Design and Analysis of a Disk-Oriented Engine Combustor
Abstract
In a novel approach to gas-turbine power production for aircraft or ground power, a disk-shaped engine was designed to combine a centrifugal compressor with a radial in-flow turbine. A circumferential flow combustor was wrapped around the turbomachinery, substantially decreasing the axial length of the burner. The configuration of the combustion cavity was evaluated iteratively using computational fluid dynamics. The result of this design process was a computational combustor model that accepted swirling inlet flow, dispersed that air and fuel about a unique u-bend circumferential combustion cavity, and exhausted in the radial direction to feed a radial in-flow turbine. Sustained combustion was simulated at design conditions, indicating that such a design could operate a gas-turbine engine, while reducing axial length up to 60% compared to traditional systems. Computational results were corroborated by velocity fields obtained through experimentation on swirled fuel injectors. Based on these results, a test rig was fabricated for future research into bulk-swirl combustion for a Disk-Oriented Engine.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 26, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1101540
Entities
People
- Bennett M Staton
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology