LAUSR

Abstract The power-weight ratio is an important feature of a gas turbine used in transportation applications. However, while the ultra-compact combustion mode shows good application prospects, achieving high-efficiency and low-resistance combustion in an ultra-compact space at high air velocities remains a major challenge. A new ultra-compact combustion mode was proposed in this paper to further increase the configurable compactness with improvements to the flow and combustion characteristics. The relationships of the flow and combustion characteristics with the combustor configuration were numerically investigated in detail, and the calculation model was verified experimentally. This study focused on the configurable factors of the combustor components related to the major combustion zone, including the mainstream flame holder, the radial cavity, the fuel injector, and the diffusion channel. The results showed that rapid fuel-air blending and high-efficiency combustion were achieved under the condition of an ultra-compact space and a high air injection velocity. The adoption of a streamlined flame holder with a radial cavity and the integration of a simple fuel injector with a flame holder were very effective at simultaneously improving the configurable compactness and combustion characteristics without increasing the flow resistance, and these achievements are significant for improving the power-weight ratio of gas turbines.