Preliminary Study of the Catalytic Combustor Concept as Applied to Aircraft Gas Turbines

Abstract
The investigation was intended to study the feasibility of using solid catalytic beds in the reaction zone of aircraft gas turbine combustors. Since the catalytic combustor operates at low-equivalence ratios throughout (there is no near-stoichiometric operation as in most conventional combustors), oxide of nitrogen emissions were forecast to be extremely low. JP-4 fuel was used throughout the experimental test program. Flashback and preignition were observed and the fuel introduction system developed to partially overcome these problems is described. At all operating conditions tested, NOx concentration was to be below 2 ppmV -- two orders of magnitude below that expected from a conventional combustor operated under similar inlet and exhaust conditions. No reduction in performance was noted over the 28 hours of test operation.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: