Flame Speed Measurements of Ammonia-Hydrogen Mixtures for Gas-Turbines

Abstract Recent findings from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) project an increase in domestic fossil fuel consumption (e.g., petroleum, natural gas) and global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through 2050 [1]. Consequently, advanced combustion research aims to identify fuels to mitigate fossil fuel consumption while minimizing exhaust emissions. Ammonia (NH3) is one of these candidates, as it has historically been shown to provide high energy potential and zero carbon emission (CO and CO2) [2]. As a hydrogen (H2) carrier, NH3 serves as a possible solution to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen Program Plan by providing efficient H2 storage and conservation capabilities [3]. As a result, applied turbine-combustion research of NH3 and H2 fuel has been conducted to identify combustion performance parameters that aid in the design of sustainable turbomachinery [4]. One of these key combustion parameters is the laminar burning speed (LBS). While abundant literature exists on the combustion of NH3 and H2 fuels, there is not sufficient evidence in high-pressure environments to provide a comprehensive understanding of NH3 and H2 combustion phenomena in turbine-combustor settings. To advance the state of the knowledge, NH3, and H2 mixtures were ignited in a spherical chamber across a range of equivalence ratios at 296 K and 5.07 Bar (5 atm) to understand their flame characteristics and LBS which was determined using a multizone constant-volume method. The experimental conditions were selected according to primary turbine-combustor conditions, as much research is needed to support NH3-H2 applicability in turbomachinery for power generation. The effect of H2 addition to NH3 fuel was observed by comparing the LBS for various NH3-H2 mixture compositions. Experimental results revealed increased LBS values for H2 enriched NH3, with the maximum LBS occurring at stoichiometry. The experimental data were accurately predicted by the UCF NH3-H2 mechanism developed for this investigation, while NUI 1.1 simulations overestimated recorded LBS data by a significant margin. This study demonstrates and quantifies the enhancing effect of H2 addition to NH3 fuels via LBS and strengthens the literature surrounding NH3-H2 combustion reactions for future work.