Thermal Crystal Temperature Characterization in a High Temperature, High Pressure Combustion Test Rig

Advancement towards higher efficiency aviation propulsion systems is pushing the gas turbine industry towards smaller cores and higher overall pressure ratios (OPR). However, the move towards smaller core, higher OPR engines means embracing higher power densities in the combustor and consequently more challenging thermal management. Experimental research to study combustor liner thermal management requires temperature and heat flux measurements at relevant operating conditions, which is challenging with conventional instrumentation even in rig tests. This paper overviews the development of a single sector combustion test rig designed specifically for operation at future high OPR takeoff conditions. This includes a facility expansion at the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab to increase the air preheat capability. The test article includes a rich quench lean (RQL) style combustor liner with Floatwall panels. Several sets of replaceable combustor liner Floatwall panels were instrumented with Uniform Crystal Temperature Sensors (UCTS) and thermocouples at strategic locations. These combustor liner panel sets were hot fire tested and analyzed for peak temperature and temperature history data. This paper details the new rig for future papers to come, it provides an overview of the inaugural thermal crystal test firing, and details the analysis and results from these initial tests.