COMPACT GAS TURBINE ENGINE WITH EFFECTIVE TURBINE BLADE COOLING

THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES AN INNOVATIVE COMPACT, CONFIGURATION OF THE GAS TURBINE ENGINE THAT HAS UNUSUALLY EFFECTIVE COOLING OF TURBINE BLADES. THIS COULD RESULT IN HIGHER TURBINE-INLET TEMPERATURES, POWER, AND EFFICIENCY THAN IS COMMON IN TURBINES. BECAUSE OF ITS INHERENTLY LOW PRESSURE RATIO, THE ENGINE WOULD BE SUITED TO, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SMALL SCALE APPLICATIONS. PHASE I WILL STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BLADE COOLING AND THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF ELEVATED ALLOWABLE TURBINE-INLET TEMPERATURES AND EXPLORE THE NECESSITY FOR REGENERATION IN A LOW-PRESSURE-RATIO, GAS-TURBINE ENGINE. IF POWER AND EFFICIENCY ARE AS ENHANCED AS PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES WOULD INDICATE, THE ENGINE COULD COMPETE FOR MANY APPLICATIONS NOWEMPLOYING MUCH MORE BULKY PISTON ENGINES. IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE WHERE A HIGH DEGREE OF PORTABILITY IS IMPORTANT AS IN EMERGENCY POWER OR PUMPING STATIONS AND VEHICLE PROPULSION. THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES AN INNOVATIVE COMPACT, CONFIGURATION OF THE GAS TURBINE ENGINE THAT HAS UNUSUALLY EFFECTIVE COOLING OF TURBINE BLADES. THIS COULD RESULT IN HIGHER TURBINE-INLET TEMPERATURES, POWER, AND EFFICIENCY THAN IS COMMON IN TURBINES. BECAUSE OF ITS INHERENTLY LOW PRESSURE RATIO, THE ENGINE WOULD BE SUITED TO, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, SMALL SCALE APPLICATIONS. PHASE I WILL STUDY THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BLADE COOLING AND THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF ELEVATED ALLOWABLE TURBINE-INLET TEMPERATURES AND EXPLORE THE NECESSITY FOR REGENERATION IN A LOW-PRESSURE-RATIO, GAS-TURBINE ENGINE. IF POWER AND EFFICIENCY ARE AS ENHANCED AS PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES WOULD INDICATE, THE ENGINE COULD COMPETE FOR MANY APPLICATIONS NOWEMPLOYING MUCH MORE BULKY PISTON ENGINES. IT WOULD BE PARTICULARLY ATTRACTIVE WHERE A HIGH DEGREE OF PORTABILITY IS IMPORTANT AS IN EMERGENCY POWER OR PUMPING STATIONS AND VEHICLE PROPULSION.