Perpustakaan Digital ITB

In recent years, the growing concern over global warming and climate change has spurred a heightened demand for environmentally sustainable transportation solutions. The aviation industry, recognized as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, faces pressure to adopt eco-friendly alternatives. Although electric aircraft have emerged as a promising option, their widespread adoption remains hindered by limitations in battery capacity and charging times. An innovative alternative to exclusively relying on batteries for electric aircraft propulsion is the incorporation of ultra-micro gas turbines (UMGTs) to generate onboard electricity during flight. These UMGTs utilize natural gases, such as propane, butane, or their combinations, as a fuel source. Natural gases are favored due to their superior energy density compared to batteries and relatively lower emissions compared to conventional jet fuels. However, the design and manufacturing of UMGT components, particularly the compressor and turbine blades, entail significant costs and time investments. To address these challenges and streamline UMGT development, this thesis focuses on the design of the UMGT combustor. Two distinct combustor designs have been developed, one adhering to a conventional configuration and another adopting a reverse flow layout. In line with predefined design criteria and specifications, the final geometry of the straight-through combustor exhibits a pattern factor of 0.20 and a pressure loss of 5.56%, encompassing a total length of 179.2 mm. Conversely, the ultimate configuration of the reverse flow combustor achieves a pattern factor of 0.20 and a pressure loss of 5.95%, with a total length of 115 mm. These findings contribute to the advancement of UMGT technology, offering cost-effective and efficient solutions for sustainable aviation in the face of environmental challenges.