Axial Flow Gas Turbine (Jet Engine) TGFAC

A Gas Turbine is an internal combustion rotating engine. Its denomination is due to the
working fluid is a gas, generally the air. Basically, it consists of a compressor, which
increases the inlet air pressure and sends it to a combustion chamber, where a caloric
energy input is carried out. The turbine and the compressor are coupled to the same
shaft, so that a part of the energy generated in the turbine is used by the compressor
to compress the air.

Description
The demonstrating TGFAC unit
developed by EDIBON is a
demonstrating teaching equipment of
a Gas Turbine as a jet engine.

The main element of the TGFAC

unit is the Reaction Turbine, which
consist of:

 Type radial compressor, which is supplied by atmospheric air to compress it.

 Annular combustion chamber. There are fuel (propane gas, kerosene, and
paraffin), comburent (in this case, compressed air received from the
compressor) and activation energy, which will cause the ignition of the mixture,
in any combustion.
 Expansion turbine: The inflamed gases of the combustion chamber transfer a
part of the energy that they have in the turbine paddles.

Operation:
The TGFAC unit control is carried out with the software developed by EDIBON.

The starting process is carried out in an automatic way. First, set up the starter electric
engine which reaches a regime of 3,000 rpm, moment when the engine stops.

Following, the gas line electrovalve is opened together with the spark plug ignition.

As soon as the ignition happens, the starter engine, which accelerates the turbine up
to 5,000 rpm, is ignited again. Later, the fuel pump, which together with the fuel
electrovalve opening will cause a progressive increase of the turbine speed, is set up.

When the engine neutral speed (35,000 rpm) is exceeded, the starter electric engine is
automatically stopped and the turbine is auto-sustained.
Theory:
The gas turbine is an internal combustion rotating engine which transforms the
combustion energy of a gas or liquid into mechanic energy.

Main components of the gas turbine:

1. Compressor: Each compressor stage consists of two main elements: the rotor
and the diffuser. The rotor accelerates the inlet air, and the diffuser transforms
the kinetic energy acquired into pressure energy. The compressor can be
centrifugal or axial, according to the paddles disposition. The centrifugal
compressor has an axial air inlet and the outlet is at the periphery. Depending
on the applications, the one or the other is used.
2. Combustion chamber: On the one hand, the air which comes from the
compressor goes in the chamber and, on the other hand, the combustion
products go out. The fuel injectors are into this chamber. These chambers are
designed so that not all the air is used by the combustion, but it is divided
producing different currents. The primary current is which directly acts on the
combustion. There is a secondary current whose objective is completing the
combustion. The rest of the air introduced in the chamber is mixed with it at the
burner output to reduce the temperature up to a value which does not damage
the turbine paddles; it is the called tertiary current.

The combustion chambers can be classified according to the shape that they adopt:

a) Tubular chamber: It is placed on the shaft which joins the compressor and the
turbine. There can be one or several chambers per each turbine. Each one has
an injector and individual ignition equipment. Into it, there is the called flame
tube, where the flame which inflames the air is generated. In the case of the
turbine developed by EDIBON, it is a type tubular combustion chamber.

b) Annular chamber: It is a chamber which encloses the shaft turbine – compressor. In this way,
engines of more reduced frontal section adequate for aeronautic uses are obtained. The TGFAC
unit has this type of chambers.
Turbine: In the expansion turbine is where the conversion of energy contained in the
combustion gases as pressure and high temperature (enthalpy) at mechanic power as
a one shaft rotation occurs. The turbine is also composed of two elements: the
distributor and the rotor. The distributor reduces the hot gases pressure, increasing
the speed. This speed is transformed in mechanic energy in the rotor.

A gas turbine operates according to the cycle of Brayton. In this cycle, the work
substance is the air which flows in stationary regime through the different stages. In
the ideal cycle of Brayton, the heat transfer and absorption processes are carried out
reversibly at constant pressure. The expansion and compression processes are
isentropic.

This is the ideal work cycle of the gas

turbine. Despising the speed changes and
applying the stationary flow equation in
each part of the cycle, we obtain:

-h4 = Cp(T3-T4) >

0

-h1 = Cp(T2-
T1) < 0

-h2 = Cp(T3-T2) > 0

-h2 = Cp(T3-T2) > 0

Practical exercise 1: Study of the gas turbine operation

Objective

The objective of this practical exercise is to familiarize the student with the gas
turbine operation by identifying its element, as well as by observing the functions of
each one. The starting method will be analyzed.
Practical development

* STEP 1: Before starting, make sure that there is suitable fuel (kerosene or paraffin)
with 5% Jet type special oil.
In this previous step, make sure that all the connections are correctly tight: check that
the bracket that fastens the engine is correctly fixed.

* STEP 2: Connect every sensor and the supply and acquisition cables. Switch on the
electric supply general switch.

* STEP 3: Start the SCADA TGFAC software. For that purpose, follow the
instructions from the M4 section of this manual.

* STEP 4: Once the unit is ready to work, start it. To start the turbine, click the
“START” button of the software. It will begin the starting sequence described in the
section 7.1.3.

