Experiments on swirl stabilized non-premixed natural gas flames in a model gasturbine combustor

This study reports on experiments in an optically accessible model gas turbine combustor equipped with a single generic nozzle. Laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV) and planar laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) are applied to generate an experimental data base that allows for an improved understanding of turbulent combustion under elevated pressure important for gas turbine technology and suitable for validation of numerical simulations. Flow field properties such as mean and fluctuations of all velocity components at various locations including the nozzle exit profiles are reported for an operational point at 2 bar in addition to coherent motions of the flow that are superimposed to the turbulence. Flame lift-off height, flame brush location, mean reaction progress, and topological quantities such as flame surface density are studied under various pressures ranging from 2 to 6 bar. (c) 2006 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.