Wall Temperature Measurements in a Full-Scale Gas Turbine Combustor Test Rig With Fiber Coupled Phosphor Thermometry

Abstract

Wall temperature measurements with fiber coupled online phosphor thermometry were, for the first time, successfully performed in a full-scale H-class Siemens gas turbine combustor. Online wall temperatures were obtained during high-pressure combustion tests up to 8 bar at the Siemens Clean Energy Center (CEC) test facility. Since optical access to the combustion chamber with fibers being able to provide high laser energies is extremely challenging, we developed a custom-built measurement system consisting of a water-cooled fiber optic probe and a mobile measurement container. A suitable combination of chemical binder and thermographic phosphor was identified for temperatures up to 1800 K on combustor walls coated with a thermal barrier coating (TBC). To our knowledge, these are the first measurements reported with fiber coupled online phosphor thermometry in a full-scale high-pressure gas turbine combustor. Details of the setup and the measurement procedures will be presented. The measured signals were influenced by strong background emissions probably from CO*2 chemiluminescence. Strategies for correcting background emissions and data evaluation procedures are discussed. The presented measurement technique enables the detailed study of combustor wall temperatures and using this information an optimization of the gas turbine cooling design.