* STEP 5: Once the reaction turbine is auto-sustained, accelerate it. For it, act on the
“UP” button. To decrease the turbine acceleration, press “DOWN”. Check that
acceleration is really produced by observing that the thrust register SF-1 increases its
value.

* STEP 6: Record the gas turbine thrust values as in the enclosed table.

* STEP 7: Once we have familiarized with the operation, to finish the practice, the
turbine must be stopped by clicking “STOP” by means of the software.
 Test 1 Test 2

Temperature ST-1

Temperature ST-2

Temperature ST-3

Temperature ST-4

Temperature ST-5

Pressure SP-1

Turbine thrust SF-1 (N)

Air flow SC-1

Air flow SC-2

Fuel consumption

Turbine efficiency (d)

Practical Exercise 2: Determination o f t h e c o m p r e s s i o n r a t i o o f t h e
compressor

Objective

One of the keys for the good operation of the turbine with high efficiency
is getting a high compression ratio of the compressor.
Theory
The function of a compressor is generating compressed air from an
atmospheric air supply. The compression ratio is the relationship between the
compressor outlet absolute pressure and the atmospheric absolute pressure:

p2

p1

Practical development

* STEP 1: Before starting, make sure that there is suitable fuel (kerosene) with 5% of
Jet type special oil.

In this previous step, make sure that every connection is well tight: check that the
bracket which fastens the engine is correctly fixed.

* STEP 2: Connect every sensor and the supply and acquisition cables. Switch on the
electric supply general switch.

* STEP 3: Start the SCADA TGFAC software. For that purpose, follow the instructions
from section M4 of this manual.

* STEP 4: Once the unit is ready to work, start it. To start the turbine, click the “START”
button of the software. It will begin the starting sequence described in the section
7.1.3.

* STEP 5: Once the reaction turbine is auto-sustained, accelerate it. For it, act on the
“UP” button. To decrease the turbine acceleration, press “DOWN”. Check that
acceleration is really produced by observing that the thrust register SF-1 increases its
value.

* STEP 6: Record the gas turbine pressures values in the enclosed table for different
thrust values.
* STEP 7: When the maximum thrust is reached, and the data are recorded, we can
carry out the stop process.

* STEP 8: There is a possibility of acquiring data by means of the software, going to

the menu “VIEW DATA” and selecting an acquisition time of 2 seconds, for
example. When the process has finished, click “SAVING DATA” to record the
sensors values without having to do it manually.

Complete the enclosed table.

Test 1 Test 2

Temperature ST-1

Temperature ST-2

Temperature ST-3

Temperature ST-4

Temperature ST-5

Pressure SP-1

Compressor Pressure SP-2

Combustion chamber pressure SP-3

Turbine thrust SF-1 (N)

Air flow SC-1

Air flow SC-2

Fuel consumption

Turbine efficiency (d)

Practical exercise 3: Determination of the gas turbine efficiency

Objective
Every machine has efficiency. Any improvement of this aspect is translated
into an economic profit.
Theory
The consumption of an internal combustion engine is the fuel mass
flow used in the process.
CONSUMO  QGAS   GAS

Where Q is the gas flow at a

work point r is the fuel
gas density
Specific consumption is the fuel quantity consumed by outlet power unit
Practical development

* STEP 1: Before starting, make sure that there is suitable fuel (kerosene) with
5% of jet type special oil.

In this previous step, make sure that every connection is well tight: check that
the bracket which fastens the engine is correctly fixed.

* STEP 2: Connect every sensor and the supply and acquisition cables. Switch
on the electric supply general switch.

* STEP 3: Start the SCADA TGFAC software. For that purpose, follow the
instructions from section M4 of this manual.

* STEP 4: Once the unit is ready to work, start it. To start the turbine, click the
“START” button of the software. It will begin the starting sequence described
in the section 7.1.3.

* STEP 5: Once the reaction turbine is auto-sustained, accelerate it. For it, act
on the “UP” button. To decrease the turbine acceleration, press “DOWN”.
Check that acceleration is really produced by observing that the thrust register
SF-1 increases its value.

* STEP 6: Record the gas turbine thrust values as in the enclosed table.

* STEP 7: To finish the practical exercise, stop the turbine with the software
“STOP”

* STEP 8: There is a possibility of acquiring data by means of the software,

going to the menu “VIEW DATA” and selecting an acquisition time of 2
seconds, for example. When the process has finished, click “SAVING
DATA” to record the sensors values without having to do it manually.

Complete the enclosed table.

Test 1 Test 2

Temperature ST-1

Temperature ST-2
 Temperature ST-3

Temperature ST-4

Temperature ST-5

Pressure SP-1

Compressor Pressure SP-2

Combustion Chamber pressure SP-3

Turbine thrust SF-1 (N)

Air flow SC-1

Air flow SC-2

Fuel consumption

Turbine efficiency (d)

QUESTIONS:

Q-1: Determine the gas turbine specific consumption.

Q-2: Determine the TGFAC unit efficiency.