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Programs exploring and demonstrating new technologies in general aviation propulsion are considered. These programs are the quiet, clean, general aviation turbofan (QCGAT) program; the general aviation turbine engine (GATE) study program; the general aviation propeller technology program; and the advanced rotary, diesel, and reciprocating engine programs.
An assessment is presented of the performance gains and economic impact of the integration in general aviation aircraft of advanced technologies, relating to such aspects of design as propulsion, natural laminar flow, lift augmentation, unconventional configurations, and advanced aluminum and composite structures. All considerations are with reference to a baseline mission of 1300 nm range and 300-knot cruise speed with a 1300-lb payload, and a baseline aircraft with a 40 lb/sq ft wing loading and an aspect ratio of 8. Extensive analytical results are presented from the NASA-sponsored General Aviation Synthesis Program. Attention is given to the relative performance gains to be expected from the single-engined baseline aircraft's use of a low cost general aviation turbine engine, a spark-ignited reciprocating engine, a diesel engine, and a Wankel rotary engine.
The prospects for significantly increasing the fuel efficiency and mission capability of single engine business aircraft through the incorporation of advanced propulsion, aerodynamics and materials technologies are explored. It is found that turbine engines cannot match the fuel economy of the heavier rotary, diesel and advanced spark reciprocating engines. The rotary engine yields the lightest and smallest aircraft for a given mission requirement, and also offers greater simplicity and a multifuel capability. Great promise is also seen in the use of composite material primary structures in conjunction with laminar flow wing surfaces, a pusher propeller and conventional wing-tail configuration. This study was conducted with the General Aviation Synthesis Program, which can furnish the most accurate mission performance calculations yet obtained.
Computer simulation developed to study advantages of increased exhaust enthalpy in adiabatic turbocompounded diesel engine. Subsytems of conceptual engine include compressor, reciprocator, turbocharger turbine, compounded turbine, ducting, and heat exchangers. Focus of simulation of total system is to define transfers of mass and energy, including release and transfer of heat and transfer of work in each subsystem, and relationship among subsystems. Written in FORTRAN IV.
Many of the properties of carbon-carbon make it an ideal material for reciprocating materials of intermittent combustion (IC) engines. Recent diesel engine tests, shown herein, indicate that the thermal and mechanical properties of carbon-carbon are adequate for piston applications, However, reducing the manufacturing costs and providing long term oxidation protection are still issues that need to be addressed.
A computer simulation of the turbocharged turbocompounded direct-injection diesel engine system was developed in order to study the performance characteristics of the total system as major design parameters and materials are varied. Quasi-steady flow models of the compressor, turbines, manifolds, intercooler, and ducting are coupled with a multicylinder reciprocator diesel model, where each cylinder undergoes the same thermodynamic cycle. The master cylinder model describes the reciprocator intake, compression, combustion and exhaust processes in sufficient detail to define the mass and energy transfers in each subsystem of the total engine system. Appropriate thermal loading models relate the heat flow through critical system components to material properties and design details. From this information, the simulation predicts the performance gains, and assesses the system design trade-offs which would result from the introduction of selected heat transfer reduction materials in key system components, over a range of operating conditions.
In proposed coal-cutting machine, piston forces water through nozzle, expelling pulsed jet that cuts into coal face. Spring-loaded piston reciprocates at end of travel to refill water chamber. Machine a onecylinder, two-cycle, internal-combustion engine, fueled by gasoline, diesel fuel, or hydrogen. Fuel converted more directly into mechanical energy of water jet.
Steam bottoming cycles using adiabatic diesel engine exhaust heat which projected substantial performance and economic benefits for long haul trucks were studied. Steam cycle and system component variables, system cost, size and performance were analyzed. An 811 K/6.90 MPa state of the art reciprocating expander steam system with a monotube boiler and radiator core condenser was selected for preliminary design. The costs of the diesel with bottoming system (TC/B) and a NASA specified turbocompound adiabatic diesel with aftercooling with the same total output were compared, the annual fuel savings less the added maintenance cost was determined to cover the increase initial cost of the TC/B system in a payback period of 2.3 years. Steam bottoming system freeze protection strategies were developed, technological advances required for improved system reliability are considered and the cost and performance of advanced systes are evaluated.
