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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I: early development activities


Colin F. McDonald, Aristide F. Massardo, Colin Rodgers, Aubrey Stone,
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Colin F. McDonald, Aristide F. Massardo, Colin Rodgers, Aubrey Stone, (2008) "Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines,
part I: early development activities", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 80 Issue: 2, pp.139-157, doi:
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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines,
part I: early development activities
Colin F. McDonald
McDonald Thermal Engineering, La Jolla, California, USA
Aristide F. Massardo
Faculty of Engineering, University of Genova, Genova, Italy
Colin Rodgers
ITC, San Diego, California, USA, and
Aubrey Stone
San Diego, California, USA

Abstract
Purpose Interest is currently being expressed in heat exchanged propulsion gas turbines for a variety of aeroengine applications, and in support of
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this, the aim of this paper is to evaluate the relevance of experience gained from development testing of several recuperated aeroengines in the USA in
the late 1960s.
Design/methodology/approach Technology status, including engine design features, performance, and specific weight of recuperated propulsion
gas turbines based on radial and axial turbomachinery, that were development tested in the power range of about 300 to 4,000 hp (224 to 2,984 kW) is
discussed in Part I.
Findings A successful flight worthiness test was undertaken in the USA of a helicopter powered solely by a recuperated turboshaft engine and this
demonstrated a specific fuel consumption reduction of over 25 percent compared with the simple-cycle engine. However; in an era of low-fuel cost, and
uncertainty about the long-term structural integrity of the high-temperature heat exchanger, further development work was not undertaken.
Practical implications The gas turbines tested were based on conventional simple-cycle engines with essentially bolted-on recuperators.
Optimum approaches to minimize engine overall weight were needed in which the recuperator was integrated with the engine structure from the onset
of design, and these are discussed in Part II.
Originality/value Based on engine hardware testing, a formidable technology base was established, which although dated, could provide insight
into the technical issues likely to be associated with the introduction of future heat exchanged aeroengines. These are projected to have the potential
for reduced fuel burn, less emissions, and lower noise, and recuperated and intercooled turboshaft, turboprop, and turbofan variants are discussed in
Part III.

Keywords Turbines, Aerospace engineering

Paper type Technical paper

1. Introduction fuel consumption reduction and increased flight range. Even


factoring in on-going improvements achieved in simple-cycle
In the 20 years or so following the Second World War, intense engine components, the periodically reported findings showed
R&D in the areas of compressor and turbine aerothermal that, while the results were dependent on mission profile (for
improvement, turbine blade cooling, combustion, materials say, an antisubmarine warfare patrol aircraft), recuperated
science, and mechanical design, yielded attractive
performance for propulsion gas turbines, including
turboprop, turboshaft, turbojet and later turbofans based on
the simplest of thermodynamic cycles. The authors would like express their thanks to Dr PeterFortescue, a
pioneer in the development of the recuperated turboprop engine, for his
Over the last four decades or so, various organizations, expertise and comments on early gas turbine aeroengines, particularly on
together with new engineers entering the field, have investigated the Bristol Theseus engine, and to Dr John Mason for technical advice on
what performance gains for aircraft and helicopters could be high-temperature heat exchangers. Thanks are also extended to Professor
realised by utilising a recuperator, particularly in the areas of David Gordon Wilson, Professor Pericles Pilidis, Jim Oswald, and
Bryan Seegers for reviewing and providing constructive comments on the
first draft of this paper.
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at The authors really appreciate help given to them by John Leonard of
Rolls-Royce, Indianapolis on early Allison engines, and for reviewing and
www.emeraldinsight.com/1748-8842.htm
providing comments on the first draft of the paper. As a mechanical
engineer, formerly employed by the Rolls-Royce Aeroegine Division in the
UK, the lead author wishes to thank the Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust,
Allison Branch, for providing invaluable material related to early heat
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
80/2 (2008) 139 157 exchanged propulsion gas turbines. This paper has been enhanced by the
q Emerald Group Publishing Limited [ISSN 1748-8842] inclusion of hardware photographs and unique sketches, and the authors
[DOI 10.1108/00022660810859364] are appreciative to all concerned, with credits duly noted.

