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Systems Design and Experimental Evaluation of a High-Altitude Relight Test Facility

Paxton, Brendan
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8023-9262
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1448037233

Abstract Details

2015, MS, University of Cincinnati, Engineering and Applied Science: Aerospace Engineering.
Novel advances in gas turbine engine combustor technology, led by endeavors into fuel efficiency and demanding environmental regulations, have been fraught with performance and safety concerns. While the majority of low emissions gas turbine engine combustor technology has been necessary for power generation applications, the push for ultra-low NOx combustion in aircraft jet engines has been ever present. Recent state-of-the-art combustor designs notably tackle historic emissions challenges by operating at fuel-lean conditions, which are characterized by an increase in the amount of air flow sent to the primary combustion zone. While beneficial in reducing NOx emissions, the fuel-lean mechanisms that characterize these combustor designs rely heavily upon high-energy and high-velocity air flows to sufficiently mix and atomize fuel droplets, ultimately leading to flame stability concerns during low-power operation. When operating at high-altitude conditions, these issues are further exacerbated by the presence of low ambient air pressures and temperatures, which can lead to engine flame-out situations and hamper engine relight attempts. To aid academic and industrial research ventures into improving the high-altitude lean blow-out and relight performance of modern gas turbine engine combustor technologies, the High-Altitude Relight Test Facility (HARTF) was designed and constructed at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Combustion and Fire Research Laboratory (CFRL). Following its construction, an experimental evaluation of its abilities to facilitate optically-accessible ignition, combustion, and spray testing for gas turbine engine combustor hardware at simulated high-altitude conditions was performed. In its evaluation, performance limit references were established through testing of the HARTF vacuum and cryogenic air-chilling capabilities. These tests were conducted with regard to end-user control—the creation and the maintenance of a realistic high-altitude environment simulation. To evaluate future testing applications, as well as to understand the abilities of the HARTF to accommodate different sizes and configurations of industrial gas turbine engine combustor hardware, ignition testing was conducted at challenging high-altitude windmilling conditions with a linearly-arranged five-swirler array, replicating the implementation of a multi-cup combustor sector.
San-Mou Jeng, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Jongguen Lee, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
Samir Tambe, Ph.D. (Committee Member)
128 p.
Aerospace Materials
combustion; ignition; high-altitude; relight; altitude; design

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Paxton, B. (2015). Systems Design and Experimental Evaluation of a High-Altitude Relight Test Facility [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1448037233

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Paxton, Brendan. Systems Design and Experimental Evaluation of a High-Altitude Relight Test Facility. 2015. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1448037233.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Paxton, Brendan. "Systems Design and Experimental Evaluation of a High-Altitude Relight Test Facility." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1448037233

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1448037233
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This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.