Numerical simulation of SGT-600 gas turbine combustor, flow characteristics analysis, and sensitivity measurement with respect to the main fuel holes diameter

Abstract

In this article, the combustion chamber of SGT600 gas turbine with 18 Alstom EV burners is numerically simulated to investigate the flow field and combustion properties and analyze the sensitivity of this combustor to diameter of main fuel holes. The three-dimensional simulation is carried out based on the turbulent flame closure model for the two-equation turbulence model, k-ɛ, using OpenFOAM code for SGT600 industrial gas turbine burner. An accurate grid combined of structured and unstructured mesh scheme is employed, which is sufficiently fined in areas of high gradients. Grid independency is investigated and validation of the code established comparing the outlet temperature and flame shape with experimental results. Excellent agreement between numerical analyses and experimental data was observed, so that the difference between calculated and measured outlet temperature was 0.1%. On the basis of reasonable matching of the predicted and experimental results for the combustor, the computational fluid dynamics model enables the prediction of the heat shield and combustor’s wall temperature and critical points of operation. In this article, flow-field and operation condition of this combustor and sensitivity analysis with respect to the main fuel holes diameter are numerically investigated.