A physics-based emissions model for aircraft gas turbine combustors

Abstract

In this thesis, a physics-based model of an aircraft gas turbine combustor is developed for predicting NO. and CO emissions. The objective of the model is to predict the emissions of current and potential future gas turbine engines within quantified uncertainty bounds for the purpose of assessing design tradeoffs and interdependencies in a policy-making setting. The approach taken is to capture the physical relationships among operating conditions, combustor design parameters, and pollutant emissions. The model is developed using only high-level combustor design parameters and ideal reactors. The predictive capability of the model is assessed by comparing model estimates of NO, and CO emissions from five different industry combustors to certification data. The model developed in this work correctly captures the physical relationships between engine operating conditions, combustor design parameters, and NO. and CO emissions. The NO. estimates are as good as, or better than, the NO. estimates from an established empirical model; and the CO estimates are within the uncertainty in the certification data at most of the important low power operating conditions.