Experimental investigation of the ignition dynamics in a premixed annular combustor using a pre-chamber ignition system

• The PCC ignition system reduces ignition time in the annular combustor significantly. • PPC accelerates flame propagation over traditional ignition in the annular combustor. • Ignition using PCC is highly reliable in lean conditions in annular combustors. In this paper, the ignition characteristics in a MICCA-type annular combustor are studied for the first time using a pre-chamber combustion (PCC) system. The PCC is proposed to replace the traditional spark electrode ignitor in the annular combustor, aiming to shorten ignition time and prevent misfiring. The PCC system is commonly utilized to initiate the ignition process in internal combustion (IC) engines by generating high-temperature turbulent jets that ignite the fuel/air mixture in the main combustion chamber (MCC). The PCC is integrated into a premixed annular combustor consists of sixteen swirling burners. The ignition characteristics and flame propagation patterns are investigated using a high-speed camera under varying conditions of equivalence ratios, bulk velocities, and thermal power levels. Experimental results demonstrate that the PCC exhibits a high ignition response without misfire. The induced turbulent jet from the PCC is observed to propagate into both sides of the annular combustor with high energy, creating a significant initial flame area along the jet trajectory. This enhances the ignition probability compared to traditional spark electrode ignition systems. Due to the higher burning rate resulting from the jet ignition, the light-round time is reduced by 41 % compared to traditional spark electrode ignition systems operating at the same equivalence ratio of 0.81 and the same bulk velocity of 3.22 m/s. This improvement is particularly advantageous for high-altitude re-ignition scenarios.