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

variants were not deemed attractive enough to deploy in an era 2. Propulsion gas turbine performance
of low-fuel cost, and based on the limited magnitude of the
increased range, when considering the combined weight of 2.1 Simple-cycle engine performance evolution
the heavier engine and reduced fuel inventory (i.e. effect of the This topic will only be briefly addressed, since the
parasitic heat exchanger weight). Repeatedly, over the years the performance and physical size of aviation gas turbines
nemesis of the more complex thermodynamic cycle was have been documented previously (Aviation Week & Space
identified as the lack of high-temperature heat exchanger Technology, 2007). It is germane, however, to include the
technology readiness, notably their excessive weight and size, performance of engines in the mid to late 1960s since it was in
and more importantly their questionable integrity and reliability that era that recuperation was considered for both turboprop
when operating in a severe thermally cyclic environment. and turboshaft engines in the USA. Since, performance is
This three-part paper puts into perspective the use of a dependent on a number of factors, including the following;
more complex thermodynamic cycle for future propulsion gas axial or radial flow turbomachinery, turbine inlet temperature,
turbines. It is interesting to note that several recuperated pressure ratio, and the various component efficiencies, only
turboshaft and turboprop engines were built and tested in the the following generalized data are given for the range of
1960s, but were not replicated or deployed. On a positive note, engines considered. With compressor pressure ratios less
one of the small recuperated turboshaft gas turbine engines than about ten to one, and turbine inlet temperatures not
was successfully flight tested for 50 h in a light observation exceeding about 2000F (1093C), SFC and engine
helicopter. Valuable technical data were gained from these specific weight were roughly in the range of 0.55-0.65 lb/
programmes, and these are summarized in Part I of this hp h (0.33 to 0.40 kg/kW h), and 1.5 to 2.5 hp/lb
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paper, mainly for historical interest since many engineers (2.5-4.1 kW/kg), respectively, for axial flow turboprop
entering the gas turbine field today are simply unaware of engines (Lancaster,1976).
work done by early pioneers and supporters of recuperated As will be discussed in a later section, the Allison T56
propulsion aeroengines. turboprop engine is of particular interest. It was introduced
In the two decades or so, following the flight demonstration in the mid-1950s (Wheatley et al., 1965), and with on-going
of a recuperated gas turbine, studies continued on technology advancements its power was increased, and by the
recuperated turboshaft engines, mainly for military mid-1960s several thousand of these turboprop engines had
helicopter applications as discussed in Part II of this paper. been produced. It is noteworthy that versions of this
However, in this era, there were still essentially three turboprop engine are still in service today. As will be
prevailing factors that favoured the continued use of discussed in following sections, recuperated and regenerated
conventional gas turbines, namely significant advancements variants of this engine were studied, and one experimental
made in the performance of simple-cycle engines, low-fuel engine with a fixed boundary heat exchanger was fabricated
cost, and incomplete development of light weight and tested, but not deployed.
recuperators with a high degree of structural integrity. This
situation would prevail until the late 1990s. 2.2 Projected benefits of recuperation
While all avenues of gas turbine technology are being In the case of recuperated industrial gas turbines, that operate
exploited to the highest degree possible, further significant continuously at 100 percent rated power, maximum fuel
advancements in the performance of simple-cycle aeroengines savings can be realised by utilising high levels of heat
(for example, say a 20 to 25 percent reduction in specific fuel exchanger effectiveness, typically around 90 percent based on
consumption (SFC)) are becoming more difficult to practical size and cost considerations.
realise compared with earlier gains achieved over the last Since, aviation gas turbines only operate at full thrust or
half century. The engines for future passenger and power during take-off and climb to altitude, what is important
freight carrying aircraft must be made more efficient to is fuel consumption at part load cruise power, where the bulk
combat ever-increasing fuel cost, and indeed its availability in of the mission time would be spent. A comparison showing
troublesome times, since countries worldwide have become so the difference in SFC for simple-cycle and recuperated engine
dependent on crude oil. This increasing efficiency must be operation is shown on Figure 1. This is for a small single-
achieved in concert with reduced pollutant emissions, and spool fixed geometry turboshaft engine that was actually test
lower noise levels. The use of a recuperator, and a necessary flown in a helicopter, and this will be discussed in a following
intercooler for high-pressure ratio engines, has the potential section. During the helicopter flight worthiness test, the
for meeting these demanding requirements. They also apply reduction in SFC of the recuperated version increased
to military applications, where in addition to increased range the flight range by 25.7 percent compared with the simple-
(e.g. for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrol aircraft, ultra cycle engine.
long-range cruise missiles, UAVs and various expendable It should be noted that if a high-recuperator gas inlet
drone engines) lower IR signatures can be achieved. temperature is maintained (by means of a variable geometry
Finally, after several decades of development, a new power turbine nozzle), a flatter part power SFC curve can be
generation of compact and light weight recuperators, with realised.
demonstrated structural integrity and reliability, have become While recuperated engines have reduced fuel burn giving
a reality. These make it possible to consider heat exchanged increased range, particularly for helicopter turboshaft
propulsion gas turbines for service in say a decade from now. engines, the parasitic weight of the heat exchanger must
As in the past, it is likely that such a technology advancement be considered, since it is the combined weight of the fuel
will be initially pioneered to meet defence applications, with inventory and the additional weight of the recuperator that
later transfer of know-how to commercial endeavours, is important. While dependent on mission profile, various
particularly intercooled and recuperated turbofan engines, studies have shown, that unlike recuperated industrial gas
and this is addressed in Part III of this paper. turbines (that have effectiveness values of say 90 percent),

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 1 Demonstrated fuel savings for small recuperated turboshaft gas turbine from helicopter flight worthiness test in 1968

TWO-PASS CROSS
COUNTERFLOW
RECUPERATOR

RECUPERATED ENGINE, %
40

FUEL SAVED USING


35
C T
30

RECUPERATED CYCLE
25

20
0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80
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RECUPERATOR EFFECTIVENESS
1.20
SPECIFIC FUEL CONSUMPTION, LB / HP HR

1.00
Si
m
p le
-C
yc
le E
n gi
0.80 Re nee
cu
pe
rat
ed
En
gin
ee Fuel Saved at
0.60 Normal Rated Power

0.40
20 40 60 80 100
ENGINE POWER, %

the optimum effectiveness for a propulsion turboshaft or 3. Early regenerative aeroengine concept
turboprop engine is in the range of 60-75 percent for flight
durations of less than 3 h. The influence of effectiveness on The legendary Messerschmitt Me 262 fighter, powered by
fuel saved at normal rated power for the aforementioned two Junkers 109-004A turbojets flew for the first time on
recuperated helicopter engine is shown on Figure 1. A point July 8, 1942 (Ethell and Price, 1979). This was the first flight
to remember here is that for a typical recuperator, advancing of an aircraft powered by two axial-flow turbojet engines.
from say 60 to 75 percent effectiveness, the heat exchanger The following year a regenerative turboprop engine design
matrix volumetric size and weight would increase by a factor (PTL) was proposed by Brown Boveri & Cie in Germany
of approximately two. (Kay, 2003). Based on an axial-flow turbomachine layout, the
Over six decades have passed since innovative engineers in heat exchangers consisted of two rotary drum regenerators
Europe first started investigating heat exchanged propulsion that would be rotated by small electric motors. A layout of this
gas turbines, but because of security concerns during the 5,000 hp (3,730 kW) engine concept is shown on Figure 2
war years very little technical data were published. The (from Kay, 2003).With a compressor pressure ratio of 7, and
salient features of early recuperated propulsion engines that a heat exchanger effectiveness in the range 90-95 percent, the
were studied, and those that were built and tested in the estimated fuel consumption at altitude was such that if two of
mid to late 1960s as shown on Table I have been gleaned these engines replaced the four 1,700 hp (1,270 kW) piston
from various sources including (Finch, 1950; Gunston, engines in the Me264 bomber, the aircraft could have had the
1995; Kerrebrock, 1983; Wilson and Korakianitis, 1998; range to make a round trip bombing raid on New York from
Leyes and Fleming, 1999), and are discussed in the an airbase on the European Continent. In theory, the use of a
following sections. rotating drum regenerator (considered in the USA some two

141
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Table I Salient features of early recuperated turbine aeroengines


Modified
Engine Bristol Theseus Modified Lycoming T53-L-9 Allison T56-A-7 Allison T78-A-2 Modified Allison T63-A-5 Engine study
Year 1945 1965 1964 1965 1967 1970
Engine type Turboprop Turboshaft Turboprop Turboprop Turboshaft Turboshaft
Application Commercial airliner Helicopter Experimental Proposed ASW Light observation helicopter Military helicopter
engine patrol aircraft
Colin F. McDonald et al.

