AIRCRAFT PROPULSION LABORATORY

Experiment 2:

Mini gas turbine power system

Submitted by: Aravindkumar

Roll Number: 163010021

EXPERIMENT 2: Mini gas turbine power system

(Experiment carried out on 01/08/2016 from 1415hrs. to 1530hrs.)

AIM:
1. To understand the working of mini gas turbine operating on the Brayton cycle.
2. To take observations and perform relevant calculations in order to successfully
understand the relations between important performance parameters of the
mini gas turbine.
APPARATUS:
1. SR-30 Gas Turbine
2. Data acquisition computer**

THEORY:
A pure turbojet, the SR-30 is representative of all straight jet engines in which
combustion results in an expanding gas that is sufficiently capable of producing useful
work and propulsive thrust. Consisting of a centrifugal flow compressor, annular
combustor and axial flow power turbine, the SR-30 engine is typical of the gas generator
core found in turbofan, turboprop and turbo-shaft gas turbine engines, which are
typically used for aircraft and marine propulsion, as well as stationary and industrial
power generation.

**As the turbine is run, the sensors (placed appropriately as shown later) send the
relevant data to the data acquisition computer which gives an output to us. With the
help of this data we carry out the relevant calculations (shown later) which in turn help
us in understanding the relation between all the important performance parameters of
the subject machine (graphs are employed for the same), thus fulfilling our aim.

ENGINE SETUP:

RPM Tachometer Generator: (Displayed on Panel as RPM and Data Acquisition

Screen).
P1: Compressor Inlet Pressure (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
T1: Compressor Inlet Temperature (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
P2: Compressor Exit Pressure (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
T2: Compressor Exit Temperature (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
P3: Turbine Inlet Pressure (Displayed on Panel and Data Acquisition Screen)
T3: Turbine Inlet Temperature (Displayed on Panel as TIT and Data Acquisition Screen)
P4: Turbine Exit Pressure (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
T4: Turbine Exit Temperature (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
P5: Exhaust Gas Pressure (Displayed on Data Acquisition Screen)
T5: Exhaust Gas Temperature (Displayed on Panel as EGT and Data Acquisition Screen)
Fuel Pressure: (Displayed on Panel)

Data acquisition computer displays and captures data for operation and analysis.

EFFICIENCY FORMULAE USED:

(1) Compressor efficiency
c = (c^(-1)/-1)/(c-1)
(2) Turbine Efficiency
t = (1-t)(1- t^(-1)/)
(3) Overall Efficiency
= c t
Apart from the above, the idealised Brayton cycle efficiency has also been
calculated from the following formula ( is taken as 1.4 for air):
(4) Brayton cycle eff
Brayton = 1 (c^(-1)/)-1

PROCEDURE:
(i) The mini gas turbine set-up was checked.
(ii) The data acquisition computer set-up was checked.
(iii) The theory related to the experiment was discussed by the instructor.
(iv) Safety equipment like ear muffs were checked and put-on.
(v) The mini gas turbine was started and the rpm of the machine was slowly increased
from 38000 rpm to 70000 rpm while the data was recorded in the data acquisition
computer.
(vi) The mini-gas turbine was then shut down by slowly reducing the rpm to zero.

OBSERVATIONS & CALCULATIONS (IN TABULAR FORM):

Sl.
No.

Comp.
Inlet Pr.

Comp. Pr.
Ratio

1
2
3
4
5
6

(Kpa)
102.53
102.64
102.59
102.86
102.89
102.91

Comp.
Outlet Pr.
(KPa)
188.27
192.69
200.81
214.6
210.11
226.61

102.98

Sl.
No.

