AVOIDING THERMOACOUSTIC VIBRATION IN

BURNER/FURNACE SYSTEMS

Frantisek L. Eisinger
and Robert E. Sullivan
Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation, Clinton,
New Jersey 08809-4000

ABSTRACT

Burner/Furnace systems are generally sensitive to or a Sondhauss tube type.

thermoacoustic vibration due to the presence of large
temperature differentials between the cold burner air and
the hot furnace gases. The systems are predicted to vibrate
when the temperature ratio between the hot and cold
components reaches a critical value and when the acoustic
mode shape of the combined system develops into a Rijke
Original full scale large utility steam generator systems
which vibrated in operation (Eisinger and Sullivan [1]) and
modified systems resisting the vibration are described and
explained. Guidelines for designing systems resistant to
thermoacoustic vibration are also given to aid the
designers.

NOMENCLATURE INTRODUCTION
A = constant, dimensionless
B = constant, dimensionless Systems composed of hot and cold interconnected
c = speed of sound, m/s enclosures filled with air or gas may be subject to
C = constant, dimensionless significant thermoacoustic oscillations. The driving force
D = constant, dimensionless for such vibration is the thermal energy fed into or
f = acoustic frequency, Hz withdrawn from the system. The phenomenon of acoustic
l = length, m vibration or pressure oscillations in a gas caused by a
L = position of peak acoustic pressure, m constant heat source is characterized as a Sondhauss tube
P = acoustic pressure function, dimensionless (Sondhauss [2]) or a Rijke tube (Rijke [3]) phenomenon,
t = time, s based on the boundary conditions of the respective tubes
x = axial coordinate, m and also the mode of heat input (For more info rmation and
Ο = normal natural mode function, literature review see Eisinger [4],[5],[6].)
dimensionless In furnace/burner systems, there are large temperature
∀ = temperature ratio, dimensionless differentials driving the thermoacoustic vibration always
> = geometry parameter for Sondhauss or available as the furnace gases are typically quite hot
Rijke tube, dimensionless (1400ΕC-1600ΕC) and air used for combustion has a
Τ = angular frequency, rad/s temperature much lower (80ΕC-300ΕC). Thus, there is
potentially sufficient energy available to initiate and drive
Subscripts: thermoacoustic oscillations.
1,2 = cold, hot Severe thermoacoustic oscillations are typically
c,h = cold, hot characterized by the presence of well-developed acoustic
R = Rijke standing waves, generating high sound levels and causing
S = Sondhauss structural vibration. Because of noise considerations, as
well as concern for the structural integrity of the system, it
is undesirable for severe thermoacoustic oscillations to
take place within the operating range of the combined
system.
Thermoacoustic oscillations have become a key issue in
modern combustion. Although the thermoacoustic
phenomenon typically governs, other factors associated
with flow dynamics, pressure drop, vortex formation,
periodic flame extinction, etc., including fluid-structure
interaction effects, may play a role in triggering and
sustaining the oscillation.
Two case studies of furnace/burner oscillations
experienced will be described and possible solutions of
eliminating the oscillations will be shown. General
guidelines for avoiding thermoacoustic oscillations will
also be given in this paper.
SONDHAUSS AND RIJKE TUBE PHENOMENA
AND STABILITY DIAGRAM
Figures 1 and 2 show the Sondhauss and the Rijke tubes
schematically, respectively. These tubes are representative
of the thermoacoustic phenomenon which can manifest
itself by single frequency pulsation (or sound) if the
temperature gradient (hot to cold) between two sections of
the tubes exceeds a critical value. Both the Sondhauss and
the Rijke phenomena are governed by the Rayleigh
criterion, which states that “If heat be given to the air at the
moment of greatest condensation or be taken from it at the
moment of greatest rarefaction, the vibration is
encouraged” (Rayleigh[7]). Shown are acoustic pressure
waves in the fundamental mode; a quarter wave in the
Sondhauss tube, and a half wave in the Rijke tube. Higher
order acoustic modes (not shown) can also be excited in
these tubes, (Carvalho et al. [8]), depending upon the
location of the steep temperature gradient and the degree of
heat input. The acoustic waves in both, the Sondhauss and
the Rijke tubes are of the plane wave type. For a detailed
description of the phenomena, see Feldman ([9], [10],
[11]), Feldman and Carter ([12]), and Rott ([13]).
