Assessment of CFD Approaches for Next-Generation Combustor Design

An effort was undertaken to perform CFD analysis of fluid flow in Lean-Direct Injection (LDI) combustors with axial swirl-venturi elements for next-generation LDI-2 design. The National Combustion Code (NCC) developed at NASA Glenn Research Center was used to perform reacting flow computations on an LDI-2 combustor configuration with thirteen injector elements arranged in four fuel stages. Reacting computations were performed with a consistent approach for mesh-optimization, liquid spray modeling and kinetics modeling. Computational predictions of Emissions Index (EINOx) and combustor exit temperature were compared with two sets of experimental data at medium and high-power operating conditions, for two different pressure-drop conditions in the combustor. The NCC simulations predicted the combustor exit temperature to within 1–2% of experimental data. The accuracy of the EINOx predictions from the NCC simulations was within 10% to 30% of experimental data.

System Level Performance and Emissions Evaluation of Renewable Fuels for Jet Engines

Incessant demand for fossil derived energy and the resulting environmental impact has urged the renewable energy sector to conceive one of the most anticipated sustainable, alternative “drop-in” fuels for jet engines, called as, Bio-Synthetic Paraffinic Kerosene (Bio-SPKs). Second (Camelina SPK & Jatropha SPK and third generation (Microalgae SPK) advanced biofuels have been chosen to analyse their influence on the behaviour of a jet engine through numerical modelling and simulation procedures. The thermodynamic influence of each of the biofuels on the gas turbine performance extended to aircraft performance over a user-defined trajectory (with chosen engine/airframe configuration) have been reported in this paper. Initially, the behaviour of twin-shaft turbofan engine operated with 100% Bio-SPKs at varying operating conditions. This evaluation is conducted from the underpinning phase of adopting the chemical composition of Bio-SPKs towards an elaborate and careful prediction of fluid thermodynamics properties (FTPs). The engine performance was primarily estimated in terms of fuel consumption which steers the fiscal and environmental scenarios in civil aviation. Alternative fuel combustion was virtually simulated through stirred-reactor approach using a validated combustor model. The system-level emissions (CO2 and NOx) have been numerically quantified and reported as follows: the modelled aircraft operating with Bio-SPKs exhibited fuel economy (mission fuel burn) by an avg. of 2.4% relative to that of baseline (Jet Kerosene). LTO-NOx for the user-defined trajectory decreased by 7–7.8% and by 15–18% considering the entire mission. Additionally, this study reasonably qualitatively explores the benefits and issues associated with Bio-SPKs.

Development of a Damper Control System for Combined Cycle Thermal Gas Power Plant

This paper addresses a technique to solve the problem of heat dissipation in solenoid coil of the solenoid valve which is controlling the hydraulic damper by using pulse width modulation (PWM) switching technique with low frequency. In addition to this damper controlling is achieved via wireless controlling. By using PWM based low frequency switching technique the gas turbine trip will be protected. PWM is achieved by microcontroller and wireless control is done by ZigBee.

Numerical Analysis to Investigate the Effect of Swept Rotor on the Overall Performance of a Transonic Compressor Stage

This paper presents the steady state numerical analyses carried out to investigate the effect of forward and backward swept rotor on the overall performance and stability margin of single stage transonic axial flow compressor. Initially, the analyses were carried out on a radially stacked rotor/baseline configuration and obtained the overall performance map of the compressor stage. These results were compared with the available experimental data for validation. Further, investigations were carried out on geometrically modified rotor with six configurations having 5, 10 and 15° forward and backward sweep. A commercial 3-Dimensional CFD package, ANSYS FLUENT was used to compute the complex flow field of transonic compressor rotors. The flow field structures were studied with the help of Mach number total pressure contours. The results of modified rotor geometry indicated that the peak adiabatic efficiency and the total pressure ratio for all the tested forward and backward swept rotor configurations are marginally higher than that of the baseline configuration at all speeds. The operating ranges of all the swept rotor configurations are found to be higher than that of the baseline configuration. The operating range is broader at lower operating speeds than at design speed condition. Rotor with 10° forward sweep and 5° backward sweep indicated the noteworthy improvement in the operating range against the baseline configuration. The stability margin of 11.3, 6.6, 5.2 and 3.5% at 60, 80, 90 and 100% of the design speed respectively compared to the baseline configuration obtained from 10° forward sweep. Rotor with 5° backward sweep showed the stability margin of 12, 4, 3.9 and 3% at 60, 80, 90 and 100% of the design speed respectively compared to the baseline configuration.

