System and Method to Predict and Control Blowout in Combustion Systems
Technology Category/Market
- Electronics & Circuits
- Engines & Motors
Applications – Aerospace, Power Generation, Defense, Marine, Oil & Gas
Market – The Global Combustion Controls System Market size was valued at USD 131.72 B in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 196.34 B by 2030, growing at 4.61% CAGR from 2022 to 2030.
Targeted Industries
Watermarking IP design,
Electronic circuits
Image Gallery
Problem Statement
- Blowout is a severe problem for engines and one of the major concerns in the power and aviation industry.
- The lean fuel-air mixture in combustion engines where the number of air molecules per molecule is high and causes a significant reduction of the flame temperature inside a combustor near the reactant flame due to the pressure reduction of the flame temperature inside. Such lean conditions make an engine susceptible.
- The invention addresses, the lean flame blowout (LFO) problem which leads to unplanned power outages and can increase operational costs.
Technology
- The invention will predict the exact time to blowout in a combustor, which can be several seconds in advance.
- The core of this technology is that, instead of producing another warning method about an impending blowout, it predicts the time of its occurrence without using any user defined threshold values.
- It performs the prediction by fitting a log-periodic power law curve (LPPL) to the experimentally obtained time series data of an appropriate variable such as (but not limited to) fluctuating pressure or heat release rate.
- The observed variable data can be acoustic pressure fluctuations which are measured using a pressure transducer such as a microphone or a piezoelectric transducer but not limited to it, or heat release rate obtained from a photomultiplier or camera.
FIG. 1 is a graphical representation of the present invention.
FIG. 2 illustrates the Block diagram of control unit representing various modules of the prototypical system used for controlling blowout.
FIG. 3 illustrates Flowchart for performing the control action.
Key Features/Value Proposition
- This invention requires time series data of a fluctuating variable of the underlying system to find an impending blowout several seconds in advance.
- Works on the basis, whether difference between the predicted time of blowout and the time of the last input is smaller than the system’s response time.
- Control actions include adjusting fuel-air ratio, fuel flow rate, airflow rate, secondary injections, turning on a pilot frame.
- Enables engine downsizing.
Questions about this Technology?
Contact for Licensing
Research lab
Prof. Sujith . R. I.
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Intellectual Property
- IITM IDF Ref. 2321
- IN 202241007800
Technology Readiness Level
TRL – 4/5, Technology validated in relevant environment.Â