Temperature and Composition Measurements in a Research Gas Turbine Combustion Chamber

Abstract

Profiles of temperature and concentrations of CO, CO₂. O₂ UHC and NO₂ have been measured at various planes within a can-type model gas turbine combustion chamber. The com-bustor is fuelled by high purity gaseous propane and was operated at air inlet temperatures of 313 K. and 523 K and atmospheric pressure simulating high power conditions. The results show that chemical equilibrium conditions prevail only for locally fuel-lean conditions and there is strong evidence that both fuel breakdown and CO to CO₂ oxidation rates are partly controlled by finite rate chemical kinetic mechanisms. The measured temperatures and those calculated using the measured composition with assumed adiabatic flow are in agreement only in the combustor nozzle and at the exit plane. In the primary zone large differences arise and it is postulated that these occur because of the neglect of important correlations, involving the fluctuating density and composition. in the calculated temperatures. The data presented is also suitable for testing methods for predicting combustion chamber performance.