Control, Characterization, and Cooling of an Ultra-Compact Combustor

Abstract

The outer ring and back plate of the Ultra-Compact Combustor (UCC) were redesigned to improve control of the fuel and air injection and subsequent mixing with the goal of maximizing the fuel burned within the combustion cavity. Evaluations using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) were implemented to help guide the design and understand the combustion dynamics. The outer ring and back plate were then manufactured and tested to compare with the original design. These components allowed a new level of control over the UCC never before examined which was then characterized by developing an operating prole for the various controllable aspects. The redesign and unprecedented controllability allowed the UCC to operate at previously unobtainable equivalence ratios and produce a nominal 15 increase in exit temperatures. Similarly, CFD was utilized to guide the design of a lm cooled hybrid guide vane which drew in compressor air at the stagnation region of the airfoil as the coolant. Using CFD the effects of the required internal supports on flow dynamics and cooling effectiveness were explored.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 22, 2018
Accession Number
AD1056560

Entities

People

  • Kevin J. Demarco

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Sensors
  • Space

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Air Force
  • Boundary Layer
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Products
  • Computational Fluid Dynamics
  • Computational Science
  • Exhaust Gases
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Fluid Flow
  • Heat Transfer
  • Manufacturing
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Three Dimensional
  • Turbines

Readers

  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) Technology.
  • Systems Analysis and Design