Open Distance Learning is gaining popularity as a successful alternative for on-campus higher education especially with the emergence of web based platforms which enable the online delivery of courses worldwide. This emerging educational pedagogy can successfully be employed as means of capacity building of the people living in the less fortunate parts of the world where higher education especially at master level are scarce. This paper presents a two-year collaborative master study programme in sustainable energy engineering offered in synchronous with an on-campus study programme conducted by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology of Sweden, to students of Sri Lanka, which was facilitated by the Open University of Sri Lanka. The paper describes the need of such a programme, the format of course delivery and assessment thereof, plus the benefits gained. This programme has produced 72 post graduates in Sri Lanka alone and more than 200 distant postgraduates worldwide in the field of sustainable energy engineering during last 10 years period. In terms of capacity building in the energy sector in Sri Lanka this is considered a great achievement. The experience gained by the local staff in the role of local facilitators who engaged in some of the academic related activities such as evaluation of students' presentation and co-supervision of thesis projects have been greatly appreciated as being additional benefits to the staff in terms of their own academic development and capacity building. Finally, conclusions are made on how remote programmes of study could successfully be delivered to places where such know-how is scarce by adapting appropriate technologies in training personnel at postgraduate level to meet the needs of the industry.
Hybrid solar micro gas-turbines are a promising technology for supplying controllable low-carbon electricity in off-grid regions. A thermoeconomic model of three different hybrid micro gas-turbine power plant layouts has been developed, allowing their environmental and economic performance to be analyzed. In terms of receiver design, it was shown that the pressure drop is a key criterion. However, for recuperated layouts, the combined pressure drop of the recuperator and receiver is more important. In terms of both electricity costs and carbon emissions, the internally-fired recuperated micro gas-turbine was shown to be the most promising solution of the three configurations evaluated. Compared to competing diesel generators, the electricity costs from hybrid solar units are between 10% and 43% lower, while specific CO2 emissions are reduced by 20–35%.
Hybrid solar micro gas-turbines are a promising technology for supplying controllable low-carbon electricity in off-grid regions. A thermoeconomic model of three different hybrid micro gas-turbine power plant layouts has been developed, allowing their environmental and economic performance to be analyzed. In terms of receiver design, it was shown that the pressure drop is a key criterion. However, for recuperated layouts the combined pressure drop of the recuperator and receiver is more important. The internally-fired recuperated micro gas-turbine was shown to be the most promising solution of the three configurations evaluated, in terms of both electricity costs and carbon emissions. Compared to competing diesel generators, the electricity costs from hybrid solar units are between 10% and 43% lower, while specific CO2 emissions are reduced by 20 – 35%.
A flexible generic model has been developed at the Chair of Heat and Power Technology in order to perform fatter experiments in a more fundamental fashion. It is made of engineered flexible material and oscillate in a controlled way at non-uniform amplitude and variable frequencies. Time-resolved measurements of the unsteady surface pressures, the instantaneous model geometry as well as unsteady Schlieren visualizations are performed in order to study the shock wave motion and the aerodynamic load acting over this flexible generic bump. The model oscillates at reduced frequencies from 0.015 to 0.294 at transonic flow condition. The mode shapes of such a flexible bump strongly depends on the excitation frequency of the generic model. Schlieren pictures are obtained for an operating point characterized by an inlet Mach number of 0.63. Moreover, the presented results demonstrate that the phase of shock wave movement towards bump local motion shows a decreasing trend for the third bending mode shapes at reduced frequency higher than k=0.074. At the pressure taps located after the shock wave formation, the phase of pressure fluctuations towards bump local motion presents the same decreasing trend.
In this study the vibration properties of a deforming test object are presented. The test object is bump shaped and is integrated into the wall of a transonic wind tunnel. The purpose for using such a test object is to study, in a generic manner, the unsteady aerodynamic phenomena occurring due to the presence of a vibrating structure in the flow. The setup is part of an ongoing study to address the phenomena of fluid-structure interaction and shock-boundary layer interaction. The design objective for the test object is to assimilate a IF vibration mode at a given section of atypical compressor blade. Finite element (FE) analyses have been used to predict the frequency response of the test object prior to manufacturing. The design objectives have been verified experimentally by time-resolved laser measurements. It has been found that the FE predictions are in good agreement with experimental data. Furthermore it has been shown that the present test object allows for the achievement of the targeted vibration properties up to a frequency of 250Hz, corresponding to a reduced frequency above 0.8.
The reliability of modelling and simulation of energy systems strongly depends on the prediction accuracy of each system component. This is the case of Stirling engine-based systems, where an accurate modelling of the engine performance is very important to understand the overall system behaviour. In this sense, many Stirling engine analyses with different approaches have been already developed. However, there is a lack of Stirling engine models suitable for the integration into overall system simulations. In this context, this paper aims to develop a rigorous Stirling engine model that could be easily integrated into combined heat and power schemes for the overall techno-economic analysis of these systems. The model developed considers a Stirling engine with adiabatic working spaces, isothermal heat exchangers, dead volumes, and imperfect regeneration. Additionally, it considers mechanical pumping losses due to friction, limited heat transfer and thermal losses on the heat exchangers. The predicted efficiency and power output were compared with the numerical model and the experimental work reported by the NASA Lewis Research Centre for the GPU-3 Stirling engine. This showed average absolute errors around ±4% for the brake power, and ±5% for the brake efficiency at different frequencies. However, the model also showed large errors (±15%) for these calculations at higher frequencies and low pressures. Additional results include the calculation of the cyclic expansion and compression work; the pressure drop and heat flow through the heat exchangers; the conductive, shuttle effect and regenerator thermal losses; the temperature and mass flow distribution along the system; and the power output and efficiency of the engine.
