Document Type
Paper
Abstract
Advances in each component of a low bypass ratio turbofan were considered to improve the performance for Concorde’s mission. The bypass fan will feature a multi-stage design intended to increase pressure ratio and exit velocity of the bypass air to speeds exceeding cruising speed. The multi-stage fan will allow a variable bypass design to be utilized for optimization in different flight regimes. Preliminary research suggests that using a bypass ratio of around 1.0 will be feasible to implement in the design. The exit nozzle will be a variable converging-diverging nozzle to allow for necessary mass flow at different velocities, which is now an industry standard. Compressors of the past have been high in weight with limited pressure ratios, but by using new technologies currently available and new materials proposed to be available, compressors can be lighter and have higher-pressure ratios per stage. Using a bladed disk (or blisk) alone can lead to a weight savings up to 30% and new materials have been proven to have higher operating temperatures, allowing for higher efficiency and thrust for the entire system. New research has proposed a redesign of the burner-turbine system which would reduce the turbine inlet temperatures as well as increase efficiency and thrust. This new system is the Inter-Turbine Burner (ITB) which adds a second combustion chamber in between the high and low-pressure turbine stages. The effect of an ITB is to burn the fuel from the first burner and use all the remaining oxygen in the system. The ITB system eliminates the need for cooling channels in the turbine blades, which subsequently eliminates the need for a cooling system and bleed valves. This reduces the high complexity and weight of turbines while simultaneously reducing the cost of manufacturing traditional blades. Traditional blades are made of superalloys that are manufactured by casting a one direction crystal structure in the metal. New methods for manufacturing blades have been proposed, consisting of using additive manufacturing and advancements in composite materials. Using composites and additive manufacturing, turbine blades can be made with a high tolerance to temperature, which will decrease the TSFC as well as cost. These systems were tested using parametric cycle analysis implemented in MATLAB, VuCalc, GasTurb13, and AxSTREAM to effectively compare their impact on the entire engine and gauge whether any combination of the new component technologies will be ready for a 2028 entry-into-service date. This analysis is a precursor to a different AIAA design competition with the purpose of designing engines to replace those on the Concorde aircraft. The results of this engine will be compared to Concorde’s original Olympus 593 engines to determine if better performance was achieved.
SSBBR-X: Candidate Engine for Concorde
Advances in each component of a low bypass ratio turbofan were considered to improve the performance for Concorde’s mission. The bypass fan will feature a multi-stage design intended to increase pressure ratio and exit velocity of the bypass air to speeds exceeding cruising speed. The multi-stage fan will allow a variable bypass design to be utilized for optimization in different flight regimes. Preliminary research suggests that using a bypass ratio of around 1.0 will be feasible to implement in the design. The exit nozzle will be a variable converging-diverging nozzle to allow for necessary mass flow at different velocities, which is now an industry standard. Compressors of the past have been high in weight with limited pressure ratios, but by using new technologies currently available and new materials proposed to be available, compressors can be lighter and have higher-pressure ratios per stage. Using a bladed disk (or blisk) alone can lead to a weight savings up to 30% and new materials have been proven to have higher operating temperatures, allowing for higher efficiency and thrust for the entire system. New research has proposed a redesign of the burner-turbine system which would reduce the turbine inlet temperatures as well as increase efficiency and thrust. This new system is the Inter-Turbine Burner (ITB) which adds a second combustion chamber in between the high and low-pressure turbine stages. The effect of an ITB is to burn the fuel from the first burner and use all the remaining oxygen in the system. The ITB system eliminates the need for cooling channels in the turbine blades, which subsequently eliminates the need for a cooling system and bleed valves. This reduces the high complexity and weight of turbines while simultaneously reducing the cost of manufacturing traditional blades. Traditional blades are made of superalloys that are manufactured by casting a one direction crystal structure in the metal. New methods for manufacturing blades have been proposed, consisting of using additive manufacturing and advancements in composite materials. Using composites and additive manufacturing, turbine blades can be made with a high tolerance to temperature, which will decrease the TSFC as well as cost. These systems were tested using parametric cycle analysis implemented in MATLAB, VuCalc, GasTurb13, and AxSTREAM to effectively compare their impact on the entire engine and gauge whether any combination of the new component technologies will be ready for a 2028 entry-into-service date. This analysis is a precursor to a different AIAA design competition with the purpose of designing engines to replace those on the Concorde aircraft. The results of this engine will be compared to Concorde’s original Olympus 593 engines to determine if better performance was achieved.