Demonstration goal Fuel savings of 150 gallons/h Increased range at part power Initial test of Increased loiter Flight demonstration of recuperated Optimized annular
recuperated time at part propulsion engine recuperator wrapped
version of T56 power around the engine
engine
Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I

Engine power, (eshp) 2,200 1,100 4,050 4,125 280 963


Compressor type Axial/radial Axial/radial Axial Axial Axial/radial Axial/radial
Turbine type Axial Axial Axial Axial Axial Axial
Airflow (lb/s) 30.0 10.7 33.0 33.0 2.8 5.0
Compressor pressure
ratio 5.0 6.3 9.25 11.7 6.2 9.0

142
Turbine Inlet
Temperature (8F) 1,382 1,720 1,970 2,060 ,1,770 2,300
Specific fuel
consumption (lb/hp h) 0.60 0.52 ,0.50 0.417 0.587 0.365
Specific Power (hp/lb/s) 73 103 123 125 100 193
Engine length (in.) 106 88 167 159 40 30
Engine diameter (in.) 48 34 66 36 33 23.5
Engine dry weight (lb) 2,130 810 1,833 1,564 185 203
Specific weight (hp/lb) 1.03 1.36 2.2 2.64 1.51 4.75
Experimental/ During initial run in 1945, the Fuel savings of 24 percent at 75 SFC reduction of The T78 engine Engine completed 50 h flight worthiness test Paper design indicated 28
development recuperator failed. Further percent normal rated power 36 percent at was built and successfully in modified YOH-6A helicopter. percent reduction in sfc
recuperated development work continued only demonstrated. This recuperated part power tested but was Demonstrated 25.7 percent increased range compared with simple
propulsion engine on simple cycle version engine was never deployed demonstrated not deployed over simple cycle engine cycle version
status/experience
Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 2 Layout of German heat exchanged turboprop engine concept in 1943

Twin-drum Ritz radial- Twin-drum Ritz radial-


Contra-rotating flow, regenerative heat flow, regenerative heat
airscrews and gearing exchangers (driven by Coaxial power exchangers (driven by
small electric motors) turbines small electric motors)
Exhaust

C C
Air side

Gas side

C C
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C C

Low-pressure
compressor C C

High-pressure
Separate compressor compressor
turbines
Note: Based on utilization of Twin rotary drum regenerators
Source: Airlife Publishing Ltd

decades later as will be mentioned in a later section) promised about 1.0 hp/lb (1.64 kW/kg). The surface geometry was novel
a very significant reduction in SFC, but because of higher and involved arranging the tubes along involute curves, and in
priority projects in Germany this engine never materialized, flattening them, air passages of uniform width were formed
and only modules of the heat exchanger were tested by the between adjacent rows. The tubes were then brazed into the
end of the war. headers.
This pioneer recuperated aircraft gas turbine was first run
4. Bristol Theseus: recuperated turboprop engine with the heat exchanger in place in late 1945. During a hot-
start, a fuel fire started in the recuperator matrix causing the
In 1943, the same year as the aforementioned heat exchanged braze material to melt and the heat exchanger was destroyed
engine design was being proposed in Germany, the Bristol (Fortescue, 2004). Following this, the recuperated variant
Aeroplane Company in the UK submitted a proposal to the was discontinued. The simple-cycle Theseus engine never
Ministry of Aviation Production for a turboprop engine for a went into production, but is noteworthy, since in addition to
long-range aircraft with a cruising speed of 250 mph embodying a recuperator, it was the first aeroengine to run
(402 kph) at an altitude of 20,000 ft (6,095 m). To match or with a free power turbine (driving the propeller), and to have
better the performance of reciprocating engines, the Bristol an axial compressor (with nine stages) followed by a
Theseus was the first aviation engine to incorporate a centrifugal stage, a configuration which is of course,
recuperator. Details of this interesting engine (Aviation, common place today in many small gas turbines.
1946; Aircraft Engineering, 1946) are given on Table I. It was
calculated that this heat exchanged engine would save about 5. Development of recuperated turboprop
150 gallons (680 l) per hour under typical cruising
engines
conditions.
Various details of this heat exchanged turboprop engine are 5.1 Background
shown on Figure 3. These include an overall view of the With simple-cycle turboprop engines well established in
engine (Figure 3(a)), a partially sectioned isometric view service, there was a flurry of interest in exploring technologies
showing the annular tubular recuperator positioned to the for follow-on performance improvement. Most of these were
rear of the turbomachinery (Figure 3(b)), and the gas flow of an evolutionary nature, including higher component
paths can be seen from the simplified engine cross-section efficiencies and increased turbine inlet temperature.
(Figure 3(c)). However, in the mid-1960s, heat-exchanged variants
With a low-surface geometry compactness and a low- attracted some interest. Many different concepts were
effectiveness recuperator, the estimated SFC was on the order investigated and documented (Chapman, 1964; Brock and
of 0.60 lb/hp h (0.36 kg/kW h), and the engine specific weight Gershon, 1964; Crockett et al., 1965; Redmond and

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 3 Bristol Theseus recuperated turboprop engin heat exchanger of this type was investigated. An overall sketch
of this engine arrangement is shown on Figure 5. For this
G J H L periodic-flow regenerator, two 3.3 ft (1.0 m) diameter drums
F
B C E rotating at 30 rpm were considered.
A As will be outlined in a later section, the research and
development of metallic and ceramic regenerators of various
types, in spite of large expenditures by the automobile industry,
did not lead to a viable product for the projected vehicular gas
turbine market. In the case of the low-compressor ratio
D vehicular engines, seal leakage and wear were excessive and this
adversely affected engine performance. This would have been
K
far more severe for higher pressure ratio aeroengines, and no
further work was done beyond the initial design phase.
(a) Recuperated Theseus Turboprop Engine Assembly
5.2.2 Liquid metal indirect system
In the 1950s, studies had investigated a system employing two
independent heat exchangers that were coupled by a liquid
system. The pumped liquid-metal transferred thermal energy
from the turbine exhaust exchanger to air flowing through the
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compressor discharge heat exchanger before entering the


combustion chamber.
A 4,000 hp (2,984 kW) turboprop engine concept
embodying a liquid metal heat transport system was first
proposed 55 years ago (London and Kays, 1951). The various
(b) Overall Engine Arrangement
heat exchangers installed within the engine envelope can be
seen on Figure 6.
A design variant of the T56 turboprop engine based on a
liquid-metal system is shown on Figure 7. Over a period of
several years, development was done on liquid-metal systems
(Lombardo, 1964; Moskowitz et al., 1972), but because of
their complexity and reliability concerns they were not
deployed. State-of-the-art technology in this time frame
favoured the use of simpler and more conventional fixed-
(c) Engine Cross-section Showing Gas Flow Paths boundary air-to-gas heat exchangers, and the remainder of
this paper focuses only on this type of heat recovery device for
Source: Bristol Aeroplane Company recuperated gas turbine aeroengine service.

