KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINNERING

PROJECT REPORT ON

DEVELOPMENT OF TURBO-SHAFT ENGINE FROM TURBOCHARGER

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the
Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering

Acharya Shailesh (014271-12)

Joshi Rajesh (014294-12)
Regmi Asim (014310-12)

20 September,2016
 © 2016
Acharya Shailesh
Joshi Rajesh
Regmi Asim
 AUTHORIZATION

We hereby declare that we are the author of the project thesis.

We authorize the Kathmandu University to lend this thesis to other institutions or

individuals for the purpose of scholarly research. We further authorize the Kathmandu
University to reproduce the thesis by photocopying or by other means, in total or in
part, at the request of other institutions or individuals for the purpose of scholarly
research.

___________________________________________
Acharya Shailesh
Joshi Rajesh
Regmi Asim

20 September, 2016
 PROJECT EVALUATION
DEVELOPMENT OF TURBO-SHAFT ENGINE FROM TURBOCHARGER
By

Acharya Shailesh
Joshi Rajesh
Regmi Asim

This is to certify that I have examined the above thesis and have found that it is
complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the
thesis examination committee have been made.

_________________________________________
Dr. Bivek Baral
Associate Professor
Project Supervisior

_______________________________________
Dr. Daniel Tuladhar
Associate Professsor
Project Coordinator

_________________________________________
Dr. Hari Prasad Neopane
Head of Department, Mechanical Engineering

September, 2016
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The project “Development of Turbo-Shaft Engine from Turbocharger” would not have
been started had it not been to the Kathmandu University and the Mechanical
Engineering Department. We would like to give our deepest gratitude to the
Kathmandu University, School of Engineering, and the Department of Mechanical
Engineering for providing us this opportunity to work on this field and providing us
the necessary support to take the project to this level.

We would like to give especial thanks to our supervisor, Associate Professor Dr.
Bivek Baral for his constant supervision and support. Without his guidance, the
project could never be completed. We would also like to thank our coordinator Dr.
Daniel Tuladhar for his support and coordination.

.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................... i
TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................... ii
LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... iv
LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................ vi
ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. vii
LIST OF SYMBOLS ...................................................................................................viii
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................... ix
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 1
1.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Objectives ............................................................................................................. 2
1.3 Significant /Scope ................................................................................................. 2
CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY ................................................................................... 3
2.1 Literature Review ................................................................................................. 3
2.1.1 Gas Turbine Power Plants ............................................................................. 3
2.1.2 Air-Standard Assumptions ............................................................................ 4
2.1.3 The Brayton Cycle ......................................................................................... 5
2.1.3.1 Compressor ............................................................................................. 6
2.1.3.2 Turbine ................................................................................................... 8
2.1.3.3 Combustion Chamber ............................................................................. 8
2.1.4 The Turbocharger ........................................................................................ 10
2.1.5 Turbocharger vs. Supercharger ................................................................... 11
2.1.6 Types of Combustor (Combustion Chamber) ............................................. 12
2.1.6.1.Can Type Combustor ............................................................................ 12
2.1.6.2.Cannular Type Combustor ................................................................... 12
2.1.6.3.Annular Type Combustor ..................................................................... 13
2.1.7 Glow Plug vs. Spark Plug ............................................................................ 14
2.2 Turbocharger Specification Consideration ......................................................... 14
2.3 Computer Software Used ................................................................................... 15
CHAPTER 3 DISCUSSION ........................................................................................ 16
 3.1 Adiabatic Flame Temperature ............................................................................ 16
3.2 Fuel File Development ....................................................................................... 18
3.3 Calculations ........................................................................................................ 19
3.3.1 Compressor .................................................................................................. 19
3.3.2 Turbine ........................................................................................................ 21
3.3.3 Combustion Chamber .................................................................................. 22
3.3.3.1 Number of hole calculation in flame tube ............................................ 23
3.3.4 Stress Analysis in Combustion Chamber .................................................... 24
3.3.5 Static Combustion Analysis in ANSYS ...................................................... 28
3.4 EES Results ........................................................................................................ 29
3.4.1 Variation of Specific Heat Ratio with Temperature .................................... 29
3.4.2 Enthalpy of exhaust gas and Combustion Chamber Efficiency .................. 31
3.4.3 Velocity of exhaust gas ............................................................................... 32
3.4.4 Turbine work vs. fuel flow, % theoretical air, and temperature .................. 33
3.4.5 Variation of enthalpy of product with fuel flow rate and air flow rate ....... 34
3.5 EES Consolidation.............................................................................................. 35
3.6 Gantt chart .......................................................................................................... 38
CHAPTER 4 PROBLEMS FACED AND RECOMMENDATION............................ 39
CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................... 40
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................. 41
APPENDIX A Solidworks Diagrams ........................................................................... 43
 LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1.1 A Simple Turbo-Shaft Engine....................................................................... 1

Figure 2.1 Schematic design of turbo-jet engine ............................................................ 4
Figure 2.2 Brayton Cycle ............................................................................................... 5
Figure 2.3 P-V and T-S diagram of Brayton Cycle ........................................................ 6
Figure 2.4 Turbocharger ............................................................................................... 10
Figure 2.5 Can Type Combustor .................................................................................. 12
Figure 2.6 Cannular Type Combustor .......................................................................... 13
Figure 2.7 Annular Type Combustor............................................................................ 14
Figure 3.1 Adiabatic Flame Temperature (oC) vs. % Theoretical Air.......................... 16
Figure 3.2 Adiabatic Flame Temperature in EES ........................................................ 17
Figure 3.3 Compressor Outlet Temperature and Flame Temperature .......................... 17
Figure 3.4 Fuel File for Air .......................................................................................... 18
Figure 3.5 Fuel File for propane ................................................................................... 19
Figure 3.6 BorgWarner Performance Diagram for Compressor .................................. 20
Figure 3.7: Static structural stress analysis of combustion chamber ............................ 27
Figure 3.8: View Showing Maximum Stress ............................................................... 27
Figure 3.9 View Showing Maximum Stress ............................................................. 28
Figure 3.10 Contour of Static Temperature (Steady State Analysis) ........................... 29
Figure 3.11 Variation of Specific heat ratio in Compressor ......................................... 29
Figure 3.12 Variation of Specific heat ratio in turbine ................................................. 30
Figure 3.13 Enthalpy of exhaust gases for different fuels ............................................ 31
Figure 3.14 Efficiency of combustion chamber for different fuels .............................. 31
Figure 3.15 Exhaust gas velocity.................................................................................. 32
Figure 3.16 Variation of Turbine work ........................................................................ 33
Figure 3.17 Compressor and Turbine Work Vs. Fuel Flow Rate ................................. 33
Figure 3.18 Turbine work vs. % Theoretical air .......................................................... 34
Figure 3.19 Enthalpy of product Vs. Fuel flow rate ..................................................... 35
Figure 3.20 Enthalpy of exhaust gas vs. air flow rate .................................................. 35
Figure 3.21 Turbo-shaft design in EES program.......................................................... 36
Figure 3.22 EES table for various conditions ............................................................... 37
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1: No of holes calculation ................................................................................ 24