Figure 3 shows a stability diagram defining the onset of
large thermoacoustic oscillations for a Sondhauss or a
Rijke tube or an equivalent system, based on the stability
curves of Rott (Rott [13]). This diagram represents the
stability conditions at the fundamental modes, but, based
on experimental evidence, with large boiler systems can
also be used conservatively for assessing thermoacoustic
stability at higher (second and third) acoustic modes. The
stability line separates the region of vibration above the line
from that of no vibration below the line. Experimental
results of Rott and Zozoulas ([14]) for nitrogen gas-filled
tubes, by Feldman [9] for air-filled tubes, for a gas
turbine/recuperator gas exhaust system, Eisinger [4], and
for a Rijke tube burner, Carvalho et al. [8] are also
superimposed. From the shape of the stability curve, it is
clear that for increased resistance to vibration, the system
with a large temperature gradient should be designed with
values of > greatly different from 1, either >>1, or ><1.
The stability curve in Figure 3 can be represented
approximately by a parabola
(log10 >)2 = 1.52 (log10 ∀ - log10 ∀min) (1)
with ∀min = 2.14 at > = 1.
The accuracy of the numerical values is approximately
∀3 percent within the range of 0.2#> #5.0.
PREDICTION OF SONDHAUSS AND RIJKE TUBE
ACOUSTIC FREQUENCIES AND MODE SHAPES
The acoustic frequencies and mode shapes in the
Sondhauss or Rijke tubes can be obtained by solving the
one-dimensional wave equation
(2)
where u is the particle displacement in the axial x
direction, t is time, and c is the speed of sound in the
medium inside the tubes.
When the acoustic medium is vibrating in one of it’s
natural modes, the displacement u can be taken in the
form
u = X(A cos Τt +B sin Τt) (3)
where A and B are constants and Τ is the angular
frequency. The symbol X is the normal function
representative of the natural mode of vibration.
Substituting Eq. (2) into Eq. (1), we obtain the differential
equation
(4)
for which the solution is
(5)
Equation (4) represents the general solution to the one-
dimensional acoustic vibratory displacement. The acoustic
mode displacement functions for either the Sondhauss tube
or the Rijke tube can be obtained from solving Eq. (4) by
applying the proper boundary conditions at both ends of the
tubes as well as at the point of the interface between the hot
and the cold sections of the tubes.
Once the modal displacement functions X are obtained
for each section of the tubes, the acoustic modal pressure
distribution functions P (which are 90Ε out-of-phase
relative to the displacement) are given by P = dX/dx
The solutions for the acoustic frequencies and the
acoustic modal pressures for the Rijke and the Sondhauss
tubes with constant temperature and speed of sound
distribution along each of the (hot and cold) tube sections,
are given in Table 1. The solutions are valid for all
acoustic modes.
 The analytical solutions can be used in describing the
acoustic phenomena in actual industrial systems where
acoustic plane waves develop (large systems having
dimensions larger than the acoustic wave lengths involved).
For more complex conditions with variable cross section
and variable temperature and speed of sound, it is often
more convenient to use finite element solutions.
CASE STUDIES OF BURNER/FURNACE BOILER
SYSTEMS
We will describe two burner/furnace systems of gas or
oil fired utility boilers which experienced strong acoustic
vibration in operation.
