Combustion test benches

Atmospheric combustion test stand with optically accessible combustion chamber for liquid fuels
New concepts for the combustion of liquid fuels are being investigated in the atmospheric combustion test bench. The hot exhaust gases from a second burner system ensure that unburnt fuel is burnt out and does not escape into the environment.

The institute offers several combustion test benches of different sizes for the development and investigation of combustion chamber systems and research into combustion phenomena.

The institute has several combustion test benches of different sizes for the development and investigation of combustion chamber systems and research into combustion phenomena. These test benches enable combustion chamber systems to be operated and researched independently of the technical environment of the actual gas turbine. They are characterised above all by their optical accessibility. This means that the combustion processes that normally take place hidden inside a gas turbine can be easily analysed here using laser measurement methods. Due to these possibilities, the test benches are not only used by researchers at the institute, but also by project participants and customers for further development and optimisation.

Atmospheric combustion test benches: In these test benches, combustion takes place at atmospheric pressure.

Atmospheric combustion test benches

The Institute's atmospheric combustion test benches are used for various purposes: On the one hand, micro gas turbine combustors can be examined under real combustor inlet temperatures and characterised with regard to their general operating behaviour. 

High-pressure combustion test benches: In these test benches, combustion takes place at a higher pressure, just like in a real gas turbine.

High Pressure Optical Test Rig (HiPOT)

In the High Pressure Optical Test Rig (HiPOT), burners can be operated under typical gas turbine conditions and combustion phenomena can be analysed in detail, i.e. at high pressure, high turbulence and high temperatures and with all fuel mixtures up to pure hydrogen, just like in the Stuttgart high-pressure combustion chamber test rig (HBK-S).

High-pressure combustion chamber test rig HBK-S

In the high-pressure combustion chamber test rig (HBK-S), complex and multi-stage combustion chamber systems of the next generation can be analysed under conditions typical of gas turbines, i.e. at high pressure, high turbulence and high temperatures.

Departments

Combustor Systems and Diagnostics

The conversion of stationary gas turbines and aircraft engines to operation with non-fossil fuels such as hydrogen or fuels from power-to-liquid processes is an important component of the energy transition and the subject of our current research.

Micro gas turbines

The energy system of the future will be based on energy from renewable sources. This has many advantages but one major disadvantage - the electricity yield will fluctuate significantly over a day and throughout the year.

Contact

Dr. Peter Kutne

Head of Department
German Aerospace Center (DLR)
Institute of Combustion Technology
Microturbines
Pfaffenwaldring 38-40, 70569 Stuttgart