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An analog simulation technique is described which can calculate the behavior of a gas turbine engine and a gas turbine automobile in steady and unsteady operating conditions. The simulation results agreed well with values measured for a research gas turbine. Possible improvements to the components of a future metallic and a ceramic power plant are discussed. The metallic engine could be developed with today’s technology, but the high temperatures proposed for the ceramic gas turbine could be utilized only after the successful development of the appropriate ceramic components. For a 1550-kg automobile, the simulation technique predicts a fuel economy of 14.7 mpg in the FDC and 24.8 mpg in the EPA highway cycle for the metallic engine. For the ceramic gas turbine, the values are 19.1 mpg in the FDC and 28.2 mpg in the EPA highway cycle. Thus, the metallic gas turbine gives a fuel economy approximately comparable to a present Otto engine automobile, and the ceramic gas turbine could give almost 20 percent better values.

A previous simulation of a metallic gas turbine has predicted a fuel economy of 18 mpg in a 1550-kg car Using this engine as reference, the influences of component efficiencies, variable geometry, maximum pressure, temperatures, and output power are analyzed, A fuel economy of 24 mpg could be attained with this metallic engine, if new heat exchanger matrices, ceramic turbine shrouds, materials with somewhat higher temperature capability for turbines, and heat exchanger can be developed and a moderate reduction of car performance is accepted.

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