Performance analysis of a rotating detonation turbine engine considering operating condition limitations

Abstract

This paper presents the construction of a thermodynamic model specifically suited for a rotating detonation turbine engine. It takes into account the actual operating conditions of an aircraft engine, including limitations on the turbine inlet temperature. The study investigates the thermodynamic cycle performance, pressure gain characteristics, energy-saving properties, and economy of the rotating detonation turbine engine. The results show that when the compressor pressure ratio remains consistent, the indicators of the rotating detonation turbine engine are better, and the advantages are obvious at low pressure ratio and high turbine inlet temperature. Under the working conditions selected in this paper, the thermal efficiency can be increased by up to 11.5% and the fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 12.8%. When the total pressure ratio of the engine is consistent, the compressor power consumption of the rotating detonation turbine engine is significantly reduced, which can reduce the number of compressor and turbine stages and improve the engine thrust-to-weight ratio. The influence of varying flight conditions on engine performance was also examined, offering guidance for parameter selection across different scenarios. Combined with the numerical calculation results, the engine's thermodynamic model was characterized using the actual rotating detonation process, and the performance of the rotating detonation turbine engine was evaluated more accurately. The results show that the rotating detonation process experienced by the working fluid in the rotating detonation combustor is in good agreement with the Humphrey model. The cycle curve obtained by two-dimensional numerical calculation is basically consistent with the ideal model. The difference in thermal efficiency calculated by the two methods is 0.3% at the minimum and no more than 10% at the maximum.