Thermomechanical Design of a Gas Turbine Reheat Combustor Experiment Using FEM Analysis with the COMSOL Multiphysics® Software

F. M. Berger [1], M. Eser [1], T. Sattelmayer [1],
[1] Lehrstuhl für Thermodynamik, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
Published in 2016

Enhanced operational flexibility and low levels of pollutant emissions are achieved with a sequential arrangement of premixed combustion stages in gas turbines for power generation. In the second – reheat – combustion stage, hot flue gases of approximately 1500K are enriched with fuel and establish a self-igniting flame – i.e. flame stabilization occurs mainly through auto-ignition. This work is part of a research project that investigates the combustion dynamics in such a reheat combustor and introduces the thermomechanical design of the combustor experiment. Using COMSOL Multiphysics® software, a quasi-static thermomechanical analysis is carried out to ensure that the model combustor withstands gas and flame temperatures of 1500 to 2200K at high mass flow rates and allows for optical access to the combustion for diagnostic techniques at the same time.