ACCEPT - Advanced Clean Combustion for hydrogen-basEd Power Technology

Motivation

Gas turbines play a pivotal role in power generation due to their high and flexibly deployable power density, particularly in the context of decarbonizing the energy sector and integrating renewable and intermittent energy sources.

Currently, gas turbines are primarily operated with natural gas. In the long term, however, the use of hydrogen or hydrogen/methane blends as climate-neutral fuels is highly desirable in order to significantly reduce CO2 emissions and enable more sustainable energy production.

The transition to hydrogen-based turbine technology is hindered by substantial knowledge and data gaps, particularly concerning turbulent hydrogen combustion under elevated pressure.
Existing models and reaction mechanisms currently fail to accurately reproduce flame behavior under realistic operating conditions. This represents a critical barrier to the safe, stable, and efficient design of high-pressure hydrogen combustion systems.

Objectives

The overarching aim of the project is to close existing knowledge gaps in turbulent hydrogen combustion at elevated pressure. To achieve this, the following key activities will be undertaken:

  • Acquisition of experimental data on hydrogen and H2/CH4 combustion under pressure through fundamental investigations.
  • Development and validation of novel reaction mechanisms and numerical models capable of capturing the behavior of turbulent flames under high-pressure conditions with enhanced accuracy and computational efficiency.
  • Systematic parametric studies to evaluate the impact of various burner and nozzle designs on flame stability, thermoacoustic behavior, and emissions.
  • Experimental characterization of selected configurations in a pressurized model combustor operating at pressures up to 10 bar, enabling realistic assessment of flame stability and scalabilit
    Druck-Gegenstrombrenner mit Beispielflamme
    Pressurized counterflow burner with example flame

At KIT

At KIT, the focus lies on fundamental, experimental investigations aimed at quantifying key factors governing high-pressure combustion:

  • Determination of chemical time scales and stability limits for hydrogen and H2/CH4 flames under pressure using a pressurized counterflow burner, leveraging the analogy to turbulence as an ensemble of laminar flamelets.
  • Utilization of a high-pressure combustion test rig to systematically study selected burner and nozzle configurations at operating pressures of up to 10 bar.
Hochdruck-Versuchsanlage mit optischem Zugang
High-pressure test rig with optical access


Project responsible/Contact

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dimosthenis Trimis
Email: dimosthenis.trimis∂kit.edu

Dr.-Ing. Björn Stelzner
Email: bjoern.stelzner∂kit.edu

Dr.-Ing. Stefan Harth
Email: Stefan.Harth∂kit.edu

Hanna Hülsmann, M.Sc.
Email: Hanna.Huelsmann∂kit.edu

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or Clean Hydrogen Joint Undertaking. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.​