Effect of Axial Swirl Vane Location on Combustion Dynamics

Abstract

This paper reports the effect of changing the location of axial swirl vanes on premix combustion dynamics. Tests are conducted in a specially designed single-injector combustor operating at a pressure of 7.5 atmospheres and an inlet air temperature of 588K (600F). All of the tests are conducted using natural gas as the fuel. The air velocity and equivalence ratio are varied over an operating map for four different axial swirl vane positions in the premix nozzle. In contrast to earlier studies reported from this combustor, the fuel injection location is fixed. The results confirm the importance of the convective fuel time lag for the different swirl vane locations, but also show that changing the vane location at a fixed time lag can significantly affect the magnitude of the combustion oscillations.