On the Challenges of Integrating a Rotating Detonation Combustor With an Industrial Gas Turbine and Important Design Considerations for Row-1 Blades

Abstract

Abstract With the ever-growing demand for power generation to support the world economy and electric transportation needs, efficient gas turbine power cycles need to be investigated to match the anticipated high demands of the future. Decarbonization efforts around the world to achieve Net Carbon Zero by 2050 have also brought many new challenges for the development of these systems due to the unique constraints imposed by less carbon-intensive fuels. In this effort to increase the efficiency and performance of such gas turbine power cycles, pressure gain combustion (PGC) has gained significant interest. The potential for an increase in the thermodynamic efficiency over the constant-pressure Brayton Cycle has made detonation combustors, a type of PGC, an attractive alternative to traditional deflagration-type combustors. Since Rotating Detonation Combustors (RDC) can provide a quasi-steady mode of operation when compared to Pulse Detonation Combustors (PDC), research has been triggered to integrate RDC with power-generating gas turbines. However, the presence of subsonic and supersonic flow fields which are generated due to the shock waves that stem from the detonation wave front and the highly non-uniform temperature and velocity profiles may cause a depreciation in the turbine performance. The current study seeks to investigate the challenges of integrating the RDC with nozzle guide vanes (NGV) of an industrial, can-annular gas turbine and attempts to understand the major contributors that impact efficiency and identify the key areas of optimization that need to be considered for maximizing performance. To match F-class engine conditions, a geometric model of RDC developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) was scaled to achieve the desired flow conditions. The RDC was integrated with the NGVs through a non-optimized straight duct-type geometry with a diffuser cone. 3-Dimensional Numerical analyses were performed to investigate sources of total pressure loss and to understand the unsteady effects of RDC which contribute towards the deterioration of performance. The entropy generation at different regions of interest was calculated to identify the major irreversibilities in the system. Finally, total pressure and temperature distribution along the radial direction at the exit of the transitional duct is presented to understand the various constraints imposed by the RDC when integrating with an Industrial gas turbine engine NGV.