Abstract
This work details a study of laser ignition in a low pressure combustion test rig, representative of an industrial gas turbine (SGT-400, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd.) and for the first time investigates the effect of air mass flow rate on combustion characteristics at air/fuel ratios at the lean burn limit. Both the lean burn limit and time taken to light are essential in determining the suitability of a specified air/fuel ratio, especially in multi-chamber ignition applications. Through extension of the lean burn limit and reduction of the time taken to light, the operating window for ignition with regards to the air/fuel ratio can be increased, leading to greater reliability and repeatability of ignition. Ignition of a natural gas and air mixture at atmospheric pressure was conducted using both a standard high energy igniter and a laser ignition system utilizing a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser source operating at 1064 nm wavelength. A detailed comparison of the lean burn limit and time taken to light for standard ignition and laser ignition is presented.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 262-266 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Optics and Lasers in Engineering |
| Volume | 55 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2014 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Air/fuel ratio
- Gas turbine
- Laser ignition
- Lean burn limit
- Time to light
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering