Purpose:

Compliance with the Clean Air Act, as implemented by the EPA in the General Conformity Rule (GCR), requires that the military evaluate all emissions - including those of ships and aircrafts operating below 3,000 feet. If the total amount of criteria pollutants [ozone, carbon monoxide (CO), or particulate matter (PM)] or precursors of ozone such as oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) exceeds the EPA established minimum levels, the military must demonstrate how they will conform to the State Implementation Plan for the area. This is proving to be difficult with deployment of new weapons systems and in cases when aircraft are to be transferred from one base to another. Future weapons systems may require emissions reductions in order to avoid deployment issues in areas of nonattainment. This program seeks to demonstrate an engine quality low emissions trapped vortex combustor (TVC) that will enable future deployment of military aircraft that conform to the GCR of nonattainment regions.

Description:

A joint ESTCP, Navy, Air Force, Department of Energy (DoE), and industry program is proposed to demonstrate the use of TVC technology for reducing emissions in gas turbine engines in aircraft, ships, and stationary power facilities. The TVC concept has been successfully evaluated on a joint SERDP, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE), and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) program. Significant reductions in NOx, VOCs and CO emissions and high performance capabilities have been demonstrated with a TVC sector operating at high pressures and temperatures. This program extends the technology base established on the SERDP program to the development and demonstration of a full annular, low emissions, high performance TVC for the F414 engine. Sector rig experiments will be used to determine an optimized TVC low emissions design. The low emissions, high performance characteristics of the F414 TVC will be demonstrated in a test cell at conditions corresponding to current and projected growth of the F414, as well as at JSF and LM2500 engine conditions as appropriate. The technical objectives are to demonstrate: (1) a 50 to 70 percent reduction in NOx Emission Index (EI = grams of emitted species/kilogram of fuel); (2) a 60 percent reduction in EI(CO); and (3) an 80 percent reduction in EI(VOCs) relative to current core F414 levels.

Benefits:

The successful demonstration of the TVC low emissions technology will provide the Department of Defense (DoD) with a technical alternative for meeting GCR in future gas turbine engine based weapon systems. (Anticipated Project Completion - 2006)

Contact:

Mr. Ken Barlow
Naval Air Systems Command
Propulsion & Power Engineering
ATTN: K. Barlow, AIR 4.4.3.3
22195 Elmer Road, Building 106
Patuxent River, MD 20670-1534
Telephone: (301) 757-0469
Fax: (301) 757-0562
E-mail: BarlowKW@navair.navy.mil