Microturbine Wave Compressor Optimal Regimes

The work is devoted to the problem of improving the efficiency of air compression in the compressor of the microturbine installation. The wave compressor in which compression occurs as in a supersonic air intake is investigated. The purpose of the study is to find the region of existence of optimal shock-wave structures at which the stagnation pressure loss in a wave compressor will be minimal. Two cases were studied: compression in a system of two shock waves of the same direction; compression in a centered isentropic wave. The research method combines a numerical experiment with an analytical study of shock-wave structures. Calculations showed that the wave compressor is more efficient than traditional blade machines, if the Mach number at the intake to it is more than 2.2. The regions of existence of shock-wave structures with a reflected discontinuity: a rarefaction wave, a shock wave, and a weak discontinuity are analyzed analytically. The weak reflected discontinuity corresponds to the highest compression efficiency. The study obtained the following most important results. A shock-wave compressor with two shock waves of the same direction can operate at the optimum mode in the range of intake Mach numbers from 2.089 to 2.46. A compression ratio of 5.76 can be obtained in this case. A centered compression wave can provide a compression ratio in one stage up to 10-12 with Mach number from 3.2 to 3.48. At higher degrees of compression, irregular shock-wave structures are formed.