Improvements to the Performance of a Prototype Pulse, Pressure-Gain, Gas Turbine Combustor

A description is given of a simple, prototype, pulse, pressure-gain combustor for a gas turbine. The work reported was targeted at alleviating problems previously observed with the prototype combustor. These were related to irreversibilities, causing a performance deficiency, in the secondary flow passage. The work consisted of investigating experimentally the effect of tuning the secondary-flow path length, adding a flow restrictor at the combining-cone entry station, and redesigning the combining cone itself. The overall result was to eradicate the previously noted performance deficiency, thereby increasing the maximum pressure gain obtained in the gas turbine from 1.6 to 4.0 percent of the compressor absolute delivery pressure.