 ABSTRACT

The project "Development of turbo-shaft engine from turbocharger" is an analytic

project dedicated to the thermo-fluid analysis of the shaft-engine and the combustion
process involved in the Combustion Chamber. The turbo-shaft engine basically
consists of a turbocharger that consists of a compressor and a turbine, a combustion
chamber, and a second turbine of similar physical and functional criteria as the first
one. Like any other gas engines, it is based on 'Brayton Cycle' but unlike closed cycle
as in Brayton cycle it operates in an open cycle process. The first turbine generates
power just sufficient enough to sustain the compressor work and the net power is
generated by the second turbine which is coupled with an electric generator for power
production. The exhaust mass flow rate of the mixture is bifurcated and supplied to
each of the turbines.

Engineering Equation Solver (EES) is used to analyze the thermodynamic relations

and processes involved in the system. MS-EXCEL is used for plotting graphs that
were difficult to handle by EES. Solid works is used to design the 3D model of the
system. ANSYS is used to study the stress and thermal analysis. The main focus is
given to the combustion process. The process is studied in realistic way including the
effect of variation of specific heat ratio with temperature.

The project is a modified version on the turbo-jet engine. The initial idea was to study
and fabricate a turbo-jet engine but, later with our supervisor, we decided to work on a
completely new idea which can, in the near future be an alternative source of power
generation. The shaft-engine if fabricated will use bio-fuel instead of diesel or petrol
to generate electricity. The engine has high power-to-weight ratio which, if developed
constantly, can replace diesel generators for clean energy. This project however, is just
the beginning phase and needs constant improvement and modification. We have
started with the analytical phase on thermo-fluid part, the possible 3D design on Solid
works, and static structural and combustion analysis on ANSYS.
 LIST OF SYMBOLS

A Area [m2]
Cv Specific heat at constant volume [J/(kg·K)]
Cp Specific heat at constant pressure [J/(kg·K)]
h Enthalpy [KJ/Kg]
P Pressure [Pa]
𝑚̇ Mass flow rate [kg/ m3]
T Temperature [K]
v Velocity [m/s]
Wc Compressor Work done [KW]
Wt1 Work done by turbine I [KW]
Wt2 Work done by turbine II [KW]
ρ Density of liquid [m3/kg]
σ Stress [N/m2]
𝛾 Specific heat ratio [-]
ƞc Compressor Efficiency [%]
Ƞt Turbine Efficiency [%]
 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

3D Three Dimension
ANSYS Analytical Simulation
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
EES Easy Equation Solver
 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background
'Engine' simply means any mechanical device that can convert energy into force or
motion. The dictionary meaning of the term 'engine' is "A machine that turns energy
into mechanical force or motion, especially one that gets its energy from a source of
heat, such as the burning of a fuel." Engines may be Internal or external combusted..

Figure 1.1 A Simple Turbo-Shaft Engine

The project is an analytical study and thermal development of an internally combusted

power engine that is based on 'Brayton Cycle', which is the ideal gas power engine.
Turbo-shaft engine uses a turbocharger for the compressor and turbine unit and it
basically generates power from the combustion of fuel rather than motion for any
work done.

The project “Development of Turbo-Shaft Engine from Turbocharger” uses a

turbocharger consisting of a compressor and a turbine connected by a common shaft, a
combustion chamber, and another turbine with similar construction, property and
function of that of the turbocharger turbine. The first turbine or the turbocharger
turbine will produce power just sufficient enough to sustain the compressor work

1
done. The second turbine produces the net power and is connected to an electric
generator for power generation.

The figure 1.1 is a simple descriptive figure of a turbo-shaft engine. The compressor
compresses the ambient air and supplies to the combustion chamber. In the
combustion chamber, fuel is injected and ignited. The resulting high temperature
product gases are then passed through the two turbines. The first turbine produces
power just enough to sustain the compressor work and the net power is produced by
the second turbine.

1.2 Objectives
The following will be our main objectives:
 To develop the design Package via Engineering Equation Solver (EES)
software.
 To calculate the system at various operating conditions.
 To design and analyze the Combustion Chamber and combustion process.
 To develop the turbo-shaft engine analytically.
 A 3D model in Solid works
 Static Stress and static combustion analysis in ANSYS

1.3 Significant /Scope

The project has the following significances:
 The project focuses on the detail thermo-fluid analysis including stress
analysis.
 The calculations involved are practical rather than ideal condition based. The
calculations are performed considering the effect of variation of specific heat
ratio with changing temperature.
 Majority of the work is done in EES. Solidworks, ANSYS, and Excel are also
used thoroughly.
 More focus is given to the thermos-fluid analysis and less on the fabrication
part.

2
 CHAPTER 2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Literature Review

2.1.1 Gas Turbine Power Plants

Gas turbines are thermodynamic systems that use fuel and air to produce a positive
work transfer. They convert the chemical potential energy of the fuel to mechanical
energy. The gas turbine operates on an open cycle consisting of a compressor, a
combustor, and a turbine combined in series. Air from the atmosphere enters the
compressor where it is compressed by a negative shaft work transfer. The compressed
air is then combined and burned with fuel in the combustion chamber. The combustor
increases both the temperature and the specific volume of the air. The hot air is then
fed into the turbine where it is expanded. The expansion of the air creates a positive
shaft work transfer. The expanded air is then exhausted to the atmosphere. A net
positive shaft work transfer is produced because the negative shaft work transfer
required to power the compressor is less than the positive work transfer produced by
the turbine. The gas turbine can be modeled as a closed system with air as the working
fluid if the following assumptions are made:
 The combustion chamber is modeled as a constant pressure heat transfer
device.
 The heat transfer rate in the combustor is determined by the product of the
mass flow rate of the fuel and the heating value of the fuel.
In a closed cycle, the exhaust air must be cooled back to the inlet state by a constant
pressure heat transfer process. This closed cycle is known as the Brayton cycle. It is
the ideal cycle for any gas turbine engine.

3
 Figure 2.1 Schematic design of turbo-jet engine

The idealizations and simplifications commonly employed in the analysis of power

cycles can be summarized as follows:
 The cycle does not involve any friction. Therefore, the working fluid does not
experience any pressure drop as it flows in pipes or devices such as heat
exchangers.
 All expansion and compression processes take place in a quasi-equilibrium
manner.
 The pipes connecting the various components of a system are well insulated,
and heat transfer through them is negligible.

