The Influence of In Situ Reheat on Turbine-Combustor Performance

Abstract

This paper presents a numerical and experimental investigation of the in situ reheat necessary for the development of a turbine-combustor. The flow and combustion are modeled by the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations coupled with the species conservation equations. The chemistry model used herein is a two-step, global, finite rate combustion model for methane and combustion gases. A numerical simulation has been used to investigate the validity of the combustion model by comparing the numerical results against experimental data obtained for an isolated vane with fuel injection at its trailing edge. The numerical investigation has then been used to explore the unsteady transport phenomena in a four-stage turbine-combustor. In situ reheat simulations investigated the influence of various fuel injection parameters on power increase, airfoil temperature variation and turbine blade loading.

Pod Analysis of the Reaction Rates in a Turbine Stage With in Situ Combustion

“…These studies demonstrate performance gains related to lower fuel consumption, higher specific thrust, and enhanced operational speed and compressor pressure ratios for both turbojet and turbofan engines. In addition, a CFD analysis based on the RANS equations coupled with a two-step, global, finite rate model for methane combustion [5] showed for a landbased GTE a power increase of up to 5.1% in a four-stage turbine combustor with a 2% mass flow rate of fuel [6]. The results are clearly showing benefits of the technology.…”