As the dimensions of the systems were large in
comparison with the acoustic wavelengths involved,
standing acoustic waves (as opposed to Helmholtz
resonator-type waves) will be considered. As will be
shown, the acoustic spaces of the burners in conjunction
with the acoustic spaces of the furnace formed a system
which permitted the formation of the Sondhauss or the
Rijke-type thermoacoustic phenomena in both cases. By
allowing the developments of the Sondhauss and Rijke -
type acoustic mode shapes with the superimposed large
temperature gradients between the furnace gases and the
burner air, the systems became sensitive and thus prone to
thermoacoustic oscillations. With this underlying
sensitivity, the systems described experienced strong
acoustic furnace vibrations.
The thermoacoustically sensitive condition arises as a
result of acoustic coupling between the gas in the furnace
and the air in the burner flow passages. For this coupling
to occur, complete coincidence, or matching of frequencies
and mode shapes between the furnace gas and the
combined furnace gas/burner air Rijke or Sondhauss
acoustic waves is necessary. This coupled system may
oscillate thermoacoustically if the temperature gradient
between the hot gas and cold air exceeds a critical value as
defined by the Sondhauss or Rijke tube stability diagram.
The acoustic coupling is manifested by one coupled
acoustic frequency and one mode shape of the combined
burner/furnace system. This combined system is
represented by the Rijke-type halfwave mode shape
extending from the burner end to the centerline of the
furnace, or by the Sondhauss wave (2nd mode) covering the
entire length from the burner end to the rear end of the
furnace.
We will present the results of the analysis of the two
study cases and will also show alterations needed for
avoiding the thermoacoutic vibration.
The acoustic analysis was performed utilizing finite
element modeling using the ANSYS Computer Program
([15]) in conjunction with the analytical equations given in
Table 1. In such a model, the spaces associated with the
cold air passages of the burner, and those of the furnace
were represented in a combined model. (No acoustic
impedances were incorporated into the model as these were
considered small in relation to the energies involved.)
Proper boundary conditions of zero acoustic pressure at
openings or maximum pressure at closed ends were used to
accurately represent the system. In both cases described,
the furnace gases vibrated in the front-to-rear direction,
principally in their fundamental mode in the direction of
the burner axis, with high acoustic pressures at or near the
furnace walls and zero acoustic pressure at or close to the
centerline of the furnace depth. The description of the two
study cases follows:
Study Case 1:
Figure 4 gives all the pertinent dimensional and acoustic
parameters of the burner/furnace system. The boiler was
equipped with 8 burners capable of firing both, natural gas
and/or oil. Strong acoustic furnace vibration was
experienced with the burner configuration shown. The
boiler vibrated at frequencies of 42-45Hz, depending upon
load. The mode of vibration was identified as that of a
front-to-rear acoustic fundamental mode in the furnace,
Fig. 4c. This mode coupled with the acoustic mode in the
cold air tube of the burner forming the Rijke or Sondhauss
combined acoustic waves shown in Fig 4d. Based on the
nominal parameters used, the predicted coupled
burner/furnace frequency is 48.5 Hz based on the
Sondhauss wave, or 50.0 Hz for the Rijke wave. This is
considered sufficiently close to the measured values.
The temperature gradient is given by
∀ = Th /Tc = 1678/552 = 3.0
and the geometry parameter is
> = (L-l1 )/l1 = (3084-1977)/1977 = 0.56
The frequency and stability parameters are shown in
Figure 5 for a range of hot-to-cold temperature ratios. It
can be seen that the furnace frequency fF coincided with
the Sondhauss frequency fs (Fig. 5a) forming a coupled
burner/furnace Sondhauss oscillation. This vibratory
condition is well predicted in the stability diagram, (Fig.
5b)
Study Case 2
The steam generator was again capable of firing oil
and/or gas. Figure 6 shows all the pertinent parameters.
Although there were a total of 24 burners located at the
front wall of the furnace, only one burner is depicted in
detail, as it is assumed that each of the burners will interact
with the furnace essentially in the same way. The results of
the acoustic analysis given in Figure 6d show that the
geometry of the burner cold air spaces with the hot gases in
the furnace formed a Rijke -type standing wave at the
frequency of 43.3Hz.
