The Development of an Axial Flow Gas Turbine for Jet Propulsion

1947 ◽  
Vol 157 (1) ◽  
pp. 471-482 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Smith

The paper reviews the technical development of the F2 jet propulsion engine, an axial flow gas turbine designed and manufactured by the Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Company, Limited, under contract from the Ministry of Aircraft Production. An account is given of the preliminary work in 1938–9, in collaboration with the Royal Aircraft Establishment, on gas turbines for aircraft propulsion. The development of a simple jet engine of the axial flow type was started in July 1940. The first engine ran on bench test in December 1941. The first flights took place in June 1943 on a flying testbed, and in November 1943 on a jet-propelled aircraft. The evolution of engines of this type, leading up to the current F2/4 jet propulsion engine, is described. Each main component of the engine—the axial flow compressor, the annular combustion chamber and the high temperature turbine—necessitated extensive development work in fields previously unexplored; the methods used in the development of these and other components are explained. The F2 engine was the first British jet propulsion engine of axial flow type, and it is also unique amongst British engines in the straight-through design and annular combustion chamber that gives an exceptionally low frontal area.

The jet engine family includes the rocket jet, pulse jet, ram jet & gas turbine powered jet. The gas turbine powered jet is further broken down into the turbo jet, turbo propeller, and turbo shaft & turbofans types. These four types of engines are the most commonly used in today’s aircraft. Kiran aircraft is the basic jet trainer used in Indian air force. Kiran MkII is fitted with Orpheus engine. The engine is a straight flow turbo jet type fitted with a seven stage axial flow compressor and develops 4200+- 84 lbs/ 1909+- 38 kg static thrust at 9500 rpm at sea level. This increase to a maximum at 10,000 ft, due to the characteristics of high pressure fuel pumps in the engine fuel system. Above this height the thrust developed reduces as altitude increases. Air at atmospheric pressure is compressed adiabatically, during its passage across the compressor and diffuser, to approx 4 atm. The pressure and temperature increases and volume decreases at this stage. In the combustion chamber it is supplied at constant pressure thereby considerably increasing the volume of the air. Then during passage of the gas stream through the rear end of the combustion chamber, stationary vanes, turbine and exhaust cone, there is adiabatic expansion which is completed in the propelling nozzle with increased volume and decreased pressure at the end of the propelling nozzle, there is rejection of heat at constant pressure. The Orpheus engine which is fitted in Kiran MkII jet aircraft is performing an excellent job as it is used for giving the training to the fighter pilots.


2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (04) ◽  
pp. 51-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lee S. Langston

This article presents an overview of the world’s very first industrial gas turbine, which started operation in the Swiss city of Neuchâtel, in 1939. This 4-MWe machine is now on display in a special museum on the grounds of Alstom in Birr village. The museum is housed in an attractive glassed-in building, adjacent to the rotor plant. The gas turbine had originally been in operation for 63 years in a bombproof building, serving the city of Neuchâtel as a standby and peaking unit for electrical power. It was closed down in 2002 after damage to the generator occurred, and then was moved to Birr by Alstom for restoration. It was put on display in its new museum home in 2006. The Neuchâtel gas turbine looks surprisingly “modern.” The axial flow compressor, axial flow turbine, and electrical generator are inline, and directly coupled, and run at 3000 rpm to produce 4 MWe. It is roughly 3–5 times larger than the 7-MWe Solar Taurus gas turbines in the University of Connecticut cogen plant.


Author(s):  
Cleverson Bringhenti ◽  
Jesui´no Takachi Tomita ◽  
Francisco de Sousa Ju´nior ◽  
Joa˜o R. Barbosa

Gas turbines need to operate efficiently due to the high specific fuel consumption. In order to reach the best possible efficiency the main gas turbine components, such as compressor and turbine, need to be optimized. This work reports the use of two specially developed computer programs: AFCC [1, 2] and GTAnalysis [3, 4] for such purpose. An axial flow compressor has been designed, using the AFCC computer program based on the stage-stacking technique. Major compressor design parameters are optimized at design point, searching for best efficiency and surge margin. Operation points are calculated and its characteristics maps are generated. The calculated compressor maps are incorporated to the GTAnalysis computer program for the engine performance calculation. Restrictions, like engine complexity, manufacture difficulties and control problems, are not taken into account.


Author(s):  
F. Carchedi ◽  
G. R. Wood

This paper describes the design and development of a 15-stage axial flow compressor for a −6MW industrial gas turbine. Detailed aspects of the aerodynamic design are presented together with rig test data for the complete characteristic including stage data. Predictions of spanwise flow distributions are compared with measured values for the front stages of the compressor. Variable stagger stator blading is used to control the position of the low speed surge line and the effects of the stagger changes are discussed.


