CFD Optimization of Gas Inlet Configuration for 100kW Microturbine Recuperator

Abstract

Compact and efficient recuperator is an important component of a microturbine system. To ascertain the optimum gas cavity configuration of the recuperator in a 100kW-microturbine system, a numerical study of flow performance has been done. The main parameters to change in different cases are cone angle of the gas pipeline, α and depth of the pipeline in the gas cavity, L. By comparing the gas pressure drop, Δp and the gas outlets velocity nonuniformity, Su, we found that the case with α = 5° and L = 370mm is the best configuration. Comparing with the worst case, it may greatly decrease the velocity nonuniformity by 73.3% while the corresponding pressure drop increases only 8%.