Aerospace Technic and Technology

The efficiency of air cooling at the inlet of gas turbine engines by exhaust heat conversion chiller, which transforms the GTE exhaust gases heat into cold, under variable climatic operating conditions, has been investigated. Considered is the use of a combined absorption-ejector exhaust heat conversion chiller with a step-by-step principle of air cooling at the gas turbine engines inlet: preliminary down to 15°C – by an absorption lithium-bromide chiller (ACh), which is used as a high-temperature air cooling stage, and further cooling down to 10°C – by a refrigerant ejector chiller (ECh) as a low-temperature cooling stage. Reserves have been identified for reducing the design (installed) refrigeration capacity of chillers by accumulating excess cold at reduced current heat loads with its use at increased heat loads. In this case, the design (installed) refrigeration capacity of chillers was determined by two methods: the first – based on the close to the maximum reduction in annual fuel consumption, the second – according to the maximum rate of increase in the reduction in annual fuel consumption. A scheme of the air cooling system at the gas turbine engines inlet using the refrigeration capacity reserve of the ACh, which provides preliminary cooling of the ambient air at the gas turbine engines inlet, in the booster stage, using the ACh accumulated excess refrigeration capacity has been proposed. The ACh excess refrigerating capacity, which is formed at decreased heat loads on the air coolers at the gas turbine engines inlet, is accumulated in the cold accumulator and is used at increased heat loads. The simulation results show the advisability of using the air cooling system at the gas turbine engine inlet with using the ACh accumulated excess refrigeration capacity, which allows reducing the ACh design (installed) refrigeration capacity by approximately 40%.

air cooling; exhaust heat conversion chiller; heat load; refrigeration capacity reserve; reduction of fuel consumption

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