2.1.2 Air-Standard Assumptions

In gas power cycles, the working fluid remains in gas state throughout the cycle. The
composition of the working fluid changes from air and fuel to combustion products
during the course of the cycle. But, considering that air is predominantly nitrogen that
undergoes hardly any chemical reactions in the combustion chamber, the working
fluid closely resembles air at all times.

4
The actual gas power cycles are rather complex. To reduce the analysis to a more
understandable level, following approximations are used which are commonly known
as the air-standard assumptions:
 The working fluid is air, which continuously circulates in a closed loop and
always behaves as an ideal gas.
 All the processes that make up the cycle are internally reversible.
 The combustion process is replaced by a heat-addition process from an
external source.
 The exhaust process is replaced by a heat-rejection process that restores the
working fluid to its initial state.
Another assumption that is often utilized to further simplify the analysis is that air has
constant specific heats whose values are determined at room temperature of 25°C.
When this assumption is considered, the air-standard assumptions are called the cold-
air-standard assumptions. The air-standard assumptions provide considerable
simplification in the analysis without significantly deviating from the actual cycles.
This simplified model enables us to study qualitatively the influence of major
parameters on the performance of the actual engines.

2.1.3 The Brayton Cycle

Figure 2.2 Brayton Cycle

5
The Brayton cycle consists of two adiabatic work transfers and two constant-pressure
heat transfer processes:
 State 1 to State 2-isentropic compression. This process increases the
temperature, pressure, and density of the gas.
 State 2 to State 3-constant pressure heat addition. For a gas-turbine, heat is
added through a combustion process.
 State 3 to State 4-isentropic expansion through turbine which decreases the
temperature and pressure of the gas.
 State 4 and State 1-constant pressure heat rejection via heat exchanger.

Figure 2.3 P-V and T-S diagram of Brayton Cycle

Figure 2.3 represents the T-s and P-v diagrams of an ideal Brayton cycle. All four
processes of the Brayton cycle are executed in steady flow devices. So, they should be
analyzed as steady-flow processes.

2.1.3.1 Compressor
The compressor is responsible for providing the turbine with all the air it needs in an
efficient manner. In addition, it must supply this air at high static pressure. The
compressor also raises the temperature of the air as the air is compressed and moved
rearward.

6
The efficiency of a compressor is primarily determined by the smoothness of the
airflow. This task is a difficult one, since the air is forced to flow into ever-higher
pressure zones and air has the natural tendency to flow from high-pressure zone to
low-pressure zone. If the air is allowed to flow backward into the lower pressure
zones, the efficiency of the compressor would decrease tremendously.

Compressors in general can be considered as adiabatic because the fluid in the

machine acts for a short time relative to the time necessary for the fluid to reach
thermal equilibrium. Therefore, there is virtually no heat transfer. Assuming that the
compressor operates adiabatically and reversibly, the second law of thermodynamics
becomes

𝑇2 𝑃2
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 = 𝐶𝑝 × ln − 𝑅 × ln =0 (2.1)
𝑇1 𝑃1

Given an initial temperature (𝑇1 ) and pressure (𝑃1 ) and the pressure ratio of the
𝑃
compressor( 2 ), the reversible exit temperature(𝑇2 ) can be calculated by
𝑃1

𝛾−1
𝑇2 𝑃2 𝛾
=( ) (2.2)
𝑇1 𝑃 1

Where𝛾is the ratio of specific heat at constant pressure (Cp) to specific heat at constant
volume (Cv). For air this ratio is 1.4 for room temperature of 25oC. Once the reversible
outlet temperature is known, the shaft work transfer for the reversible operation of the
compressor can be calculated by given equation. The compressor efficiency ƞ𝑐 is the
ratio of the work transfer required for reversible operation to the actual work transfer
given by the equation:
̇
𝑊𝑟𝑒𝑣 𝑚̇×𝐶𝑝 ×(𝑇2 −𝑇1 ) (𝑇2 −𝑇1 )
ƞ𝑐 = = = (2.3)
𝑊̇𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑚̇×𝐶𝑝 ×(𝑇2,𝑎𝑐𝑡−𝑇1 ) (𝑇2,𝑎𝑐𝑡 −𝑇1 )

7
2.1.3.2 Turbine
Turbines are an example of positive shaft work machines. As the mass of the high
velocity gas flows across the turbine blades, the gaseous energy is converted to
mechanical energy. Velocity, temperature, and pressure of the gas are sacrificed in
order to rotate the turbine to generate shaft power. The efficiency of the turbine is
determined by how well it extracts mechanical energy from the hot, high-velocity
gasses. Since air flows from a high-pressure zone to a low pressure zone, this task is
accomplished fairly easily. The turbine can be considered adiabatic forth same reasons
as the compressor. Assuming that the turbine operates adiabatically and reversibly,
analysis of the second law gives the following equation for the reversible turbine exit
temperature
𝛾−1
𝑇4 𝑃4 𝛾
=( ) (2.4)
𝑇3 𝑃 3

Once the reversible outlet temperature is known, the shaft work transfer for the
reversible operation of the turbine can be calculated. The turbine efficiency which is
the isentropic efficiency is given by the equation

̇
𝑊𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑚̇×𝐶𝑝 ×(𝑇4,𝑎𝑐𝑡 −𝑇3 ) (𝑇4,𝑎𝑐𝑡 −𝑇3 )
ƞ𝑡 = = = (2.5)
𝑊̇𝑟𝑒𝑣 𝑚̇×𝐶𝑝 ×(𝑇4 −𝑇3 ) (𝑇4 −𝑇3 )

2.1.3.3 Combustion Chamber

The compressed air from the compressor then enters the combustion section, also
called the combustor. It is the component of the gas turbine in which the fuel is
combined with the air from the compressor and burned. The combustion section has
the difficult task of controlling the burning of large amounts of fuel and air. It must
release the heat in a manner that the air is expanded and accelerated to give a smooth
and stable stream of uniformly-heated gas at all starting and operating conditions. In
addition, the exit temperature should not exceed the maximum allowable temperature
by the turbine blades.

8
The combustion chamber functions like a heat exchanger or heat addition device and
can be modeled as a constant pressure device. The combustion process raises the
temperature of the air in the system by converting the chemical potential energy of the
reactants to thermal energy. There is no work transfer involved in the reaction.
Therefore, the first law of thermodynamics for steady flow operation of the
combustion chamber becomes

𝑄̇ = ∑(𝑚̇ × ℎ)𝑜𝑢𝑡 − ∑(𝑚̇ × ℎ)𝑖𝑛 (2.5)

However, when the fuel is burned inside the chamber, the chemical reaction that takes
place changes the state of the air and the fuel. So it is necessary to analyze the first law
for the combustion chamber in terms of the reactants and products of the combustion
reaction.