The Stirling engine is a closed-cycle regenerative system that presents good theoretical properties. These include a high thermodynamic efficiency, low emissions levels thanks to a controlled external heat source, and multi-fuel capability among others. However, the performance of actual prototypes largely differs from the mentioned theoretical potential. Actual engine prototypes present low electrical power outputs and high energy losses. These are mainly attributed to the complex interaction between the different components of the engine, and the challenging heat transfer and fluid dynamics requirements. Furthermore, the integration of the engine into decentralized energy systems such as the Combined Heat and Power systems (CHP) entails additional complications. These has increased the need for engineering tools that could assess design improvements, considering a broader range of parameters that would influence the engine performance when integrated within overall systems. Following this trend, the current work aimed to implement an analysis that could integrate the thermodynamics, and the thermal and mechanical interactions that influence the performance of kinematic Stirling engines. In particular for their use in Combined Heat and Power systems. The mentioned analysis was applied for the study of an engine prototype that presented very low experimental performance. The numerical methodology was selected for the identification of possible causes that limited the performance. This analysis is based on a second order Stirling engine model that was previously developed and validated. The simulation allowed to evaluate the effect that different design and operational parameters have on the engine performance, and consequently different performance curves were obtained. These curves allowed to identify ranges for the charged pressure, temperature ratio, heat exchangers dimensions, crank phase angle and crank mechanical effectiveness, where the engine performance was improved. In addition, the curves also permitted to recognise ranges were the design parameters could drastically reduce the brake power and efficiency. The results also showed that the design of the engine is affected by the conditions imposed by the CHP interactions, and that the engine could reach a brake power closer to 832 W with a corresponding brake efficiency of 26% when the adequate design parameters were considered. On the other hand, the performance could also be very low; as the reported in experimental tests, with brake power measurements ranging 52-120W.
This work presents the development and validation of a numerical model that represents the performance of a gamma Stirling engine prototype. The model follows a modular approach considering ideal adiabatic working spaces; limited internal and external heat transfer through the heat exchangers; and mechanical and thermal losses during the cycle. In addition, it includes the calculation of the mechanical efficiency taking into account the crank mechanism effectiveness and the forced work during the cycle. Consequently, the model aims to predict the work that can be effectively taken from the shaft. The model was compared with experimental data obtained in an experimental rig built for the engine prototype. The results showed an acceptable degree of accuracy when comparing with the experimental data, with errors ranging from +/- 1% to +/- 8% for the temperature in the heater side, less than +/- 1% error for the cooler temperatures, and +/- 1 to +/- 8% for the brake power calculations. Therefore, the model was probed adequate for study of the prototype performance. In addition, the results of the simulation reflected the limited performance obtained during the prototype experiments, and a first analysis of the results attributed this to the forced work during the cycle. The implemented model is the basis for a subsequent parametric analysis that will complement the results presented.
The use of simulation techniques for the study of Combined Heat and Power systems based on Stirling Engines (CHP-SE) has been focused on dynamic simulations that guide the sizing of the system components. These are valuable tools for the performance evaluation of determined designs. However, there is a need to complement these studies with additional analysis that could permit to assess the design improvement and the integration of the system components. For this reason, the present work developed a model that coupled the design equations of each component with the equations that describe the thermal interactions presented in the overall system.
This integration allowed to obtain a deeper insight into the thermodynamic characteristics of the overall system, and thus was used for the study of a micro CHP-SE experimental rig. The results for this case study allowed to quantify the main energy outputs, the energy losses, and the influence of different parameters on the system. The overall efficiency under the original conditions presented values ranging from 60%-64% with very low exergy efficiencies ranging from 5%-7%. The simulation analysis permitted to identify design and operational parameters that would increase the overall efficiency to values closer to 80% and the exergy to values closer to 14%. These increments would correspond to the reduction of the energy losses, improvements on the conditions for the biomass combustion, and the use of engines with higher electrical outputs.
Computer assisted modelling and simulation of energy systems asses the performance and suggest improvements to achieve energy efficient solutions. This is the case of the Stirling engine technology, where computer simulations combined with experimental work have helped to the development of different prototypes. Following this trend, the current work aims to study possible improvements towards the design of a gamma Stirling engine prototype through numerical simulations. The prototype was first experimentally studied and presented low performances. For this reason and considering a lack of reports for this prototype, the numerical simulation was the approach to identify the possible problems that limited the performance. In this regard, this paper presents the development and validation of a numerical model that represent the performance of the Stirling prototype. The model follows a modular approach considering ideal adiabatic working spaces; limited internal and external heat transfer through the heat exchangers; and mechanical and thermal losses during the cycle. In addition, it includes the calculation of the mechanical efficiency taking into account the crank mechanism effectiveness and the forced work during the cycle. Consequently, the model aims to predict the work that can be effectively taken from the shaft. The model was compared with experimental data obtained in an experimental rig built for the engine prototype. The results showed an acceptable degree of accuracy when comparing with the experimental data, with errors ranging from 1%-8% for the temperature in the heater side, less than 1% error for the cooler temperatures, and 1-8% for the brake power calculations. Therefore, the model was probed adequate for study the prototype performance. In addition, the results of the simulation reflected the limited performance obtained during the prototype experiments, and a first analysis of the results attributed this to the forced work during the cycle. The implemented model is the basis for a subsequent parametric analysis that will complement the results presented.
The demands of emissions, combustion efficiency over a wider operational range, and fuel flexibility for industrial gas turbine applications are expected to increase in the coming years. Currently, it is common the use of a stabilizing piloting diffusion flame during part load operation, this flame is accountable for an important part of the thermal NOx emissions on partial load, and in some cases also at full load operation. On the other hand Catalytic Partial Oxidation (CPO) of natural gas is a technique used in petrochemical industry for the Fischer-Tropsch process and for H2 production, and is based in the production of Syn-Gas rich in H2 and CO.
The present work explores the possibility to use the CPO of natural gas in industrial gas turbine applications, it is based in experiments performed between 5 and 13 bar using an arrangement of Rh based catalyst and CH4. The experiments were done at the Catalytic Combustion High Pressure Test Facility, at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden. The gas produced leaves the CPO reactor between 700 and 850 °C and it is rich in H2 and CO. It was found that the most important parameter after reaching the light off temperature in the CPO reactor is the equivalence ratio Φ, which evidences the kinetically controlled regime in the Rh catalyst that depends on O2 availability. The H2/CO ratio is close to the theoretical value of 2 and the selectivity towards H2 and CO are 90% and 95% respectively while the CH4 conversion reached approximately 55%.
