Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases

Blending ammonia with hydrogen has the potential to replace conventional hydrocarbon fuels of jet engines and gas turbines to reduce carbon emissions. Previous research on the 70% NH3–30% H2 (vol%) fuel blend characterized its cycle efficiency and emissions, however, the thermal and aerodynamic effe...

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Main Authors: Alrebei, OF, Le Page, LM, Hewlett, S, Bicer, Y, Amhamed, A
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022
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author Alrebei, OF
Le Page, LM
Hewlett, S
Bicer, Y
Amhamed, A
author_facet Alrebei, OF
Le Page, LM
Hewlett, S
Bicer, Y
Amhamed, A
author_sort Alrebei, OF
collection OXFORD
description Blending ammonia with hydrogen has the potential to replace conventional hydrocarbon fuels of jet engines and gas turbines to reduce carbon emissions. Previous research on the 70% NH3–30% H2 (vol%) fuel blend characterized its cycle efficiency and emissions, however, the thermal and aerodynamic effects of the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases on the turbine blades were not identified. Therefore, the novelty of the analysis presented herein appears in characterizing such effects of the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases on a generic turbine blade model using CFD simulation for lean (Φ = 0.75), stoichiometric (Φ = 1.00), and rich (Φ = 1.25) equivalence ratios, which are compared to a CH4/air combustion flue at Φ = 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25, respectively. Based on the obtained results, a cooling channel's ability to reduce the blade's temperature was negligible based on the temperature difference between the leading edge of the turbine blade and the temperature of the combustion flue gas at the inlet. As the combustion equivalence ratio was increased from 0.75 to 1.25, a second shockwave forms at the leading-edge surface, projecting across the blade's lower edge. The formation of the second shockwave was found to be increasingly significant for the NH3–H2/air mixture on the downstream flow when compared to a CH4/air flue gas. Furthermore, increasing the NH3–H2/air equivalence ratio improved the blade's ability to increase the average overall outlet Mach number compared to the inlet flow. Flow separation near the trailing edge remained relatively unaffected with increasing equivalence ratio. However, separation near the leading edge at the blade's lower edge becomes more significant for the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases compared to CH4/air combustion, causing a large circulation zone under the blade's lower surface due to the higher kinematic viscosity for the NH3–H2 fuel to the CH4 fuel (i.e., 2.06 ×10−5cm2/s and 1.75 ×10−5 m2/s, respectively). The circulation induces a higher viscous force and fluid inertia in the boundary layer, causing higher levels of separation. Turbulence intensity was also found to be significantly increased for the NH3–H2/air flow to that of the CH4/air combustion flue gases with increasing equivalence ratio.
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spelling oxford-uuid:6d65ba76-92d3-41c8-a522-e52f90e17c472023-09-22T15:42:13ZNumerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gasesJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6d65ba76-92d3-41c8-a522-e52f90e17c47EnglishSymplectic ElementsElsevier2022Alrebei, OFLe Page, LMHewlett, SBicer, YAmhamed, ABlending ammonia with hydrogen has the potential to replace conventional hydrocarbon fuels of jet engines and gas turbines to reduce carbon emissions. Previous research on the 70% NH3–30% H2 (vol%) fuel blend characterized its cycle efficiency and emissions, however, the thermal and aerodynamic effects of the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases on the turbine blades were not identified. Therefore, the novelty of the analysis presented herein appears in characterizing such effects of the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases on a generic turbine blade model using CFD simulation for lean (Φ = 0.75), stoichiometric (Φ = 1.00), and rich (Φ = 1.25) equivalence ratios, which are compared to a CH4/air combustion flue at Φ = 0.75, 1.00 and 1.25, respectively. Based on the obtained results, a cooling channel's ability to reduce the blade's temperature was negligible based on the temperature difference between the leading edge of the turbine blade and the temperature of the combustion flue gas at the inlet. As the combustion equivalence ratio was increased from 0.75 to 1.25, a second shockwave forms at the leading-edge surface, projecting across the blade's lower edge. The formation of the second shockwave was found to be increasingly significant for the NH3–H2/air mixture on the downstream flow when compared to a CH4/air flue gas. Furthermore, increasing the NH3–H2/air equivalence ratio improved the blade's ability to increase the average overall outlet Mach number compared to the inlet flow. Flow separation near the trailing edge remained relatively unaffected with increasing equivalence ratio. However, separation near the leading edge at the blade's lower edge becomes more significant for the NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases compared to CH4/air combustion, causing a large circulation zone under the blade's lower surface due to the higher kinematic viscosity for the NH3–H2 fuel to the CH4 fuel (i.e., 2.06 ×10−5cm2/s and 1.75 ×10−5 m2/s, respectively). The circulation induces a higher viscous force and fluid inertia in the boundary layer, causing higher levels of separation. Turbulence intensity was also found to be significantly increased for the NH3–H2/air flow to that of the CH4/air combustion flue gases with increasing equivalence ratio.
spellingShingle Alrebei, OF
Le Page, LM
Hewlett, S
Bicer, Y
Amhamed, A
Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title_full Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title_fullStr Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title_full_unstemmed Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title_short Numerical investigation of a first-stage stator turbine blade subjected to NH3–H2/air combustion flue gases
title_sort numerical investigation of a first stage stator turbine blade subjected to nh3 h2 air combustion flue gases
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