Propulsion systems are key factors in the design and performance of general aviation airplanes. NASA research programs that are intended to support improvements in these engines are described. Reciprocating engines are by far the most numerous powerplants in the aviation fleet; near-term efforts are being made to lower their fuel consumption and emissions. Longer-term work includes advanced alternatives, such as rotary and lightweight diesel engines. Work is underway on improved turbofans and turboprops.
The main objectives were to select an advanced low heat rejection diesel reference engine (ADRE) and to carry out systems analysis and design. The ADRE concept selection consisted of: (1) rated point performance optimization; (2) study of various exhaust energy recovery scenarios; (3) components, systems and engine configuration studies; and (4) life cycle cost estimates of the ADRE economic worth. The resulting ADRE design proposed a reciprocator with many advanced features for the 1995 technology demonstration time frame. These included ceramic air gap insulated hot section structural components, high temperature tribology treatments, nonmechanical (camless) valve actuation systems, and elimination of the cylinder head gasket. ADRE system analysis and design resulted in more definition of the engine systems. These systems include: (1) electro-hydraulic valve actuation, (2) electronic common rail injection system; (3) engine electronic control; (4) power transfer for accessory drives and exhaust energy recovery systems; and (5) truck installation. Tribology and performance assessments were also carried out. Finite element and probability of survival analyses were undertaken for the ceramic low heat rejection component.
This report summarizes the Advanced Diesel Engine Component Development (ADECD) Program to develop and demonstrate critical technology needed to advance the heavy-duty low heat rejection engine concept. Major development activities reported are the design, analysis, and fabrication of monolithic ceramic components; vapor phase and solid film lubrication; electrohydraulic valve actuation; and high pressure common rail injection. An advanced single cylinder test bed was fabricated as a laboratory tool in studying these advanced technologies. This test bed simulates the reciprocator for a system having no cooling system, turbo compounding, Rankine bottoming cycle, common rail injection, and variable valve actuation to achieve fuel consumption of 160 g/kW-hr (.26 lb/hp-hr). The advanced concepts were successfully integrated into the test engine. All ceramic components met their functional and reliability requirements. The firedeck, cast-in-place ports, valves, valve guides, piston cap, and piston ring were made from silicon nitride. Breakthroughs required to implement a 'ceramic' engine included the fabrication of air-gap cylinder heads, elimination of compression gaskets, machining of ceramic valve seats within the ceramic firedeck, fabrication of cast-in-place ceramic port liners, implementation of vapor phase lubrication, and elimination of the engine coolant system. Silicon nitride valves were successfully developed to meet several production abuse test requirements and incorporated into the test bed with a ceramic valve guide and solid film lubrication. The ADECD cylinder head features ceramic port shields to increase insulation and exhaust energy recovery. The combustion chamber includes a ceramic firedeck and piston cap. The tribological challenge posed by top ring reversal temperatures of 550 C was met through the development of vapor phase lubrication using tricresyl phosphate at the ring-liner interface. A solenoid-controlled, variable valve actuation system that eliminated the conventional camshaft was demonstrated on the test bed. High pressure fuel injection via a common rail system was also developed to reduce particulate emissions.
This paper presents an overview of four independent studies that explore the opportunities for future General Aviation Turbine Engines (GATE) in the 150-1000 SHP class. Detroit Diesel Allison, Garrett/AiResearch, Teledyne CAE, and Williams Research participated along with several airframers. These studies forecasted the potential impact of advanced technology turbine engines in the post-1988 market, identified important aircraft and missions, desirable engine sizes, engine performance and cost goals. Parametric evaluations of various engine cycles, configurations, design features, and advanced technology elements defined baseline conceptual engines for each of the important missions identified by the market analysis. Both fixed-wing and helicopter aircraft, and turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan engines were considered. All four companies predicted sizable performance gains (e.g., 20% SFC decrease), and three predicted large engine cost reductions of sufficient magnitude to challenge the reciprocating engine in the 300-500 SHP class. Key technology areas were recommended for NASA support in order to realize these improvements.
