Session: 06-12 Pressure gain combustion II

Submission Number: 176860

Integration of a Deflagrative Pressure Gain Combustor Into an Industrial Gas Turbine: Modeling and Performance Analysis 

Pressure Gain Combustion (PGC) has emerged as a promising pathway to improve gas turbine efficiency by achieving a positive stagnation pressure rise across the combustor. This study presents a numerical investigation of a deflagrative PGC concept inspired by pistonless internal combustion engines. A one-dimensional combustor model was developed in GT-Power and calibrated using experimental data from a hydrogen–methane blend campaign. The calibration strategy relied on defining burn rate curves as a function of the mixture hydrogen content, enabling the extrapolation to pure methane operation. This approach was validated against experimental intermediate blends results and it showed to reliably reproduce measured pressure traces. The validated combustor model was then integrated into a detailed representation of a two-shaft industrial gas turbine using manufacturer performance maps. The objective was to evaluate how an existing industrial engine would perform when operated with a pulsating combustor. Two operating scenarios were investigated: maintaining the same mass-averaged turbine inlet temperature (TIT) and matching the same net power output as the conventional configuration. Both cases demonstrated a clear pressure gain (up to 14%) allowing a reduced compressor pressure ratio while raising turbine inlet pressures. Although moderate efficiency penalties are observed in the low pressure turbine due to pulsating inlet conditions, the overall cycle efficiency improved significantly, up to 10%. The relatively smooth, low frequency pulsations mitigate turbomachinery penalties, demonstrating the theoretical feasibility of retrofitting PGC technology into gas turbines under realistic operating conditions.

Presenting Author: Claretta Tempesti Università degli Studi di Firenze

Presenting Author Biography: Claretta Tempesti graduated in Energy Engineering at the University of Pisa in 2020. She received her PhD in the Department of Industrial Engineering at the University of Florence this year and is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher. Her PhD work focused on a combined experimental and numerical approach for the development of a deflagrative-based Pressure Gain Combustor.

Authors:

Claretta Tempesti Università degli Studi di Firenze
Luca Romani Università degli Studi di Firenze
Fabio Ciccateri Finno Exergy
Giovanni Ferrara Università degli Studi di Firenze