Experimental Investigation of the Performance of a Microturbine Combustion Chamber at Atmospheric Conditions Using LPG Fuel

Combustion chamber has a crucial role in gas turbines and has a significant effect on the pollution and efficiency of them. Due to the complicated flow in combustion chambers because of high turbulence intensity, flow mixing, and flame behavior, prediction of the performance of such chambers is very complicated. There is a vital need for experimental investigations to study and understand the flame behavior in combustors. This experimental study was performed using a can type combustion chamber and LPG fuel at atmospheric conditions. First, stability curve, temperature distribution in the combustion chamber, and its exit plane in 6 flow conditions and then flow behavior were evaluated. The pollution at the outlet was obtained in different conditions and equivalence ratios. The results show that the flame tends to go downstream of the combustion chamber when the fuel mass flow rate increases (or in other words, by increasing the equivalence ratio) in constant air mass flow rate and finally exits from the chamber. By increasing the air mass flow rate in constant fuel mass flow rate, CO pollution is increased, and NOx pollution is decreased.