Thermomechanical Analysis of the GTM 400 MOD Turbojet Engine Nozzle During Kerosene and Hydrogen Co-Combustion

Łukasz Brodzik (), Bartosz Ciupek (), Andrzej Frąckowiak and Dominik Schroeder
Additional contact information
Łukasz Brodzik: Institute of Thermal Energy, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 5 M. Sklodowska-Curie Square, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Bartosz Ciupek: Institute of Thermal Energy, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 5 M. Sklodowska-Curie Square, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Andrzej Frąckowiak: Institute of Thermal Energy, Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 5 M. Sklodowska-Curie Square, 60-965 Poznan, Poland
Dominik Schroeder: Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Energy, Poznan University of Technology, 5 M. Sklodowska-Curie Square, 60-965 Poznan, Poland

Energies, 2025, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-18

Abstract: This study investigated the thermomechanical behaviour of the nozzle of a GTM 400MOD miniature turbojet engine during combustion of aviation kerosene and co-combustion of kerosene with hydrogen. Numerical analysis was based on experiments conducted on a dedicated test rig at engine speeds ranging from 31,630 rpm to 65,830 rpm, providing data on the temperature and dynamic pressure at the nozzle outlet. These data served as input to numerical analyses using the ANSYS Fluent, Steady-State Thermal, and Static Structural modules to evaluate exhaust gas flow, temperature distribution, and stress and strain states. The paper performed a basic analysis with additional simplifications, and an extended analysis that took into account, among other things, thermal radiation in the flow. The results of the basic analysis show that, at comparable thrust levels, co-firing and pure kerosene combustion yield similar nozzle temperature distributions, with maximum wall temperatures ranging from 978 K to 1090 K, which remain below the allowable limit of 1193 K (920 °C). Maximum stresses reached approximately 261 MPa, close to but not exceeding the yield strength of 316 stainless steel. Maximum nozzle deformation did not exceed 0.8 mm. Small dynamic pressure fluctuations were observed; For example, at 31,630 rpm, co-firing increased the maximum dynamic pressure from 1.56 × 104 Pa to 1.63 × 104 Pa, while at 47,110 rpm, it decreased from 4.05 × 104 Pa to 3.89 × 104 Pa. The extended analysis yielded similar values for the nozzle temperature and pressure distributions. Stress and strain increased by more than 76% and 78%, respectively, compared to the baseline analysis. The results confirm that hydrogen co-firing does not significantly alter the nozzle thermomechanical loads, suggesting that this emission-free fuel can be used without negatively impacting the nozzle’s structural integrity under the tested conditions. The methodology, combining targeted experimental measurements with coupled CFD and FEM simulations, provides a reliable framework for assessing material safety margins in alternative fuel applications in small turbojet engines.

Keywords: miniature turbojet engine; combustion; aviation kerosene; hydrogen; thermomechanical analysis (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: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/16/4382/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/16/4382/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:16:p:4382-:d:1726386

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().