Pressure on the other hand had a small negative influence in the tested pressure range and it is more relevant at richer fuel conditions (high equivalence ratios). The CPO process had shown that it is relatively easy to control the operation temperature of the catalyst. This temperature is kept below the maximum allowed by reducing the O2 availability.
The high temperature Syn-Gas gas produced through CPO process could be burnt in the downstream of the catalysts steadily at flame temperatures below the thermal-NOx threshold. The CPO reactor could provide the flame stabilization function at a wide range of operational conditions, and replace the diffusion piloting flame. This approach could cope with NOx and CO emissions in a wider operational range and offers the possibility of using different fuels as the reaction controlling factor is O2 availability. Furthermore, an initial design of a possible combustion strategy downstream of the CPO reactor is also presented.
Emission demands for gas turbine utilization will become more stringent in the coming years. Currently different techniques are used to reach low levels of NOx emissions. One possible solution is the Staged Lean Catalytic Combustion. In this concept a catalysts arrangement is used to generate high temperature combustion gases. The high temperature gases could be used to feed a second combustion stage in which more fuel is injected.
In this work a series of experiments were performed at the Catalytic Combustion High Pressure Test Facility at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Sweden. The fuel used was a simulated gasified biomass and the catalytic combustor consisted of an arrangement of different catalysts, e.g. bimetallic, hexaaluminates, and perovskites catalysts. These were used as, ignition catalyst, medium temperature catalyst and high temperature catalyst respectively.
The tests were performed between 5 and 13.5 bar, and the overall conversion varied between 60% and 70% and the temperature of flue gases could reach 750°C and contains high level of oxygen. The determining factor to control the exit gas temperature was the richness of the mixture (λ value). On the other hand, the increased pressure had a moderate negative effect in the overall fuel conversion. This effect is stronger at leaner mixtures compared to richer ones. Moreover, λ value and also pressure affected the temperature distribution along the reactor.
The utilization of a lean catalytic combustion approach makes possible the use of a post catalytic combustion. In this region additional fuel is injected to fully burn the exiting gases and increase the exit temperature to the desired levels. This staged lean catalytic combustion approach could resemble moderate levels exhaust gas recirculation techniques and/or high air temperature combustion and it is also briefly examined in the present work.
In this paper, the effects of axial gap distance between the first stage stator and rotor blades and multiblocking on aerodynamics and performance of partial admission turbines are analyzed numerically. The selected test case is a two stage axial steam turbine with low reaction blades operating with compressed air. The multiblocking effect is studied by blocking the inlet annulus of the turbine in a single arc and in two opposing blocked arcs, each having the same admission degree. The effect of axial gap distance between the first stage stator and rotor blades is studied while varying the axial gap by 20% compared with the design gap distance. Finally, full admission turbine is modeled numerically for comparison. Performance of various computational cases showed that the first stage efficiency of the two stage partial admission turbine with double blockage was better than that of the single blockage turbine; however, the extra mixing losses of the double blockage turbine caused the efficiency to deteriorate in the downstream stage. It was shown that the two stage partial admission turbine with smaller axial gap than the design value had better efficiency of the first stage due to lower main flow and leakage flow interactions; however, the efficiency at the second stage decreased faster compared with the other cases. Numerical computations showed that the parameters, which increased the axial force of the first stage rotor wheel for the partial admission turbine, were longer blocked arc, single blocked arc, and reduced axial gap distance between the first stage stator and rotor blades.
A Numerical and experimental study of partial admission in a low reaction two-stage axial air test turbine is performed in this paper. In order to model one part load configuration, corresponding to zero flow in one of the admission arcs, the inlet was blocked at one segmental arc, at the leading edge of the first stage guide vanes. Because of the unsymmetrical geometry, the full annulus of the turbine was modeled numerically. The computational domain contained the shroud and disc cavities. The full admission turbine configuration was also modeled for reference comparisons. Computed unsteady forces of the first stage rotor blades showed cyclic change both in magnitude and direction while moving around the circumference. Unsteady forces of first stage rotor blades were plotted in frequency domain using Fourier analysis. The largest amplitudes caused by partial admission were at first and second multiples of rotational frequency due to the existence of single blockage and change in the force direction. Unsteady forces of rotating blades in a partial admission turbine could cause unexpected failures in operation; therefore knowledge about the frequency content of the unsteady force vector and the related amplitudes is vital in the design process of partial admission turbine blades. Pressure plots showed that the non-uniformity in the static pressure field decrease considerably downstream the second stage stator row, while the non-uniformity in the dynamic pressure field is still large. Numerical results between the first stage stator and rotor rows showed that the leakage flow leave the blade path down to the disc cavity in the admitted channel and re-enter into the main flow in the blocked channel. This process compensate the sudden pressure drop downstream the blockage but reduce the momentum of the main flow.
A numerical and experimental study of partial admission in a low reaction two-stage axial air test turbine is performed in this paper. In order to model one part load configuration, corresponding to zero flow in one of the admission arcs, the inlet was blocked at one segmental arc, at the leading edge of the first stage guide vanes. Due to the unsymmetrical geometry, the full annulus of the turbine was modeled numerically. The computational domain contained the shroud and disk cavities. The full admission turbine configuration was also modeled for reference comparisons. Computed unsteady forces of the first stage rotor blades showed cyclic change both in magnitude and direction while moving around the circumference. Unsteady forces of first stage rotor blades were plotted in the frequency domain using Fourier analysis. The largest amplitudes caused by partial admission were at first and second multiples of rotational frequency due to the existence of single blockage and change in the force direction. Unsteady forces of rotating blades in a partial admission turbine could cause unexpected failures in operation; therefore, knowledge about the frequency content of the unsteady force vector and the related amplitudes is vital to the design process of partial admission turbine blades. The pressure plots showed that the nonuniformity in the static pressure field decreases considerably downstream of the second stage's stator row, while the nonuniformity in the dynamic pressure field is still large. The numerical results between the first stage's stator and rotor rows showed that the leakage flow leaves the blade path down into the disk cavity in the admitted sector and re-enters downstream of the blocked channel. This process compensates for the sudden pressure drop downstream of the blockage but reduces the momentum of the main flow.
