Real-gas thermodynamic analysis of the wave-rotor combustion turbine

Abstract

Paper presented to the 10th International Conference on Heat Transfer, Fluid Mechanics and Thermodynamics, Florida, 14-16 July 2014.Cyclic or pulsed combustors have the potential to produce a rise in pressure through confined combustion as opposed to conventional gas turbine engines that use steady flow combustion accompanied by loss in pressure. The pressure changes allow an improved work output through such unsteady devices. The thermodynamic analysis indicates a significant improvement in engine performance by implementing constant volume combustion, particularly using the wave rotor combustion. The work output through a wave-rotor combustion depends on pressure exchange between the fluid, unsteady waves within the rotor and expansion within the wave-rotor. The thermodynamic analysis uses real gas thermodynamic properties for accurate prediction of the engine performance.