News:
August 2007
Control and Optimization of Combustion Based on Multispectral Emission Tomography
Combustion control systems can be based on non-intrusive in-situ measurement using passive optical probes that measure spectrally-resolved radiation from specific molecular products in the hot flow field. The objective of this project is to investigate a novel approach for directly measuring critical combustion flow-field information required for active control to increase combustion efficiency and reduce harmful emissions. The functional relationship between the sensor signal, the actuator, and the quality of the combustion is determined experimentally by using spectral sensor technology and tomographic reconstruction techniques. The flow-field is characterized by using a large number of measurements over multiple lines of sight through the flow. The sensor-to-flow functional relationship is determined, so that the process engineer can implement an active control system using a small number of strategically-placed sensors.
The project research lays the scientific ground work for active control systems for a range of multi-burner combustors, including turbine engines, boilers, and process burners. These applications represent more than 50% of the global fossil energy usage; thus improvements in efficiency can have a major economic and societal impact. The technology developed in this project is just one of the component technologies required for the development of active control systems, but it is an enabling component, with potential application in all industrial combustion markets. We anticipate that this innovation will lead to the introduction of commercial products for combustor diagnostics and ultimately active control systems.