Interstage Turbine Burner for High Performance, Fuel Efficient Gas Turbine Engines

"The inter-stage turbine burner is an innovative and revolutionary concept for increased specific thrust and low emissions while maintaining or improving cycle efficiency through increased overall pressure ratio. Heat addition in the turbine burner betweenthe high pressure and low pressure turbine is a better approximation of the ideal Carnot cycle. Addition of fuel between turbine stages can significantly increase specific thrust without the severe fuel consumption penalty of an afterburner. In Phase I,the feasibility of a turbine burner that is compact, lightweight, durable, has low pressure loss, and rapidly mixes fuel and air was demonstrated through a combination of cycle analyses and CFD calculations. In Phase II, the turbine burner will be designedfor the requirements of an existing engine through a collaboration with Allison Advanced Development Corporation (AADC). CFD Research Corporation will also collaborate with Williams International during Phase II. Turbine burner concepts will be optimizedthrough systems studies, cycle analyses, mission studies, CFD analyses, and prototype cascade experimental tests at full scale pressure and temperature. At the end of Phase II, the turbine burner technology will be at a TRL of 3 to 4, and detailed planswill be made for demonstration of a turbine burner in a turbine demonstrator rig at AADC and/or Williams in Phase III that will extend the technology to TRL 5 to 6."