Environmental compatibility requires low emission burners for gas turbine power plants. In the past, significant progress has been made developing low NOx and CO burners by introducing lean premixed techniques in combination with annular combustion chambers. Unfortunately, these burners often have a more pronounced tendency to produce combustion-driven oscillations than conventional burner designs. The oscillations may be excited to such an extent that the risk of engine failure occurs. For this reason, the prediction of these thermoacoustic instabilities in the design phase of an engine becomes more and more important. A method based on linear acoustic four-pole elements has been developed to predict instabilities of the ring combustor of the 3A-series gas turbines. The complex network includes the whole combustion system starting from both compressor outlet and fuel supply system and ending at the turbine inlet. The flame frequency response was determined by a transient numerical simulation (step-function approach). Based on this method, possible improvements for the gas turbine are evaluated in this paper. First, the burner impedance is predicted theoretically and compared with results from measurements on a test rig for validation of the prediction approach. Next, the burner impedance in a gas turbine combustion system is analyzed and improved thermoacoustically. Stability analyses for the gas turbine combustion system show the positive impact of this improvement. Second, the interaction of the acoustic parts of the gas turbine system has been detuned systematically in circumferential direction of the annular combustion chamber in order to find a more stable configuration. Stability analyses show the positive effect of this measure as well. The results predicted are compared with measurements from engine operation. The comparisons of prediction and measurements show the applicability of the prediction method in order to evaluate the thermoacoustic stability of the combustor as well as to define possible countermeasures.

Issue Section:
Gas Turbines: Combustion and Fuels
Keywords:
gas turbines, thermoacoustics, combustion, nitrogen compounds, oxygen compounds, flames
Topics:
Acoustics, Combustion systems, Gas turbines, Stability, Flames, Combustion chambers, Oscillations, Combustion
1.
Putnam
,
A. A.
, and
Dennis
,
W. R.
,
1955
, “
Suppression of Burner Oscillations by Acoustical Dampers
,”
Trans. ASME
,
77
, pp.
875
–
883
.
2.
Gysling, D. L., Copeland, G. S., McCormick, D. C., and Proscia, W. M., 1998, “Combustion System Damping Augmentation with Helmholtz Resonators,” ASME Paper No. 98-GT-268.
3.
Schlein, B. C., Anderson, D. A., Beukenberg, M., Mohr, K. D., Leiner, H. L., and Tra¨ptau, W., 1998, “Development History and Field Experience of the First FT8 Gas Turbine with Dry Low NOx Combustion System,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-241.
4.
Pandalai, R. P., and Mongia, H. C., 1998, “Combustion Instability Characteristics of Industrial Engine Dry Low Emission Combustion Systems,” Paper No. AIAA 98-3379.
5.
Candel, S. M., 1992, “Combustion Instabilities Coupled by Pressure Waves and Their Active Control,” The Twenty-Fourth (International) Symposium on Combustion, The Combustion Institute, Pittsburgh, PA, pp. 1277–1296.
6.
McManus
,
K. R.
,
Poinsot
,
T.
, and
Candel
,
S. M.
,
1993
, “
A Review of Active Control of Combustion Instabilities
,”
Prog. Energy Combust. Sci.
,
19
, pp.
1
–
29
.
7.
Hibshman, J. R., Cohen, J. M., Banaszuk, A., Anderson, T. J., and Alholm, H. A., 1999, “Active Control of Combustion Instability in a Liquid-Fueled Sector Combustor,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-215.
8.
McManus, K. R., Magill, J. C., and Miller, M. F., 1998, “Combustion Instability Suppression in Liquid-Fueled Combustors,” AIAA 98-0642.
9.
Paschereit, C. O., Gutmark, E., and Weisenstein, W., 1999, “Suppression of Acoustically Excited Combustion Instability in Gas Turbines,” Paper No. AIAA-99-1986.
10.
Paschereit, C. O., Gutmark, E., and Weisenstein, W., 1999, “Control of Combustion-Driven Oscillations by Equivalence Ratio Modulations,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-118.
11.
Richards, G. A., Yip, M. J., Robey, E., Cowell, L., and Rawlins, D., 1997, “Combustion Oscillation Control by Cyclic Fuel Injection,” ASME Paper No. 95-GT-224.
12.
Hermann, J., Hantschk, C. C., Zangl, P., Gleis, S., Vortmeyer, D., Orthmann, A., Seume, J. R., Vortmeyer, N., and Krause, W., 1997, “Aktive Stabilita¨tskontrolle an einer 170 MW Gasturbine,” 18, Deutsch-Niederla¨ndischer Flammentag 97, Delft, VDI-Berichte 1313, pp. 337–344.
13.
