Application of Computational Tools to Analyze and Test Mini Gas Turbine

Performance analysis and testing of the Mini Gas Turbine was carried out in Wentworth Institute of Technology’s Thermodynamics Laboratory. The computational tool allows students to focus on more design-oriented problems. Furthermore, students had the ability to see immediate results to variations of the design conditions as well as different parameters that would affect the mini turbine. This project was carried out as a senior design project (Capstone), the students updated the existing data acquisition system, writing a new data acquisition program in LabVIEW, installing new pressure and temperature sensors, and performing a first and second law of thermodynamics analysis on the engine in Engineering Equation Solver. In order to update the existing data acquisition system, new NI SCB-68 connector blocks were implemented along with NI USB-6251 terminals. The new hardware is operated through a LabVIEW program running on a new laptop designated and mounted to the mini jet turbine housing. Instrumentation, testing, and calibration are the three main milestones for this project As a result, The Inlet Mass Flow Rate numeric indicator value is calculated, not measured. The calculated value is dependent on the measured values of Compressor Inlet Temperature (T1), Compressor Inlet Static Pressure (Ps), and Compressor Inlet Dynamic Pressure (Pt-Ps). However, the pressure, temperature and thrust were tested as a function of RPM. The mini turbine engine is ready to be used in student experimental settings. Feedback from students proves that the use of different tools significantly enhances the student learning experience and encourages the students to use different theory from different courses, make the course more dynamic, and motivate the students to learn the material.