This paper presents unsteady Navier-Stokes analysis to investigate partial admission phenomena in an axial two-stage steam turbine. The computations are performed in two-dimensional flow conditions at the midspan of the turbine with CFD software Fluent. Unlike some previous numerical work published in open literature, the partial admission in the present study is introduced into the model by blocking only one segmental arc (85.7°) of the guide vanes at the first stage. It is therefore necessary to model the whole annulus of the turbine in the numerical simulations. Results of the analysis show that the peak static pressure drop occurs downstream of the blockage at the entrance to the blocked region where emptying of the rotor channel occurs. The first stage rotor blades experience large static pressure changes on their surfaces and large tangential and axial forces. The magnitude of the tangential and axial forces is twice as large at the entrance to the cavity behind the blockage than at the exit of the blocked region. Entropy concentration downstream of the blockage is considerably high due to the nonuniformities in the flow field. The present results show good agreement between experiments and computations, in tendency of the circumferential static pressure at different axial cross sections. The difference between the numerical and experimental absolute values of the circumferential static pressure drop in the blocked region indicates that the three-dimensional effects are very important to the flow field behind the blockage.
This paper presents a numerical investigation of unsteady flow phenomena in a two-stage partial admission axial steam turbine. Results from unsteady three-dimensional computations are analyzed and compared with the available experimental data. Partial admission in the present study is introduced into the model by blocking only one segmental arc of the inlet guide vanes. Blocking only one segment (which corresponds to the experimental setup) makes the model unsymmetrical; therefore it is necessary to model the whole annulus of the turbine. The first stage rotor blades experience large static pressure change on their surface while passing the blocked channel. The effect of blockage on the rotor blades' surface pressure can be seen few passages around the blocked channel. Strong changes of the blades' surface pressure impose large unsteady forces on the blades of first stage rotor row.
The circumferential static pressure plots at different cross sections along the domain indicate how the non-uniformity propagates in the domain. A peak pressure drop is seen at the cross section downstream of the first stage stator row. At further downstream cross sections, the static pressure becomes more evenly distributed. Entropy generation is higher behind the blockage due to the strong mixing and other loss mechanisms involved with partial admission. Analysis of the entropy plots at different cross sections indicates that the peak entropy moves in a tangential direction while traveling to the downstream stages. Comparisons of the unsteady three-dimensional numerical results and the experimental measurement data show good agreement in tendency. However some differences are seen in the absolute values especially behind the blockage.
A radiation model has been implemented in a Navier-Stokes flow solver to investigate the importance of thermal radiation in film-cooled liquid hydrogen/liquid oxygen rocket engine thrust chambers. Two running conditions were computed: high-altitude and sea-level conditions. For high altitudes, the smalls are heated by radiation approximately 3 K, and the flow is not influenced. At sea level, the flow separates from the nozzle walls and a Mach disk is formed inside the nozzle. This extra source of radiation is clearly observable and, combined with the cold atmospheric air pocket created behind the separation, contributes importantly to the wall temperatures. An increase of up to 140 K is observed in the zone after the separation. Moreover, the position of the shock is slightly affected by radiative transfer. It is shown that radiative heat transfer does play an important role in the case of a shocked film-cooled nozzle. In the unshocked case, its effects are noticeable, but may be neglected.
Externally fired gas turbines open the possibility of using fuels of lower quality than conventional gas turbines and internal combustion engines. This is because in externally fired gas turbines, the flue gases heat the compressed air in a high temperature heat exchanger. This heat exchanger can more easily deal with contaminants present in the flue gases. In this regard, the configuration of externally fired gas turbines represents an interesting option for biomass gasification gas. The contaminants and low heating value (LHV) of this fuel have made it difficult to find a conversion technology for heat and power generation. For this reason, it is important to study the influence of biomass derived gas as fuel on the performance of this system and consider the effects of the contaminants in the high temperature heat exchanger. This is studied in this work through simulations using Aspen Plus and Matlab. The test data of an externally fired micro gas turbine prototype was used to validate the simulation. The fuel considered was biomass gasification gas with varying concentrations of benzene 100, 10 and 1 g/Nm3 (hereafter named m100, m10, and m1 respectively). Additionally, mixtures of biomass derived gas and methane were studied for 10 and 50% of the thermal power of the combustor. The fuel inlet temperature to the combustor varied from 150 °C to 750 °C in order to represent the fuel gas after removal of particles by a cyclone and a filter. The results showed that the electrical power output increases when high fuel inlet temperatures to the combustor are used. Additionally, although it would be expected that fuels with higher LHV (lower heating value) show higher temperatures and higher output power, this does not always occur because of the composition of the fuels and their respective flue gas temperatures. The addition of methane does not have a large effect on the electrical power output. For a fixed temperature limit in the heat exchanger, the composition of the fuels does not play an important role. However, high fuel inlet temperatures to the combustor show slightly higher efficiencies. Additionally, the effect on the electrical power output of increasing the pressure drop as a result of increased thickness of deposit materials in the heat exchanger was analyzed.