5.2.3 Test of prototype recuperated T56 engine


The selection of a tubular heat exchanger was essentially
Beam, 1965; Crockett and Field, 1965; Sallee and Mehold,
based on it being more highly developed and offering a lower
1965; White and Kailos, 1965; Marwood and Preuser, 1965;
weight than the aforementioned systems. A hardware
Wheely et al., 1967; Lockay and Kumirov, 1968), and just a
programme was initiated that led to the test of a
few of the selected approaches that led to recuperated
recuperated version of the T56 turboprop engine (Beam
hardware development and testing are highlighted below.
and Cutler, 1964). It was recognized from the onset that an
optimum system, in terms of maximizing performance and
5.2 Allison T56 heat exchanged engine variants minimizing weight was not realizable. The thermodynamic
The well known T56 turboprop engine has been in service for parameters (e.g. pressure ratio, turbine inlet temperature,
half a century, and embodying on-going technology etc.) were associated with the existing simple-cycle gas
advancements its performance has improved in this time turbine, and to this engine architecture an air-to-gas heat
frame. In its conventional simple-cycle form as shown on exchanger was simply added. While this was not an optimum
Figure 4, it is perhaps best known for its many years of service solution, detailed analyses and trade-off studies were done on
to this day, with over 5,000 engines powering the US Air the recuperator to establish the best solution possible.
Force C-130s, and the US Navy P-3, and E-2C aircraft. An isometric view of the engine on Figure 8 (from Stevens,
Continuing improvements are expected to keep this engine in 1964) shows the gas flow paths in the rear mounted annular
service for decades to come (Aviation Week & Space recuperator. A straight-tube heat exchanger embodying
Technology, 2004). Early studies of heat exchanged variants 15,000 dimpled tubes was selected. With an effectiveness of
of this engine are briefly discussed below. 0.68, a two-pass cross-counterflow configuration was used.
Hot gas from the turbine exhaust flowed single-pass through
5.2.1 Rotary regenerative concept the tubes, and the high-pressure compressor discharge air
In the 1960s, work was initiated on small heat exchanged flowed across the tube bundle in two passes. The selection of
vehicular gas turbines. One of the concepts involved the use of this flow configuration yielded a large recuperator outer
a rotary drum regenerator, as first proposed in Germany two diameter of 4 ft (1.22 m). As can be seen from Figure 9 this
decades earlier, and a variant of the T56 using a rear-mounted resulted in a rather bulbous rear end to this prototype

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 4 Simple-cycle T56 turboprop engine

Source: Allison Engine Company

Figure 5 T56 engine concept with twin drum rotary regenerators


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Source: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch

experimental engine. The specific weight of this one of a kind section the successful demonstration of this experimental
engine was on the order of 2.2 hp/lb (3.6 kW/kg). prototype engine paved the way for the T78, a more
This experimental engine, not including a gearbox, ambitious recuperated turboprop engine.
operated without mechanical difficulty during two runs of
6 h on a dynamometer. Examination of the recuperator after 5.2.4 Recuperated T78 turboprop engine
the test revealed no mechanical after effects, but a thin layer of Following the demonstration of the prototype recuperated
soot was observed on surfaces exposed to metal temperatures T56 engine described above, a new engine was considered for
below about 700F (371C). The engine demonstrated, that at an ASW patrol aircraft. The attractive part-power SFC
the cruise power test point, it would have a reduction in SFC characteristic of a recuperated turboprop engine matched the
of 36 percent compared with the simple-cycle base engine mission profile that involved protracted periods of low-speed,
(Beam et al., 1964), and showed that a recuperated turboprop and low altitude operation at a power setting as low as
engine was a valid concept. As outlined in the following 35 percent of the maximum continuous rating.

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 6 Heat exchanged turboprop engine concept with liquid metal heat transport system

0.970 ft
0.726 ft
0.970 ft

2.07 ft
4.14 ft
0.468 ft
Compressor
Coupling-liquid
pump
Turbine Air side heat exchangers
Tailpipe Coupling-liquid (one for each combustor)
cold supply line
Gas side Combustor
heat exchangers
Coupling-liquid
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hot return line


Source: London and Kays

Figure 7 T56 engine concept with indirect liquid metal coupled regenerator

Source: Allison Engine Company

Figure 8 Isometric view of T56 engine with tubular recuperator

PREHEATED AIR
REGENERATOR FLOW EXHAUST FLOW
MATRIX THROUGH REGENERATOR
COMPRESSOR
DELIVERY

Source: Flight International

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Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 9 Experimental T56 engine with tubular recuperator


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Source: Allison Engine Company

Allison won a contract to develop the T78 in June 1963, and axial compressor, six combustion chambers, a four-stage
the engine was first run on March 16, 1965. It was a large turbine, and a remote two-stage gearbox. However, it did
recuperated turboprop engine, designed to produce over have variable inlet guide vanes, and six stages of variable
4,000 hp (2,985 kW) at take-off, this putting it in the same stators, and operated in a variable speed mode, all of which
power class as the T56 (Stevens, 1964; Beam et al., 1964; were different from the T56 engine (Jensen and Leonard,
Yaffee, 1964; Anderton, 1964; Cutler and Spears, 1964a, b 2002).
October). An isometric view of the T78-A-2 engine showing Compared with the experimental T56 engine, a much
the gas flow paths is shown on Figure 10, and an overall view improved heat exchanger was used for the T78. Again, an
of the engine assembly is shown on Figure 11. aft-mounted annular tubular matrix was used. It still had a
Like the T56, the T78 was a single-spool engine (with a two-pass cross-counterflow configuration, but unlike the T56
maximum rotational speed of 19,320 rpm) with a 14 stage the high-pressure compressor discharge air flowed single pass

Figure 10 Layout of T78 recuperated turboprop engine

Source: Allison Engine Company

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Figure 11 Overall assembly of T78 recuperated turboprop engine

