A model-based self-tuning controller for kinetically controlled combustion instability

Combustion instability is one of the distinct characteristics in continuous combustion processes such as gas turbines, ramjet engines and afterburners. This combustion instability often occurs near blow limit and high thermal out conditions and generates large amplitudes of heat release and pressure oscillations. Active control has been used to suppress combustion instability, but due to complex dynamics of the combustion processes, modeling of the combustion system has often been limited the application of the active control. Recently, we developed a combustion model which is applicable to kinetically controlled combustion instability. In this paper, we first examine the sensitivity of the model characteristics, which show that the model parameters change by 100% for a 10% change in the operating conditions. Next, we propose a self-tuning controller, and show that it effectively suppresses the pressure oscillations in the presence of changing operating conditions.