Empirical and numerical investigation of turbulent flows in a novel design burner for ammonia/hydrogen combustion

Ammonia-hydrogen fuel blends are an attractive option for the decarbonization of the energy sector with improved combustion characteristics over pure ammonia fuels. However, further research into methods of reducing NOx and NH3 emissions is necessary for combustors operating with these fuel blends. This paper details a novel burner design for partially premixed ammonia-hydrogen fuel injection incorporating considerations for waste heat, unburnt ammonia and improved combustion residence times. Laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) and computational fluid dynamics using a 3D RANS realizable k-epsilon model were employed to characterise the three-dimensional isothermal flow field of the design. The results show a promising flow profile with an anchored flame, a central recirculation zone and increased residence times.