Volumetric PIV measurement for capturing the port flow characteristics within annular gas turbine combustors

Abstract: The three-dimensional flows within a full featured, unmodified annular gas turbine combustor have been investigated using a scanned stereoscopic PIV measurement technique. Volumetric measurements have been achieved by rigidly translating a stereoscopic PIV system to scan measurements around the combustor, permitting reconstruction of volumetric single-point statistics. Delivering the measurements in this way allows the measurement of larger volumes than are accessible using techniques relying upon high depth of field imaging. The shallow depth of field achieved in the stereoscopic configuration furthermore permits measurements in close proximity to highly detailed geometry. The measurements performed have then been used to assess the performance of the combustor port flows, which are central to the emissions performance and temperature/velocity profile at turbine inlet. Substantially differing performance was observed in the primary ports with circumferential position, which was found to influence the behaviour of the second secondary port jets. The measurements indicated that the interaction between the primary and secondary jets occurred due to variations in the external boundary conditions imposed by the annular passages in which the combustor is located. Graphic abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].