Comparison of Piston Concept Design Solutions for Composite Cycle Engines Part II: Design Considerations

Abstract

Hecto pressure composite cycle engines with piston engines and piston compressors are potential alternatives to advanced gas turbine engines. The nondimensional groups limiting their design have been introduced and generally discussed in Part I [1]. Further discussion shows, that the ratio of effective power to piston surface characterizes the piston thermal surface load capability. The piston design and the piston cooling technology level limit its range of values. Reynolds number and the required ratio of advective to diffusive material transport limit the stroke-to-bore ratio. Torsional frequency sets a limit to crankshaft length and hence cylinder number. A rule based preliminary design system for composite cycle engines is presented. Its piston engine design part is validated against data of existing piston engines. It is used to explore the design space of piston components. The piston engine design space is limited by mechanical feasibility and the crankshaft overlap resulting in a minimum stroke-to-bore ratio. An empirical limitation on stroke-to-bore ratio is based on existing piston engine designs. It limits the design space further. Piston compressor design does not limit the piston engine design but is strongly linked to it. The preliminary design system is applied to a composite cycle engines of 22MW take-off shaft power, flying a 1000km mission. It features three 12-cylinder piston engines and three 20-cylinder piston compressors. Its specific fuel consumption and mission fuel burn are compared to an intercooled gas turbine with pressure gain combustion of similar technology readiness.