Mahmoud, H., Fleifil, M., Ghoneim, Z., and Ghoniem, A. F., 1997, “Active Control of Thermoacoustic Instability Using LQR-Techniques,” ASME Joint Power Generation Conference 1997, Vol. 1, ASME, New York, pp. 299–307.
14.
Bloxsidge
,
G. J.
,
Dowling
,
A. P.
,
Hooper
,
N.
, and
Langhorne
,
P. J.
,
1989
, “
Active Control of Reheat Buzz
,”
AIAA J.
,
26
,
No. 7
No. 7
.
15.
Straub, D. L., and Richards, G. A., “Effect of Axial Swirl Vane Location on Combustion Dynamics,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-109.
16.
Steele, R. C., Cowell, L. H., Cannon, S. M., and Smith, C. E., 1999, “Passive Control of Combustion Instability in Lean Premixed Combustors,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-052.
17.
Kremer
,
H.
,
1979
, “
Schwingungen in Feuerra¨umen
,”
Gas Wa¨rme International
,
28
,
No. 8
No. 8
.
18.
Schimmer, H., and Vortmeyer, D., 1977, Selbsterregte Schwingungen in Brennkammern, Nr. 286, VDI-Berichte, pp. 21–28.
19.
Kru¨ger, U., Hu¨ren, J., Hoffmann, S., Krebs, W., and Bohn, D., 1999, “Prediction of Thermoacoustic Instabilities With Focus on the Dynamic Flame Behavior for the 3A-Series Gas Turbines of Siemens KWU,” ASME Paper No. 99-GT-111.
20.
Berenbrink, D., and Hoffmann, S., 2000, “Suppression of Combustion Dynamics by Active and Passive Means,” ASME Paper No. 2000-GT-0079.
21.
Munjal, M. L., 1987, Acoustics of Ducts and Mufflers, John Wiley and Sons, New York.
22.
Bode´n
,
H.
, and
Abom
,
M.
,
1986
, “
Influence of Errors in the Two-Microphone Method for Measuring Acoustic Properties in Ducts
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
,
79
, pp.
541
–
549
.
23.
Meyer, E., and Neumann, E. G., 1967, “Physikalische und technische Akustik,” Vieweg-Verlag, Brauschweig, Germany.
24.
Heinig
,
K. E.
,
1983
, “
Sound Propagation in Multistage Axial Flow Gas Turbine Engines
,”
AIAA J.
,
21
, pp.
98
–
105
.
25.
Bohn, D., and Deuker, E., 1993, “An Acoustical Model to Predict Combustion Driven Oscillations,” 20th International Congress on Combustion Engines (CIMAC), London.
26.
Faber, Ch., 1991, “Entwicklung eines Rechenmodells zur Vorausberechnung des Stabilita¨tsverhaltens von Brennkammersystemen,” internal report, Institute of Steam and Gas Turbines, RWTH Aachen.
27.
Baade, P. K., 1974, “Selbsterregte Schwingungen in Gasbrennern,” Klima, Ka¨lte, Anlagenbau, Vol. 57, pp. 167–176.
28.
Kru¨ger, U., Hu¨ren, J., Hoffmann, S., Krebs, W., and Bohn, D., 1999, “Combustion-Driven Oscillations: Numerical Prediction of Dynamic Behavior of Gas Turbine Flames,” AIAA Paper No. 99–1910.
29.
Bohn, D., Deutsch, G., and Kru¨ger, U., 1996, “Numerical Prediction of the Dynamic Behavior of Turbulent Diffusion Flames,” ASME Paper No. 96-GT-133.
30.
Bohn, D., Li. Y., Matouschek, G., and Kru¨ger, U., 1997, “Numerical Prediction of the Dynamic Behaviour of Premixed Flames Using Systematically Reduced Multi-Step Mechanisms,” ASME Paper No. 97-GT-265.
31.
Kru¨ger, U., Hoffmann, S., Krebs, W., Judith, H., Bohn, D., and Matouschek, G., 1998, “Influence of Turbulence on the Dynamic Behavior of Premixed Flames,” ASME 98-GT-232.
32.
Chung
,
J. Y.
, and
Blaser
,
D. A.
,
1980
, “
Transfer Function Method of Measuring In-Duct Acoustic Properties: I, Theory; II, Experiment
,”
J. Acoust. Soc. Am.
,
68
, pp.
907
–
921
.
33.
Levine
,
H.
, and
Schwinger
,
J.
,
1946
, “
On the Radiation of Sound From an Unflanged Circular Pipe
,”
Physical Review
,
73
, pp.
383
–
406
.
34.
Flohr, P., 1999, internal report, Siemens KWU.
35.
Prade, B., Streb, H., Berenbrink, P., Schetter, B., and Pyka, G., 1996, “Development of an Improved Hybrid Burner-Initial Operating Experience in a Gas Turbine,” ASME Paper No. 96-GT-045.
Copyright © 2001
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.