Computational analysis of multi-fuel micro-gas turbine annular combustion chamber

In this research, an annular combustion chamber with swirlers is introduced in a micro-gas turbine engine for power production. The impact of the dilution holes position and swirler vane angles on the performance of the combustion chamber is investigated. Furthermore, optimization of the combustion chamber is carried out to accommodate a multi-fuel blend, incorporating pure methane, natural gas, and ethanol. The combustor is designed in SolidWorks, and simulations are performed in Ansys Fluent for two positions of dilution holes in the liner and swirler blade angles. The model used is non-premixed with a compressible k–ε turbulent flow model and an equilibrium probability density function for the chemical reaction. To measure the performance of the combustion chamber, pollutant emissions, combustion efficiency, and outlet temperature are examined. Pollutant emissions such as carbon monoxide and unburned fuels exist in a small amount; however, nitric oxides are negligible. The combustion efficiency found is above 98% for methane and natural gas, and almost 100% for ethanol. Moreover, simulation results reveal that the swirler vane angle of 45° widely improves combustor performance.