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2025 , Vol. 34 >Issue 5: 1709 - 1720

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-025-2161-y

Effects of Swirl Intensity on Flame Structure and NOx Emissions of Hydrogen Micro-Mixing Diffusion Combustion

  • SHI Ting ,
  • LIU Yi ,
  • JIA Shiqi ,
  • GE Bing ,
  • DUAN Dongxia ,
  • ZANG Shusheng
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  • 1. Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China 
    2. China United Gas Turbine Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100016, China

网络出版日期: 2025-09-01

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Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
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Effects of Swirl Intensity on Flame Structure and NOx Emissions of Hydrogen Micro-Mixing Diffusion Combustion

  • SHI Ting ,
  • LIU Yi ,
  • JIA Shiqi ,
  • GE Bing ,
  • DUAN Dongxia ,
  • ZANG Shusheng
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  • 1. Key Laboratory of Power Machinery and Engineering, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China 
    2. China United Gas Turbine Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100016, China

Online published: 2025-09-01

Copyright

Science Press, Institute of Engineering Thermophysics, CAS and Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2025
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摘要

将旋流和微混扩散燃烧相结合是氢燃气轮机燃烧的一种新方法。针对旋流微混扩散燃烧中旋流强度对流场特性，火焰结构及NOx排放的影响，本研究设计了Sn=0.62，0.45，0.3，0四种旋流数的微混扩散燃烧器开展实验。通过OH*化学发光成像技术与粒子图像测速仪（PIV），揭示了旋流强度对旋流微混扩散燃烧特性的作用规律，并借助CFD模拟阐明其对NOx生成的影响机制。研究结果表明，随旋流强度减弱，流场结构由旋流回流涡过渡为双回流涡，最后演变为钝体回流涡，导致火焰径向收缩并诱发燃烧振荡。当Sn从0.62降至0.45时，火焰扩张角θ缩减10.7%，单元火焰旋转角ψ减小9.0%，而单元火焰长度LF增加8.0%。LF的增加延长了反应区停留时间，成为NOx排放升高的首要因素。同时，旋流强度降低引发的混合时间尺度增大和空间混合不充分，是导致NOx排放恶化的另一重要原因。

关键词： micro-mixing diffusion combustion; swirl intensity; flame structure; NOx emissions

本文引用格式

SHI Ting , LIU Yi , JIA Shiqi , GE Bing , DUAN Dongxia , ZANG Shusheng . Effects of Swirl Intensity on Flame Structure and NOx Emissions of Hydrogen Micro-Mixing Diffusion Combustion[J]. 热科学学报, 2025 , 34(5) : 1709 -1720 . DOI: 10.1007/s11630-025-2161-y

Abstract

Combining swirl and micro-mixing diffusion combustion is a new approach to hydrogen gas turbine combustion. For swirl micro-mixing diffusion combustion, swirl intensity variation impacts the flow field, flame structure and NOx emissions. In this study, four micro-mixing diffusion burners with the swirl number (Sn) of 0.62/0.45/0.3/0 are designed for the experiments. The effects of swirl intensity on micro-mixing diffusion combustion are investigated experimentally using OH* chemiluminescence and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). In addition, CFD calculations are used to clarify the mechanism of swirl intensity’s effect on NOx emissions. The results indicate that the weakening of swirl intensity leads to the evolution of the swirl recirculation vortex to the dual recirculation vortex and finally to the bluff body recirculation vortex, which causes the radial contraction of the flame and induces combustion oscillation. When Sn decreases from 0.62 to 0.45, the flame spread angle θ decreases by 10.7%; the unit flame rotation angle ψ decreases by 9.0%, and the unit flame length LF increases by 8.0%. The increase in LF causes an increase in residence time, ultimately leading to a rise in NOx emissions. Meanwhile, the reduced swirl intensity leads to increased mixing time scale and spatial mixing deficiency, which is another contributor to the deterioration of NOx emission performance.

Key words： micro-mixing diffusion combustion; swirl intensity; flame structure; NOx emissions

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