𝑄̇ = ∑(𝑛̇ × ℎ̅)𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 − ∑(𝑛̇ × ℎ̅)𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 (2.6)

Where, 𝑛̇ is the flow rate of the individual reactants and products in moles per second.
The enthalpies of each product and reactant are determined by the sum of the enthalpy
̅̅̅̅̅𝑜 and the enthalpy required to
of formation at standard temperature and pressure,ℎ 𝑇

raise the compound from the standard temperature of 25°C and 1 atm, ̅̅̅̅̅̅
ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑓 to the
̅̅̅
desired temperature,ℎ 𝑇

̅̅̅̅̅𝑜 + (ℎ
ℎ̅ = ℎ ̅̅̅𝑇 − ̅̅̅̅̅̅
ℎ𝑟𝑒𝑓 ) (2.7)
𝑇

For any hydrocarbon fuel and percentage theoretical air above 100%, the following
reaction satisfies combustion process in the combustion chamber.

9
 𝑦 𝑋
𝐶𝑥 𝐻𝑦 + ( + 𝑥) × × (𝑂2 + 3.76 × 𝑁2 )
4 100
𝑦 𝑦 𝑋 𝑦 𝑋
→ 𝑥 × 𝐶𝑂2 + × 𝐻2 𝑂 + 3.76 × ( + 𝑥) × × 𝑁2 + ( + 𝑥) × ( − 1) × 𝑂2
2 4 100 4 100
(2.8)
In the project, all the analysis is done using the fuel propane (C3H8). Putting x as 3 and
y as 8, the above reaction can be solved for propane fuel for a given percentage
theoretical air(X).

2.1.4 The Turbocharger

Figure 2.4 Turbocharger

Turbochargers are devices commonly used in automobiles to increase power without a

significant increase in vehicle weight. This improvement over a naturally aspirated
engine's power output is due to the fact that the compressor can force more air—and
proportionately more fuel—into the combustion chamber than atmospheric pressure
alone. In a normal car engine, the amount of power the engine produces depend on
how much fuel is being burnt in the cylinders. The ideal air-fuel ratio needed for the
complete combustion of the fuel is the stoichiometric ratio.

10
A turbocharger is comprised of a compressor and turbine operating on a common
shaft. The compressor is located between the car engine's air filter and intake
manifold, and it compresses the air flowing into the engine cylinders. This allows
more air to be packed into the cylinder and more fuel to be burned. The exhaust air
from the cylinders is fed through the turbine blades, spinning the turbine shaft. The
compressor which is connected with the turbine by a common shaft then automatically
rotates thus compressing more air. In a way turbocharger is a self-sustaining power
improving device in automobiles.

2.1.5 Turbocharger vs. Supercharger

Turbocharger and superchargers both generate boost by compressing the air which
flows into an engine. This in turn means that more fuel can be pumped into a cylinder
(because we have now more oxygen from the compressed air), which means we get
more power from every explosion in a cylinder.

The key difference between a turbocharger and a conventional supercharger is that a

supercharger is mechanically driven by the engine, often through a belt connected to
the crankshaft. On the other hand, a turbocharger is powered by a turbine driven by the
engine's exhaust gas. Compared to a mechanically driven supercharger, turbochargers
tend to be more efficient, but less responsive. Twin-charger refers to an engine with
both a supercharger and a turbocharger.

By comparison, a turbocharger does not place a direct mechanical load on the engine,
although turbochargers place exhaust back pressure on engines thus increasing
pumping losses. Turbo charging is more efficient because while the increased back
pressure taxes the piston exhaust stroke, much of the energy driving the turbine is
provided by the still-expanding exhaust gas that would otherwise be wasted as heat
through the tailpipe. In contrast to supercharging, the primary disadvantage of turbo
charging is what is referred to as "lag" or "spool time". This is the time between the
demand for an increase in power (the throttle being opened) and the turbocharger
providing increased intake pressure, and hence increased power.

11
2.1.6 Types of Combustor (Combustion Chamber)

2.1.6.1. Can Type Combustor

Can type combustors are self-contained cylindrical combustion chambers where each
“can” has its own fuel injector, igniter, liner, and casing.

Figure 2.5 Can Type Combustor

The primary air from the compressor is guided into each individual can, where it is
decelerated, mixed with fuel, and then ignited. In most applications, multiple cans are
arranged around the central axis of the engine, and their shared exhaust is fed to the
turbine(s). Can type combustors are easy to maintain, as only a single can need to be
removed, rather than the whole combustion section. Most modern gas turbine engines
(particularly for aircraft applications) do not use can combustors, as they often weigh
more than alternatives. Additionally, the pressure drop across the can is generally
higher than other combustors.

2.1.6.2. Cannular Type Combustor

This type of combustor gets its name from the superposition of can and annular-"can-
annular". Like the can type combustor, can annular combustors have discrete
combustion zones contained in separate liners with their own fuel injectors. But unlike
the can combustor, all the combustion zones share a common ring (annulus) casing.

12
Each combustion zones no longer has to serve as a pressure vessel. The combustion
zones can also "communicate" with each other via liner holes or connecting tubes that
allow some air to flow circumferentially. The exit flow from the Cannular combustor
generally has a more uniform temperature profile, which is better for the turbine
section. It also eliminates the need for each chamber to have its own igniter. Once the
fire is lit in one or two cans, it can easily spread to and ignite the others. This type of
combustor is also lighter than the can type, and has a lower pressure drop. However, a
Cannular combustor can be more difficult to maintain than a can combustor.

Figure 2.6 Cannular Type Combustor

2.1.6.3. Annular Type Combustor

The final and most commonly used type of combustor is the fully annular combustor.
Annular combustors do away with the separate combustion zones and simply have a
continuous liner and casing in a ring (the annulus). There are many advantages to
annular combustors, including more uniform combustion, shorter size and therefore
lighter and less surface area. Additionally, annular combustors tend to have very
uniform exit temperatures. They also have the lowest pressure drop of the three
designs. The annular design is also simpler, although testing generally requires a full
size test rig. Most modern engines use annular combustors.

13
 Figure 2.7 Annular Type Combustor

2.1.7 Glow Plug vs. Spark Plug

Glow plug is a device that is used to give the continuous ignition to the air fuel ratio in
any engine for sustainable working of the engine system. This kind of ignition device
is used in high rotational engine like in jet engine or any gas turbines. In gas turbines
within second of time there are many cycle to work for which continuous burning and
exhaust of gas inside engine is needed and for this reason glow plug are used instead
of spark plugs. Glow plug continuously burns as soon as certain temperature is
reached. Spark plug is a device used to ignite the fuels in engines. These are used
highly in automobiles for the continuity of working cycles in engines. Battery is used
continuously for discharge production. Spark plug used in motorcycle is very simple
and easily available. This spark plug has electrode one extruded and one embedded.
The voltage provided (generally 6-volt) creates discharge within electrode for
conduction. This discharge is use to burn the fuels. As the glow plug supplies the
spark continuously, it is the better option for our system design.

