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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15

Effect of premixing quality on oxides of nitrogen in gas turbine combustors foi HC

Experiments were conducted to determine the effectiveness of several premixing prevaporizing gas turbine combustor designs in reducing formation of oxides of nitrogen at the supersonic cruise condition. An atomized spray from a single injector mounted on the axis of the mixer tube produced a high initial concentration of fuel near the axis and only moderate premixed conditions entering the combustor. A fuel spray produced by 12 flush-mounted normal injection orifices in the mixer tube wall produced a good initial despersion of fuel and resulted in nearly complete premixing. Oxides of nitrogen emission levels of the order of 0.2 g NO2/kg fuel were obtained at 99 percent combustion efficiency at an equivalence ratio of 0.4. Overall total pressure drop was less than 3 percent through the 1-meter combustor module.

Roffe, G.↗

Progress in Protective Coatings for Aircraft Gas Turbines: A Review of NASA Sponsored Research

Problems associated with protective coatings for advanced aircraft gas turbines are reviewed. Metallic coatings for preventing titanium fires in compressors are identified. Coatings for turbine section are also considered, Ductile aluminide coatings for protecting internal turbine-blade cooling passage surface are also identified. Composite modified external overlay MCrAlY coatings deposited by low-pressure plasma spraying are found to be better in surface protection capability than vapor deposited MCrAlY coatings. Thermal barrier coating (TBC), studies are presented. The design of a turbine airfoil is integrated with a TBC, and computer-aided manufacturing technology is applied.

Merutka, J. P.↗

Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT) powertrain system initial development report

The powertrain consists of a single shaft regenerated gas turbine engine utilizing ceramic hot section components, coupled to a slit differential gearbox with an available variable stator torque converter and an available Ford intergral overdrive four-speed automatic transmission. Predicted fuel economy using gasoline fuel over the combined federal driving cycle (CFDC) is 15.3 km/1, which represents a 59% improvement over the spark-ignition-powered baseline vehicle. Using DF2 fuel, CFDC mileage estimates are 17.43 km/1. Zero to 96.6 km/hr acceleration time is 11.9 seconds with a four-second accleration distance of 21.0 m. The ceramic radial turbine rotor is discussed along with the control system for the powertrain.

Source record↗

Optical Temperature Sensor For Gas Turbines

New design promises accuracy even in presence of contamination. Improved sensor developed to measure gas temperatures up to 1,700 degree C in gas-turbine engines. Sensor has conical shape for mechanical strengths and optical configuration insensitive to deposits of foreign matter on sides of cone.

Mossey, P. W.↗

Numerical calculations of turbulent reacting flow in a gas-turbine combustor

A numerical study for confined, axisymmetrical, turbulent diffusion flames is presented. Local mean gas properties are predicted by solving the appropriate conservation equations in the finite difference form with the corresponding boundary conditions. The k-epsilon two-equation turbulence model is employed to describe the turbulent nature of the flow. A two-step kinetic model is assumed to govern the reaction mechanism. The finite reaction rate is the smaller of an Arrhenius type of reaction rate and a modified version of eddy-breakup model. Reasonable agreement is observed between calculations and measurements, but to obtain better agreement, more work is needed on improvements of the above mathematical models. However, the present numerical study offers an improvement in the analysis and design of the gas turbine combustors.

Lin, Chin-Shun↗

Critical evaluation of Jet-A spray combustion using propane chemical kinetics in gas turbine combustion simulated by KIVA-2