Source: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch


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inside the tubes. This resulted in a longer recuperator, but pack assemblies. Tunnels separated the cold and hot flows
with a reduced diameter as noted on Table II. with piston rings for sealing the toroidal circumference, and
This engine configuration embodied a recuperator hot gas segmented rings for the inner and outer diameters.
by-pass valve in the centre of the annular tube bundle. The Designed with an effectiveness of about 0.85, to give an SFC
T78 was thus a dual purpose engine. It could be operated in on the order of 0.40 lb/hp h, (0.24 kg/kW h) a running time of
the recuperated mode for maximum economy cruising, or several hundred hours was accumulated on a regenerator test
with the valve open the exhaust gas pressure drop was rig, and a good understanding of how to minimize seal leakage
reduced permitting a higher level of power at take-off, and for was realized. The installation of this type of heat exchanger
high-altitude operation. results in a somewhat awkward arrangement in terms of engine
With a recuperator effectiveness of 0.74, the projected SFC architecture and gas flow paths, and this type of regenerator was
was about 0.40 lb/hp h, (0.24 kg/kW h) and the engine had a not deployed or replicated.
specific weight on the order of 2.64 hp/lb (4.34 kW/kg). It was Because of their potential for very high effectiveness,
projected (Lancaster, 1976) that when fully optimized an regenerators of varying types continued to be intermittently
engine of this type had the potential for an attractive SFC of studied for different aeroengine types as briefly mentioned in
0.35 lb/hp h (0.21 kg/kW h). Part II of this paper.
This interesting engine was demonstrated, but never carried
into full development or production. Because of its specialized 6. Development of recuperated turboshaft
application for a ASW patrol aircraft (believed to be the
Lockheed P-3 Orion at the time) it was thought that only a
engines
relatively few aircraft would be built, and the attendant In addition to the above activities in the turboprop field, there
development and cost of a recuperated turboprop engine was interest in how to improve the performance of helicopter
would be high, and thus it did not enter service in the mid- turboshaft engines, particularly for small units with lower
1960s. Another factor, surely of concern in this era, was the simple-cycle efficiency (Weidhuner, 1966; Fabri, 1971;
issue of the reliability and long-term structural integrity (i.e. Savostin and Tikhonov, 1966). As will be discussed below,
assurance of remaining leak-tight) of the high-temperature heat development in this field led to the first flight demonstration
exchanger in the severe thermal cycling environment associated of a recuperated engine in the USA.
with an aeroengine. As will be discussed in a later section, this
concern was prevalent for a further two decades or so. 6.1 Test of a Lycoming T53 recuperated engine
The T53 engine was first introduced in 1956 and several
5.3 Pratt & Whitney regenerated T74 engine thousand of these engines have accumulated tens of millions
Compared with the aforementioned vehicular regenerative of hours operation in a variety of military helicopters. A view
gas turbines the much higher pressure ratio in aeroengines of the conventional simple-cycle T53 engine is shown on
increased the difficulty of sealing between the air and gas Figure 13.
streams on the face of a moving heat exchanger matrix, and In 1965, a development programme was undertaken to
different approaches were explored to address this issue. A modify an existing T53 turboshaft engine to include a
novel regenerator was proposed for the T74 engine (Smith, recuperator (USAAVLABS, 1965). Recuperator surface
1963), which was a variant of the PT6 turboprop engine, geometries were evaluated and a plain tube type was
rated in the early 1960s at 600 hp (448 kW). Details of the selected. A cross-counterflow U-tube annular bundle had
regenerated T74 have been reported previously (White, the high-pressure discharge air flowing two-pass inside the
1965), and a view of the engine is shown on Figure 12. tubes, and the hot gas flowing radically outwards in one pass
The rotary toroidal heat exchanger had a doughnut shaped across the tubes. The recuperator was mounted at the turbine
torus that rotated at low speed (Selfors, 1968). The heat exhaust end of the engine as shown on Figure 14.
transfer surface was a 24-mesh screen pack. Sealing was Based on an effectiveness of 0.66, the recuperator was sized
provided by a combination of bulkheads between the screen to give an engine fuel savings of 24 percent over the simple-

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Table II Early propulsion gas turbine heat exchanger features


Modified Lycoming
Engine Bristol Theseus T53-L-9 Modified Allison T56-A-7 Allison T78-A-2 Modified Allison T63-A-5 Engine study
Year 1945 1965 1964 1965 1967 1970
Airflow (lb/s) 30.0 10.7 33.0 33.0 2.8 5.0
Pressure ratio 5.0 6.3 9.25 11.7 6.2 9.0
Recuperator
gas inlet temp.
(8F) 932 1,085 1,260 , 1,300 1,222 1,332
Colin F. McDonald et al.

Effectiveness 0.40 0.66 0.68 0.74 0.60 0.65


Recuperator Rear mounted and integrated with Add-on recuperator Add-on recuperator behind Add-on recuperator behind Bolt-on recuperator above Optimized recuperator
installation engine from onset behind turbine turbine turbine turbine wrapped around engine
Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I

Matrix type Annular Annular Annular Annular Annular Annular


Flow Two-pass cross counterflow Two-pass cross Two-pass cross counterflow Two-pass cross counterflow Two-pass cross counterflow Two-pass cross counterflow
configuration counterflow
Air flow Across tube bundle Inside U-tubes Across tube bundle Single pass inside tubes Single pass inside tubes Single pass inside tubes
Gas flow Single pass inside tubes Single pass outside tubes Single pass inside tubes Across tube bundle Across tube bundle Across tube bundle
Matrix Brazed tubular Brazed tubular Brazed tubular Brazed tubular Brazed tubular Brazed tubular

149
construction
Tube type Flattened, arranged in involute pattern Plain tube Dimpled tube Dimpled tube Dimpled tube Dimpled tube
Tube number 1,700 1,920 15,000 4,172 5,490 4,800
Tube diameter
(in.) 0.625 0.25 0.25 0.217 0.10 0.10
Tube wall
thickness (in.) 0.012 0.007 0.005 0.004 0.004 0.004
Matrix outer
diameter(in.) 45.0 32.0 48.0 35.0 14.5 21.0
Matrix inner
diameter (in.) 16.0 17.0 26.0 ,21.0 9.3 16.0
Matrix length
(in.) 31.0 40.0 18.5 ,65.0 9.8 16.2
Matrix weight
(lb) 500 224 320 424 51 76
Recuperator High-turbine outlet temperature More complex and Excessive recuperator diameter Superior smaller diamenter Recuperator performed trouble- Recuperator design
development caused brazed tube joints to fall during heavier U-tube type because of flow configuration matrix used for engine free during 50 h helicopter flight represented late 1960s
Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

experience initial engine test bundle not replicated not replicated demonstration test worthiness test technology state-of-the art
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Recuperated gas turbine aeroengines, part I Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology: An International Journal
Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

