Fuel Stratification Influence on NOx Emission in a Premixed Axial Reacting Jet-in-Crossflow at High Pressure

Three reacting jet-in-crossflow (JiC) methane/air flames were numerically investigated in a lean axially staged combustor at a pressure of five atmospheres. A detailed chemistry Star-CCM+ computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used with 53 species considered and the result of turbulence-governed finite-rate modeling was validated with in-house experimental data. An optically accessible test section features three side windows, allowing local flow and flame analysis with particle image velocimetry (PIV) and CH* chemiluminescence as well as pressure, temperature, and species exit measurements. The research objective was to predict and verify NOx formation of the premixed 12.7 mm axial jet. Three headend temperature levels were investigated along with three premixed jets at lean (phi(Jet) = 0.75), near-stoichiometric (phi(Jet) = 1.07), and rich (phi(Jet) = 1.78) axial fuel line equivalence ratio. Based on the matching exit emission concentration, global emission benefits were investigated by adjustment of the fuel stratification. The perfectly premixed methane/air flames of this study were shown to ignite at the lee-side of the jet. For the elevated headend temperature level T = 1800 K, the flame extended beyond the windward jet trajectory and caused high axial NO production. For industry application, a firing temperature of 1920 K was achieved with a NOx optimized fuel split of 25%, combining a lean headend (phi(Headend) = 0.61) with a rich (phi(Jet) = 1.78) jet equivalence ratio. This operating point allowed minimization of the combustor residence time at temperatures above 1700 K as well as combustion in a compact flame at the jet lee-side along the counter rotating vortex pair.