Design Overview of a Three Kilowatt Recuperated Ceramic Turboshaft Engine
Author:
Vick Michael J.1, Heyes Andrew2, Pullen Keith3
Affiliation:
1. Vehicle Research Section, Code 5712, U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK 3. School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, City University London, London EC1V 0HB, UK
Abstract
A three kilowatt turboshaft engine with a ceramic recuperator and turbine has been designed for small unmanned air vehicle (UAV) propulsion and portable power generation. Compared with internal combustion (IC) engines, gas turbines offer superior reliability, engine life, noise and vibration characteristics, and compatibility with military fuels. However, the efficiency of miniature gas turbines must be improved substantially, without severely compromising weight and cost, if they are to compete effectively with small IC engines for long-endurance UAV propulsion. This paper presents a design overview and supporting analytical results for an engine that could meet this goal. The system architecture was chosen to accommodate the limitations of mature, cost-effective ceramic materials: silicon nitride for the turbine rotors and toughened mullite for the heat exchanger and turbine stators. An engine with a cycle pressure ratio below 2:1, a multistage turbine, and a highly effective recuperator is shown to have numerous advantages in this context. A key benefit is a very low water vapor-induced surface recession rate for silicon nitride, due to an extremely low partial pressure of water in the combustion products. Others include reduced sensitivity to internal flaws, creep, and foreign object damage; an output shaft speed low enough for grease-lubricated bearings; and the potential viability of a novel premixed heat-recirculating combustor.
Publisher
ASME International
Subject
Mechanical Engineering,Energy Engineering and Power Technology,Aerospace Engineering,Fuel Technology,Nuclear Energy and Engineering
Reference41 articles.
1. Monroe, M. A.
, 2003, “A Market and Engineering Study of a 3-Kilowatt Class Gas Turbine Generator,” MS thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA. 2. Simon, T. W., and Jiang, N., 2003, “Micro- or Small-Gas Turbines,” Paper No. IGTC2003Tokyo KS-1. 3. Monroe, M. A., Epstein, A. H., Kumakura, H., and Isomura, K., 2005, “Component Integration and Loss Sources in 3–5 kW Gas Turbines,” ASME Paper No. GT2005-68715. 4. Department of Defense Directive, 1988, “Fuel Standardization,” Paper No. 4140.43.
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