An Assessment of a Turbofan Engine Using Catalytic Interturbine Combustion

The potential for using catalytic combustion in aero engines is discussed. Some preliminaries relating to NOx formation and material capabilities are analyzed. Various means to integrate catalytic combustors in aero engines are described. In particular, catalytic interturbine combustion is investigated both in terms of technical feasibility and through a preliminary design exercise. A thermodynamic design point study is presented analyzing a configuration with a combustor located concentrically around the engine core receiving pressurized air through an interstage high pressure compressor bleed. A parameter study of the compressor bleed ratio is presented for the configuration. A substantial reduction in NOx emissions at the expense of an increase in mission fuel consumption is observed.