Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor
As part of an effort to develop a microscale gas turbine engine, this paper presents the design and experimental characterization of a microcombustor that catalytically burns JP8 fuel. Due to the high energy densities of hydrocarbon fuels, microscale heat engines based on them may enable compact pow...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
2018
|
| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/114785 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7924-8161 |
| _version_ | 1826217621683437568 |
|---|---|
| author | Peck, Jay Jacobson, Stuart Waitz, Ian A |
| author2 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics |
| author_facet | Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Peck, Jay Jacobson, Stuart Waitz, Ian A |
| author_sort | Peck, Jay |
| collection | MIT |
| description | As part of an effort to develop a microscale gas turbine engine, this paper presents the design and experimental characterization of a microcombustor that catalytically burns JP8 fuel. Due to the high energy densities of hydrocarbon fuels, microscale heat engines based on them may enable compact power sources with specific energies higher than those of current battery systems. In addition, utilizing a commonly available logistics fuel would provide advantages for military applications. Thus, a microscale engine burning JP8 fuel is attractive as a portable power source. A liquid-fueled microcombustor with a combustion chamber volume of 1.4 cm 3 and an overall die size of 36.4×36.4×6.5 mm 3 was designed, microfabricated, and experimentally characterized. Two configurations were tested and compared, one with the combustion chamber entirely filled with a catalyst and the other with the combustion chamber partially filled with a catalyst. In the configuration filled with a catalyst, JP8 combustion was sustained at mass flow rates up to 0.1 g/s and an exit gas temperature of 780 K; an overall combustor efficiency of 19% and a power density of 43 MW/ m 3 were achieved. The primary limitation on increasing the mass flow rates and temperature further was the structural failure of the device due to thermal stresses. With the partially filled configuration, a mass flow rate of 0.2 g/s and a corresponding power density of 54 MW/ m 3 were obtained. The exit gas temperature for the partially filled configuration was as high as 720 K, and the maximum overall efficiency was over 22%. Although the reduced amount of catalyst led to incomplete combustion, smaller thermal losses resulted in an increase in the overall combustor efficiency and power density. A nondimensional operating map was constructed based on the experiment, and it suggests that improving the thermal efficiency would be necessary to achieve higher efficiencies in the device. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:06:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | mit-1721.1/114785 |
| institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-23T17:06:36Z |
| publishDate | 2018 |
| publisher | American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | mit-1721.1/1147852022-09-29T23:44:14Z Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor Peck, Jay Jacobson, Stuart Waitz, Ian A Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Jacobson, Stuart Waitz, Ian A As part of an effort to develop a microscale gas turbine engine, this paper presents the design and experimental characterization of a microcombustor that catalytically burns JP8 fuel. Due to the high energy densities of hydrocarbon fuels, microscale heat engines based on them may enable compact power sources with specific energies higher than those of current battery systems. In addition, utilizing a commonly available logistics fuel would provide advantages for military applications. Thus, a microscale engine burning JP8 fuel is attractive as a portable power source. A liquid-fueled microcombustor with a combustion chamber volume of 1.4 cm 3 and an overall die size of 36.4×36.4×6.5 mm 3 was designed, microfabricated, and experimentally characterized. Two configurations were tested and compared, one with the combustion chamber entirely filled with a catalyst and the other with the combustion chamber partially filled with a catalyst. In the configuration filled with a catalyst, JP8 combustion was sustained at mass flow rates up to 0.1 g/s and an exit gas temperature of 780 K; an overall combustor efficiency of 19% and a power density of 43 MW/ m 3 were achieved. The primary limitation on increasing the mass flow rates and temperature further was the structural failure of the device due to thermal stresses. With the partially filled configuration, a mass flow rate of 0.2 g/s and a corresponding power density of 54 MW/ m 3 were obtained. The exit gas temperature for the partially filled configuration was as high as 720 K, and the maximum overall efficiency was over 22%. Although the reduced amount of catalyst led to incomplete combustion, smaller thermal losses resulted in an increase in the overall combustor efficiency and power density. A nondimensional operating map was constructed based on the experiment, and it suggests that improving the thermal efficiency would be necessary to achieve higher efficiencies in the device. United States. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Contract DAAD19-01-2-0010) United States. Army Research Office (Contract DAAD19-01-2-0010) 2018-04-18T19:00:57Z 2018-04-18T19:00:57Z 2011-03 2010-04 2018-04-12T13:15:07Z Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 0742-4795 1528-8919 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/114785 Peck, Jay et al. “Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor.” Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power 133, 7 (2011): 072301 © 2011 American Society of Mechanical Engineers https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7924-8161 http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/1.4002621 Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. application/pdf American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) ASME |
| spellingShingle | Peck, Jay Jacobson, Stuart Waitz, Ian A Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title | Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title_full | Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title_fullStr | Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title_full_unstemmed | Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title_short | Design and Characterization of a Liquid-Fueled Microcombustor |
| title_sort | design and characterization of a liquid fueled microcombustor |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/114785 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7924-8161 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peckjay designandcharacterizationofaliquidfueledmicrocombustor AT jacobsonstuart designandcharacterizationofaliquidfueledmicrocombustor AT waitziana designandcharacterizationofaliquidfueledmicrocombustor |