Session: 04-52 Ignition II

Paper Number: 103815

103815 - Ignition of Various Lubricating Oil Compositions Using a Shock Tube 

Gas turbines generate significant amounts of power for the electrical grid and require high temperatures to meet their expected efficiencies. These high temperatures result in the degradation of the lubricating oils housed within turbines. Additionally, with periods of high electrical demand, such as winter or spring months, gas turbines operate for extended periods without lubricant maintenance, resulting in lower efficiencies and potential lubricant ignition. If the lubricant combusts, the resulting fire can destroy the gas turbine. Therefore, it is necessary to characterize the lubricants’ reactivity. A lubricant’s reactivity provides a measure of the lubricant’s ability to resist combustion. To characterize this metric, a shock-tube facility at Texas A&M University is utilized. The high-pressure shock tube (HPST) at the university is fitted with an automotive fuel injector which dispenses a set amount of oil ahead of the incident shock wave. The lubricant is vaporized by the incident shock wave, and ignition of the lubricants is observed using OH* chemiluminescence diagnostics post reflected shock. The experiments in this paper incorporate recent improvements in the shock-tube technique. This experiment allows for investigation of lubricant reactivity from several different angles. First, testing off-the-shelf lubricants provides necessary reactivity data to determine the most effective lubricant to use in a gas turbine. Second, testing lubricant additives provides information on the additive’s ignition and its influence on the overall lubricant’s ignition. The ignition of several lubricants and typical additives at high-temperature conditions was studied, and the results are presented in this paper. Implications to modeling and understanding possible ignition of lubrication oils in gas turbine engines are discussed.

Presenting Author: Matthew Abulail Texas A&M University

Presenting Author Biography: Matthew Abulail is a graduate assistant researcher at Texas A&M University. He completed his bachelor of science in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University and is continuing his education towards a master of science in mechanical engineering under Dr. Eric L Petersen. While pursuing his education, Matthew has completed numerous internships as a test engineering intern at Volvo Group and a product engineer intern at Allison Transmissions. After graduating with his master of science, Matthew plans to continue his education to the doctoral level and pursue a job in the aeronautical industry.

Authors:

Matthew Abulail Texas A&M University
Sean P Cooper Texas A&M University
Matthew G Sandberg Texas A&M University
Eric L Petersen Texas A&M University