Performance Analysis of Wave Rotor Combustor Integration into Baseline Engines: A Comparative Study of Pressure-Gain and Work Cycles

Renchuan Zheng, Erlei Gong (), Jianzhong Li (), Qian Yao and Zhaolong Nie
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Renchuan Zheng: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Erlei Gong: School of Aeronautics and Mechanical Engineering, Changzhou Institute of Technology, Changzhou 213032, China
Jianzhong Li: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Qian Yao: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China
Zhaolong Nie: College of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, China

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: This study presents two concepts for integrating a wave rotor combustor (WRC) into a baseline engine: the wave rotor pressure-gain cycle (WRPGC) and the wave rotor work cycle (WRWC). Performance parameters were calculated under different thermodynamic cycles, and a comparative analysis of the thermodynamic cycles was conducted, considering both the ideal- and actual-loss conditions. Furthermore, the impact of the WRC precompression ratio, turbine inlet temperature, and fixed peak cycle temperature on the thermodynamic-cycle performance was investigated. The results indicate that embedding a WRC into a baseline engine with a compressor pressure ratio higher than 24.0 does not lead to an improvement in the thermal efficiency. However, under a baseline engine pressure ratio of 3.6, the actual-loss WRC cycle achieves efficiency improvements of 40.5% and 49.5% in the WRPGC and WRWC, respectively, compared to the baseline engine cycle. Increasing the wave rotor precompression ratio or the turbine inlet temperature ratio results in greater performance improvements for the WRWC compared to the WRPGC. When the peak cycle temperature of the wave rotor is fixed, there exists a narrow pressure ratio range wherein the WRPGC outperforms the WRWC. Therefore, the WRPGC is more suitable for embedment in baseline engines with lower pressure ratios.

Keywords: wave rotor combustor; thermodynamic cycle; performance analysis; pressure gain; work output (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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