Combustion chamber flame diverters

Various problems can occur during the operation of gas turbine plants. One of them is the loss of ignition in the flame tube. One example of a solution to this problem in tubular-ring combustion chambers is the use of flame bypass spigots in the flame tube design.

The flame diverters connect the flame tubes in a tubular-ring combustion chamber, to form a single closed circuit. Thus, the flame bypass spigots can also be used to connect neighboring flame tubes when the combustion chamber is ignited. Consequently, when using such a design, there is no need to install an igniter in each flame tube.

Also, flame bypass spigots allow pressure equalization between adjacent flame tubes.

As a rule, the flame diverters   are located upstream of the installed burners. Therefore, their presence can create flow disturbances. This feature can cause additional recirculation zones and lead to flame slippage. Modifications have now been developed to successfully address this problem and improve the efficiency and life of the components.

Flame diverters operate in high temperature environments and the material is significantly susceptible to gas corrosion. To maximize service life, flame diverters have exactly the same thermal barrier coating as all GTU hot path components.