2.2 Turbocharger Specification Consideration

The net power output of the system is directly related with the turbocharger used. The
turbocharger specifications are also vital for the combustion process analysis. For the
14
same reason it is important to consider the turbocharger specification, capacities and
the limitations before commencing the actual process analysis. K26 turbocharger used
in 1985 Audi 200 5T is used as the reference for the analysis. Specification for this
model of turbocharger is easily provided in its operating manual. Following data are
considered in the calculations part:
 the maximum allowable temperature the turbine can withstand to be 8000C
 the efficiency of the turbocharger to be 75%.

2.3 Computer Software Used

EES is a commercial software package used for solution of systems of simultaneous
non-linear equations. It uses specialized functions and equations for the
thermodynamics and heat transfer problems, making it very useful and efficient for
mechanical engineers working in this field. EES performs the iterative solving,
eliminating the tedious and time consuming task of acquiring thermodynamic
properties with its built-in functions which eliminates iterative problem solving by
hand. Parametric tables can be used to generate plots of various parameters. Windows
diagram is another important feature which makes the problem more easily
understandable and the variables more easily accessible. Most analyzing part of this
project is done in EES. Parametric tables and graph plots are used for result analysis
and diagram window is used for overall thermodynamic design for various operating
conditions.

Other software that have been used intensely for the project are Solidworks for 3D
model design, ANSYS for stress and thermal analysis in combustion chamber, and
MS-EXCEL for different graph plots those are not supported by EES.

15
 CHAPTER 3 DISCUSSION

3.1 Adiabatic Flame Temperature

In the absence of any work interactions and any changes in kinetic or potential
energies, the chemical energy released during a combustion process either is lost as
heat to the surroundings or is used internally to raise the temperature of the
combustion products. The smaller the heat loss, the larger the temperature rise. In the
limiting case of no heat loss to the surroundings (Q=0), the temperature of the
products reaches a maximum, which is called the adiabatic flame temperature or
adiabatic combustion temperature of the reaction.

Heat transfer, incomplete combustion, and dissociation all result in lower temperature.
The maximum adiabatic flame temperature for a given fuel and oxidizer combination
occurs with a stoichiometric mixture. The amount of excess air can be tailored as part
of the design to control the adiabatic flame temperature.

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Figure 3.1 Adiabatic Flame Temperature (oC) vs. % Theoretical Air

Figure 3.1 describes the adiabatic flame temperature of air at various percentage
theoretical air. As percentage (%) theoretical air increases, the adiabatic flame
temperature also increases. It reaches the maximum value at 100% theoretical air
theoretically.

16
However, in real case the flame temperature is maximum at slightly greater than
100%. It then starts to decreases exponentially with the increase in % theoretical air.

Figure 3.2 Adiabatic Flame Temperature in EES

Figure 3.2 is the table for the adiabatic flame temperature for various % theoretical air
supplied at room temperature of 25oC. The table is produced in EES using various
thermodynamic relations. Here, X is the percentage theoretical air and T is the
adiabatic flame temperature. Theoretically, air has the maximum adiabatic flame
temperature of 2122oC at 100% theoretical air.

Figure 3.3 Compressor Outlet Temperature and Flame Temperature

17
For our analysis, air is compressed in a compressor and then is passed into the
combustion chamber. So it is important to know the adiabatic flame temperature of air
supplied at that elevated temperature due to compression. Figure 3.3 gives us the
required data for the same. TR denotes the elevated temperature of air at the outlet of
the compressor.

It is considered that the maximum allowable temperature that the turbine blades can
withstand is 800oC. For the safe operation of the system, it is found out from the graph
that the required temperature can be achieved at around 330% theoretical air.

3.2 Fuel File Development

Figure 3.4 Fuel File for Air

18
 Figure 3.5 Fuel File for propane

For ideal case, specific heat ratio is assumed to be constant. However, for real case
scenario actual variation of the specific heat ratio with temperature is to be known for
which developing the fuel file is important. For the same purpose, fuel file for air and
propane fuel was developed in Excel. From the file it is easier to anticipate the real
behavior of gases at that particular temperature. Figure 3.4 is the fuel file graph for air
obtained by using the polynomial equation for air for varying temperature. Similarly,
Figure 3.5 is the fuel file development for propane.

3.3 Calculations

3.3.1 Compressor
The first step is to estimate the air flow through the compressor. From the BorgWarner
performance diagram for the compressor, the operating point of the compressor was
taken to be at a corrected mass flow rate of 0.125 kg/sec with a pressure ratio of 2 and
an efficiency of 0.75.

19
 Figure 3.6 BorgWarner Performance Diagram for Compressor

𝑇1 𝑃0 𝑘𝑔
𝑚̇ × √ × = 0.125
𝑇0 𝑃1 𝑠𝑒𝑐

𝑃2
= 2.0
𝑃1
𝜂𝐶= 0.75

Atmospheric air enters the compressor at a temperature, T1=298 K, and a pressure

P1=105 Pa
0.125𝑘𝑔
𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑟
̇ =( ) = 100.32 l/s = 0.1 𝑚3 /𝑠
𝑠𝑒𝑐
Assuming air in the compressor as an ideal gas,

20
 𝛾−1
𝑃2 𝛾
𝑇2 = ( ) × 𝑇1 (3.1)
𝑃 1

⟹ T2 = 363.3K

The actual outlet temperature of the compressor T2,act and Work done by compressor
was calculated as,
(𝑇2 −𝑇1 )
𝜂𝐶 = (3.2)
(𝑇2,𝑎𝑐𝑡 −𝑇1 )

→ T2,act = 385K

𝑤̇ ̇ = 𝑚̇(ℎ2 − ℎ1 ) (3.3)

After calculating h1 and h2 in EES, the work done in the compressor was calculated to
be 11 KW.

3.3.2 Turbine
The maximum allowable temperature of turbine was considered to be 800oC. Also the
pressure ratio of 2 and efficiency of 0.75 was taken for the turbine. From this data the
inlet temperature of the combustion product to the turbine, T3 would be 8000C and the
outlet temperature was calculated by,

𝛾−1
𝑇4 𝑃4 𝛾
=( ) (3.4)
𝑇3 𝑃3
(𝑇4,𝑎𝑐𝑡 −𝑇3 )
ƞ𝑡 = (3.5)
(𝑇4 −𝑇3 )

21
 𝑇4 = 928.4𝐾

And the work done by the turbine,

𝑤̇𝑡̇ = 𝑚̇(ℎ̇ 3 − ℎ4 ) = 20.61 kJ/s

3.3.3 Combustion Chamber

The combustion process itself was analyzed using different thermodynamic relations
in EES which are explained in the topics to come. The 3D design and analysis of the
Combustion Chamber is another tough piece of work. Its design was the most
challenging one for us. It is important to determine the practical aspects of the turbo-
shaft that includes the back-flow pressure and the use of glow-plug for ignition.

