Longitudinal-Mode Combustion Instabilities: Modeling and Experiments

Combustion instabilities can lead to increased development time and cost for aeroengine gas turbines. This problem has been evident in the development of very-low emissions stationary gas turbines, and will likely be encountered in the newer, more aggressive aeroengine designs. In order to minimize development time and cost, it is imperative that potential combustion dynamics issues be resolved using analyses and smaller-scale experimentation. This paper discusses a methodology through which a problem in a full-scale engine was replicated in a single-nozzle laboratory combustor. Specifically, this approach is valid for longitudinal and "bulk" mode combustion instabilities. An explanation and partial validation of the acoustic analyses that were used to achieve this replication are also included. This approach yields a testbed for the diagnosis of combustion dynamics problems and for their solution through passive and active control techniques.