medical care. Frequently singers will self-medicate or take advice from people not well versed in the special needs of a professional voice user. They will fail to share this information with the physician when seeking “traditional” medical care. These practices may predispose the singer to suboptimal or even dangerous care. These results are discussed, as well as the implications for the medical physician treating the singer. The possible detrimental pharmacologic effects of “natural therapies” widely used by singers are presented, with special attention to the particular concerns for the professional singer     

Uniform nanoparticles by flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) of low cost precursors

A new flame-assisted spray pyrolysis (FASP) reactor design is presented, which allows the use of inexpensive precursors and solvents (e.g., ethanol) for synthesis of nanoparticles (10–20 nm) with uniform characteristics. In this reactor design, a gas-assisted atomizer generates the precursor solution spray that is mixed and combusted with externally fed inexpensive fuel gases (acetylene or methane) at a defined height above the atomizing nozzle. The gaseous fuel feed can be varied to control the combustion enthalpy content of the flame and onset of particle formation. This way, the enthalpy density of the flame is decoupled from the precursor solution composition. Low enthalpy content precursor solutions are prone to synthesis of non-uniform particles (e.g., bimodal particle size distribution) by standard flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) processes. For example, metal nitrates in ethanol typically produce nanosized particles by gas-to-particle conversion along with larger particles by droplet-to-particle conversion. The present FASP design facilitates the use of such low enthalpy precursor solutions for synthesis of homogeneous nanopowders by increasing the combustion enthalpy density of the flame with low-cost, gaseous fuels. The effect of flame enthalpy density on product properties in the FASP configuration is explored by the example of Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles produced from bismuth nitrate in ethanol. Product powders were characterized by nitrogen adsorption, X-ray diffraction, X-ray disk centrifuge, and transmission electron microscopy. Homogeneous Bi₂O₃ nanopowders were produced both by increasing the gaseous fuel content and, most notably, by cutting the air entrainment prior to ignition of the spray.     

Experimental investigation of combustion instabilities of a mesoscale multinozzle array in a lean-premixed combustor

Self-excited combustion instabilities in a mesoscale multinozzle array, also referred to as a micromixer-type injector, have been experimentally investigated in a lean-premixed tunable combustor operating with preheated methane and air. The injector assembly consists of sixty identical swirl injectors of 6.5 mm inner diameter, which are evenly distributed across the combustor dump plane. Their flow paths are divided into two groups – inner and outer stages – to form radially stratified reactant stoichiometry for the control of self-excited instabilities. OH PLIF measurements of stable flames reveal that the presence of radial staging has a remarkable influence on stabilization mechanisms, reactant jet penetration/merging, and interactions between adjacent flame fronts. In an inner enrichment case, two outer (leaner) streams merge into a single jet structure, whereas the inner (richer) reactant jets penetrate far downstream without noticeable interactions between neighboring flames. The constructed stability map in the 〈?_i, ?_o〉 domain indicates that strong self-excited instabilities occur under even split and outer enrichment conditions at relatively high global equivalence ratios. This is attributed to large-scale flame surface deformation in the streamwise direction, as manifested by vigorous detachment/attachment movements. The use of the inner fuel staging method was found, however, to limit the growth of large-amplitude heat release rate fluctuations, because the center flames are securely anchored during the whole period of oscillation, giving rise to a moderate lateral motion. We demonstrate that the collective motion of sixty flames – rather than the individual local flame dynamics – play a central role in the development of limit cycle oscillations. This suggests that the distribution pattern of the injector array, in combination with the radial fuel staging scheme, is the key to the control of the instabilities.     

Prediction of soot and thermal radiation in a model gas turbine combustor burning kerosene fuel spray at different swirl levels

Combustion of kerosene fuel spray has been numerically simulated in a laboratory scale combustor geometry to predict soot and the effects of thermal radiation at different swirl levels of primary air flow. The two-phase motion in the combustor is simulated using an Eulerian–Lagragian formulation considering the stochastic separated flow model. The Favre-averaged governing equations are solved for the gas phase with the turbulent quantities simulated by realisable k–? model. The injection of the fuel is considered through a pressure swirl atomiser and the combustion is simulated by a laminar flamelet model with detailed kinetics of kerosene combustion. Soot formation in the flame is predicted using an empirical model with the model parameters adjusted for kerosene fuel. Contributions of gas phase and soot towards thermal radiation have been considered to predict the incident heat flux on the combustor wall and fuel injector. Swirl in the primary flow significantly influences the flow and flame structures in the combustor. The stronger recirculation at high swirl draws more air into the flame region, reduces the flame length and peak flame temperature and also brings the soot laden zone closer to the inlet plane. As a result, the radiative heat flux on the peripheral wall decreases at high swirl and also shifts closer to the inlet plane. However, increased swirl increases the combustor wall temperature due to radial spreading of the flame. The high incident radiative heat flux and the high surface temperature make the fuel injector a critical item in the combustor. The injector peak temperature increases with the increase in swirl flow mainly because the flame is located closer to the inlet plane. On the other hand, a more uniform temperature distribution in the exhaust gas can be attained at the combustor exit at high swirl condition.