Wave Cycle Design for Wave Rotor Gas Turbine Engines With Low NOx Emissions

E. L. Resler, Jr. Sibley School ol Mechanica l and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 The wa~•e roror is a promising means of pressure-gain for gas turbine engines. This paper examines novel wave rotor topping cycles that incorporate low-NO,, combustion straregies. This approach combines two-s rage ''rich-quench-lean'· ( RQL) combustion with inrermediate expansion in the wave roror to extract energy and reduce the peak stoichiometric temperamre substantially. The rhermodynamic cycle is a type of reheat cycle. with rhe rich-zone air undergoing a high-pressure stage. Rich-stage combustion could occur external to or within the wave rotor. An approximate analytical design method and CFD/combustion codes are used to develop and simulate wave rotor flow cycles. Engine cycles designed with a b}pass fllrbine and external combustion demonstrate a pe1jormance enhancement equivalent to a 200-400 R ( 110220 K) increase in turbine inlet temperature. The stoichiometric combustion temperature is reduced by 300-450 R ( 170250 K) relative to an equivalent simple cyde, implying substantially reduced NO . .Jormation.