The chamber had to be designed so that the flame is self-sustaining and the
temperature of the products of combustion is sufficiently below the maximum
operating temperature of the turbine. To achieve these goals, the combustion chamber
was divided into three sections: the primary zone, the secondary zone, and the tertiary
zone. The primary zone is where the majority of the fuel combustion takes place. The
fuel must be mixed with the correct amount of air so that a stoichiometric mixture is
present. In the secondary and tertiary zone, unburned air is mixed with the combustion
products to cool the mixture before it enters the turbine so that the final product enters
the turbine at a temperature below the maximum allowable temperature of the turbine.

As for the detail 3D design of the combustion chamber, the complete design itself is a
masters’ level project and this project aiming for the thermo-fluid analysis does not
require a separate analysis on the detail 3D design. So, for the time being the chamber
is designed by using empirical relations that had been used in various past analytic
projects on similar topic. The relations are as follows:

22
Diameter of a combustion chamber should be double of inducer diameter of a
compressor

Length of combustion chamber should be six times the inducer diameter of a

compressor

Inducer diameter of K26, ∅𝑖 = 48.4 𝑚𝑚 = 4.84 𝑐𝑚

Diameter of flame tube, ∅ = 2 × 4.84 𝑐𝑚 = 9.68 𝑐𝑚

Length of flame tube,𝐿 = 6 × 4.84 𝑐𝑚 = 29.04 𝑐𝑚

3.3.3.1 Number of hole calculation in flame tube

Holes in flame tube are divided according to the three sections mentioned earlier:
primary, secondary and tertiary. Initially area of turbine inducer was calculated.
Primary holes at the inlet of flame tube to supply air for combustion of fuel consist of
30% area of inducer area. Secondary holes provide additional air for complete
combustion of fuel and consist of 20% area of inducer area. Tertiary holes provide air
for cooling purpose to prevent turbine from damage due to high temperature. It
consists of 50% of area of inducer area.

Now,

Area of inducer outlet, 𝐴 = 𝜋 ∗ 172 = 907.92𝑚𝑚2

Total area of primary hole = 0.3*A = 0.3 * 907.92𝑚𝑚2 = 272.376𝑚𝑚2

Total area of secondary hole= 0.2 * 907.92𝑚𝑚2 = 181.58𝑚𝑚2

Total area of tertiary hole= 0.5 * 907.92𝑚𝑚2 = 453.96𝑚𝑚2

Size of each hole in each chamber section is fixed, and then number of holes was
calculated as:
23
 Table 3.1 No of holes calculations

Chamber region Total area Diameter Area of each Number of

A(𝑚𝑚2 ) d(𝑚𝑚) hole holes
𝜋𝑑2 𝐴
𝑎= (𝑚𝑚2 ) =𝑎
4

Primary 181.6 5 19.635 10

secondary 181.58 6 28.274 6
tertiary 453.96 7 38.48 12

3.3.4 Stress Analysis in Combustion Chamber

The stress in the combustion chamber was evaluated to ensure that the pressure inside
the combustion chamber would not result in a failure of the engine. The combustion
chamber operates as a constant pressure device. The operating pressure of the chamber
was estimated to be 2 x 105 Pa. To connect the combustion chamber between the
compressor and the turbine of the turbocharger, it was necessary to weld steel plates to
either end of the shell to create flanges. Roark's Formulas for Stress and Strain gives
the following analysis for a flanged and bolted pipe submitted to a uniform internal
pressure P, and a longitudinal tension F (kg).

Pressure (P) =2 X 105 Pa

Force (F) =𝑃 × 𝐴
=2 × 105× π (0.192-0.12) × 0.5
=4100 N
=418 Kg
f=√𝑎𝑡 = 5.83mm
𝑡 3 (3𝑎2 +5𝑑 2 )
𝜏1 = (3.6)
ℎ3 (𝑑 2 −𝑎2 )

or, 𝜏1 = 0.65

24
And,

3.58 𝑑3 𝑏
𝜏2 = +[ ∗ 𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑒 + 0.1(𝑏2 − 𝑎2 )] (3.7)
ℎ3 (𝑏2 −𝑎2 ) 3 𝑎

or, 𝜏2 = 0.1775
or, 𝜏2 = 0.1775
The shear stress, 𝑉𝑜 in the pipe is
ℎ
(𝑓2 − 𝜏)(𝑡+.2325𝑓𝜏1 )𝑃−2𝑇2 (ℎ+.5377𝑓)𝐹
2𝑡
𝑉𝑜 = 𝑓 (3.8)
1.86𝑓𝑡+𝜏1 [ℎ2 (2+.1160 𝜏1 )+1.6103𝑓ℎ+.866𝑓2 ]
𝑡

And the bending moment, 𝑀0 is

ℎ
(ℎ2 𝜏1 +1.86𝑓𝑡)𝑉𝑜 +h𝜏2 𝐹−0.5𝑡𝑃(𝑓2 − 𝜏1 )
2𝑡
𝑀0 = (3.9)
1.5𝜏1 ℎ−3.464𝑡

So we have 𝑉𝑜 = 2.4 X 10 6kg and 𝑀0 = -5.8 X 106 Kg

Stress in Cylinder and Flange

Longitudinal bending stress in cylinder
6𝑀0
𝑆′𝑐1 = (3.10)
𝑡2
= −3.5 𝑋 107 𝑃𝑎
Longitudinal direct stress in cylinder

𝑎 𝑡 𝑎 𝑡
𝐹+𝑃𝜋( − )( − )
2 2 2 2
𝑆𝑐1 = (3.11)
𝜋𝑎𝑡
𝑆𝑐1 = 1.6 𝑋 106 𝑃𝑎

The maximum longitudinal stress in the cylinder Scmax is the sum of the tension at the
outer surface S’c1 and at the junction with the flange Sc1

25
 Scmax= 𝑆′𝑐1 + 𝑆𝑐1 (3.12)
=1.9 X 106 pa

The radial bending stress in the flange 𝑆′𝑓1

6 1
𝑆′𝑓1 = (𝑀0 − 𝑉0 ℎ) (3.13)
ℎ2 2
= -1.23X 107 pa
𝑉0
𝑆𝑓1 = +𝑃 (3.14)
ℎ
= 3.2 X 107 pa

