This paper discusses theoretical and experimental work carried out to determine the feasibility of a pressure-gain combustion system for gas turbines.
Fundamental principles involved in the design of resonant combustors are considered and potential improvements in gas turbine performance are calculated by means of a piston-cylinder analogy. The results indicate that significant improvements in overall thermal efficiency and specific power output can be expected at relatively low pressure ratios but that these improvements become less effective at higher pressure ratios due to the influence of increased compressor delivery temperatures.
The results of experimental work on a multiple combustor configuration show that the theoretical performance appears to be attainable and that, subject to further development work, resonant combustion chambers could be utilized to improve gas turbine performance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CoxH. Roxbee (Ed.) Gas turbine principles and practice1955 (George Newnes Ltd, London).
2.
ThringM. W. (Ed.) Pulsating combustion—the collected works of F. H. Reynst1961 (Pergamon Press, Oxford).
3.
SchmidtP.‘Instationare gasdynamische Vorgänge als Grundlage technischer Verfahrensweisen’, Z. Ver. dt. Ing.1964106, (No. 11), 435.
4.
PorterC. D.‘Valveless-gas-turbine combustors with pressure gain’, A.S.M.E. Paper No. 58-GTP-11 1958 (January).
5.
FrancisD.ReayD.‘A study of gas-fired pulsating combustors for industrial use’, British Gas Council research communication, G.C. 91, 1962 (November).
6.
MarksteinG. H. (Ed.) Non-steady flame propagation1964 (Pergamon Press, New York).
7.
WoodA.Acoustics1945 (Interscience Publishers Inc., New York).
8.
MullerJ. L.‘An investigation into the aerodynamic performance of regulated mechanical valves as applied to resonant combustion chambers’, M.Sc. Thesis, University of Witwatersrand, 1964.
9.
FoaJ. V.Elements of flight propulsion1960 (John Wiley & Sons Inc., New York and Chichester).
10.
MullerJ. L.‘Theoretical and practical aspects of the application of resonant combustion chambers in the gas turbine’, D.Sc. Thesis, University of Pretoria, 1969.
11.
LockwoodR. M.‘Pulse–reactor lift–propulsion system development program’, Hiller Aircraft Co. Final Rep. No. ARD-308 1963 (March).
12.
JungeR. M.ReesW. A.‘Intermittent combustion analysis’, General Electric Technical Information Series No. DF–54–TG–351 1956 (January).
13.
British Standards InstitutionB.S. 1042:1943 Flow measurement (London).
14.
FieldingD.ToppsJ. E. C.‘Thermodynamic data for the calculation of gas turbine performance’, Ministry of Supply, Aeronautical Research Council R & M No. 3099, London, 1959.
15.
Frank-KamenetskiD. A.Diffusion and heat exchange in chemical kinetics1955 (Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey).
16.
GrantW. L.RouxA. J. A.‘The development and application of gas turbines in South Africa’, S. Afr. mech. Engr.19598 (No. 9), 289.
17.
GrantW. L.KennardW. W.‘A simplified theory for the design and performance prediction of a resonant combustion chamber’, CSIR Special Rep. No. 108, 1959 (September).
18.
HodgeJ.Cycles and performance estimation1955 (Butterworths, London).
19.
KastnerL. J.WilliamsT. J.‘Pulsating flow measurement by viscous meters with particular reference to the air supply of internal combustion engines’, Proc. Instn mech. Engrs1955169, (No. 26), 419.
20.
LockwoodR. M.‘Investigation of the process of energy transfer from an intermittent jet to an ambient fluid: summary report for the period 1 December 1958 to 30 June 1959’, Hiller Aircraft Co.1960 (January).
21.
LongwellJ. P.WeissM. A.‘High temperature reaction rates in hydrocarbon combustion’, Ind. Engng Chem.195547, (No. 8), 1634.
22.
McJonesR. W.LockwoodR. M.‘Experimental investigation of intermittent jet propulsion cycles using single-explosion techniques’, American Helicopter Co. Rep. No. 2503B–481, 1954 (November).
23.
MullerJ. L.‘The development of a resonant heater for drying applications’, S. Afr. mech. Engr.196716, (No. 7), 137.
24.
PutnamA. A.SpeichA.‘Bibliography of combustion-driven oscillations’, 1959Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio.
25.
RogersG. F. C.MayhewY. R.Engineering thermodynamics work and heat transfer1957 (Longmans Green & Co., London).
26.
Schultz-GrunowF.‘Gas-dynamic investigations of the pulse-jet tube’ (Parts I and II) NACA TM 1131 1947 (February).
27.
StewartD. G.‘A gas-dynamic method for the solution of the pulse-jet problem’, Dept. of Supply (Australia), Division of Aeronautics, Rep. No. E64 1949 (July).
28.
SwanepoelJ. S. H.De VilliersK. T.‘Voorlopige ondersoek na die gebruik van 'n puls-straal enjin en stu-buis eenheid as 'n straal-pomp vir die lewering van warm lug’, B.Sc. Thesis, University of Pretoria, 1965.
