Session: Poster Session

Paper Number: 162889

Diffuser Integration With a Rotating Detonation Combustor for Power Generating Gas Turbines 

The present study investigates a diffuser-integrated rotating detonation combustor (RDC) exiting into pressurized plenum, simulating the high-pressure inlet conditions typically found in power generation gas turbines. Our previous study reported that when the RDC exhaust flow contains oblique shock(s), the downstream hardware could act as a source of shock reflection that propagates toward the combustor, resulting in detrimental effects on operation, stability, and performance of the RDC system. The current configuration aims to enhance the performance of the RDC system while addressing potential instabilities caused by shock and acoustic wave reflections from the downstream hardware. Two RDC configurations—one with a constant area annulus and a rapid-to-gradual (RTG) profiled annulus —were experimentally tested, all discharging into a plenum maintained at pressures ranging from 1 atm to 4 atm. A diffuser was introduced downstream of the RDC, designed to optimize flow stability and minimize adverse wave interactions. The RDC was fueled by methane and oxygen-enriched air, with reactant mass flow rates ranging from 70 gm/s to 320 gm/s. Performance characterization included time-averaged static pressure measurements across the length of combustor and downstream hardware, wave velocities determined via ionization probes, and dynamic pressure monitoring within the combustor and diffuser regions. The results demonstrated that the inclusion of the diffuser led to improved flow stabilization, reduced pressure fluctuations, and further minimized detrimental interactions between the RDC and the downstream plenum. Notably, the RTG combustor configuration, coupled with the diffuser, exhibited superior operational performance, mitigating the impact of reflected shock and acoustic waves.

Presenting Author: Shaon Talukdar The University of Alabama

Presenting Author Biography: Shaon Talukdar is a PhD student and a researcher in Engines and Combustion Lab (ECL) at The University of Alabama (UA). Shaon joined ECL in Fall 2021 and has been working in US DOE funded annular RDE project. His research focus is to characterize and minimize the flow unsteadiness at RDE exhaust for turbine integreation. He applies advanced diagnostics (probe as well as laser) for pressure gain combustion experiments.

Authors:

Shaon Talukdar The University of Alabama
Apurav Gupta The University of Alabama
Ajay Agrawal The University of Alabama