The Three-Dimensional Structure of Swirl-Stabilized Flames in a Lean Premixed Multinozzle Can Combustor

Flame structure can have a significant effect on a combustor's static stability (resistance to blowoff) and dynamic stability (combustion instability) and therefore is an important aspect of the combustion process that must be taken into account in the design of gas turbine combustors. While the relationship between flame structure and flame stability has been studied extensively in single-nozzle combustors, relatively few studies have been conducted in multinozzle combustor configurations typical of actual gas turbine combustion systems. In this paper, a chemiluminescence-based tomographic reconstruction technique is used to obtain three-dimensional images of the flame structure in a laboratory-scale five-nozzle can combustor. Analysis of the 3D images reveals features of the complex, three-dimensional structure of this multinozzle flame. Effects of interacting swirling flows, flame–flame interactions, and flame–wall interactions on the flame structure are also discussed.