The boiler vibrated at the dominant frequency 40-43
Hz. The temperature gradient was
∀ = Th /Tc = 1679/589 = 2.85
and the geometry parameter is
> = (L-l1 )/l1 = (2743-1803)/1803 = 0.52
Using the above numerical parameters in the stability
diagram of Fig. 3, vibration is predicted.
AVOIDING THERMOACOUSTIC OSCILLATIONS
Using the Study Cases 1 and 2, we will show how the
thermoacoustic vibration could have been avoided in the
design stage or what remedial action shall be implemented
to eliminate it.
The proposed changes to the system will be confined to
the burner as these are much easier to implement. (There
are typically no changes to the furnace easily possible.)
Such changes may involve modifications of the burner in
place, or may result in changing one type of burner for
another.
For each of the Study Cases, we will propose one type
of change, which when implemented, would lead to a
thermoacoustically vibration-free system.
Burner Modification in Study Case 1
As shown in Study Case 1, the thermoacoustic
sensitivity of the burner/furnace system led to large
thermoacoustic oscillations and made the boiler inoperable
in that condition as a result. As explained before, the
vibration was due to 1/ Frequency coincidence between
the acoustic mode in the furnace and the frequency of the
Sondhauss wave, and 2/ Thermoacoustic instability as
defined by the stability diagram.
In order to avoid or fully eliminate the thermoacoustic
sensitivity and the vibration, it is advisable to eliminate
both of the conditions described above. We will describe
here a simple alteration of the burner by providing a
perforated section with small additional air flow into the
burner inlet pipe or venturi - Eisinger [5]. This added
opening, representing a small fraction of the air flow, will
provide an acoustic relief or termination point (with zero
acoustic pressure) on the burner side of either the Rijke or
the Sondhauss combined burner-furnace acoustic wave. A
sliding closure can be provided over the perforated section,
in order to properly balance or optimize the flow and
acoustic conditions.
The results of this modification are shown in Figure 7.
Fig. 7a shows the location of the additional air flow
opening. There are obviously no changes in the furnace
area, with the acoustic wave in the furnace remaining at 45
Hz (Fig. 7b). Strong changes will occur to the frequencies
of both, the Rijke and the Sondhauss waves, raising these
frequencies to 70 Hz and 59.2 Hz, respectively, as a result
of the acoustic relief (Figure 7c). As shown in Fig. 8a, the
frequencies of the modified system will be substantially
separated from the furnace frequency fF = 45Hz and thus
precluding coincidence and coupling between the acoustic
wave in the furnace on one side and the Rijke or Sondhauss
waves on the other. Since the shape of the Rijke and
Sondhauss waves and the position of their acoustic pressure
peaks in relation to the position of the steep hot to cold
temperature gradient also changes, the geometry parameter
ξ will increase substantially, rendering the modification
thermoacoustically stable (Fig. 8b).
Burner Modification in Study Case 2
In Study Case 2, we had a coincidence between the
acoustic frequency of the furnace gases of fF = 40Hz and
the combined Rijke acoustic wave at 43.3Hz. At the
temperature ratio of ∀ = 2.85 and the geometry parameter >
= 0.52, the system was predicted to vibrate (and indeed
vibrated) based on the stability diagram in Fig. 3.
We will concentrate here again on modifications to the
burner as changes to the furnace are typically not practical.
In order to decouple the acoustic waves of the furnace
gases from the Rijke or the Sondhauss combined
thermoacoustic waves, a sufficient frequency separation
between them must be obtained. In addition, the modified
system must be thermoacoustically stable.
Both of the goals described can be achieved in this case
for example by changing the position of the air inlet to the
burner, by moving it further away from the furnace.
Figure 9 shows the results graphically. Fig. 9a shows
the relocated air inlet. Fig. 9b shows the acoustic wave
inside the furnace at a frequency of fF = 40.0 Hz which has
not been changed. Figure 9c shows the new Rijke and
Sondhauss acoustic waves at frequencies of fR = 31.1Hz
and fS = 33.3 Hz, respectively. These frequencies are
separated from the furnace frequency by a minimum of
20%. In addition to the frequency separation, we need also
to check for the thermoacoustic stability of the modified
system. Both, the original system, and the modified system
parameters are given in the stability diagram in Figure 10.