Biomass gasification converts solid biomass into a gaseous fuel that is more versatile and can be used in many applications. However, biomass gasification gas contains some contaminants and inert compounds. The contaminants can cause several problems in the downstream equipment and undesirable emissions while the inert compounds can affect the lower heating value of the gas. Because of these characteristics, there have been difficulties in finding a conversion technology using biomass gasification gas for heat and power generation. In this regard, externally fired gas turbines open a possibility for this combustible gas since due to its configuration, combustion takes place outside the conventional gas turbine cycle. For this reason, combustion studies of biomass derived gas are important. In this work the operability of a commercial air-staged natural gas burner is shown in terms of CO, UHC, and NOX emissions using a synthetic mixture of biomass gasification gas. Two fuel gas mixtures simulating the composition of biomass gasification gas are injected in the combustor. Each fuel gas contains different injection rates of benzene in order to represent tars and to understand their effect on the combustion performance. Additionally, the equivalence ratio is varied in a range of lean conditions in order to find an optimum operation point for the burner studied. The results showed that the presence of polyaromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene reduced the CO concentrations in the exhaust gas while it increased the concentrations of unburned hydrocarbons (UHC) at equivalence ratios lower than 0.68. Additionally, NOX emissions showed a relatively constant trend over the range of equivalence ratios studied for both fuels. It was also observed that NOX emissions increase with the addition of benzene in the fuel gas. An optimum point with regards CO and UHC concentrations was found for the fuels tested.
The externally-fired gas turbine (EFGT) can convert fuels such as coal, biomass, biomass gasification gas and solar energy into electricity and heat. The combination of this technology with biomass gasification gas represents an interesting option for gasification, for which it has been difficult to find a conversion technology. In this system, the heat exchanger deals with the contaminants of biomass derived gas instead of the turbine itself. However, these contaminants can build a deposit layer in the heat exchanger that can affect its performance. The heat exchanger is important in externally fired gas turbines since the turbine inlet temperature is directly dependent on its performance. Several studies on heat exchangers for externally fired gas turbines have been carried out. However, very few detailed studies were found comparing the performance of heat exchangers for externally fired gas turbines considering the effect of deposit materials on the surfaces. In this regard, this work compares the performance of a corrugated plate heat exchanger and a two-tube-passes shell and tube heat exchanger considering the effect of thickness of deposit material with different thermal conductivities on pressure drop and effectiveness. The results show that the effectiveness of the corrugated plate heat exchanger is more influenced at larger thicknesses of deposit materials than the two-tube-passes shell and tube heat exchanger. There is an exponential increase in the pressure drop of the plate heat exchanger while a monotonic increase of pressure drop is seen for the shell and tube heat exchanger. The increase in the thickness of the deposit material has two effects. On one hand, it increases the resistance to heat transfer and on the other hand, it reduces the through flow area increasing the velocity and hence the heat transfer coefficient. Additionally, the effectiveness of the heat exchangers had a stronger influence on the power output than the pressure drop.
The composition of the product gas produced from a biomass gasification process varies largely depending on several operational factors. The present study gathers the combustion information of different fuel mixtures that resemble the wide range of product gases from biomass gasification process. Two combustion parameters that are laminar flame speed, SL and lean blowoff limit, ERblowoff have been studied as functions of the content of H2 in the fuel mixture as well as the ratios of CO/H2, hydrocarbons/H2 and diluents/H2. From the plotted graphs, mathematical correlations between the parameter studied and the component of the gas mixture have been derived. The equations developed can be used to calculate the laminar flame speed and blowoff equivalent ratio for a wide range of gasified biomass. The graphs show that the H2 content and diluents/H2 ratio have the greatest influence on the laminar flame speed of the gas mixture and higher effect compared to the influence by the ratio of CO/H2 and hydrocarbons/H2. For the lean blowoff limit, the descending order of influence is the ratio of diluents/H2, H2 content and the ratio of CO/H2. While no importance on the lean blowoff limit is observed for the ratio of hydrocarbons/H2.
Gasification is a thermo‐chemical process which converts biomass fuel into a gaseous mixture, gasified biomass, which can be used in various prime movers. For heat and power generation, using gasified biomass in a combustion device, for example, can give lower undesired emission compared to direct combustion of solid biomass. However, with regards to its variety in composition and lower heating value, the combustion behaviour of gasified biomass may differ from natural gas. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of water and tar compound on the combustion of simulated gasified biomass, which mainly contains CO, H2, CH4, CO2, N2. The combustion tests are conducted at atmospheric pressure in a premixed combustor. At a fixed input thermal load, CO and NOx emission levels, combustion temperature, and blowoff characteristics of gasified biomass are observed while varying the volume fraction of water (H2O) or benzene (C6H6) vapours in the fuel mixture. With low H2O level in the fuel mixture, the combustion temperature is almost constant, while NOx emission is decreased compared to dry gasified biomass. On the contrary, the combustion temperature decreases and NOx emission is almost constant at higher H2O content. A temperature limit was observed where CO emission could be maintained at low concentration. The blowoff limit was shifted to higher equivalence ratio. The blowoff temperature was first slightly decreased at lower H2O level and raised when H2O level is further increased. With the content of C6H6, the combustion temperature and NOx emission enhanced, while CO emission was reduced. The blowoff occurs at slightly higher equivalence ratio and temperature compared to gasified biomass without C6H6. The study shows that the presence of H2O and C6H6 in gasified biomass may give positive effects on the emission characteristics during combustion, but also that there are limits for these effects.
Biomass can be converted to a gaseous fuel through gasification in order to be used in higher efficiency conversion. Combustion of gasified biomass gas (GBG) in gas turbines, for example, potentially reduces the CO2 emission compared to natural gas and diminishes the dependence of fossil fuels. However, the wide variety in the gas composition and its lower heating value will affect the subsequent combustion process with respect to emission levels and flame stability. In this study, premixed combustion of simulated GBG is investigated experimentally at atmospheric pressure and compared with pure CH4 (simulated natural gas). Combustion performance in terms of emission levels and blowoff is observed. The GBG fuel with noncombustible to combustible components ratio of 1.5 is tested in comparison with pure CH4 at fixed input thermal load. The GBG fuel consists of a mixture of CO/H2/CH4/CO2/N2and its proportion reassembles the mixture from air‐blown gasification. The high diluent content decreases the lower heating value (LHV) and increases the volumetric flow compared to CH4. As a result, lower combustion temperature and different flame region than CH4were found in the combustor. However, the GBG combustion still can be stabilized at lower temperature and leaner condition compared to CH4 while maintaining low CO and NOx emissions. As low as ~15 ppm and ~5ppm of CO and NOxemissions, respectively, could be achieved at an equivalence ratio equal to 0.5. It was found that at a combustion temperature below ~800oC, both CO and UHC start to rise from their stable and low concentration. At different input thermal loads, a shift in the optimum operating condition for the GBG combustion was found. No auto‐ignition or flashback events were found during the combustion of GBG in all experiment conditions tested. The results show the possibility to use both GBG and natural gas in one and the same combustor without compromising low emission levels.