Jet-A spray combustion has been evaluated in gas turbine combustion with the use of propane chemical kinetics as the first approximation for the chemical reactions. Here, the numerical solutions are obtained by using the KIVA-2 computer code. The KIVA-2 code is the most developed of the available multidimensional combustion computer programs for application of the in-cylinder combustion dynamics of internal combustion engines. The released version of KIVA-2 assumes that 12 chemical species are present; the code uses an Arrhenius kinetic-controlled combustion model governed by a four-step global chemical reaction and six equilibrium reactions. Researchers efforts involve the addition of Jet-A thermophysical properties and the implementation of detailed reaction mechanisms for propane oxidation. Three different detailed reaction mechanism models are considered. The first model consists of 131 reactions and 45 species. This is considered as the full mechanism which is developed through the study of chemical kinetics of propane combustion in an enclosed chamber. The full mechanism is evaluated by comparing calculated ignition delay times with available shock tube data. However, these detailed reactions occupy too much computer memory and CPU time for the computation. Therefore, it only serves as a benchmark case by which to evaluate other simplified models. Two possible simplified models were tested in the existing computer code KIVA-2 for the same conditions as used with the full mechanism. One model is obtained through a sensitivity analysis using LSENS, the general kinetics and sensitivity analysis program code of D. A. Bittker and K. Radhakrishnan. This model consists of 45 chemical reactions and 27 species. The other model is based on the work published by C. K. Westbrook and F. L. Dryer.

Nguyen, H. L.↗

Development and testing of CMC components for automotive gas turbine engines

Ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials are currently being developed and evaluated for advanced gas turbine engine components because of their high specific strength and resistance to catastrophic failure. Components with 2D and 3D composite architectures have been successfully designed and fabricated. This is an overview of the test results for a backplate, combustor, and a rotor.

Khandelwal, Pramod K.↗

Integrated CFD modeling of gas turbine combustors

3D, curvilinear, multi-domain CFD analysis is becoming a valuable tool in gas turbine combustor design. Used as a supplement to experimental testing. CFD analysis can provide improved understanding of combustor aerodynamics and used to qualitatively assess new combustor designs. This paper discusses recent advancements in CFD combustor methodology, including the timely integration of the design (i.e. CAD) and analysis (i.e. CFD) processes. Allied Signal's F124 combustor was analyzed at maximum power conditions. The assumption of turbulence levels at the nozzle/swirler inlet was shown to be very important in the prediction of combustor exit temperatures. Predicted exit temperatures were compared to experimental rake data, and good overall agreement was seen. Exit radial temperature profiles were well predicted, while the predicted pattern factor was 25 percent higher than the harmonic-averaged experimental pattern factor.

Fuller, E. J.↗

Thermal barrier coating life modeling in aircraft gas turbine engines

Analytical models for predicting ceramic thermal barrier coating (TBC) spalling life in aircraft gas turbine engines are presented. Electron beam-physical vapor deposited (EB-PVD) and plasma sprayed TBC systems are discussed. An overview of the following TBC spalling mechanisms is presented: metal oxidation at the ceramic-metal interface, ceramic-metal interface stress singularities at edges and corners, ceramic-metal interface stresses caused by radius of curvature and interface roughness, material properties and mechanical behavior, temperature gradients, component design features and object impact damage. TBC spalling life analytical models are proposed based on observations of TBC spalling and plausible failure theories. TBC spalling was assumed to occur when the imposed stresses exceed the material strength (at or near the ceramic-metal interface). TBC failure knowledge gaps caused by lack of experimental evidence and analytical understanding are noted. The analytical models are considered initial engineering approaches that capture observed TBC failure trends.

Nissley, David M.↗

Measurement of Turbulent Pressure and Temperature Fluctuations in a Gas Turbine Combustor

The report summarizes the results of the redesign efforts directed towards the gas-turbine combustor rapid-injector flow diagnostic probe developed under sponsorship of NASA-GRC and earlier reported in NASA-CR-2003-212540. Lessons learned during the theoretical development, developmental testing and field-testing in the previous phase of this research were applied to redesign of both the probe sensing elements and of the rapid injection device. This redesigned probe (referred to herein as Turboprobe) has been fabricated and is ready, along with the new rapid injector, for field-testing. The probe is now designed to capture both time-resolved and mean total temperatures, total pressures and, indirectly, one component of turbulent fluctuations.

