This study represents a coordinated effort between industry, government and academia to investigate gas turbine combustion dynamics. Specific study areas include development of advanced diagnostics, definition of controlling phenomena, advancement of analytical and numerical modeling capabilities, and assessment of the current status of our ability to apply these tools to practical gas turbine combustors. This last task is intended to provide a mechanism for scaling the results of the laboratory and sub-scale studies to actual gas turbine engine applications. The work covers both scientific and technological aspects of liquid-propellant combustion in rocket thrust chambers. Results will not only enhance the basic understanding of droplet behavior in situations representative of practical engine operating conditions, but can also be used effectively to improve the predictive capabilities of contemporary rocket-engine performance and stability prediction codes.
Emphasis is placed on supercritical processes.
The formulation is based on the complete conservation equations with finite-rate chemical kinetics in three dimensions. Both dense and dilute spray theories are considered within the limit of the current state of art. The work covers all three aspects of nonsteady gas dynamics, combustion, and control synthesis involved in constructing an intelligent gas-turbine combustor. A variety of active control techniques are systematically evaluated and implemented in a hierarchical approach. Both steady and transient operations relevant to practical engine working conditions are faithfully treated.