Design and Multi-objective Optimization of Micro Gas Turbine Combustor for Compact Turbogenerator Applications

The use of micro gas turbines is increasing across the application areas due to their high reliability, power density, and fuel flexibility. Hybrid aerial propulsion is a particularly rising area in addition to cogeneration, micro-grids, and grid support-stabilization applications. In this regard, there is a crucial need for compact and efficient combustors that can deliver high power in a lightweight and compact size. The combustor involves complex interactions between phenomena such as turbulent mixing, combustion, and heat transfer; therefore, a practical design requires simultaneous handling of various conflicting performance parameters, often requiring multiple design iterations and successive improvements. This study presents the design and multi-objective optimization of a micro gas turbine combustion chamber using a novel integrated approach to maximize the efficiency of the design process. The results indicate that using the approach significantly improves performance indicators compared to the baseline non-optimized design. The pressure loss is reduced by 4.4% of the total inlet pressure, and the pattern factor is enhanced by 47%, while simultaneously the volumetric dimensions are reduced by 62.27%.