Advanced Catalytic Combustors for Low Pollutant Emissions

Abstract

The objective of this design was to evaluate the feasibility of employing the known attractive and distinguishing features of catalytic combustion technology to reduce NOx emissions from gas turbine engines during subsonic, stratospheric cruise operation. Six conceptual combustor designs employing catalytic combustion were defined and evaluated for their potential to meet specific emissions and performance goals. Based on these evaluations, two parallel-staged, fixed-geometry designs were identified as the most promising concepts. Additional design studies were conducted to produce detailed preliminary designs of these two combustors. Results of these design studies indicate that cruise NOX emissions can be reduced by an order of magnitude relative to current technology levels by the use of catalytic combustion. Also, these combustors have the potential for operating over the EPA landing-takeoff cycle and at cruise with a low pressure drop, high combustion efficiency and with a very low overall level of emission pollutants. The use of catalytic combustion, however, requires advanced technology generation in order to obtain the time-temperature catalytic reactor performance and durability required for practical aircraft engine combustors. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1979
Accession Number
ADA078703

Entities

People

  • W. J. Dodds

Organizations

  • General Electric

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Energy and Power Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Boundary Layer
  • Ceramic Materials
  • Combustion
  • Computer Programs
  • Fuel Injectors
  • Fuel Systems
  • Gas Turbines
  • Heat Transfer
  • Ignition Lag
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Turbines

Readers

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

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster