Abstract
In some situations, the improvement of the thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR) of microturbine engines (MTEs) for energy-, economic-, and environment-related reasons can be achieved for military or civilian purposes. However, due to limitations of existing traditional MTE technology, it is difficult to meet the key requirements of small aircraft for high energy/power density and low-cost power, especially for long-endurance drone swarms. To address these problems, a novel compact concept of a high-TWR of MTE with a double-sided composite impeller (DSCI) is proposed in this research. First, the principle and structure of the concept are explained through theoretical analysis, and its potential advantages are discussed. Second, the DSCI is analyzed at the top level, and the design principle and important parameters are discussed. The DSCI and supporting jet engine are preliminarily designed. Then, their weight is estimated. Finally, theoretical analytical and numerical simulations are used to preliminarily research the performance parameters of DSCI jet engine at the design point, and the parameters are discussed. These calculations showed encouraging results, with all components of the DSCI jet engine meeting matching characteristics. Compared to the JetCat P500-PRO-GH, the DSCI jet engine has a 39.4% increase in TWR and a 36.82% decrease in specific fuel consumption (sfc). This study lays a foundation for the development of high energy/power density MTEs in the future.
Highlights
Reference [1] presented the main trends of research into microturbine engines
Under the combined effect of various parameters, the to-weight ratio (TWR) of the double-sided composite impeller (DSCI) jet engine is increased to 12.17, which is 39.4% higher than that of the JetCat P500-PRO-GH
This research presents a conceptual design of DSCI for a high-TWR propulsion system
Summary
The MTE is usually defined as an engine with a thrust less than 100 daN and mainly includes to military/civilian applications, such as the propulsion systems of small aircraft, the power of target missiles and cruise missiles, the portable energy of individual combat, and the auxiliary power unit (APU) of large aircraft [2,3,4,5]. As two important performance parameters, the thrust-to-weight ratio (TWR) and specific fuel consumption (sfc) are related to the two requirements. Several traditional techniques, such as increasing the overall pressure ratio (OPR), turbine inlet total temperature, and component efficiency, can improve the TWR and sfc. Reducing the weight of the structure, introducing impingement cooling technology, and using heat recovery technology are three appropriate methods for overcoming these limitations
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