A number of lubricated machine elements are subjected to cyclic variations of load and speed, particularly in reciprocating machinery. It is well known that squeeze-film action plays an important role in preserving satisfactory lubricating films in many cases in which the entraining velocities fall to zero during each cycle, as in the reciprocating seal and synovial joints. The essential features of combined 'entraining' and 'normal' motion are described for both hydrodynamic and elastohydrodynamic conditions. It is shown that very small squeeze-film velocities (W), or order (h(sub o)/l)U, can lead to substantial hydrodynamic action. A brief review of previous studies of squeeze-film lubrication between spheres or cylinders and a plane is followed by reference to a recent analysis of ankle joint lubrication. It is then shown that elastohydrodynamic lubrication might be encountered in the conjunction between a piston ring and cylinder liner and that in such cases combined entraining and squeeze-film action is important. Analysis of a 2-stroke Diesel engine shows that variations in squeeze-film velocity throughout the conjunction, associated with time rates of change of elastic deformation, must be considered in a full elastohydrodynamic lubrication analysis.
Modern off-road equipment will increasingly rely on electrified implements that will deliver precision control with a smaller footprint than hydraulics. The primary energy converter, however, will be an onboard reciprocating internal combustion engine because of the power density of hydrocarbon fuels in comparison to electrical energy storage and the remote locations where much of this equipment is deployed. Adding energy storage and electric machines creates opportunities to improve efficiency while reducing emissions. This program investigated approaches to take advantage of the extra flexibility that an enhanced electrical system to enable high-efficiency, low-emissions combustion technologies. The current program evaluated hybridization of both the torque application and air-handling systems to maximize efficiency while minimizing cost. This program designed, analyzed and tested a hybrid off-road vehicle consisting of a series electric powertrain with energy storage, an electrified air system, and a 33% downsized diesel engine. Detailed comparisons were made between the base powertrain and the developed powertrain using powertrain simulations, engine testing, and vehicle testing. The key results of the study are: • The resulting vehicle reduces fuel consumption by 5% to 15% at equal productivity. The primary improvements were due to recovery of regenerative braking losses for cycles where large transients are encountered. • The electrified air system was an enabler to allow engine downsizing. This was most important for duty-cycles where the engine primarily operated at moderate loads and had few low speed high torque conditions. • Engine level improvements showed re-optimization of the powertrain is possible when electrified air handing is available. Increased exhaust gas recirculation and advanced injection timing allowed up to a 15% reduction in brake specific fuel consumption at equal NOx and transient response. Compared to the larger engine, the downsized engine achieves up to an 18% reduction in brake specific fuel consumption over the non-road transient cycle. • The life cycle analysis and total cost of ownership study showed that the hybrid powertrain has the potential to reduce 5-year CO2 and total cost of ownership by ~6% over the baseline vehicle. The results also indicated that a pure battery electric vehicle is not feasible in this application and is likely to increase the CO2 emissions due to the CO2 from battery production. A hybrid powertrain with low carbon fuels shows the potential to substantially reduce CO2 and total cost of ownership.
An overall summary documentation is provided for the Advanced Gas Turbine Technology Project conducted by the Allison Gas Turbine Division of General Motors. This advanced, high risk work was initiated in October 1979 under charter from the U.S. Congress to promote an engine for transportation that would provide an alternate to reciprocating spark ignition (SI) engines for the U.S. automotive industry and simultaneously establish the feasibility of advanced ceramic materials for hot section components to be used in an automotive gas turbine. As this program evolved, dictates of available funding, Government charter, and technical developments caused program emphases to focus on the development and demonstration of the ceramic turbine hot section and away from the development of engine and powertrain technologies and subsequent vehicular demonstrations. Program technical performance concluded in June 1987. The AGT 100 program successfully achieved project objectives with significant technology advances. Specific AGT 100 program achievements are: (1) Ceramic component feasibility for use in gas turbine engines has been demonstrated; (2) A new, 100 hp engine was designed, fabricated, and tested for 572 hour at operating temperatures to 2200 F, uncooled; (3) Statistical design methodology has been applied and correlated to experimental data acquired from over 5500 hour of rig and engine testing; (4) Ceramic component processing capability has progressed from a rudimentary level able to fabricate simple parts to a sophisticated level able to provide complex geometries such as rotors and scrolls; (5) Required improvements for monolithic and composite ceramic gas turbine components to meet automotive reliability, performance, and cost goals have been identified; (6) The combustor design demonstrated lower emissions than 1986 Federal Standards on methanol, JP-5, and diesel fuel. Thus, the potential for meeting emission standards and multifuel capability has been initiated; (7) Small turbine engine aerodynamic and mechanical design capability has been initiated; and (8) An infrastructure of manpower, facilities, materials, and fabrication capabilities has been established which is available for continued development of ceramic component technology in gas turbine and other heat engines.