The Gas Turbine of the Future

Philip J. Haley Rolls-Royce Corporation Indianapolis, Indiana

December 4, 2000

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Workshop: Goals and Technologies for Future Gas Turbine Engines Technologies Are Only Important As They Service The Goals The Goals Are Set By:
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The Customers The Regulators The Competitors

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Our Commercial Customers Want:

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Low Price (To Acquire, Operate, and Support) Predictability of Engine Maintenance Regulatory (Environmental) Compliance Safety

Our Military Customers Want:

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Affordability (T/W, SFC, Flight Envelope, C.O.O. - 70%) C.O.O. = Development, Production, O & S Global Reach, Global Power Reliability, Flexibility, Survivability

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Unanticipated Developments Which Could Cause Technology Re-Directions:

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Sudden Environmental Regulatory Changes World Economics Changes Public Reactions to Perceived Safety Issues Military Skirmishes, Wars

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Business Drivers Impacting Technology Development
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Historically, Governments Have Been the Leading Technology Sponsors n Military Needs Pushed Envelopes n Shifting to Common Core, Joint (with Civil) Development Themes High Development/Certification Costs n Conflict With Stockholder Needs n Strategic Partnerships Help Address High Costs of Technical Competence n Industry Consolidation n Partnering With Universities n Outsourcing Customers (Civil and Military) Needs For Price/Affordability Exacerbate Stress on Technology Funds

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Some Key Technologies Likely to Change Further l Configuration, Design l Acoustics l Combustion/Emissions l Controls & Diagnostics l Cooling l Materials & Processing

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Propfans provide high propulsive efficiency
90 80 Installed propulsive 70 efficiency, % 60
Modern Turbofan Prop fans Single rotation Counter rotation

Turboprop Prop

50 0.5

0.6 0.7 Flight mach number

0.8

0.9

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More electric engine
1000 oF Radial Magnetic Bearing

Complex mechanical powertrain replaced by electrical power bus Internal Starter Generator

Magnetic Bearings

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Aircraft noise issues
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Community noise levels in the vicinity of airports represent a growth barrier for commercial aviation.
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More restrictive certification noise levels for aircraft will be implemented in 2003 70 % of the current commercial fleet, including some of the newest models, will be unable to comply with the most restrictive rule change under consideration

Local airport regulations restrict access and levy heavier user fees on noisier aircraft Noise abatement operational procedures result in millions of dollars of additional expense to the airlines yearly in terms of fuel and crew costs

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Aircraft noise issues (Continued)
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Lowering noise levels of the best current aircraft with todays technology would lead to oversize, derated powerplants.

Other technology areas have potential for negative impact upon noise.
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Reduced emissions combustion systems Highly loaded turbomachinery

Dramatic reductions in engine noise will require fundamental changes to engine cycle and component architecture.
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Drastically reduced exhaust velocities to control jet mixing noise Fan designed for subsonic rotational speeds to eliminate noise related to rotating shocks

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Forward Swept Fan Reduced Buzzsaw tones - shock retention Reduced BPF tones - increased R-S spacing Requires high strength, low density material Optimized Forced Mixer Reduced jet mixing noise

Proprietary cross section deleted Improved Acoustic Liner Wider bandwidth Optimum placement Active/adaptive control Reduced Airfoil Count Swept OGV Reduced BPF tones Alternate Cycles Reduced Fan broadband noise UHBR, Geared Fans reduced vane count Eliminate jet noise,minimize fan noise Requires advanced materials, lightweight gear systems

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GAS TURBINE EMISSIONS ARE REGULATED TO INCREASINGLY STRINGENT LEVELS, IN BOTH AIRCRAFT AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
Aircraft Industrial CAEP 2 25 ppm NOx CAEP 4 Cruise and Climb Emissions Limits 15/9 ppm NOx 9/5 ppm NOx

2000

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

APPROACHES
Advanced Fuel Mixers Novel Configurations (i.e. Variable Geometry, Fuel Staging) Advanced Cooling Instability & Noise Control Methods

Advanced analytical combustor design system

SIGNIFICANTLY MORE ACCURATE MODELS (Turbulence/Chemistry, Spray, Atomization, etc)
PROBABILITY DENSITY FUNCTION METHOD
LEAN PREMIXED LOW EMISSIONS C OMBU STOR
P DF MODEL RE S ULTS

3D FLOW ANALYSES WITH ROLLS-ROYCE PRECISE

Exit Temperature Traverse

Comb us to r

Te m pe rature (K)
1 60 0 1 40 0 1 20 0 1 00 0 8 00 6 00 4 00

Pre mixin g Mod ule R a dia l Swirle r

CONVENTIONAL (EBU) MODEL

Te mp e rature (K)
1 60 0 1 40 0 1 20 0 1 00 0 8 00 6 00 4 00

Conventional Models Fail for Premixed Combustors COMPREHENSIVE FUEL INJECTION MODEL
S pra y dis pers io n S e co ndary a to miza tio n Main fuel Air Lig am ents Multico mpo ne nt Fuel Eva po ra tio n Air Pilo t fue l

Filming

All Key Liquid Fuel Spray Processes Modeled

Accurate Simulation of Production Combustors

MSA-cds2

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Premixed/prevaporized combustion system

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Controls and diagnostics offer payoffs towards key customer - driven goals
Themes:

Simplicity Yields Reliability and Low Cost Advanced Diagnostics Predict Maintenance Needs Active Controls Improve Performance and Life Distributed Controls Using Low-Cost Electronics Sensors for Fundamental Parameters and Health Monitoring Non-Linear Engine Models to Minimize Sensors Fuel Pump/Metering Simplicity, Robustness, and Safety Diagnostics/Prognostics for Performance Trending Intelligent Sensing of Operator Intent Active Controls: Turbine Tip Clearance, Mag Bearings, Combustion Stability, Compressor Stall, Vibration, Multivariable Integration

Likely Technical Developments:

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Turbine cooling technology has greatly enabled performance & reliability

Relative Temperature Capability

Single Crystal Transpirational Cooling Castcool

0.8

Advanced Film Cooling Film cooling 0.4 Impingement Cooling Radial Cooling 0.2 Uncooled

0 1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

2010

2020

Cost ($)

0.6

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Materials remain the single greatest barrier, and enabler, for gas turbine performance.
Thrust/weight has increased 4X+ since 1950 - materials are single greatest contributor Reliability and cost are materials driven, and integrally interwoven with performance. The time lapse between major materials innovation and application is typically 15-25 years.

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Coatings will continue to yield high payoffs against oxidation, corrosion, and erosion.

VSJ-1723

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Turbine temperature progression reflects materials, cooling design, and aerodynamics Coated Turbine Blades Uncooled Turbine Blades Cooled Turbine Blades Demonstrator Technology

Temperature capability

Production Technology CMC(?) SC NiAI

Cast Alloys Wrought Alloys 1940 1960 1980

SC Cast DS Cast Alloys Alloys

2000

2020

Year

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Metal matrix composites can yield significant weight payoffs.

AADC IHPTET compressor featuring Ti mmc blings

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Ceramics offer potential step jumps in temperature and weight, but significant design challenges

Si3N4 turbine rotor after 1000-hour cyclic durability test

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Cycle Suspension/Lubrication Environmental Controls & Diagnostics Materials Predictability Minimized C.O.O.