Pressure-gain combustion
- USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV (United States)
- EG and G Washington Analytical Services Center, Inc., Morgantown, WV (United States)
Pulse combustion has been proposed for gas turbine applications in many early articles and more recently has been demonstrated to produce so-called ``pressure-gain`` in a small gas turbine. The basic concept is that the oscillatory combustion occurs as a constant-volume process, producing a gain in the stagnation pressure of air flowing through the combustor, rather than the pressure loss associated with conventional, steady combustion. If properly utilized, this pressure-gain could enhance simple-cycle gas turbine efficiency several percent, depending on the operating conditions. In addition, pulse combustors have demonstrated relatively low NO{sub x} pollutant levels in some applications. The combined potential for higher cycle efficiency and lower pollutant levels is the basis for the present investigation. Tests in progress at the Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC) have considered a baseline pulse combustor configuration that has shown good oscillating performance, low NO{sub x} emissions, but disappointing results in terms of pressure-gain. However, a combination of numeric simulations and test data suggest that pressure-gain can be produced by a select combination of operating conditions and combustor geometry, but is especially sensitive to the combustor inlet geometry. Tests in progress will evaluate the effect of inlet geometry and operating pressure on both pollutant emissions and pressure-gain.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center, WV (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 10105097
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/METC/C-94/7106; CONF-930893-39; ON: DE94002975; NC: NONE
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Joint contractors meeting on advanced turbine systems, fuel cells and coal-fired heat,Morgantown, WV (United States),3-5 Aug 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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