It can be seen that the modification produced a change in
the geometry parameters from a positive value of > = 0.52
in the original case of the Rijke wave, to negative values of
>R = -0.11 and >S = -0.175 for the Rijke and Sondhauss
waves, respectively. The negative values of the geometry
parameters fall into the stable non-vibratory range of the
stability diagram. (The negative values represent the
transposition of the hot and the cold sections, signifying a
non-functioning Sondhauss or Rijke tube.) We can thus
conclude, that the modification in the burner area produced
a frequency separation which when combined with the
thermoacoustically stable condition, resulted in a non-
vibratory burner/furnace system.
DISCUSSION
As has been shown in the case studies, large
thermoacoustic oscillation will occur if 1/ the Rijke or
Sondhauss acoustic wave frequency and mode shape of the
burner-furnace system coincides with the acoustic wave
frequency and mode shape of the furnace gases and 2/ the
Sondhauss or Rijke acoustic waves become unstable as
defined by the stability diagram. From the analysis of the
two governing conditions described, we can see that Notes to Table 2:
although thermoacoustic instability is the necessary Condition 2: Although no thermoacoustic vibration is
underlying cause for the oscillation, the coincidence or predicted, the frequency and mode shape coincidence
resonance of the Sondhauss or Rijke waves with the condition is not desirable as due to other causes, such as
acoustic wave of the furnace gases produces large furnace flow and turbulence excitation, sloshing and vibration in
and also burner vibrations. It follows, that if there is no the connected burner/furnace spaces could occur.
thermoacoustic instability, there will be no Condition 3: Although large vibration will be eliminated
thermoacoustically-induced vibration or if there is no by the frequency and mode shape separation, small
frequency and mode matching as described above, there vibration could occur in a thermoacoustically unstable
will be no large thermoacoustic vibration. system.
In both of the study cases described, both, frequency
and mode shape coincidence and instability were the SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
underlying causes of the vibration. Both of these causes of
the vibration were eliminated in the modified cases by Acoustic coupling between the burner air passages and
changing the frequency and shape of the Sondhauss and the furnace gases may occur as a result of frequency and
Rijke waves and by this change, producing the required mode shape coincidence between the furnace acoustic wave
frequency separation and also stability. It is important to and the Rijke or Sondhauss acoustic wave in the cold air
note here that in order to eliminate the large oscillation, and hot gas acoustic spaces. With a superimposed large
fulfilling either one of the two criteria (i.e. frequency and thermal gradient, the burner/furnace system may become
mode shape coincidence, or stability) would suffice, sensitive to thermoacoustic oscillations and vibrate.
however, as they are related, satisfying both of the criteria Two Study Cases of full scale utility boiler installations
as shown in the Modified Case Studies is the proper sensitive to thermoacoustic oscillations which vibrated in
conservative design approach. operation were presented. Modifications to the acoustic
spaces of the burners for avoiding or eliminating the
VIBRATION PREDICTION AND DESIGN thermoacoustic sensitivity in both systems were presented
GUIDELINES and discussed.
Guidelines for evaluating the systems and for the
The analysis procedure for vibration prediction should selection of burner acoustic parameters are given to obtain
include: a burner/furnace system resistant to thermoacoustic
1. Determination of acoustic frequencies and mode oscillations.
shapes of furnace gases: fF1 (front-to-rear), fF2 (front-to-rear
and side-to-side). ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
2. Determination of combined burner/furnace acoustic
frequencies and mode shapes: fR (Rijke), fS (Sondhauss). The authors gratefully acknowledge the permission of
3. Check burner/furnace system for thermoacoustic Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation to publish the results
stability, based on the Rijke and Sondhauss acoustic waves contained in this paper.
using stability diagram.
4. Based on the results of 1,2, and 3, the vibration REFERENCES
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