Figure 12 T74 engine with toroidal rotary regenerator


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Source: Pratt and Whitney Company

Figure 13 Simple-cycle T53 turboshaft gas turbine layout

Source: Avco Lycoming

cycle engine at an engine power rating of 75 percent. The flown in aircraft or helicopters, and in the USA this was
engine, with a specific weight of 1.36 hp/lb (2.24 kW/kg) was recognized to be vitally needed (Kailos, 1967).
built and tested but not deployed for helicopter service. The next step to verify the validity of a recuperated
turboshaft propulsion engine was to initiate a programme
6.2 Flight test of Allison recuperated T63 engine leading to a flight demonstration test. An engine with a lower
As outlined in previous sections, several simple-cycle engines power output than the ones described previously was
were modified to include recuperators, and while these recommended. The Allison 250 turboshaft is well known,
experimental engines were built and tested, they were not test and more than 28,000 have been produced for civil and

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Figure 14 T53 turboshaft engine with tubular recuperator

Source: Avco Lycoming


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military applications. A view of this simple-cycle engine is In evaluating this engine, one means considered to enhance
given on Figure 15. The military version of the Model 250 performance was the use of a heat recovery exchanger (Wetzler,
engine, designated T63 was first utilized by the US Army to 1965). Initially, both regenerators and recuperators were
power the OH-58 light observation helicopter. considered and heat exchangers of both types were fabricated.

Figure 15 Simple-cycle Allison Model 250 helicopter turboshaft engine

Source: Allison Engine Company

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The Allison regenerative engine concept PD-81, based on the completed with no problems encountered. A noise level test
Model 250 engine is shown on Figure 16. A regenerative version revealed a reduction between one and three decibels
of the Model 250 engine (Figure 17) was run but not test flown. compared with the simple-cycle engine installed in the same
One of the reasons that a T63 engine was selected for heat helicopter.
exchanged demonstration was that its gas flow paths were Visual inspection and pressure testing of the recuperators
amenable to a bolted-on recuperator, and focus was put on after the flight test showed no evidence of deterioration. The
this variant. Two annular tubular recuperator modules were tear-down inspection of the engine did not reveal any serious
mounted above the turbomachinery as shown on Figure 18. discrepancies, and all parts were in excellent condition.
Taking advantage of the findings from previous work, a two-pass An important finding from this flight test of a helicopter
cross-counterflow arrangement was selected with the high- powered solely by a recuperated turboshaft engine was that the
pressure compressor discharge air flowing single pass inside the addition of a recuperator to this small engine significantly
tubes. Compared with the previous recuperators, a more reduced its fuel consumption, and this increased the maximum
compact dimpled-tube surface geometry was utilized, and with range of the helicopter by 25.7 percent (Privoznik, 1968b).
an effectiveness of 0.60, each recuperator module weighed Addition of the recuperator lowered the exhaust temperature by
25 lbs (11.3 kg.). Installation of the recuperator modules 320F (160C). As a result the infrared signature of this military
increased the weight of the simple-cycle engine by about helicopter would be significantly lowered.
40 percent. A direct weight comparison cannot be made of the During this project, no problems were encountered and it
recuperated engines highlighted on Table I, because available was concluded that a recuperated turboshaft engine would be
open literature data were not definitive regarding inclusion or no more susceptible to performance degradation than the
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exclusion of components such as the gearbox, and various standard T63 engine.
externally mounted accessories (e.g. fuel and oil pumps, The October 20, 1967 flight of the recuperated T63 was a
controls, starter, etc.). significant accomplishment and stands alone to the authors
Testing of the recuperated engine was thorough and knowledge. Alas, no further flight tests of a recuperated
included performance, duration and environmental engine providing the sole source of power for an aircraft were
evaluation during over 150 h of testing, which included 278 undertaken in the USA in the remainder of the twentieth
starts and approximately 4,500 accelerations (Privoznik, century.
1968a). At the end of this testing period, no engine
performance degradation was detected. There was no 7. Early recuperator technology status
evidence of carbon build-up in the recuperators, and only a
light soot deposit on the tubes was observed. In the 1960s, significant advances were made in reducing the
The recuperated T63 engine was installed in a YOH-6A SFC in both aviation and industrial gas turbines. This was
helicopter (Figure 19) and a 50 h flight worthiness test was achieved by using higher pressure ratios, and on-going
improved compressor and turbine aerothermal design,
increased turbine inlet temperature resulting from more
Figure 16 Allison PD-81 regenerative engine concept based on the sophisticated turbine blade cooling, material advancements,
Model 250 and improved mechanical design.
The same cannot really be said for advancements in high-
temperature heat exchanger technology in this time frame. In
the 1960s and the 1970s, a variety of heat transfer surfaces were
considered, mainly for small gas turbines, but advancing the
recuperator state-of-the-art was modest, and essentially aimed
at low-pressure ratio engines for vehicular applications.
However, these never proceeded beyond the development
phase because of high cost, and the continuing performance
advancements being made by spark-ignition and diesel engines.
The evolution of gas turbine recuperators for various surface
geometries has been addressed previously (McDonald, 1999),
and is briefly discussed in the following sections.

7.1 Primary surface geometry recuperators


The simplicity of formed flat plate heat exchangers, in which a
matrix is assembled from a stack of cells, and leak tight seals
made at their periphery by welding, appealed to early
gas turbine heat exchanger designers, and development work
was initiated in the UK in the 1950s (Hryniszak, 1958). With
this type of construction, direct forced convection between
the two fluid streams takes place across a simple metallic
boundary without the need for finned secondary surfaces.
Compact surface geometries, involving small hydraulic
diameter passages, can be realized, and low cost was
projected since this type of construction obviates the need
for a time consuming brazing operation in a high-temperature
Source: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch furnace.

