Gas turbine combustor design involves the calculation of parameters like gas mass flow rates, pressure drops, flame tube heat gains and losses, annulus heat addition, combustion equilibrium mixture compositions and temperatures.
Application of the network approach to the modelling of three combustor types, i.e. two annular- and a reverse flow combustor, is discussed in this case study. The network method effectively deals with complicated and unusual geometries, is not prone to numerical difficulties, and has the advantage of rapid execution. It removes many limitations placed by conventional semi-empirical modelling techniques. It may be applied to model all conceivable combustor types. It is shown that simulation results obtained with the network approach closely match those obtained experimentally, as well as by a thoroughly validated industrial one-dimensional combustor code “CODAS”.