A prerequisite for aeroelastic stability prediction in turbomachines is the understanding of the fluctuating aerodynamic forces acting on the blades. Unsteady transonic flows are complex because of mutual interactions between travelling pressure waves, outlet disturbances, shock motion, and fluctuating turbulent boundary layers. Complex phenomena appear in the shock/boundary layer region and produce phase lags and high time harmonics, which can give a significant contribution to the overall unsteady lift and moment, and therefore affect flatter boundaries, cause large local stresses, or even severely damage the turbo-machine. This paper is concerned with the understanding of phenomena associated with travelling waves in non-uniform transonic flows and how they affect the unsteady pressure distribution on the surface as well as the far field radiated sound. In similitude with turbomachines potential interaction, the emphasis was put on the unsteady interaction of upstream propagating acoustic waves with an oscillating shock in a 2D nozzle flow. Both numerical and experimental studies are carried out and compared with each other. Results showed that the unsteady pressure distribution results from the superposition of upstream and downstream propagating pressure waves, which are partly reflected or absorbed by the oscillating shock. Beside, the phase angle shift underneath the shock location was found to linearly increase with the perturbation frequency, which can be critical regarding aeroelastic stability since it might have a significant impact on the phase angle of the overall aerodynamic force acting on the blade and shift the aerodynamic damping from stable to exciting.
Based on the analysis of the producing principles of ethanol fuels for the vehicles and their development in the world,in the article the ethanol fuels is compared with conventional fuels in eight indicators covering economic, environment and producing technology by AHP model. The main objective of this research work is to study the difficulties and arising obstacles of promoting the ethanol fuel in Chinese market based on the calculation results, and finally propose appropriate solutions and new ideas to ease the energy crisis and traffic pollutions in China.
Energy services could be greatly improved by using of residues from local food industries in small-scale combustion units. Wood pellets are a reliant and proven fuel to be used in small-scale combustion units. However, these units should preferably be able to use different types of biomass depending what it is locally available. Therefore, studies have been focused on exploring the suitability of using agricultural residues for small-scale heat and power generation using direct combustion. This study targets to compare the combustion of different agricultural residues in a single unit designed for wood pellets. The different biomass fuels used are circle divide 6 mm and circle divide 8 mmwood pellets, circle divide 6 mmbagasse pellets, circle divide 6 mmsunflower husk (SFH) pellets and Brazil nut (BN) shells. The results reveal a decrease in the fuel power input, higher oxygen levels in the flue gases and shorter cycles for ash removal when using the agricultural residues. The excess air ratio was calculated based on a mass balance and compared with a standard equation showing a good agreement. CO and NO emission levels as well as the relative conversion of fuel-C to CO were higher for the BN shells and SFH pellets in comparison to the other biomass types. SO2 emission was estimated based on the analysis of unburned sulfur in ash and mass balances; the higher estimated levels corresponded to the BN shells and SFH pellets. All the biomass sorts presented over 95% relative conversion of fuel-C to CO2. Wood pellets and BN shells presented the highest amount of unburned carbon in ash relative to the fuel-C. The relative conversion of fuel-N to NO and fuel-S to SO2 were higher for wood pellets. Bagasse pellets showed similar emission levels and relative conversion efficiency to wood pellets.
A parametrical analysis summarizing the effect of the reduced frequency and sector mode shape is carried out for a low-pressure sectored vane cascade for different vibration amplitude distributions between the airfoils in sector as well as the numbers of the airfoils in sector. Critical reduced frequency maps are provided for torsion- and bending-dominated sector mode shapes. Despite the different absolute values of the average aerodynamic work between four-, five- and six-airfoil sectors a high risk for instability still exists in the neighborhood of realistic reduced frequencies of modern low-pressure turbine. Based on the cases studied it is observed that a sectored vane mode shape with the edge airfoils in the sector dominant provides the most unstable critical reduced frequency map.
The upstream wheelspace of the KTH Test Turbine has been instrumented with the aim of investigating cavity flow phenomena, as well as cavity-main annulus interaction. Measurements include static pressure, unsteady pressure and temperature.The stage used is of high pressure steam turbine design. The trials include investigating the design point and also a high pressure, high speed operating point, assimilating gas turbine operation. At each point, varying amounts of purge flow are superposed and the influences on the measurements studied.Initial results show considerable dependence of both operating
With the rising concerns about global warming, climate change and the rapid development in the renewable energy industry, many higher educational institutes such as engineering and technological schools around the world have started to offer various educational programs related to sustainable energy pedagogical topics. The knowledge of renewable energy will be a crucial part of scientific literacy for the future; hence it is an absolute necessity to develop easily accessible and flexible-learning approaches in order to succeed in this. Due to various factors, today, the digital online education concept is becoming very popular, both as blended on-campus and as stand-alone studies. Moreover, the traditional teacher driven education system is being also challenged and new student oriented teaching approaches are currently being identified and practiced by various educational experts. This paper discusses a case study developed by applying the learner-centered teaching concept and implemented as part of an online learning course offered for one month (14 hours of learning time was recommended per week) focusing on renewable energy technology innovations for five student groups in three countries. The methodology section of this paper discuss the application of aligned teaching methodology for designing and constructing the course, content deployment of an existing learning management tool and the implementation and course evaluation. Finally, the assessments were graded and results were analyzed to identify success of the new educational concept applied A survey questionnaire was also prepared to receive the thoughts about online learning courses and their experience with the online course performed From an overall point of view, the evaluation and the results exemplify the success and the acceptance of the offered online course by the participants providing good average grading and positive opinions of the method of implementation. Participants also expressed their greater enthusiasm and interest of participating in such online courses for renewable energy engineering, as many of the topics offered through the course are lacking in their existing or past study curriculums.