Povinelli, Louis↗

High Temperature Metallic Seal Development For Aero Propulsion and Gas Turbine Applications

A viewgraph presentation on metallic high temperature static seal development at NASA for gas turbine applications is shown. The topics include: 1) High Temperature Static Seal Development; 2) Program Review; 3) Phase IV Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 4) Spring Design; 5) Phase IV: Innovative Seal with Blade Alloy Spring; 6) PHase IV: Testing Results; 7) Seal Seating Load; 8) Spring Seal Manufacturing; and 9) Other Applications for HIgh Temperature Spring Design

More, Greg↗

Atmospheric, Non-Combusting Droplet Sizing and Spray Imaging Results From a Non-Proprietary Aero Gas Turbine Engine Pressure Swirl Atomizer using Shadowgraphy and Planar Laser Scatter

Members from industry and federal agencies of the United States have developed a collaborating group focused on improving the understanding of the atomization processes common to gas turbine engines. The group is aimed on providing high quality data using x-ray diagnostics in the internal geometry and the near-field dense spray as well as optical diagnostics in the visible spectrum, downstream of the nozzle. This paper reports results from one of the two non-proprietary injectors designs from the group: the primary-secondary injector. In particular, we characterize the spray from only the primary, pressure-swirl atomizing circuit using water through the nozzle. We observed Sauter mean diameter decreased with increased water pressure drop across the nozzle. SMD was also collected at three axial distances and showed decreased size with distance from the nozzle. Planar laser sheet droplet scattering provided qualitative assessment of the spray. Higher water pressure drops provided better atomization than lower pressure drops. The addition of swirling air flow through the injector alleviates and improves the atomization quality, particularly at the lower water pressure drops.

optical diagnostics↗

Cyclic stress analysis of ceramic coated gas turbine seals

Through the use of the Finite Element Method, the cyclic thermomechanical response of ceramic coated gas turbine parts is considered. The analysis includes temperature dependent elastic-plastic-creep material properties and cyclic thermal loads. To demonstrate the cyclic thermomechanical response, a ceramic coated outer gas path seal is studied. The analysis will estimate the significant residual stress field created by the cyclic thermal loads.

Padovan, Joe↗

Experimentally-determined external heat loss of automotive gas turbine engine

An external heat balance was conducted on a 150 HP two-shaft automotive gas turbine engine. The engine was enclosed in a calorimeter box and the temperature change of cooling air passing through the box was measured. Cooling airflow ranges of 1.6 to 2.1 lb-per-second and 0.8 to 1.1 lb-per-second were used. The engine housing heat loss increased as the cooling airflow through the calorimeter box was increased, as would be the case in a moving automobile. The heat balance between the total energy input and the sum of shaft power output and various losses compared within 30 percent at engine idle speeds and within 7 percent at full power.

Meng, P. R.↗

Laser velocimetry measurements in a gas turbine research combustor

The effects of turbulence on the production of pollutant species in a gas-turbine research combustor are studied using laser diffraction velocimetry (LDV) techniques. Measurements that were made in the primary combustion zone include mean velocity, rms velocity fluctuations, velocity probability distributions, and autocorrelation functions. A unique combustor design provides relatively uniform flow conditions and independent control of drop size, equivalence ratio, inlet temperature, and combustor pressure. Parameters which characterize the nature of the spray combustion (i.e., whether single droplet or group combustion occurs), were determined from the LDV data. Turbulent diffusivity (eddy viscosity) reaches a value of 2930 sq cm/sec, corresponding to a convective integral length scale of 1.8 cm. The group combustion number, based on turbulent diffusivity, is measured to be 6.2

Driscoll, J. F.↗

Testing of ceramic gas turbine components under service-like conditions

The German firm MTU, Munich, West Germany, is developing gas turbine components made of special ceramics (silicon nitride, silicon carbide) which can withstand temperatures up to 1600 K. Various components such as the combustor and turbine wheel are being developed. Various preliminary tests of components are discussed.

Siebmanns, W.↗

Inter and intra blade row laser velocimetry studies of gas turbine compressor flows

The use of a two-component LDV to study the flow within gas turbine intrablade passages and air flow through multistage compressor rigs is investigated. The LDV, multistage compressor, and the data acquisition system employed in the experiments are described. The velocity magnitude and air angle as a function of rotor position were mapped; modulations in the multistage compressor data resulted in the application of spectral analysis techniques to identify and characterize the periodic fluctuations. It is noted that the two-component LDV is applicable to the characterization of the aerodynamics of flows.

Williams, M. Carlson↗