Direct Numerical Simulation of Flame-Wall Interaction for Low-Carbon Gas Turbine Combustion

Green hydrogen (H2) and ammonia (NH3) are emerging as carbon free alternatives to hydrocarbon fuels. In gas turbines, flames interact with the combustor liner (wall), which affects the pollutant emissions, the burning efficiency, and the thermal load on the liner. We lack understanding of this important flame-wall interaction (FWI) for alternative fuels. FWI occurs at the scale of the flame thickness, and such scales are only resolved by direct numerical simulation. Here, we resolve the FWI for NH3 and H2 flames. Preliminary results of two distinct projects are presented: 2D laminar anchored V-flame, and 3D turbulent swirling flame. For the laminar flame, we show flame quenching at the wall and resulting leakage of NH3 and increased N2O, but decreased NO emissions. For the swirling flame, we show CO emissions, and comparison of flame shapes and location to experimental measurements. Ultimately we show that quenching and pollutant emissions strongly affected by fuel/air ratio, and that an inclined wall can stabilize very lean turbulent CH4/H2 flames, but prone to large CO emissions.