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This paper discusses a novel model combustion experiment that was built for studying the structure and dynamics of a reacting jet in an unsteady crossflow. A natural-gas-fired dump combustor is used to generate and sustain an acoustically oscillating vitiated flow that serves as the crossflow for transverse jet injection. Unlike most other techniques that are limited in operating pressure or acoustic amplitude, this method of generating an unsteady flow field is demonstrated at a pressure of 10 atm with peak-to-peak oscillation amplitudes approaching 20% of the mean pressure. An optically accessible test section designed for these conditions provides access for advanced laser and optical diagnostic measurements. Detailed measurements provide insight into the complex acoustic-hydrodynamic-combustion coupling processes and offer high-quality, high-resolution validation data for numerical simulations. Careful instrumentation port design considerations for the higher amplitude acoustics are detailed. As a whole, this paper focuses on select representative segments of the experiment operational space that highlight our strategy of providing an oscillatory flowfield. This includes presenting the acoustic operational space such as acoustic amplitudes, frequencies, and mode shapes. Select imaging results are then reported to support our strategies capability to produce high-fidelity measurements.

Low Swirl Injector (LSI) technology is a lean premixed combustion method that is being developed for fuel-flexible gas turbines. The objective of this study is to characterize the fuel effects and influences of combustor geometry on the LSI’s overall acoustic signatures and flowfields. The experiments consist of 24 flames at atmospheric condition with bulk flows ranging between 10 and 18 m/s. The flames burn CH4 (at φ = 0.6 & 0.7) and a blend of 90% H2 - 10% CH4 by volume (at φ = 0.35 & 0.4). Two combustor configurations are used, consisting of a cylindrical chamber with and without a divergent quarl at the dump plane. The data consist of pressure spectral distributions at five positions within the system and 2D flowfield information measured by Particle Imaging Velocimetry (PIV). The results show that acoustic oscillations increase with U0 and φ. However, the levels in the 90% H2 flames are significantly higher than in the CH4 flames. For both fuels, the use of the quarl reduces the fluctuating pressures in the combustion chamber by up to a factor of 7. The PIV results suggest this to be a consequence of the quarl restricting the formation of large vortices in the outer shear layer. A Generalized Instability Model (GIM) was applied to analyze the acoustic response of baseline flames for each of the two fuels. The measured frequencies and the stability trends for these two cases are predicted and the triggered acoustic mode shapes identified.

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