An experimental study has been performed in a transonic annular sector cascade of nozzle guide vanes (NGVs) to investigate the aerodynamic performance and the interaction between hub film cooling and mainstream flow. The focus of the study is on the endwalls, specifically the interaction between the hub film cooling and the mainstream. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been supplied to the coolant holes to serve as tracer gas. Measurements of CO2 concentration downstream of the vane trailing edge (TE) can be used to visualize the mixing of the coolant flow with the mainstream. Flow field measurements are performed in the downstream plane with a five-hole probe to characterize the aerodynamics in the vane. Results are presented for the fully cooled and partially cooled vane (only hub cooling) configurations. Data presented at the downstream plane include concentration contour, axial vorticity, velocity vectors, and yaw and pitch angles. From these investigations, secondary flow structures such as the horseshoe vortex, passage vortex, can be identified and show the cooling flow significantly impacts the secondary flow and downstream flow field. The results suggest that there is a region on the pressure side (PS) of the vane TE where the coolant concentrations are very low suggesting that the cooling air introduced at the platform upstream of the leading edge (LE) does not reach the PS endwall, potentially creating a local hotspot.
An experimental study has been performed in a transonic annular sector cascade of nozzle guide vanes to investigate the aerodynamic performance and the interaction between hub film cooling and mainstream flow. The focus of the study is on the endwalls, specifically the interaction between the hub film cooling and the mainstream. Carbon dioxide (CO2) has been supplied to the coolant holes to serve as tracer gas. Measurements of CO2 concentration downstream of the vane trailing edge can be used to visualize the mixing of the coolant flow with the mainstream.
Flow field measurements are performed in the downstream plane with a 5-hole probe to characterize the aerodynamics in the vane. Results are presented for the fully cooled and partially cooled vane (only hub cooling) configurations. Data presented at the downstream plane include concentration contour, axial vorticity, velocity vectors, and yaw and pitch angles. From these investigations, secondary flow structures such as the horseshoe vortex, passage vortex, can be identified and show the cooling flow significantly impacts the secondary flow and downstream flow field. The results suggest that there is a region on the pressure side of the vane trailing edge where the coolant concentrations are very low suggesting that the cooling air introduced at the platform upstream of the leading edge does not reach the pressure side endwall, potentially creating a local hotspot.
Wood pellets have become a popular form of biomass for power generation and residential heating due to easier handling both for transportation and for feeders in the treatment units, improved conversion and storage possibilities. The research on wood pellets as fuel has also been intensified during the past decade. However, other biomass sorts in pellet form, such as sugar cane bagasse, have not yet been extensively studied, especially not physical effects on the pellets during thermal treatment. Bagasse and wood pellets of different origin and sizes, shredded bagasse and wood chips have been studied in a thermogravimetric equipment to compare the effects of sort, origin, size and form of biomass during slow pyrolysis and steam gasification. Physical parameters such as decrease of volume and mass during treatment, as well as pyrolysis and gasification rates are of primary interest in the study. An important observation from the study is that for pellets the char density decreased during pyrolysis to a minimum around 450 degrees C, but thereafter increased with continued heating. The wood chips behaved differently with a continuous char density decrease during pyrolysis. Another conclusion from the work is that the size of the pellet has larger impact on the shrinkage behaviour throughout the conversion than the raw material, which the pellet is made of.
The downdraft gasification technology has an increased interest among researchers worldwide due to the possibility to produce mechanical and electrical power from biomass in small-scale to an affordable price. The research is generally focused on improvement of the performance and optimizing of a certain gasifier, on testing different fuels, on increasing the user-friendliness of the gasifier and on finding other uses for the product gas than in an IC-engine, for example liquid fuel production.
The main objective with the gasification tests presented here is to further contribute in the field by studying the impact of the char bed properties such as char bed porosity and pressure drop on the gasification performance as well as the impact of fuel particle size and composition on the gasification process in one and the same gasifier. In addition, there is very little gasification data available in literature of “before disregarded” fuels such as sugar cane bagasse from sugar/alcohol production and empty fruit bunch (EFB) from the palm-oil production. By pelletizing these residues, it is possible to introduce them into downdraft gasification technology which has been done in this study.
The results show that one and the same reactor can be used for a variety of fuels in pellet form, but at varying air–fuel ratios, temperature levels, gas compositions and lower heating values. Gasification of wood pellets results in a richer producer gas while EFB pellets give a poorer one with higher contents of non-combustible compounds. In this gasification study, there is almost linear relation between the air–fuel ratio and the cold-gas efficiency for the studied fuels: Higher air–fuel ratios result in better efficiency. The pressure drop in the char bed is higher for more reactive fuels, which in turn is caused by low porosity char beds.
Pelletisation facilitates utilisation of sugar cane bagasse as a fuel and storage for year-round electricity generation. The present work determines thermochemical characteristics of bagasse pellets of different sizes and origins, using various temperatures (600, 750 and 900 degrees C) and gas flow rates (4, 7 and 10 L/min) with varying concentrations of oxygen (5, 10 and 15 %) in mixtures with nitrogen. Of major interest are the effects of raw material, origin and size of pellets, and the treatment conditions on the rate of pyrolysis and the structure and reactivity of char in combustion. The char yield of the larger pellets of high-ash content bagasse was practically independent of treatment conditions. Smaller pellets gave better mechanical stability of the char but lower reactivity.
KTH Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) is one of European’s key centers of innovation and intellectual talent for almost two centuries. Recognized as Sweden’s most prestigious technical university, KTH is also the country’s oldest and largest. Computerized simulation technique was recognized as a fundamental component of the higher-education sector at KTH as early as the fifties. Although the utilization of these tools in research is now considered to be standard, the educational aspects are not. In this field, the method of instruction followed by practice is considered to be a superior pedagogic method compared to lecture to many. The current method emphasizes on demonstrative activities of the learners known as phenomeno-graphic learning. However, phenomeno-graphic learning is viable if there are breadth and depth in the physic, mathematic, computer science and graphic, operational strategy and methodology, etc. illuminating weakness of learning by doing method.