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Figure 17 Allison regenerative engine based on the Model 250


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Source: Rolls-Royce Heritage Trust, Allison Branch

Figure 18 T63 helicopter turboshaft engine with twin tubular bolt-on recuperator modules

Source: Allison Engine Company

However; early developments of this potentially light weight surface recuperators with good performance and structural
type of recuperator did not match up to expectations because integrity were developed and these are addressed in Part II of
of thermal stress problems. Failures in the matrix due to this paper.
cracking resulted in unacceptable leakage in early small
experimental automotive gas turbine engines (Barnard, 7.2 Plate-Fin surface geometry recuperator
2003), and further work in the 1960s on this type of fixed- A large heat transfer data base exists for a variety of plate-fin
boundary heat exchanger was not undertaken. However; it surface geometries (Kays and London, 1964), and heat
was not forgotten and several decades later compact primary exchangers of this type have been used for a wide range of

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Figure 19 YOH-6A helicopter with recuperated T63 turboshaft engine installed


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Source: US Army

applications (Howard, 1976). For gas turbine service, the case tubular geometries offered the lowest weight solution
severe thermal cyclic environment (e.g. during start-up, (Dyste, 1962), and had arrangements that were compatible
shutdown, and power change) posed major problems for early with the gas flow paths in early radial and axial flow turboshaft
plate-fin types of construction. Fabrication consists of and turboprop engines.
stacking the corrugated secondary surfaces, the separating As highlighted on Table II, the initial aeroengine
tube sheets, solid peripheral sealing bars and the braze alloy recuperators used embodied plain surface tubular
sheets, in a jig fixture. This assembly is then brazed in an inert geometries. These were later replaced with ring-dimpled
atmosphere in a high-temperature furnace to form the heat tubes. Operating in the laminar and transition Reynolds
exchanger matrix. number regimes, local dimpling of the tubes caused boundary
During engine thermal transients, the thermal inertia layer disturbance, with resultant enhancement of heat transfer
incompatibility between the thin foils and the heavier sealing coefficients, particularly for flow inside the small diameter
sections introduced thermal stresses. In service, these led to tubes (Chen et al., 2001). While other enhancement means,
metal cracking and matrix distortion (Weaving, 1962). The such as roughened surfaces, ribs, knurling and spiral inserts,
resultant leakage from this type of failure caused loss of engine have been examined it has been found that in terms of both
performance, and this occurred through much of the early 1960s. heat transfer and pumping power, ring-dimpling is the
Also in this time frame, combustor technology had not simplest and most cost-effective, and is used in a variety of
completely eliminated soot in the gas turbine exhaust. heat exchangers today, particularly for aerospace applications.
Resultant fouling was particularly noticeable in compact It is germane to mention in the time frame of engines
plate-fin recuperators, and often carbon deposited in the small covered in this paper that for industrial and vehicular gas
hydraulic diameter passages of the matrix caused an increase turbine recuperators, where minimizing the heat exchanger
in pressure drop and loss of engine performance (McDonald, weight was not paramount, plate-fin geometries were
1968). In extreme cases, carbon build up led to metal fires in dominant, essentially based on cost considerations. Small
the recuperator matrix (McDonald, 1969). The higher weight diameter, thin-walled superalloy tubes have a high cost
of plate-fin variants, together with concerns about their (Dyste, 1966), and this limited their use for most
structural integrity, were the major factors that precluded applications.
their use in the recuperated aeroengines highlighted on Table From Table II, it can be seen that for the different engines,
I, that were experimentally tested in the 1960s. changes were made to the recuperator flow configuration and
tube size. In the case of the former, having the low-pressure
7.3 Tubular surface geometry recuperator exhaust gas flowing outside and across the tube bundle had
Optimization studies performed over the years for low advantages, which included a smaller matrix diameter,
effectiveness recuperated aeroengines showed, that in every reduced shell and manifold weight, and permitted thinner

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Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

tube walls when loaded in tension with internal pressure, than Figure 21 Tubular heat exchanged matrix (one of two) for T63
for earlier designs where buckling was a factor for tubes recuperated turboshaft engine
loaded in compression (McDonald, 1972).
Over the years, fabrication considerations permitted the use
of smaller diameter tubes resulting in increased surface
compactness. The two-pass cross-counterflow recuperator
shown on Figure 20 for the Allison T78 turboprop engine
embodied dimpled tubes with an outer diameter and of
0.217 in. (5.5 mm) and 0.004 in. (0.10 mm) wall thickness.
For the Allison T63 turboshaft engine, that was test flown in a
helicopter, the annular recuperator shown on Figure 21 had
dimpled tubes with an outer diameter and wall thickness of
0.10 (2.5 mm) and 0.004 in. (0.10 mm), respectively. To the
authors knowledge, these represent close to the lower limits,
even to this day for high-temperature brazed gas turbine
recuperator designs based on cost, practical geometrical
matrix proportions (i.e. frontal area and flow length), and
fabrication considerations. Source: Garrett Corporation
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8. Summary
With expectation that in coming years the cost of aviation fuel thermodynamic cycles and engine architecture approaches to
will increase significantly, and with ever increasing demands improve the efficiency of future propulsion gas turbines are
to reduce aeroengine emissions, several non-conventional being actively explored, and one of the options includes
recuperation and intercooling. In this regard, it is of interest
to note that the first recuperated turboprop engine was tested
over six decades ago! Clearly, it was ahead of its time in terms
Figure 20 Tubular heat exchanger assembly for recuperated T78 of technology readiness, but it did illustrate innovativeness on
turboprop engine the part of the Theseus engine designers to explore the
potential benefits associated with a more complex
thermodynamic cycle and engine architecture.
In light of the current interest in heat-exchanged aviation
engines in Europe, particularly turbofans, Part I of this paper
has reviewed projects undertaken on pioneering recuperated
propulsion gas turbines in the 1960s that actually involved the
fabrication and testing of several machines. These engines,
essentially for potential military applications, included
turboprop and turboshaft variants, and salient features of
them are highlighted on Table I. In this era of gas turbine
evolution, all of the engines considered had fairly low levels of
compressor pressure ratio.
Various types of recuperator surface geometries and types of
construction were evaluated, and since minimizing the weight
of the heat exchanger was of the essence, light weight tubular
configurations were selected for all of the engines modified for
recuperation. The level of effectiveness for propulsion
engines, based on parasitic heat exchanger weight and size
considerations was in the range of 0.60-0.75, the actual value
depending on the mission profile of course. The major
advantage of the recuperated over the simple Brayton cycle
was the improved SFC at part power, where much of the
engine operational time would be spent for long-range patrol
aircraft and helicopters.
A significant achievement was realised in 1967 when an
Allison T63 engine was modified to include a recuperator.
This engine was installed in a light observation helicopter and
a 50 h flight worthiness was successfully completed. To the
authors knowledge, based on open-literature sources, this is
the only manned flight test of an aircraft, with a recuperated
gas turbine as its sole source of propulsion, undertaken to
date in the West.
The flight test of this small turboshaft engine with a
Source: Garrett Corporation bolted-on recuperator was trouble-free, and the reduced