The maximum radial stress in the flange which is the compression at the outer face at
the junction with cylinder is 𝑆𝑓1 + 𝑆′𝑓1 = −9.1 𝑥 105 𝑝𝑎
The tangential bending stress in the flange is
0.80 𝑏
𝑆′2 = 𝑆′𝑐1 + ℎ2 (𝑑2 −𝑎2 ) [𝑑2 (−15𝑀𝑜 + 7.5ℎ𝑉0 + 1.492𝐹𝑙𝑛 𝑎) + .4475𝐹(𝑏 2 − 𝑎2 )]

(3.15)
𝑆′2 = −9.5 𝑥 105 𝑃𝑎

The tangential hoop stress in the flange is

ℎ2 𝜏1 (𝑉0 +ℎ𝑃)
𝑆′2 = (3.16)
4𝑡 3

The maximum tangential stress in the flange which is tension at the inner face at the
junction with cylinder is
𝑆′2 + 𝑆2 = −5.4 𝑥 105 𝑝𝑎

Yield strength of steel ASTM A36 steel is 2.5 X108 pa

Maximum tensile stress at any point in the combustion is the longitudinal bending
stress i.e., 3.5 x 107 pa <2.5 x 108 pa.

26
Therefore yield strength of steel is greater than maximum tensile strength of
combustion chamber at any point it can handle operating pressure of 2 x 105 pa.
The static structural analysis of the combustion chamber done using ANSYS
workbench gives the following output shown in figure 10 below and we can conclude
that the combustion chamber made up of ASTM A36 steel can sustain the stresses
caused by constant pressure of 2*10^5 pa within the tube since the maximum
equivalent stress due to pressure inside the tube is less than the yield strength of
2.89*10^8 pa of same material.

Figure 3.7: Static structural stress analysis of combustion chamber

Figure 3.8: View Showing Maximum Stress

27
 Figure 3.9 View Showing Maximum Stress

3.3.5 Static Combustion Analysis in ANSYS

Static combustion analysis was performed using ANSYS and the figure above displays
the result of the analysis. The result shows that combustion is initiated where the fuel
is injected in the fuel rich condition but the combustion continues until slightly after
the secondary air is passed through the holes in the combustion chamber. From the
above figure we can see that the maximum temperature zone (red portion) prevails
starting from the combustion till the end of combustion. Very less amount of
secondary air helps to complete the combustion and remaining helps to cool the
combustion product. At the end of the flame tube we can see that temperature
decreases drastically due to the passing of tertiary air which contributes the 50% of
total air passed.
The result we obtained here is not perfect i.e. it doesn’t provide the complete
information of the static combustion analysis because of certain assumptions we had
to make but somehow it gives the tentative idea of temperature distribution throughout
the combustion chamber. The transient analysis would give the better result here but
due to limited knowledge on ANSYS we only could perform the static analysis.

28
 Figure 3.10 Contour of Static Temperature (Steady State Analysis)

3.4 EES Results

3.4.1 Variation of Specific Heat Ratio with Temperature

Figure 3.11 Variation of Specific heat ratio in Compressor

29
 Figure 3.12 Variation of Specific heat ratio in turbine

For an ideal case, value of 𝛾(k in EES graphs) for air is taken to be constant at 𝛾=1.4

at room temperature. However, in practical case the value of 𝛾 changes with change in

temperature. From the fuel file that was developed, the graphs between 𝛾 and
temperature for both compressor and turbine were obtained from EES. Figure 3.11 is
the graph for the compressor and Figure 3.12 for the turbine. Both the graph points out
that the specific heat ratio decreases gradually with the increase in temperature. The
result is similar to both the air and propane fuel.

30
3.4.2 Enthalpy of exhaust gas and Combustion Chamber Efficiency

Enthaply of exhaust gas

846

844

842

840

838
enthaply of product
836

834

832

830
C3H8 CH4 C2H6 C8H18

Figure 3.13 Enthalpy of exhaust gases for different fuels

Figure 3.14 Efficiency of combustion chamber for different fuels

For the selection of the fuel, four different fuels; methane (CH4), ethane (C2H6),
propane (C3H8), and octane (C8H18) were studied. Fuels diesel and kerosene could not
be studied because of the data limitations in EES. Figure 3.13 shows the enthalpy of

31
exhaust gases for those four fuels. Propane has the maximum exhaust enthalpy and for
that reason it is the best fuel among the four for our analysis.

Similarly, the efficiency of combustion chamber was studied for the same fuels.
Figure 3.14 shows that the maximum efficiency of combustion chamber was obtained
for propane. The result being; propane is to be used as fuel for the system if those four
fuels are considered.

3.4.3 Velocity of exhaust gas

It is important to know the velocity of the exhaust gas as it directly affects the work
done by turbine. Figure 3.15 is the result of an EES program which gives the velocity
of the exhaust gas for the complete combustion of a particular mass flow rate of the
fuel. In this program, for an air flow rate of 0.125 kg/s, mass flow rate of 0.0005 kg/s
of propane, the exhaust velocity of the product is 3.427 m/s. As mass flow rate of fuel
increases, it is obvious that the exhaust velocity will also increases

Figure 3.15 Exhaust gas velocity

32
3.4.4 Turbine work vs. fuel flow, % theoretical air, and temperature

Figure 3.16 Variation of Turbine work

Figure 3.16 is a table form data obtained from EES which shows the variation of
turbine work done with the mass flow rate of the fuel when the temperature of
compressor, the combustion temperature, and the % theoretical air all increasing
simultaneously.

Figure 3.17 Compressor and Turbine Work Vs. Fuel Flow Rate

From the graph shown by Figure 3.17, it is clear that the relative compressor work and
the turbine I work gradually decreases with the increasing mass flow rate. But the

33
work done by turbine II gradually increases with increasing fuel flow rate.
Considering the complete combustion of the fuel and the temperature limitation of the
turbine, the optimum mass flow rate of the fuel can be determined from this graph.

Figure 3.18 Turbine work vs. % Theoretical air

Figure 3.18 is the relation of work done with percentage theoretical air for the same
conditions of mass flow rate of fuel, compressor temperature and combustion
temperature. It can be seen that the total work done by the turbines first increases,
reaches a maximum value and then decreases gradually with the increasing percentage
theoretical air. And the maximum work done by the turbines is at around 300%
theoretical air.

3.4.5 Variation of enthalpy of product with fuel flow rate and air flow rate
Figure 3.19 is a bar graph that shows the relation of enthalpy of product with
increasing mass flow rate of the fuel keeping the air flow rate constant. The graph has
an increasing trend. However, mass flow rate of air must always be greater than that of
the fuel. Or the system would not be economically feasible. Also there would be
incomplete combustion of the fuel which would not be the targeted process. Thus, the
ratio of mass flow rate of air and that of the fuel is an important factor to be
considered.