This work aims to report the success and progress of the course, numerical methods in energy technology, which utilizes Computational Fluid Dynamics cods such as STAR-CCM+ as the tool. Learning methodology is based on instructional design and andragogically approach that offers an elaboration on the mechanism of learning process and its premeditated in context of a prescribed framework. The results indicated the prominence of student sensitive and constructive learning process and the advantages of using a preferred framework in guiding the students in a pertinent context (area). The method particularly incorporates the constructivist principles that lead to enhance the learning process. In addition, the conclusions of this study similarly illuminate the vast potentials of computational fluid dynamic for research, evaluation and educational purposes.
Computerized simulation technique is a fundamental component of the higher education and is a vital mechanism, utilized in phenomena-graphic studies in science. The system offers recreation of an alternative reality in front of scientist's eyes, giving an insight into the biggest and smallest scales (astronomy to nanotechnology) yet cannot be comprehended otherwise. Currently the tool is utilized in research and taught one on one. The progress in computational technology and the advent of commercial codes equipped with user-friendly interface have facilities the introduction of computational fluid dynamic in undergraduate education promoting critique of various learning opportunities through visualization technique. Nevertheless the outcomes of each study is highly influenced by the ideas, approaches, knowledge in phenomena, mathematical rules and measures, computer science, cads, post processing and interpretation of the results. The user of such system acts as the facilitator and liaison between the real and virtual phenomena. The user should own the proper education, experience, emphasizing the relevance of the teaching strategy; understanding the key mechanisms in learning process. Unlocking the full power of computational fluid dynamic, some critical topics in educational area need to be addressed. One is to identify the learning process, approaches and methodology. One task with three different definitions was given to groups and the data regarding the learning process, strategies for solving the problem adapted by students for, engagements of the participants in work was monitored. The data were gathered through a net based learning tool. The progress of the groups were scrutinized weekly, aiming at directing the group in pre-define learning scope. This work is based on instructional design and andragogically approach. It offers an elaboration on the mechanism of learning process and is premeditated in context of prescribed framework. The results indicated the prominence of student sensitive and constructive learning process and the advantages of using a preferred framework in guiding the students in pertinent context (area) particularly incorporation of constructivist principles that may lead to enhance learner's learning experience. In addition, the conclusions of this study similarly illuminate the vast potentials of computational fluid dynamic for research, evaluation and educational purposes.
An interactive learning platform which sets a new standard for electronic learning of gas turbine technology in a global life-long learning perspective is presented (Fig. I). The platform contains a theoretical section in the Sonn of several pages for each chapter available, with a significant number of related interactive simulations, movies, animations, virtual laboratory exercises, virtual study visits and realistic case studies. A significant background information related to historical development in the field, a display of existing components, nomenclature, multi-lingual dictionary and keywords, as well as questions for self-assessment and exams, an electronic communication group and a database of the user's ''successes and failures,'' enhance the learning process in a significant way. The program is intended as a platform for an international collaboration on learning heat and power technology. It can be used both in the classroom as well as for self-studies and is as such well adapted for both university and post-university learning, both on and off campus. Tools to facilitate the introduction of new material exist. It is thus hoped that teachers at different universities can join forces and in a noncompetitive way introduce material which can be shared, instead of developing similar simulations with somewhat different interfaces. The long-term goal of the learning platform is of course that users worldwide will have the possibility to access the best teaching material available from any specialist, and that this material will contain supplementary pedagogical information which will enhance the learning both at a university and a post-university level.
This paper presents ongoing experimental aerodynamic and efficiency measurements on a cold flow two-stage axial air test turbine with low reaction steam turbine blades at different degrees of partial admission. The overall objectives of the work are to experimentally investigate and quantify the steady and unsteady aerodynamic losses induced by partial admission. The first results show that both the total-to-static turbine efficiency drops and that the efficiency peak appears at lower isentropic velocity ratios with lower degrees of admission. Detailed steady traverse measurements of the static wall pressures downstream of sector-ends show strong local variations. The pressure wake from the partial admission blockage moves almost axially through the turbine while the temperature wake is located in a tangential position that represents the position of a particle trace based on velocity triangles, in the direction of the rotor rotation. Comparisons with 2D compressible flow computations around the circumference demonstrate the importance of the radial flow component in these experiments.
A rotating measurement system has been designed and commissioned for a cold flow test turbine and tested under the influence of partial admission. A shrouded turbine rotor of impulse design is equipped with miniature pressure transducers and strain gauges. This paper discusses the selected experimental design and procedure. Overall, the first test runs went well and necessary data were collected and could be evaluated accordingly. Encountered specific measurement technique problems are addressed where the importance of high redundancy is stressed. Results demonstrate one effect that imbedded sensor technology may encounter as regards of dynamic measurements and calibrations.
High cycle fatigue (HCF) due to unforeseen excitation frequencies or due to under predicted force magnitudes, or a combination of both causes control stage failures for steam turbine stakeholders. The objectives of this paper is to provide an extended design criteria toolbox and validation data for control stage design based on experimental data, with the aim to decrease HCF incidents for partial admission turbines. The upstream rotor in a two stage air test turbine is instrumented with pressure transducers and strain gauges. Admission degrees stretching from 28.6% to 100% as one or two admission arcs are simulated by blocking segmental arcs immediately upstream of first stator vanes by aerodynamically shaped filling blocks. Sweeps across a speed range from 50 to 105% of design speed are performed at constant turbine pressure ratio during simultaneous high speed acquisition. A forced response analysis is performed and results presented in Campbell diagrams. Partial admission creates a large number of low engine order forced responses because of the blockage, pumping, loading and unloading processes. Combinations of the number of rotor blades and low engine order excitations are the principal sources of forced response vibrations for the turbine studied herein. Altering the stator and/or rotor pitches will change the excitation pattern. A relation between the circumferential lengths of the admitted and non-admitted arcs that dictates the excitation forces is observed that may serve as a design parameter.