thermodynamics lab

Lab 8 Gas Turbine Lab

Purpose of lab

➟Use the MiniLab Gas Turbine System to take measurements of an operational gas turbine and relate results the Brayton Cycle.

Background info on engine

This jet turbine being used for this lab is an educational use simplified jet engine manufactured by Turbine technologies. The MiniLab Gas Turbine is a self contained unit for exploring the operations of a jet turbine. The turbine enclosure includes a multitude of sensors so it is possible to quantify the properties of the fluids entering and exiting the turbine.

Materials

· ear protection

· Laptop with pDAQ software

· Jet Engine MiniLab

· CEB Air System and hose

· Timer of some sort

· personal flash drive

Your instructor should have the MiniLab Gas Turbine set up in a safe open area with the exhaust end facing towards a flagged off open area outside. A laptop with proprietary software will be provided.

Setup Procedure:

1. Plug in laptop and Minilab to power source

2. Connect laptop to Minilab with USB cable

3. Hook up CEB Air System to the air inlet on the Mini Lab

4. secure area for jet exhaust and mark off with caution tape

***BE SURE TO READ COMPLETELY THROUGH PROCEDURE BEFORE BEGINNING***

Procedure:

Starting Data Aquisition:

1. Insert key into Minilab and turn on

2. Wait for the multiview LCD to display “ready”

3. Power on laptop

4. On desktop open PDAQ view

5. Click open file configuration (1)

6. Select “factory Config 3 second sample.cfg” (C:/Desktop/minilab)

7. Click the configure data destination button (2)

8. In the file field, name the file as desired

9. Click the “Arm” button (3)

10. Click the “update All Indicators” button (4)

Running The Turbine:

***IF TURBINE DOES NOT START SEE YOUR INSTRUCTOR***

1. MAKE SURE ALL PERSONS ARE CLEAR OF EXHAUST AREA!

2. Press the auto-start button to start the engine

3. Let the jet engine idle for one minute, runtime is displayed on LCD display

4. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 55k RPM.

5. Hold for one minute.

6. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 60k RPM.

7. Hold for one minute.

8. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 65k RPM.

9. Hold for one minute.

10. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 70k RPM.

11. Hold for one minute.

12. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 75k RPM.

13. Hold for one minute.

14. Push up the throttle up slowly until you reach approximately 80k RPM.

15. DO NOT EXCEED 81,000 RPM!

16. Hold for one minute.

17. Return throttle to lower stop.

18. Allow to Idle for 1 minute for cooldown

19. Press the red stop button

20. Wait 1 minute before disarming the trigger in the pDAQ software

Collect information

1. Open jet data output on the desktop

2. Inside this, open the thermolab data folder

3. Open the folder ASCII

4. In this folder open the text document with Microsoft excel

5. Save this open excel document as an .xls workbook document on personal flash drive

Find the ____ [output/input]

Analyze Performance

The Brayton Cycle

The Brayton Cycle is an idealized model for a power plant. It can be used to better understand The performance of a turbine engine. Familiarize yourself with the first section in your book on the Brayton Cycle.

Complete a simple memo form of the lab completing the plots and answering the following questions.

Questions

-Plot Thrust over RPM. Is the relationship linear? Can you explain the trend you found?

(linear, exponential, logarithmic, etc.)

-What does it mean if your Back Work Ratio is 1? Plot BWR over RPM.

-Plot Compressor Ratio over RPM. If the Compressor Ratio is related to efficiency, what does the trend say about the relation of jet turbine engine efficiency to RPM?

-Plot Fuel Consumption over Thrust. What kind of trend is it?

(linear, exponential, logarithmic, etc.)