Pressure-Gain Combustion for Gas Turbines

Pressure Gain Combustion (PGC) is under investigation as a means to improve the thermal efficiency of gas turbines. PGC is a fundamentally unsteady combustion process which, through some means of confinement, raises the total pressure of the working fluid relative to the initial process state. When implemented in a combustor it yields a total pressure gain across the device instead of the typical loss seen in a conventional combustor. This pressure gain can significantly improve gas turbine performance. The tutorial will provide an introduction to the concept of PGC. It will begin with a process description in fundamental thermodynamic terms, and will quantify potential benefits. The majority of the presentation will describe the various approaches to implementation that are under investigation by the PGC.