34
 Figure 3.19 Enthalpy of product Vs. Fuel flow rate

.
Figure 3.20 is a graph plotted between the enthalpy of exhaust and the mass flow rate
of air keeping the fuel flow rate constant. As the mass flow rate of air is increased, the
enthalpy of exhaust decreases. As air flow increases the mixture becomes more and
more lean and the excess air is used to cool the exhaust thus decreasing the
temperature of the exhaust.

Figure 3.20 Enthalpy of exhaust gas vs. air flow rate

3.5 EES Consolidation

The first turbine of the turbocharger is used for the sole purpose of generating power
just enough to sustain the compressor work. The net power is generated by the shaft
part, which is the second turbine similar to the first turbine both geometrically and

35
functionally. The shaft turbine is connected to a generator for the power generation.
Only the fraction of the mass flow rate of the combustion product that can sustain the
compressor work is supplied to the first turbine and the rest of the mass flow rate is
bifurcated to the shaft turbine.

Figure 3.21 Turbo-shaft design in EES program

According to our EES program, for a 300% theoretical air, and mass flow rate of air of
0.125 kg/s, mass flow of fuel to be supplied is 0.0005 kg/s. 0.0696 kg/s mass flow rate
of combustion product is to be supplied to the second turbine and 0.0559 kg/s mass
flow rate to the first turbine. Of 25.14 KW total power production, 11.2KW is used to
sustain the compressor work and the remaining 13.94 KW is the net power produced.

The program does consider the variation of the specific heat ratio with temperature but
it does not consider power production losses in generator, mechanical losses, and the
loss due to bifurcation of the product. The EES design program can calculate the
results for various operating conditions. Those operating conditions are varied by
changing the variable parameters in the boxes. The program allows changing the
variable parameters in the box as per the operators’ requirement and gives the result
for the same. All the calculations in the compressor, the turbines, the combustion
chamber and the variation of specific heat ratios are done in this program. The
relations were first analyzed individually and compiled and consolidated gradually as
the project progressed.
36
 Figure 3.22 EES table for various conditions

The figure 3.22 is the final table showing the relations of every variable parameter
with the net power developed. The table is the raw form of the design in windows
diagram mode in EES explained earlier.

37
3.6 Gantt chart

Sept - Oct Nov - Dec Jan - Feb Mar - Apr May-June July - Aug September
Study of possible
project
Project Title and
Supervisor selection
Literature Review
Proposal and Defense
Analysis and
Calculation
Analysis and design
of combustion
chamber
Design of 3d Model in
solid works
Consolidation in EES
Static Stress analysis
and Static combustion

Work Completed

38
 CHAPTER 4 PROBLEMS FACED AND RECOMMENDATION

“Development of Turbo-Shaft Engine from Turbocharger” is quite a new field of

research. Although, there are some researches done already on turbo-jet engines, no
such significant research and project has been done on the turbo-shaft engine. This is
the beginning of the turbo-shaft era in the Kathmandu University and being the
beginner, there were a lot of problems that we encountered, some of which are:

Initially, there were a lot of variables and for quite some time we were in a dilemma
where to start from. Fortunately, there was EES software to deal with such huge
variables. In the design of the Combustion Chamber, we had to use empirical relations
from past projects on similar Combustion Chamber design from the internet
documents.

We had no prior knowledge of ANSYS which made the stress and thermal analysis of
the project one of the hardest part to overcome. We couldn’t perform the transient
analysis due to the limited idea on ANSYS but we performed the static structural
analysis and static combustion analysis.

As the beginning project on the topic, we have completed the analytical part and we
recommend our juniors to follow up on the project fabrication-wise, test the result, and
improve it analytically and practically. We could not focus much on the bifurcation of
the mass flow rate of the combusted mixtures into the two turbines due to time crisis,
so we recommend to whoever continues improving this project, to focus on that part
more practically. We recommend using governors or study mass flow rate sensors to
control the mass flow rates on the two turbines.

39
 CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSION

As the final year project, we chose this “Development of Turbo-Shaft Engine from
Turbocharger” topic so that we, not only learn but also give something that can one
day be incredibly useful to the society. As the world is going eco-friendly, and the
fossil fuel getting harder and harder to obtain, we are trying and initializing the eco-
friendly power generator engine that can, in near future be operated by bio-fuel. A lot
of projects are being done on bio-fuel inside and outside the Kathmandu University
and we are initializing the phase where that bio-fuel can be used as energy source to
power this high power-to-weight ratio turbo-shaft-engine. And the good news is, the
engine can be fabricated by local resources; turbochargers from old vehicles.

The project is the initial phase and the analytical development of turbo-shaft engine.
Basically, it is the thermodynamic analysis, and a possible design option for the
fabrication of the engine. The turbo-shaft engine consists of a turbocharger, which has
a compressor to compress the ambient air and a turbine to generate power- sufficient
enough to sustain the compressor work, a combustion chamber where the fuel is
ignited and combusted, and finally a second turbine to generate the net power.

Our thermal analysis in EES software includes the design package to calculate the
system at various operating conditions considering the effects of variation in specific
heat ratios with changing temperature, and the overall system calculation
thermodynamically. The combustion process is analyzed for propane fuel and the
design of the combustion chamber along with the overall 3D system design is
completed in Solidworks. Furthermore, the static stress and static thermal analysis is
done in ANSYS.

We could not focus much in the fabrication part but we have done most of the thermo-
fluid analysis as per our project objective. We hope that this project can win the
interest of our juniors so that they can take this project to a higher level both
analytically and practically. We want our juniors to focus on our recommendations
which we could not study in detail due to time crisis.
40
 REFERENCES

[1] Working of Turboengine. Assessed on 08.Nov.2015.

<http://conceptengine.tripod.com/conceptengine/id5.html>

[2] Turbocharger Assessed on 18 Nov. 2015.

<http://auto.howstuffworks.com/turbo.htm>

[3] Working of Turbocharger and Engine. Assessed on 18 Nov. 2015.

<http://conceptengine.tripod.com/conceptengine/id5.html>

[5] Edwin, H. (2001). “Constructing a Turbocharger Turbojet Engine”

[6] Liu, F. and Sirignano, W.A. “Turbojet and Turbofan Engine Performance
Increases through Turbine Burners”.

[7] Sirignano,W. A., Delplanque, J. P. and Liu, F. (1997) “Selected Challenges in Jet
and Rocket Engine Combustion Research”. University of California.

[8] Sirignano, W. A. and Liu, F.(1999)“Performance Increases for Gas Turbine

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APPENDIX A SOLIDWORKS DRAWINGS

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