Experimental Investigations on Heat Transfer Enhancement in a Horizontal Tube Using Converging and Diverging Conical Strips

The present work deals with the results of the experimental investigations carried out on augmentation of turbulent flow heat transfer in a horizontal circular tube by means of tube inserts, with air as working fluid. Experiments were carried out initially for the plain tube (without tube inserts). The Nusselt number and friction factor obtained experimentally were validated against those obtained from theoretical correlations. Secondly experimental investigations using six kinds of tube inserts namely Rectangular bar with diverging conical strips, Rectangular bar with converging conical strips, Rectangular bar with alternate converging diverging conical strips, Rectangular bar with holes and diverging conical strips, Rectangular bar with holes and converging conical strips and Rectangular bar with holes and alternate converging diverging conical strips were carried out to estimate the enhancement of heat transfer rate for air in the presence of inserts. The Reynolds number ranged from 8000 to 19000. In the presence of inserts, Nusselt number and pressure drop increased, overall enhancement ratio is calculated to determine the optimum geometry of the tube insert. Based on experimental investigations, it is observed that, the enhancement of heat transfer using Rectangular bar with diverging conical strips is more effective compared to other inserts.

Experimental Investigation of Squeeze Film Damper Characteristics at High Speed Rotor Configurations

High performance turbo machinery demands high shaft speeds, increased rotor flexibility, tighter clearances in flow passages, advanced materials, and increased tolerance to imbalances. Operation at high speeds induces severe dynamic loading with large amplitude journal motions at the bearing supports. Squeeze film dampers are essential components of high-speed turbo machinery since they offer the unique advantages of dissipation of vibration energy and isolation of structural components, as well as the capability to improve the dynamic stability characteristics of inherently unstable rotor-bearing systems. A bearing test rig is developed using 350 KW motor with variable frequency drive and has the potential of maximum operating speed up to 20,000 rpm. A squeeze film damper is used between the bearings and housing to reduce the unbalance forces transmitted to the pedestal by introducing an additional damping and thereby reduces the amplitude of vibration to acceptable level. The test rig instrumentation is capable of detecting bearing critical speed of the test rotor, and has been used for parametric studies and to monitor the temperature profile, vibration levels and pressure distribution of SFD oil film. The first critical speed of the test rotor is measured. The vibration level of the rotor system is increased with the rise of axial load together with speed. It is estimated that under all the conditions presence of oil in SFD zone reduces the vibration levels.

Effect of Guide Vane Angle on Wells Turbine Performance

Wells turbines are used in oscillating water column wave energy system and the turbine has a stagger angle of 90°. Numerical analysis is performed to analyze the performance of the turbine in the present work. A commercial code ANSYS-CFX® v14.0 was used for the simulations at different flow coefficient, different angles and a constant rotational speed. The turbulence model was k-ω SST. Higher guide vane angle produced higher efficiency of the turbine and the efficiency (enhanced) change was contributed because of the vortex formation in different locations in the flow passage or near the blade surface.

Numerical Simulation of Inclined Injection of Polydisperse Polykinetic Spray in a Crossflow Using Quadrature Method of Moments

Liquid fuel is introduced as spray into a gaseous crossflow in many combustion applications like afterburners in gas turbines, ramjet and scramjet combustors. The transport phenomenon of a polydisperse polykinetic spray injected with an inclination in a crossflow has been analysed using Quadrature Method of Moments. Providing an inclination angle to the spray has been accompanied with a more or less uniform distribution of particles, unlike a distinct segregation of larger and smaller diameter particles as observed in the case of vertical injection. The upstream inclined injection in the crossflow yielded a region of stagnation of particles, irrespective of their sizes. This region corresponds to the location where the spray particles equilibrate with the crossflow, whereby they lose their momentum and are swept away by the carrier phase. The downstream injection, on the other hand, showed distinct horizontal and vertical size-based segregation along with regions of accumulation of particles.

Influence of Labyrinth Seal Leakage on the Turbine Support Cooling

This paper presents a study of the seal of supporting element in aviation engines with consideration of the mutual influence of its leakage on parameters of internal air system and engine oil system. A method of seal leakage calculation was developed. It connects engine thermogasdynamics calculation, airflow hydraulics calculation and structural analysis of deformed parts. The main sources of heat transferred to the supporting element were determined; their numerical values and percentages for the compressor and turbine were also determined. This paper provides options of cooling the turbine support for realization of this method. A way of cooling the support determines the quantity of heat supplied to the support. Thus, this article analyzes the sources of heat. Comparison the amount of heat from different sources also is carried out. The amount of heat is defined the temperature of the cooling air. The article provides a comparison of calculation results for different temperatures of the cooling air. After selecting the geometry of the seal system, and determining of the total amount of heat, single seal from the system was researched. The main purpose of the paper is to explain the design of a single seal as part of whole seal system, which is used to cool the support of the aircraft engine.