Combustion Dynamics and Heat Transfer in an Ultra Compact Combustor
Abstract
Engine designers are constantly working to increase the thrust-to-weight rating of their jet engines. A novel burner concept to help achieve this goal is the Ultra Compact Combustor (UCC). The UCC offers an axial length savings, and thus weight savings, in the combustion section by swirling the reactants in the circumferential direction inside an annulus. If the UCC can match the performance of the traditional burner it replaces, the engine can maintain thrust while reducing weight and thus improve the thrust-to-weight rating. In the present study four areas of UCC research were advanced including: cooling a UCC turbine vane, detailed computational modeling of UCC systems, development of a dynamic air flow split diffuser and characterization of combustion performance at different flow splits and additionally with a new 12-Step fuel injection system, and finally development and testing of a new UCC orientation that specifically addresses enginefit and turbine inlet temperature distribution issues that have been present in all other UCC configurations. The new UCC orientation was demonstrated to fit inside an engine casing and produced a desirable combustor exit temperature distribution.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 27, 2018
- Accession Number
- AD1063502
Entities
People
- Brian T. Bohan
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology