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Development of the Lean Azimuthal Flame as an Innovative aviation gas turbine low-NOX combustion concept

Project description

Flameless combustion soars to new heights

Combustion is the fast heat-producing reaction between hydrocarbon fuel and oxygen. While CO2 is often the focus, NOx (a family of compounds including nitrogen dioxide or NO2) and particulates are also emitted by modern jet engines. NO2 is an important pollutant on its own, and it participates in atmospheric ozone and acid rain chemistry. While new combustion processes that minimise NOx production from industrial burners have been developed, they have not yet been applied to the combustion of kerosene in jet engines. Reducing particulate matter emission from kerosene or new synthetic fuels is also important. The EU-funded LEAFINNOX project covers these gaps through a combination of experiments and modelling that provide new combustion concepts minimising both NOx and particulate emissions.

Objective

"The low-NOx potential of ""Flameless Oxidation"" (or ""MILD combustion"", as is otherwise known) has been demonstrated for industrial furnaces and gaseous-fuel flames, but it has not been explored yet for aviation gas turbines burning kerosene. In this project, the ""Lean Azimuthal Flame"" (LEAF), a new combustor design that can operate at the ""Flameless Oxidation"" mode and that has been tested for gaseous fuels so far producing very low NOx, CO, and unburnt hydrocarbons, will be developed for kerosene as an innovative low-NOx candidate combustor concept for the long-term. The work comprises tests at low and elevated pressures, development of new kinetic schemes for kerosene combustion under MILD combustions, development of experimental diagnostics and sectional models for nanoparticles so as to assess the particulate emissions of the kerosene LEAF and to increase our predictive capability, modelling by advanced combustion models (Large-Eddy Simulation with sub-grid Conditional Moment Closure supplemented with the new kinetic schemes for NOx and soot), and the construction of low-order models for emissions and thermoacoustics for the LEAF. The models can also assist the medium-term improvement of existing combustors such as those based on the RQL or LPP concepts. The consortium consists of four highly-experienced partners, with significant expertise with the LEAF, combustion in vitiated air, NOx and particulate emissions chemistry, and numerical modelling, and with emphasis on knowledge transfer to industry. The outcomes of the project can provide new options to the European aeroengine industry and can result in significanly lower NOx emissions than at present due to the unique low emissions of the ""Flameless Oxidation"" combustion mode."

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RIA - Research and Innovation action

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) H2020-CS2-CFP08-2018-01

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Coordinator

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 229 527,50
Address
TRINITY LANE THE OLD SCHOOLS
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom

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Region
East of England East Anglia Cambridgeshire CC
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 229 527,50

Participants (3)

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