Study on Micro-Turbine Engine’s Characteristics During Windmill Starting Process

This paper examines the performance characteristics of a certain model of micro-turbine jet engine during windmill starting process, on the basis of numerical simulation and experimentation. First, the rotor’s comprehensive mechanical loss at various rotation rates below idling speed can be generated through the combination of the cold blowing experiments on turbine-less rotor system and the numerical simulation upon compressor under related in-flow Mach numbers. Given the rotor’s comprehensive mechanical loss, cold blowing experiments on the whole micro-turbine jet engine bring out the whole engine’s balance characteristics at various Mach numbers below idling speed, via the numerical simulation upon compressor and turbine. Moreover, based on numerical simulation and experimentation, the influence of propane ignition time and propane pressure upon engine rotation speed and combustion chamber temperature is studied to meet the demand of combustion in the shortest possible time, as well as confirm the minimum required propane. Further experiments show the optimal jet fuel supply time and pattern that bring the micro-turbine jet engine to idling status within the minimum time, and also reveal the minimum windmill starting time at various in-flow Mach numbers, as well as the minimum Mach number for windmill start.