An Investigation of Fuel Property Influence on Lean Blowout Characteristics in a Swirl Stabilized Gas Turbine Combustor

Aviation-based carbon-dioxide (CO2) emissions generated by combustion of fossil fuels significantly impact the environment by contributing to global warming and climate change. Biomass-derived Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) offer a path to achieve net-zero carbon emissions without significant impact on existing engine architectures or fueling infrastructure. Lean blow out (LBO) forms a combustor figure of merit particularly relevant to safety of engine operation. To ensure drop-in replacement of conventional Jet-A in the existing engine architecture, it is essential to ensure satisfactory LBO limits are achieved with pure SAF or its blend with Jet-A. Previous work has shown the relevance of several key fuel physical and chemical properties to swirl combustor LBO limits. However, the relative importance of these properties to LBO limits is not fully detailed. The present work aims to measure LBO limits for two fuels, ethanol and Jet-A and their linear blends on a model combustor setup, while maintaining other operating conditions constant. Measurement results will be correlated to the physical and chemical properties of the fuels and blends, which have highest sensitivity to the fuel atomization, evaporation, and turbulent combustion processes preceding an LBO event