Fuel
Flow
Rate
(Kg/s)
0.00355
0.004019
0.004187
0.004603
0.00439
0.00503
0.0052

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

1.8362431
1.8773383
1.9574033
2.0863309
2.0420838
2.2020212

Turb.
Intlet Pr.
(KPa)
187.72
192.52
200.5
214.7
210.05
227.13

Turb.
Outlet Pr.
(KPa)
113.07
114.54
115.83
118.32
117.12
120.82

Turb Pr.
Ratio
0.60233326
0.59495117
0.57770574
0.55109455
0.55758153
0.53194206

Nozzle
Exit Pr
(KPa)
108.01
108.74
109.5
111.07
110.43
112.66

235.65

2.2883084

236

122.09

0.51733051

113.71

RPM

Thrust

59582
60358
62401
65666
64824
68111
70070

Comp
Outlet
Temp.
(K)
442.9
420.5
423.2
433.2
434.9
441
451.3

Comp.
Temp. ratio

(N)
66.92
67.06
69.83
76.51
74.31
82.52
87.98

Comp.
Inlet
Temp.
(K)
301.4
301.3
301.5
301.4
301.4
301.1
301

Turb.
Inlet
Temp.
(K)
854.9
868.5
873.5
901.9
896.8
918.2
940.1

1.46947578
1.39561898
1.40364842
1.43729263
1.44293298
1.46462969
1.49933555

Sl. Turb.
No. Outlet
Temp.

Turb.
Temp.
ratio

(K)

Exhaust
Gas
Temp.

Cycle eff

Compr
Efficiency

Turbine
Efficiency

(K)

TSFC

Overall
Efficiency

kg/Ns
0.1593961 0.40389941 0.05812186 5.304E-05

0.0234754

670.1

0.1646952 0.49837788 0.08267114 5.993E-05

0.0412015

861

0.9856898 674.3

0.1746032 0.52406628 0.09862451 5.995E-05

0.0516858

875.1

0.970285

0.18951

0.1014995

869.2

0.9692239 683.9

0.1845308 0.5108852

886.3

0.9652581 691.1

0.2019116 0.54450678 0.21053002 6.095E-05

0.114635

888.5

0.9451122 700.6

0.2106283 0.53437074 0.31978549 5.910E-05

0.170884

848.2

0.9921628 681

858.6

0.988601

682.9

0.53470263 0.18982425 6.016E-05

0.20021538 5.908E-05

0.1022871

SAMPLE CALCULATIONS:

The following calculations have been done for the data obtained at a Compressor inlet
pressure of 102.8 Kpa i.e. serial no. 7 of the above observation and calculation tables:

(1) Compressor inlet pressure = 102.98 kPa

(2) Compressor exit pressure = 235.65 kPa
(3) Compressor pressure ratio = 235.65/ 102.98 = 2.28
(4) Turbine inlet pressure = 232.16 kPa
(5) Turbine exit pressure = 118.28 kPa
(6) Turbine pressure ratio = 236 / 122.09 = .5173
(7) Fuel flow = 0.0052 kg/s
(8) Thrust = 87.98 N
(9) TSFC (Thrust Specific Fuel Consum.) =0. 0052 / 87.98= 5.91043E-05kg/Ns
(10) Idealised Brayton cycle efficiency = (1-(1/(2.34)^0.286))*100 = 21.55%
(11) Compressor Inlet temperature = 301.17 K

(12) Compressor Exit temperature = 451.3 K

(13) Compressor efficiency = (((2.28)^0.286)-1)/((451.3/301)-1)*100 = 53.4%
(14) Turbine Inlet temperature = 940.5 K
(15) Turbine Exit temperature = 848.2 K
(16) Turbine efficiency = ((1-(940.5/848.2))/(1-(1.96)^0.286))*100 = 31.9%
(17) Overall efficiency = 53.4*31.9/100 = 17.03%
Hence, the sample calculation carried out above validates the values that have been
calculated and shown in the Observations and calculations table.
NOTE: It is to be noted that the values printed in bold have been calculated while the
values not printed in bold have been obtained from the data provided by the data
acquisition computer.
GRAPHS AND CONCLUSIONS:
(1) Compressor pressure ratio vs RPM: It is observed that as the RPM is
increased, the compressor pressure ratio also increases. The reason for the same
is that since the RPM needs to increase, more fuel needs to be used in the
combustion chamber so that higher heat generation can take place (which can
lead to an increase in the RPM of the turbine). As the volume of the combustion
chamber is constant, we need to create more pressure in the incoming air so
that we can adequately supply the increased fuel quantity with oxygen. Hence,
the compressor pressure ratio increases.

