Abstract
Wave rotors are rotating equipment designed to exchange energy between high and low enthalpy fluids by means of unsteady pressure waves. In turbomachinery, they can be used as topping devices to gas turbines aiming to improve performance. The integration of a wave rotor into a ground power unit is far more attractive than into an aeronautical application, since it is not accompanied by any inconvenience concerning the over-weight and extra dimensioning. Two are the most common types of ground industrial gas turbines: The one-shaft and the two-shaft engines. Cycle analysis for both types of gas turbine engines topped with a four-port wave rotor is calculated and their performance is compared to the performance of the baseline engine accordingly. It is concluded that important benefits are obtained in terms of specific work and specific fuel consumption, especially compared to baseline engines with low compressor pressure ratio and low turbine inlet temperature.
Nomenclature
- Cp
Specific heat capacity at constant pressure
- FCV
Fuel Calorific Value
- M
Mach number
- P
Static pressure
- PR
Wave rotor pressure ratio
- Q
Heat
Compressor Pressure Ratio
- T
Static Temperature
- TIT
Turbine Inlet Temperature
- TF
Through Flow
- W
Work
- WR
Wave Rotor
- η
Efficiency
Mass Flow
- sfc
Specific Fuel Consumption
- γ
Ratio of specific heats
- ΔP
Pressure Loss
- ΔT
Temperature Loss
- Subscripts
- a
Ambient
- duct
Ducting connecting the wave rotor to the engine components
- ex
Exit
- f
Fuel
- in
Intake
- is
Isentropic
- C
Compressor
- CC
Combustion chamber
- S
Specific
- T
Turbine
- WC
Wave rotor compression
- WE
Wave rotor expansion
References
1. Weber HE. Shock wave engine design. John Wiley and Sons Inc., New York, 1995.Search in Google Scholar
2. Weber HE. Shock-expansion wave engines: new directions for power production. ASME Paper 86-GT-62, 1986.10.1115/86-GT-62Search in Google Scholar
3. Paxson DE. Comparison between numerically modelled and experimentally measured loss mechanisms in wave rotors. J Propul Power 1995;11(5):908–14.10.2514/3.23916Search in Google Scholar
4. Fatsis A, Lafond A, Ribaud Y. Preliminary analysis of the flow inside a three-port wave rotor by means of a numerical model. Aerosp Sci Technol 1998 Jul;2(5):289–300.10.1016/S1270-9638(98)80006-0Search in Google Scholar
5. Okamoto K, Araki M. Shock wave observation in narrow tubes for a parametric study on micro wave rotor design. J Therm Sci 2008;17(2):134–40.10.1007/s11630-008-0134-6Search in Google Scholar
6. Welch GE. Two-dimensional computational model for wave rotor flow dynamics. ASME Paper No. 96-GT-550, 1996.10.1115/96-GT-550Search in Google Scholar
7. Iancu F, Müller N. Efficiency of shock wave compression in a microchannel. J Microfluid Nanofluid 2005;2(1):50–63.10.1007/s10404-005-0054-7Search in Google Scholar
8. Akbari P, Nalim R, Mueller N. A review of wave rotor technology and its applications. J Eng Gas Turbines Power 2006 Oct;128:717–35.10.1115/1.2204628Search in Google Scholar
9. Fatsis A, Ribaud Y. Thermodynamic analysis of gas turbines topped with wave rotors. Aerosp Sci Technol 1999 Jul;3(5):293–9.10.1016/S1270-9638(00)86965-5Search in Google Scholar
10. Akbari P, Mueller N. Performance investigation of small gas turbine engines topped with wave rotors. AIAA Paper 2003–4414, 2003.10.2514/6.2003-4414Search in Google Scholar
11. Akbari P, Mueller N. Performance investigation of small gas turbine engines through use of wave rotor topping cycles. ASME Paper GT2003-38772, 2003.10.1115/GT2003-38772Search in Google Scholar
12. Jones S, Welch GE. Performance benefits for wave rotor-topped gas turbine engines. ASME paper 96-GT-75, 1996.10.1115/96-GT-075Search in Google Scholar
13. Welch GE, Paxson DE, Wilson J, Snyder PH. Wave-rotor-enhanced gas turbine engine demonstrator. NASA/TM–1999–209459.Search in Google Scholar
14. Dempsey E, Müller N, Akbari P, Nalim MR. Performance optimization of gas turbines utilizing four-port wave rotors. AIAA Paper 2006–4152, 2006.10.2514/6.2006-4152Search in Google Scholar
15. Povinelli LA, Brown GV, Welch GE, Bakhle MA, Brown GV. Potential application of NASA aerospace technology to ground-based power systems. NASA/TM—2000–209652.Search in Google Scholar
16. Polyzakis A. Technoeconomic evaluation of trigeneraton plant: Gas turbine performance, absorption cooling and district heating. Ph.D. Thesis, Cranfield University, 2006 Nov.Search in Google Scholar
17. Wilson J. Design of the NASA Lewis 4-Port wave rotor experiment. NASA Contractor Report 202351, also AIAA Paper 97–3139, 1997.10.2514/6.1997-3139Search in Google Scholar
18. Slater JW, Welch GE. Design of a wave-rotor transition duct. AIAA Paper 2005–5143, 2005.10.2514/6.2005-5143Search in Google Scholar
19. Paxson DE. Comparison between numerically modelled and experimentally measured Wave Rotor Loss Mechanisms. J Propul Power 1995 Sept-Oct;11(5):908–14.10.2514/3.23916Search in Google Scholar
© 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