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Colin F. McDonald et al. Volume 80 Number 2 2008 139 157

fuel consumption increased the maximum range of the Anderton, D.A. (1964), Allisons third generation
helicopter by 25.7 percent compared with the simple-cycle turboprop, American Aviation, January, pp. 57-9.
engine. Additional benefits were also realized, including a Aviation (1946), Design details of the Bristol Theseus
slightly reduced noise level, and with a reduction in exhaust Turboprop, Aviation, January, pp. 53-5.
temperature of 320F (160C) a projection was made that Aviation Week & Space Technology (2004), T56 Gets a
infrared signature from the helicopter would be significantly Makeover, A Division of the McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.,
reduced. New York, NY, 13 September, p. 60.
While over 200 h of testing were accumulated on this first- Aviation Week & Space Technology (2007), Aviation Gas
of-a-kind engine, there were still some nagging doubts about Turbine Specifications, A Division of The McGraw-Hill
the long-term structural integrity and reliability of the least Companies Inc., New York, NY, 15 January, pp. 134-49.
well developed component, namely the recuperator, and no Barnard, M.C.S. (2003), Pistons to blades: small gas turbine
further engine conversions were made. In addition, for a given developments by the Rover Company, Rolls-Royce Trust
mission flight time, the fuel saved was not regarded as an Historical Series No. 34.
important economic operating factor in an era of very low-fuel Beam, P.E. and Cutler, R.E. (1964), Test of a regenerative
cost. turboprop aircraft engine, SAE Paper 807A.
The experience gained from the various developmental Beam, P.E. et al., (1964), Regenerative turboprop promise
recuperated aviation engines tested in the 1960s was endurance payload hikes, SAE Journal, April, pp. 62-5.
beneficial in several areas leading to the following: Brock, J.E. and Gershon, I.J. (1964), Application of
.
evolution of an optimized engine which was designed from regenerative engines to projected air force missions, SAE
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the onset with an integral recuperator; and Paper 807C.


.
for the heat exchanger industry to identify a recuperator of Chapman, G.E. (1964), The aircraft regenerative turbine
smaller size and lighter weight with improved performance engine: where now?, SAE Paper 8698.
and structural integrity for high temperature service in a Chen, J. et al. (2001), Heat transfer enhancement in dimpled
thermally cyclic gas turbine environment. tubes, Journal of Applied Thermal Energy, Vol. 21 No. 25,
pp. 535-47.
The first of these recommendations was addressed in a study Crockett, H.B. and Field, R.E. (1965), Regenerator enhance
done in 1970 (McDonald, 1970), and details of an optimized patrol aircraft capability, SAE Paper 973.
compact and light weight turboshaft engine in the 1,000 hp Crockett, H.B. et al. (1965), Regeneration aids fuel economy
(746 kW) class are given in the right hand column of Table I. of aircraft turbine engine, SAE Journal, September,
While emphasis in Part I of this paper has been on early pp. 64-7.
engine programmes involving recuperator hardware Cutler, R.E. and Spears, E.W. (1964a), Design problems of a
development, it was felt to be germane to include this regenerative turboprop engine, ASME Paper 64-GTP-13.
column so that a direct comparison could be made between Cutler, R.E. and Spears, E.W. (1964b), Regeneration for an
an optimized recuperated turboshaft engine and earlier ones aircraft engine, Mechanical Engineering, October,
in which modifications were essentially made to conventional pp. 26-31.
state-of-the-art simple-cycle engines to include a bolted-on Dyste, N.L. (1962), Recuperators for long-duration aircraft
recuperator. It is noteworthy to mention here that the engines, SAE Paper 589C.
optimized engine design study showed significant Dyste, N.L. (1966), Economic and design aspects of gas
improvements in both SFC and engine specific weight turbine recuperators, SAE Paper 660019.
compared with the four engines tested in the mid-1960s. Ethell, J. and Price, A. (1979), The German Jets in Combat,
Details of this optimized recuperated turboshaft engine based Janes Publishing Inc., New York, NY.
on late 1960s technology are included in Part II of this paper. Fabri, J. (1971), Small gas turbines for helicopters and
In closing, the purpose of Part I of this paper was essentially surface transportation, AGARD Report LS-46.
aimed at compiling data (including an extensive bibliography) Finch, V.C. (1950), Jet Propulsion Turboprops, The National
from several experimental recuperated aeroengines that were Press, Millbrae, CA.
tested four decades ago. At that time, focus was on turboprop Fortescue, P. (2004), personal communication, La Jolla,
and turboshaft variants, but today there is interest in the San Diego, CA, May 22.
potential of using heat exchangers for large turbofan engines Gunston, B. (1995), The Development of Jet and Aero Engines,
(Norris, 2003). Because of their very high-compressor Haynes Publishing Group, Somerset.
pressure ratios, intercooling together with recuperation is Howard, C.P. (1976), Heat exchangers, Sawyers Gas
Turbine Engineering Handbook, Chapter 6, Gas Turbine
required. This renewed interest in heat exchanged propulsion
Publishers Inc., Waukesha, WI, pp. 68-75.
engines today is mainly to the address the need for
Hryniszak, W. (1958), Heat Exchangers for Gas Turbine
significantly reduced fuel burn because of high-fuel cost,
Applications, Academic Press Inc., New York, NY.
reduced emissions, and lower noise levels. The potential for
Jensen, D.T. and Leonard, J. (2002), Forgotten Allison
heat exchanged propulsion engines entering service in the
engines, AIAA Paper 2002-3566.
next one to two decades is addressed in Part III of this paper.
Kailos, S. (1967), Increased helicopter capability through
advanced power plant technology, paper 119 presented at
American Helicopter Society Meeting, Washington,
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Corresponding author
program, paper 212 presented at American Helicopter Colin F. McDonald can be contacted at: kmcdona1@
Society Meeting, Washington DC. san.rr.com

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