Author(s):  
K V J Rao ◽  
S Kolla ◽  
Ch Penchalayya ◽  
M Ananda Rao ◽  
J Srinivas

This paper proposes the formulation and solution procedures in the stage optimization of the effective dimensions of an axial-flow gas turbine. Increasing the stage efficiency and minimizing the overall mass of components per stage are the common objectives in gas turbine design. This multiple objective function, with important constraints like natural frequency limits, root stress values, and tip deflection in blades, constitutes the overall optimization problem. The problem is solved by using a modified nonlinear simplex method with a built-in user interactive program that helps in on-line modifications of parameters other than variables in the problem. Results are presented with single objective and multiple objective criteria, including sensitivity analyses about the optimum point.


Author(s):  
Marek Dzida ◽  
Krzysztof Kosowski

In bibliography we can find many methods of determining pressure drop in the combustion chambers of gas turbines, but there is only very few data of experimental results. This article presents the experimental investigations of pressure drop in the combustion chamber over a wide range of part-load performances (from minimal power up to take-off power). Our research was carried out on an aircraft gas turbine of small output. The experimental results have proved that relative pressure drop changes with respect to fuel flow over the whole range of operating conditions. The results were then compared with theoretical methods.


1979 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. R. L. Maccallum

During transients of axial-flow gas turbines, the characteristics of the compressor are altered. The changes in these characteristics (excluding surge line changes) have been related to transient heat transfer parameters, and these relations have been incorporated in a program for predicting the transient response of a single-shaft aero gas turbine. The effect of the change in compressor characteristics has been examined in accelerations using two alternative acceleration fuel schedules. When the fuel is scheduled on compressor delivery pressure alone. there is no increase in predicted acceleration times. When the fuel is scheduled on shaft speed alone, the predicted acceleration times are increased by about 5 to 6 percent.


Author(s):  
T. Sugimoto ◽  
K. Ikesawa ◽  
S. Kajita ◽  
W. Karasawa ◽  
T. Kojima ◽  
...  

The M7A-01 gas turbine is a newly developed 6 MW class single-shaft machine. With its high simple-cycle efficiency and high exhaust gas temperature. it is particularly suited for use in electric power generation and co-generation applications. An advanced high efficiency axial-flow compressor, six can-type combustors, and a high inlet temperature turbine has been adopted. This results in a high thermal efficiency of 31.5% at the gas turbine output shaft and a high overall thermal efficiency of co-generation system. In addition, low NOx emissions from the combustors and a long service life permit long-term continuous operation under various environmental limitations. The results of the full load shop test, accelerated cyclic endurance test and extra severity tests verified that the performance, the mechanical characteristics and the emission have satisfied the initial design goals.


1965 ◽  
Vol 87 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-196
Author(s):  
R. A. Strub ◽  
P. Suter

The character of different surge cycles is described, and the corresponding influence on the dynamic loading of the blades of axial flow compressors is discussed. It is shown that essentially fatigue is governed by the rapidity of loading or unloading of the blading. Test results from an experimental 4-stage axial flow compressor showed that the induced dynamic stresses in the blades, which reach about three times the steady gas bending stresses, can lead to fatigue failure. Reference is also made to previous surge tests carried out on a gas turbine installation, which indicate that a good correlation can be expected between the calculated and the measured pressure distribution. Mention is made of the fatigue failure of the rotor blades of an industrial compressor submitted to a long period of intense surging.


1978 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Becker ◽  
O. von Schwerdtner ◽  
J. Günther

In the course of developing the compressor of a 100-MW gas turbine, extensive measurements took place on a test compressor provided with the four front stages scaled down to 1:4.63. The performance investigations have been supplemented by measurements of flow distribution down- and upstream of the blading, as well as at various intermediate axial positions. The test stand, operating in a closed circuit, allowed for the variation of the Reynolds number by changing the pressure level. The geometry of the inlet casing was variable as well, thus enabling the comparison of results with axial, two- and one-sided inlet flows. In this connection, the vibrational behavior of the rotating blades, besides the aerodynamics of the compressor, have been investigated. In case of the inlet casing with a two-sided inflow, additional flow field analyses have been performed using a model without compressor blading. The theoretical results calculated under the assumption of a rotational-symmetric flow, as well as the measurements at the gas turbine compressor itself, are used for comparison. The gas turbine compressor operating with a mass flow of 483 kg/s at ISO-conditions and a pressure ratio of 10 is running in the highest performance range of single-shaft compressors in operation today.


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