Further Development of an Improved Pulse, Pressure Gain, Gas-Turbine Combustor

Abstract

Further development work is described, which included both theoretical analysis and experimental testing, of an improved prototype, valveless, pulse, pressure gain, combustor for gas turbines. The analytical work involved the application to the non-steady flow in the combustor secondary flow duct of the method-of-characteristics as used for one-space dimensional, time dependent, compressible flows. Gas temperatures in the secondary flow duct were measured experimentally as were the pressure gain, due to the pulse combustor, and the overall efficiencies of the gas generator type gas-turbine with both the conventional steady flow combustor and the alternative pulse, pressure gain, combustor. It was concluded that the analytical work confirmed earlier experimental findings showing the benefits of restricting the secondary flow duct exit area. It was also concluded that the use of the pulse combustor resulted in a maximum improvement of 27% in the thermal efficiency of the small, low pressure-ratio, educational, gas generator turbo-machine.