Exergy indicators of a low-emission aero-engine combustor

Abstract

Purpose It is essential to develop more environment-friendly energy systems to prevent climate change and minimize environmental impact. Within this scope, many studies are performed on performance and environmental assessments of many types of energy systems. This paper, different from previous studies, aims to prove exergy performance of a low-emission combustor of an aero-engine. Design/methodology/approach It is a well-known fact that, with respect to previous exergy analysis, highest exergy destruction occurs in the combustor component of the engine. For this reason, it is required to evaluate a low-emission aero-engine combustor thermodynamically to understand the state of the art according to the authors' best of knowledge. In this framework, combustor has been operated at numerous conditions (variable engine load) and evaluated. Findings As a conclusion of the study, the impact of emission reduction on performance improvement of the aero-engine combustors exergetically is presented. It is stated that exergy efficiency of the low-emission aero-engine combustor is found to be 64.69, 61.95 and 71.97 per cent under various operating conditions. Practical implications Results obtained in this paper may be beneficial for researchers who are interested in combustion and propulsion technology and thermal sciences. Originality/value Different from former studies, the impact of operating conditions on performance of a combustor is examined from the viewpoint of thermodynamics.