Combustion Research Laboratory
San-Mou Jeng, Ph.D.
Combustion research laboratory.
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Downward Spray Facility
The downward spray facility is used to study the flows generated by nozzles, including fuel nozzles. The downward spray facility consists of a nozzle mounting mechanism, housed on a 3-D traverse, a spray collector, and a blower to vent out air from the collector. The spray collector contains layers of rustproof steel wool to separate the spray droplets from the sir stream which is vented out by the blowers. The downward spray facility is equipped with an En’Urga SETscan OP-600 Patternator for spray patternation and a Sympatec Helos system for particle sizing. The 3-D traverse is used to move the nozzle to position it for measurement using either the SETscan or the Helos.
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The downward spray facility was recently built as an up-scaled version of an old spray rig at the Lab. This rig has been used to study fuel nozzles as well as nozzles used in the medical industry for coating pills. -
Vertical Combustion Facility
The vertical combustion facility is a small scale combustion facility that can be used for combustion tests on small hardware as well as non-reacting tests. The vertical combustion facility is equipped with a 36 kW inline air heater. The test hardware can be installed on an ANSI 4” 150 lb standard pipe flange. A 3-D, computer-controlled traverse is available for installing diagnostic equipment. The rig is connected to the central exhaust system available in the lab. A health monitoring system, programmed in LabVIEW, monitors the temperatures upstream of the hardware as well as in the exhaust duct. The health monitoring system provides options of emergency shut-off of the air heater and the fuel flow. Additionally, water nozzles are installed on the exhaust duct, to cool down the exhaust gases. The water nozzles are also controlled by the health monitoring system.
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The vertical combustion facility has been used for single nozzle combustion studies as well as swirler characterization studies. The 3-D traverse enables installation of diagnostic techniques like PDI, PIV, and LDV, as well as a sampling probe for emissions measurement. Tests conducted in the vertical combustion facility are limited by the size of the connecting flange, the capacity of the inline air-heater, and the capacity of the exhaust system -
Horizontal Combustion Facility
The horizontal combustion facility is a medium scale combustion facility, used for combustion tests as well as non-reacting tests. Combustion tests are conducted on hardware that may be too large for the vertical combustion facility or have a higher heat load. The horizontal combustion facility is equipped with a 72 kW inline air heater and features an ANSI 6” 300 lb flange for connecting test hardware. A pipe reducer can be used to change the connection to an ANSI 8” 150 lb flange for larger hardware. Flow direction is horizontal. The facility is mounted on casters to enable movement. The horizontal combustion facility can be used in conjunction with the fuel collector system for non-reacting tests. Additionally, it can be combined with the low-pressure system and the fuel collector system for sub-atmospheric testing.
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The horizontal combustion facility has been used for several combustion studies including tests on a Single Annular Sector (SAC) of a land-based gas turbine engine and a multi-swirler LDI array. Non-reacting tests conducted include jets-in-crossflow and film cooling studies. -
Small Horizontal Rig
The small horizontal rig was initially built for small scale tests like ignition or lean blow out tests and consists of a short 6” pipe connected to a 6” 300 lb flange. The rig can be used in conjunction with the fuel collector system and the low-pressure system for non-reacting and sub-atmospheric tests.
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High Pressure Combustion Facility
The high pressure combustion facility can be used to conduct combustion or non-reacting tests at elevated pressure, at room or elevated temperature. A backpressure valve, located downstream of the combustor, is used to increase pressure in the high pressure chamber. A 192 kW inline air heater is available to preheat the air. The outer shell of the high pressure chamber is designed to withstand a pressure of 150 psig and up to 600 °F. The air flow passing through the high pressure chamber is divided into two flow circuits. The main air passes through the inline air heater, and flows through a inner flow passage, constituting the burner and a water-cooled exhaust. The second flow circuit enters the region of the high pressure combustor between the inner flow path and the outer shell, forming a cooling layer, protecting the outer shell from the hot flow. 6 windows are located on the shell for optical access. A 3-D traverse is available for installing diagnostic tools.
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The high pressure combustion facility has been used for various combustion tests, including nozzles designed for different fuels, as well as liquid jets in crossflow at elevated pressures.