Abstract
Lean premixed combustion is a well known method in gas turbine combustors that can reduce fuel consumption and decrease flame temperature. In lean premixed flames, flame instabilities can occur because the combustion takes place near the lean flammable limit. For the purpose of increasing flame stability, a small amount of hydrogen was added into a fuel, which has ultra low lean flammable limit. The extinction stretch rate increased and total equivalence ratio at extinction decreased with hydrogen addition; consequently, ultra lean premixed combustion was possible and flame stability could be achieved at low temperature conditions. The NOx emission increased with hydrogen addition for the same stretch rate and equivalence ratio, but the extinction stretch rate and lean flammability limit was enlarged. Consequently, NOx emission decreased with hydrogen addition in the near extinction conditions. Hydrogen addition could improve flame stability and reduce NOx emission in ultra lean premixed combustion.