Title: Optimisation of a low-NO_x combustion chamber using CFD simulations

Authors: C. Del Taglia, J. Gass, H. Dreher

Addresses: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Laboratory for Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Laboratory for Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland. Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Laboratory for Thermodynamics in Emerging Technologies, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland

Abstract: Optimisation studies based on computer simulations of a 450kW combustion chamber are presented and discussed. A matrix burner which develops an array of premixed flames is used in this type of combustion chamber to achieve power modulation. The optimisation parameters were pollutant emissions, efficiency and simplicity of construction. In addition to the currently used combustion chamber, four other geometrical configurations or modifications were considered and simulated. Two of them were found to be better than the current combustion chamber geometry: (1) The insertion of a heat exchanger in the combustion chamber would reduce NO_x emissions; (2) using a flat bottom configuration of the combustion chamber instead of a round bottom one would be a simpler configuration and would not change the other optimisation parameters.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; combustion chamber; matrix burner; power modulation; premixed combustion; parallel flames.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2001.001476

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2001 Vol.1 No.1/2/3, pp.117-130

Published online: 04 Jul 2003 *

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