A Novel Low NOx Hydrogen Micromix Combustion Arrangement Optimized for Additive Manufacturing and Annular Aeroengine Combustors

Abstract This paper presents the development and numerical analysis of a novel low-NOx hydrogen micromix combustor optimized for additive manufacturing and annular aeroengine integration. The radial spoke (RS) burner concept employs multiple micromix injectors of varying sizes, designed for Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF), to achieve low NOx-emissions. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) study using STAR-CCM+ was performed to investigate flow and combustion characteristics. Preliminary results demonstrated promising flame stability and NOx reduction, with a focus on flame separation and injector size distribution. Further optimization of injector spacing improved both flame separation and NOx emissions. A comparison of burner configurations highlighted performance differences and confirmed the feasibility of the new micromix arrangement. The optimized configuration showed potential for further reduced NOx emissions while maintaining efficient combustion performance. In conclusion the optimized RS-burner design, enabled by additive manufacturing, offers a promising solution for low-NOx hydrogen combustion in annular aeroengine combustors.