Improvement of flame stability and NO_x reduction in hydrogen-added ultra lean premixed combustion

Lean premixed combustion is a well known method in gas turbine combustors that can reduce fuel consumption and decrease flame temperature. In lean premixed flames, flame instabilities can occur because the combustion takes place near the lean flammable limit. For the purpose of increasing flame stability, a small amount of hydrogen was added into a fuel, which has ultra low lean flammable limit. The extinction stretch rate increased and total equivalence ratio at extinction decreased with hydrogen addition; consequently, ultra lean premixed combustion was possible and flame stability could be achieved at low temperature conditions. The NO_x emission increased with hydrogen addition for the same stretch rate and equivalence ratio, but the extinction stretch rate and lean flammability limit was enlarged. Consequently, NO_x emission decreased with hydrogen addition in the near extinction conditions. Hydrogen addition could improve flame stability and reduce NO_x emission in ultra lean premixed combustion.