Design and analysis of a gas turbine trapped vortex combustion chamber operating in MILD regime

The burner prototype to be realized uses flows in cavities to stabilize the flame. The correct design of the cavity and of the fluid dynamic pattern inside it, allows the formation of stable vortex which exchanges heat and mass with the incoming flow determining the right conditions for MILD combustion [1]. The introduction of MILD technology in pressurized combustion offers interesting perspectives because potentially can answers to two demands: 1) a low emissions level and 2) low level of thermo-acoustic instabilities (humming). The possible configurations for MILD combustion implementation are essentially two: a) external recycling of exhaust gasses b) internal recycling of exhaust gasses The first solution is theoretically very promising from the point of view of pollutants reduction and plant efficiency, but involves a more complex system and modifications of classical thermal cycles (Rankine, Bryton). In the second case modifications concern just the specific component and so it is more applicable even for existing plants retrofit. High initial temperatures and high dilution of reagents are obtained in this case through proper fluid dynamic solutions.