Comp Pr. Ratio vs RPM

2.5
2
1.5
Cr. Pr. Ratio
1
0.5
0
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(2) Turbine inlet temperature vs RPM: As the compression pressure ratio and
RPM increase, more fuel is burnt in the combustion chamber which raises the
enthalpy of the outgoing mixture. Since this outgoing mixture (with an increased
enthalpy and thus with a higher temperature) is the input to the turbine, the
turbine inlet temperature ideally increases with the RPM. However, the graph
below shows this trend only for the RPMs after 50000 rpm as the turbine would
have taken some time to attain stability until then. Thus the discrepancy in the
graph can be explained.

Turb. Inlet Temp. (K) vs RPM

960
940
920
900
880

Turb. Inlet Temp. (K)

860
840
820
800
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(3) Turbine pressure ratio vs RPM: As the compressor pressure ratio increases,
the air with an increased pressure goes into the combustion chamber and then
to the turbine. Hence, the turbine inlet pressure increases. The corresponding
pressure decrease in the turbine is not that high as the isentropic efficiency of
the turbine comes into picture and thus the turbine pressure ratio increases
steadily with the RPM.

Turb Pr. Ratio vs RPM

0.62
0.6
0.58
0.56
0.54

Tr Pr.

Ratio

0.52
0.5
0.48
0.46
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(4) Nozzle exit pressure vs RPM: Since the turbine exit pressure increases as
the RPM increases, the nozzle exit pressure increases correspondingly as the
nozzle inlet pressure is almost same as turbine exit pressure and the isentropic
efficiency of the nozzle is very high.

Nozzle Exit Pr (KPa) vs RPM

115
114
113
112
111
110

Nozzle Exit Pr (KPa)

109
108
107
106
105
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(5) Thrust vs RPM: As more enthalpy rise is seen in the combustion chamber with
an increase in the RPM, thrust generation is higher. Hence, thrust increases
steadily with the RPM.

Thrust (N) vs RPM

100
90
80
70
60
50

Thrust (N)

40
30
20
10
0
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(6) TSFC vs RPM: As the thrust increases, the TSFC (Thrust Specific Fuel
Consumption) increases since more fuel is required to generate the thrust
initially but later on after 60000 rpm , the increase in fuel consumption remains
steady (and slightly decreases later) when compared to the increase in thrust.
Hence, later (i.e. from 60000 rpm to 70000 rpm) the TSFC remains constant and
slightly decreases later.

TSFC vs RPM
0.000062
0.00006
0.000058
0.000056
TSFC kg/Ns

0.000054
0.000052
0.00005
0.000048
59582

60358

62401

65666

64824

68111

70070

(7) Idealised Brayton cycle efficiency vs RPM: As the idealised Brayton cycle
efficiency depends only upon the pressures between which the cycle exists (i.e.
the compressor pressure ratio), it increases steadily with an increase in RPM as
expected (since the compressor pressure ratio increases with an increase in the
RPM).

Cycle efficiency
0.25

0.2

0.15
Cycle efficiency
0.1

0.05

0
59582

60358 62401 65666

64824 68111 70070

RESULTS:
The important parameters of the mini gas turbine operation were thus obtained and
analysed successfully. Some of the salient points are stated below:
(1) The compressor pressure ratio, turbine pressure ratio, nozzle exit pressure,
thrust and idealized Brayton cycle efficiency increase with an increase in the
RPM.
(2) The turbine inlet temperature increases with an increase in RPM as expected
when the mini gas turbine has attained stability.
(3) With an increase in the RPM, the TSFC increases at first but then remains
constant and slightly decreases later.