Numerical prediction of GTD-350 turboshaft engine combustor deterioration

The aim of this article is to describe the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model for turboshaft combustor chamber deterioration analysis. To show advantages of the proposed approach the test bench of GTD-350 turboshaft engine operating at the Institute of Heat Engineering, Warsaw University of Technology was used as an example. The CFD modelling of the reactive flow inside 40º sector of GTD-350 engine section was developed. Proposed modelling technique provides good correlations with experimental data and shows that the combustor front wall soot accumulation is clearly related to the fuel droplets residence time and the oxygen mass fraction. The temperature distribution inside the combustion chamber allows concluding on possible hot distress areas on the combustion chamber liner walls. Engine borescope inspection (BSI) of the compressor, combustion chamber, compressor turbine and power turbine is used to correlate model predictions with a real GTD-350 engine deterioration. Very good correlation of the engine BSI observations with the numerical predictions proves usefulness of the developed model. Finally, advantages and future applications of the developed model are discussed.

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Opracowanie ze środków MNiSW w ramach umowy 812/P-DUN/2016 na działalność upowszechniającą naukę (zadania 2017).