High Fuel-Air Ratio (FAR) Combustor Modeling

A high fuel-air ratio combustor computational model (computer code) is proposed for development in this SBIR project. The proposed computational model will address fuel-air ratio and temperature non-uniformities and fluctuations at the combustor and 1ststage high pressure turbine exit planes based upon actual JP-8 fuel chemical kinetics. A reduced chemical kinetic model will be developed using a detailed JP-8 chemistry mechanism and implemented into the combustor computational model. The proposedcomputational combustor model will also address secondary combustion in the 1st stage high pressure turbine. Steady-state as well as transient operational effects upon high fuel-air ratio fluctuations, chemical species dissociation and recombinationreactions, maximum temperature rise and fluctuations, pattern factor, and film-cooling reactivity will all be predicted in an efficient manner. The proposed combustor computational model will be capable of identifying the impact of various operatingparameters through detailed parametric studies, which can not be accomplished by the conventional multi-dimensional CFD codes. It is therefore anticipated that the proposed combustor computational model will become, once validated, an integral part of thehigh fuel-air ratio combustor design cycle. It is anticipated that the proposed high fuel-air ratio combustor computational model for development in this SBIR will be an integral part of current and future high fuel-air ratio combustors and turbine filmcooling design methodologies and database. In addition, the proposed model will quickly identify the critical design and chemical parameters that impact the high fuel-air ratio combustor designs. These features will make the proposed combustorcomputational model highly marketable to both commercial and military gas turbine engines and ground-based turbine for power generation.